MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1784, 9 April 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Albubnia.—Three important. finds were made in- this, mine yesterday afternoon, all of which occurred within about two hours." The first and most important one was the discovery of a new auriferous lode in-the main level, or old Star of the South level, as it is called. Here the manager drove a cross-cut into the hang-ing-wall a distance of about 25 feet, and oh Saturday last saw a little quartz in the side of the drive, which is going in a direction vary close to north-west by north. Its strike did not bring it fully into' the drive up to yesterday, but although little notice was taken ef it, as its.course was so different to all the chief lodes of the mine, yet the manager had a shot put into it yesterday, which soon altered the estimate of its value. It showed a remarkably fine body of stone, in which gold was freely visible, and some very fair specimens came to hand with the first parcel broken down. The course of this lode is such that it appears to strike from the corner-peg of the Whau and Alburnia mine towards the Tinker's Gully side of the claim. It is a foot thick. The fiud is of itself a very important one, but the manager is of opinion that this is.nothing more or less than a crossreef connecting the main lode with another which he thinks exists, and runs a course parallel with the nuin reef at its hanging-wall side. It never rains good or ill fortune, it always pours. ; This was not the only discovery of importance made in the mine yesterday. iVo have already stated that the company had procured the use of Dixon's No. 1 tunnel, which they had started to continue the drive on the lode through the company's mine. Yesterday afternoon a fino show of gold was met with in the lodo at a distance of 10 feet from the boundary, anl it was no poor patch, it was evidently more important than that, for there wa-i a good general show of gold through the wholo of the stuff,afterwards broken down. The | third find did not occur iff any of the lb;v i levels of the mine, but on the upper: or surface level. Our readers will recollect that shortly before Captain Higgins resigned the management of this mine he opened up a good strong lode on the crown of the hill, and upon it ho sunk a winze. Som> crushing stuff taken out of itiyielded well, but at a depth of 19 foet the reef was lost. Soon after'Mr Kali, the present manager, took ohargo, he went

for that leader, and after some consideration determined to continue the sinking of the winze, but to alter its underlie. This he accordingly did, and yesterday at a further depth of 18 feet he found the leader a fine body of stone two feet thick, which amongst other encouraging indications contained a showof gold. These simultaneous discoveries had the effect of creating a furore for Alburnia shares in the market last night, but they will doubtless have the better and more solid effect of giving confidence to the shareholders not only of the Alburnia, but of adjoining mines. _ It is quite evident from recent discoveries that the wealth of those mines, which are supposed to be most thoroughly worked, is far from exhausted, and that the prospecting carried on in any part of the district is so far insufficient. Caledonian.—The gold resulting from the last month's crushing for the Caledonian Company has been lodged iu the Bank of New Zealand. Its weight, after melting, is 5240zs lOdwts. Am Nations.—A cleaning up and retorting for the All Nations Company took place yesterday at the Imperial .Grown battery after 75 tons of stuff had been put through the mill. The yield amounted, after melting, to 88ozs gold, and i 3 therefore e good payable one; California' Tbibcte.—A parcel of gold, which after melting, weighed 29ozs 4 iwtsj has been lodged in the Baa k of New Zealand by the tributers of the California mine, Tararu. It was the result of a crushing just completed at the Flora Macdonald battery, but the average per ton is a moderate one. . ; Missotnu Tfiißdrß.—Another small parcel of gold, weighing 7ozs ldwt, was lodged yesterday by the tributers of the Missouri mine as the result of a crushing just completed at, the company's mill.

OEXTaic Italy.—Retorting for the Central Italy took place yesterday at the Prince Alfred battery, bat the return,, although a good one, has not met expectations. The total yield was 3020zs gold, and there were 250 tons of stone put through. The stamper-boxes did not contain anything like as much amalgam as was anticipated, nor did the specimens either yield so, much as was expected. The gold contained in them was evidently of a showy but light character. However the return, all things considered, is a very fair one, although no doubt many who expected a larger yield will be disappointed. ■ Albion (Poverty Tribute). — The crushing just completed at the Prince Alfred battery for Worthy and party tributes, who, under the Albion Company, are working the old Poverty, mine yielded afar better return than couldhave been expected from the quantity of amalgam on hand. ; iTliere were in'all only 5850zs of amalgam to hand as the result of l the entire crushing, biit this was of such a rich quality, and was so carefully squeezed and well treated that it produced the astonishingly high return of 31)Ozs gold, which has been baaked for melting as the result of a crushing of 50 tons of stone. Tho percentage of gold obtained from the amalgam is the highest for a large parcel that we renumber ever to havo been produced afc the Thames. Bibd-in-Hand. -The manager made arrangements yesterday with the manager of the Imperial Crown battery for the use of 10 head of stampers with which to commence permanent crushing; and the quartz hopper, which has been constructed at the collar of the shaft; being completed, he commenced winding up the stuff which has for some time been lying in the mine. There was a fair show of gold through some of the stuff raised. A small portion of the lode stripped in the drive was also broken down, and through this stuff there was also a highly satisfactory show of gold. Masckuj. -The general crushing for tho Alauukau i 3 showing up as richly as ever,. ludeed there was a manifest improvement yesterday,' for the quantity of amalgam obtained as the result of the 24 hours' run was nearly lOOozs, as against 89ozs onthe previous day. Old WHAU.-G-old showed as freely as ever in this mine yesterday, and during the day a very fine lot of rich picked stuff cams to hand. The manager expects, notwithstanding the scarcity of water in the creek, that he will be able to treat the picked stuff now on hand at the company's battery this week. Albion Tbibotb— KbiiLy's.—A. smallparcel of 7 tons has been crushed at the Euraaui battery for the tributers who are working telly's old mine—Catran and party. The yield was a remunerative one, amounting to llozs Sdwts retorted gold, which was banked last evening, to be melted to-day. • ; ■ ~