MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 216, 18 June 1872, Page 3

MINING.

Moanataiari.— This company’s battery is in full swing, and the show seems to be about the same as usual. It is impossible to give any estimate of the probable return next Saturday, as the magnitude of it depends so much on the quantity of picked stone taken out, and up to the last moment this may be considerably increased. In the lower workings—that is, in tlie Kuranui Tunnel—the cross-cuts going in for the Nos. 9 and 3 lodes are making good headway. That going for the former is : n about fifty-five feet, and is in good easy working ground, so that (he reef may soon he looked for, there being only some thirty or thirty-five feet to goto reach it. The other crosss-cut going towards No. 3 is in some seven or C'glit feet, and is in much harder country, having come across a sort of bar ; hut it is not had shooting ground. The main tunnel is making capital progress through splendid country, in which quartz and metals arc frequently seen. Mr Wright, C.E., has completed a splendid plan of the various workings of the mine, some eight feet in length and four and a half feet wide, showing the different levels, each a separate colour. The different workings of the surrounding claims are also shown, as far, at least, as those are concerned that are at all likely to have any connection with the Moanataiari mine. From a good look at the plan, it is very easy to sec that but little work lias been done in the mine at present compared to what yet remains to he done through the very extensive block of ground at the company’s command. The large number of branches, etc., and the different lodes themselves, already opened, are enough to puzzle anyone who is a stranger to the mu of the country in this neighbourhood. The large slide which runs across the ground, too, is marked_ on the plan and close up towards this it is that most of the good gold has been taken out lately. Don Pedro. —A large block of the reef having been stripped in the stope, up near to the Inverness boundary, breaking it down was commenced last night, and the precious metal could he seen in the stone. The lode was as much as three feet thick in places where stripped, and all along the stone looked very well indeed. There is a good quantity of stone now in the paddock, and no doubt, as soon as this is slightly increased, the manager will send the stone to undergo that surest of all tests, the crushing mill. Inverness. —All the necessary work having been done, as far as regards fixing the passes, etc., breaking out stone below the Kuranui tunnel level has commenced, and the quartz that was coining up last night, though not showing gold, was evidently first-rate quartz, and just the kind that will yield well when crushed. Besides working the blocks on the lode lode now op. ned below the main level, the manager is about to put up a rise on the vein to tins south side of the slide which came across the reef, and he fully expects to meet with some good gold in this block of ground from what is already known of its nature. Manukau Battery.— At this battery the Nonpareil now only occupy ten head, having knocked off ten yesterday. Ten head arc at work on a parcel of stone from Work’s tribute, and five head are crushing some quartz from the Bird in Hand mine next to the Bright Smile. This last lot is just to try the value of tlie lode where opened, and should it prove payable, as no doubt it will, more can he got out very soon. Whau, —The cross-cut being entered-to cut the reef at a low level is now in about twenty-five feet. The hard bar that was expected has turned out to he the reef itself, and is some nine feet thick where passed through. About twelve feet from the hanging wall a very fine likely-look-ing leader some two feet trick has been passed through, and, from the encouraging appearance of the stone, the shareholders intend to test it as soon as the adit is in far enough to enable them to do so without interfering with the working of it. On tlie far side of this lode splendid working ground has been come on, which, if it continues, will etiabie them to push ahead very fast. This leader seems to strike back into the main lode, which it will

probably strike perhaps 100 feet away from the cross-cut. It is likewise dipping towards the main lode. The battery attached to the mine is being put into good order, as well as all the surrounding tanks, flumes, &c., so that it will be ready to start tc work at any moment when required.

Sons of Freedom.— There is no diminution in the quantity of stone coming from the mine, and the precious metal is frequently seen, good stone being taken out every now and then. The winze is down for a distance of about 30 feet on the reef, which is fully four feet wide at the bottom, and gold has been carried down all the way. Crushing has been going on for three weeks, and a clean up will take place this week. The low level tunnel, which is really a fine piece of work, is now in for a distance of six hundred feet perfectly straight, and is now in shooting ground. Progress is, however, very good and satisfactor}-. Splendid air is kept right up to the face, being driven in by means of water, which, having a fall of some twenty feet, is caput le of carrying in an ample supply fora much farther distance than is at present required. So strong is the current that in a few minutes after a shot has gone off the smoke is seen coming from the mouth of the tunnel in a cloud. Twenty-third of June.—ln this mine the winze which has been going down on the No. 2 lode has now vciy nearly broken through, and when this is done a large section will be opened for working out. On the No. 1 lode also a large block, some one hundred and twenty feet by one hundred, will very soon be open for sloping on, so that there will be plenty of stone available for crushing soon, and if it only turns out as rich as what has been already put through the mill it will do. Albion Tribute (Kelly’s). —The gold resulting from the late crushing of sixtythree tons of stone for these tributers, was melted at the Bank of New Zealand yesterday, and amounts to two hundred and twenty-three ounces eleven pennyweights twelve grains. Red Queen. —The winze on the small or specimen leader has been carried down to a depth of seventy feet, and at this depth the manager has commenced to open out to clean blocks for sloping. Some very good specimens were taken out just at the bottom containing rich gold and the lode which is over a foot thick and looks very well indeed. The large lode has been driven along for a distance of one hundred and fifty feet, and two cross cut are now going through it fifty feet apart, in order to test it’s value. Cure. —The crushing at the Prince Alfred Battery for this mine is keeping up its appearance, and still justifies us in anticipating a good return, judging by the quantity of amalgam cleaned down from the plates daily. The paddock is full of quartz, or nearly so, so that there seems every likelihood of their being able to keep up the supply at the batteries. We have not yet visited the Tararu battery, where crushing is going on with ten head, so we cannot speak as to its appearance there.