MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 218, 20 June 1872, Page 3

MINING.

Work’s (Tookey) Tribute. Retorting from the late crushing for this tribute party took place yesterday at the Manukau Battery, and a return of twenty-seven ounces seven pennyweights of gold was the result from tiie twenty tons put through, a payable yield, though not as good as was expected. All Nations.—A clean up for this company took place yesterday at the Herald Battery, after crushing for a fortnight with ten head of stampers, during which time about one hundred and twenty tons of stuff were put through. The yield amounted to one hundred and fifty-two ounces of gold. The boxes were only partially cleaned np for this return, and ciushing is going ahead again, and will be kept up regularly. Geobge Stevenson. — A crashing of about forty to.,s of stone from the George Stevenson mine, Hape Creek, was completed yesterday at Greenaway’s machine, and gave a return of twenty-two ounces nine pennyweights of melted gold, being at the rate of a little over hnif-an nnce to the ton. Prince Imperial. —This company had a clean up yesterday at the Waiotahi Battery, after some seventy tons had been crashed, from the same leader as the last crusbings were taken from. The yield shows an improvement on former ones, being at the rate of about twenty-four pennyweights to the ton. Ihe amount of gold lodged yesterday was eighty-three ounces, and there will be a few ounces more when all the blanketings, &c., are , cleaned up.

Messenger's Tribute. —The crushing of a parcel of stone for these tributers, from the large reef in Messenger’s ground, which has been going on at the Waiotahi Battery, has been stopped, as from the show obtained it was evident that it could not be payable. A lot of seven or eight ; tons for the same party, taken from the I small or specimen leader, is now going through the mill, and promises to give a good payable return. It is to be regretted that the large reef will not pay for working, as there is a very large section of it in the ground which could be taken out and sent to the battery at a trifling expense, the ground having been well opened up. However, it may turn out to be of superior quality, if worked at a lower level in the hill, and ought to be worth prospecting at a greater depth, as it has been proved to carry gold, though in small quantities, at the levels already

tried. Albion. —Everything is now in excellent working order about the engine house and shaft gearing. The ropes are fixed, and yesterday the contractors started to work to fix a footway down the shaft prior to commencing operations by cutting a chamber and putting in a drive to intersect the lodes which have yielded so well at higher levels. The cross-cut is to bs put in at a depth of one hundred and ninety feet in the shaft. The Povery and Charleston tributers have again taken out some rich specimens from their lode, and thereseems every prospect of their having a good return from their next crushing. Windsor Castle. —The lode which had bossed out to a very great extent in the stopes has again contracted to its proper size, about three feet thick, and gold is again to be seen in it as it is broken down. Crushing continues at the battery, where the stuff is showing up for a return of about an ounce to the ton, as far as can be judged from the appearance of the plates.

Italian. —A report that gold had been struck in this mine was current yesterday in town. The facts of the case are as follow :—The cross-cut which is going in from the bottom of the shaft towards the Waiotahi Creek, after having got clear of the hard dyke through which the shaft is sunk, came into much softer country, and here a small leader about three inches thick was cut through, the stone from which, though very good and likely looking stuff, did not show the presence of the precious metal. The cross-cut is being pushed ahead in good ground, and the manager is of opinion that this vein will prove to be the forerunner of other and perhaps larger veins ahead, which, if found, it is to be hoped will prove auriferous.

Brunswick. —After a long period of quiescence the directors of this company propose setting to work ngain and trying to prove the value of the lode at the low level, which has already been opened for some distance into the ground. This tunnel was carried in to the reef and driven alongside of it up to within about fifty feet or so of where the run of gold worked from the surface is supposed to be, but when it had got this far the funds failed, and it was found impossible to get the calls in. The legal manager has however notified that legal proceedings will be taken to recover them at once, so that they may be enabled to start work as soon as possible. The reef, where worked on formerly, has yie’ded as much as two ounces to the ton, so that it is well worth the company’s while to spend a little money on the ground and test the value of the lode thoroughly.

Bright Smile. —The lode lias been followed at the water level for a distance of thirty feet, and it is expected that they will have a block of one hundred feet in length to open up before the rock formation is met with out under the flat. Gold is visible both in the face of the drive and also in the stopes as the reef is broken down. In spite of the heavy rains we have lately had, and the consequent increase in the quantity of surface water, the water in the shaft has not at all increased in quantity : in fact it has lowered two feet since sinking was discontinued, clearly proving the fact that the mine is drained by the pumping on the Golden Crown reef.

Vulcan. —We are sorry to bear that the working of the large reef in this mine has had to be suspended, and the battery in consequenco shut up, as the stone did not prove payable. All hands have in consequence been knocked off work for the time, with the exception of the pary of contractors who are putting in the main cross-cut to catch the specimen or No. 2 lode, which they expect to do in about sixty or seventy feet more driving.

Central Italy.— A little excitement was occasioned yesterday, touching gold having been struck in this company’s mine. This was partly occasioned by the report published in our morning contemporary, stating that a very rich find of gold had been made, etc., which report most grossly exaggerated the real facts of the case, qnd was very apt to mislead the public. Anyone who took the trouble to visit the mine and inspect it for himself might have seen this at once. That gold, however, has been found is perfectly true,

and some small specimens were again taken from the rise going up out of the chamber at the two hundred and sixty

feet level. Yesterday the manager had his men busy stripping down the sides, nnd sending mullock and the quartz already broken out, up to the surface. Today he will be engaged breaking down quartz and more gold may be expected. The lode show’s two feet six inches thick in the rise, and gold can be seen in fair quantities on the sides and roof. Altogether the prospects before the shareholders seem very much brighter than they have been for some time past and appearances now are all in faror of a good block of ground being opened on this lode. As regards the other works going on in the mine, we may state that the lower level drive is now in for a distance of forty feet in clean, dry, trachyte country, not at all similar to that being worked at the higher levels, where the country is of the same mullocky and broken as the ground in the Nonpareil mine. Ihe change in the ground has commenced just below’ the two hundred and sixty feet level. This low level is going in with the intention of seeking for the underlie of the Nonpareil main reef, which is expected to be cut before the boundary is reached. The upper level, at two hundred feet down the shaft, is in for a distance of sixty feet through broken country. It has passed through a large jumbled up mass of glassy quartz, which is evidently no good at all. A slide has also been cut through, and on the far side of it there are indications of the near presence of a lode which may be cut at any moment. Altogether, os we before observed, the company now have very good prospects before them. Everything in and about the mine is in a most excellent wmrking state, and it can be seen that the best of management and order exist. The machinery, too, is k*>pt splendidly, and is as bright as a new pin, and works as well as any on the whole field.