MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 264, 13 August 1872, Page 3

MINING.

Central Italy.—Both at the 200 and 260 fret levels, the large slide which broke the reef in the Golden Calf ground is now in hand, and the manager is driving along it, in order to try and pick up the lode again, as it has been smashed iu this mine apparently in the sauiv manner as in the Calf. The crosscut which was put in towards the Nonpareil at the 200 feet level, it will be remembered, was carried through the slide diagonally, and the reef was not to be found, the drive evidently going iu right through the slide at a point nearly midway between where the ends of the brokeu lode may be supposed to be. At the 260 feet level, the lode was driven on for a distance of 35 feet to the south-west, and here met the slide, and of course disappeared. The lode where last worked was about 2 feet thick, and was rather broken. The manager is now, as we said, driving along the slide, which strikes almost due southwest, aud he expects to have to go over 40 feet before meeting the lode again, this being about the distance at which it was picked up in the Calf workings. No doubt now iu the course of a week or two the lode will be in hand again, when it is to be hoped that the good prospects obtained in the Golden Calf will continue upwards. From what we have written it will be seen that the lie of the ground is now becoming better known than it has been, aud the course of the slide is pretty well ascertained to be south-east and north-west. There is no change to report iu the workings at the 325 feet level, where driving ahead is still being continued. Golden Calf. —As the reef has been driven on it has altered its course to a certain extent, inasmuch as what was the hanging wall seems now to be turned into the tootwsll, the reef having slued greatly. On this footwall a very nieelooKing vein of quartz has come in, as much as two and a half or three feet wide, aud from this it was that the specimens obtained on Saturday were taken. The stone looks very well, aud shows gold where broken down. A trainway from the shaft to the cutting near to the Moanataiari Tramway has been started, which will be self-acting, and will enable the manager to send down his quartz to any battery on the flat he pleases. There is a pretty good flow of water into the mine now, but the tanks an* quite able to keep it down by bailing a few hours at a time.

Caledonian. The report which was circulated yesterday morning to the effect that a heavy haul of specimens had been made from the mine proved, as is often the case, umrue, and indeed had little foundation at all. In the rise going up from the lower level to the Otago stopes some gold was seen, and the lode looks well. A specimen or two was also taken from the No. 2 stopes ot. the main lode, at about three feet below the mullock which was put to fill up with by Mr Rowe when he worked out the gold along the level. In the Otago run stopes no change has occurred, there being still large quantities of stone brokeu out, and is turning out well at the batter}’. The vein which came into the No. 2 lode at the mid-level

has been intersected, and proves to bo about three feet thick. No more gold has been found in it since it was first struck, and work is still being cairied on on it. The tailings plant will now be ready to start in a few days to work, and it certainly has material enough to operate on. The machinery has been started in order to test the accuracy of all the gear, and it was found to act admirably, everything moving .very smoothly. A few of the fittirgs have yet to be fixed, and then all will ho ready for work. Kuranui.—Although no more specimens have been obtained from the reef between the 120 fathom level and the lower drive, the quality of the quartz coming out is very good indeed, as is proved by the quantity of amalgam taken at the battery. Tiie manager is driving towards the slide on the main vein and also on a branch which joins the lode near to where the best gold was taken, and which strikes off at a very slight angle. The next fortnightly return will be a good one judging by present appearances. Yesterday the Poiot Russell cleaned up at the old battery after s ime 30 or 40 tons had been put through, but the return is not yet tohand. The Inverness have obtained the use of ten head of stampers at the large battery, and will start crushing today. They will have a good parcel of stone to put through before finishing, and if the gold can be saved, a good return ought to be obtained, but the stuff is very difficult to treat, as was proved at the last crushing, it being so full of base metals. United Pumping Association. —The pumps had to be stopped again, yesterday morning, for some hours owing to the inadequate supply of water for feeding the boilers. They have got pipes laid on from the Government mains, but cannot get anything like a ptoper supply from them. It seems that for some distance back a two inch pipe only has been laid to carry water to the boilers of the several machines in the neighbourhood, and out of this there are no less than seven halfinch pipes leading, the natural consequence being that very little more than half the necessary supply can be obtained. The Engineer of the Association is fixing pipes now to take water from the mine into the boilers to avoid having to stop work, but it is a well known fact that this water is most ruinous to them and cannot be used for any length of time with safety. The Goverment should be strongly urged at once to lay down pipes of a sufficient size to give an adequate supply of water, the more especially as this work is one of we may 6av, great public interest, and oue on which the future of the field depends to a very great extent. Moanataiari.— This company are about to commence crushing at the Kuranui old battery, which they have taken for a time. Quartz was being sent down yesterday, and a start will be made to-day or tomorrow. In the mine there is no change of consequence. The No. 3 lode, which the manager believes to be in hand at the tunnel level, has now been all but cut through, and he intends to open out on it and drive towards the Don Pedro ground without delay, in order to see the run of the country in that direction. The other workings at this level are going on as usual, no change of couseqiience having taken place. Sons of Freedom. —The gold which wc reported yesterday as having been found was taken from the bottom of the winze, which is down to a depth of 115 feet. The lode, which a little higher up was rather small, has made to about 2£ feet, and it is not so rich as the small parcel of specimens which were taken out as the general appearance of the reef, which indicates good prospects. Gold can be seen through nearly all the stone broken out, and it will undoubtedly crush well. The low level tunnel is proceeding apace, though rather slowly just now, part of the ground being very hard indeed. The tunnel seems to have been put in between two hard bars of country, sometimes the tough ground being on one side of the drive and sometimes on the other, but never has the whole of the face been hard. This lias enabled them to make better progress than they would otherwise have done, and in a short distance now they expect to be in to the sandstone lean of country which lies next to the footwali of the reef, when progress will be much quicker than it lias been. Black Forest. —A parcel of 7oz lldwt of melted gold was lodged by this claim in the Bauk of New Zealand yesterday afternoon. The mine is situated next to the George Stevenson, on the Hape Creek.