MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1828, 1 June 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Beight Smiix—A retorting for tbe ißii»ht rSmile •Compaqy took place on 'Saturdaf ai'tliecolhpany's battery, the result of which goes further towards proving the increased richness of the low level,of, the mine : than, could be shown in 'any, way.i'LffhWWre in all 266 tons of stone crushed, for a handsome return of 3700zs of gold. This of course included the specimens on hand. but\the wuole\pf(theV£tuff is from'the bbttomilevel, ofiwbich'f tie be taken as a fair sample, as the crushing rinoluded/proportions from all the '"ThesV lodes are now opened up some extent by connections with-winzes and by having their courses driven on, thus affording opportunity for breaking 'W£ stone in larger quantities. .There will ibe'ienhead of .'stampers latl the Imperial Crown - battery started to work to-'dayion.'sWfffrdm-thiSiicbmpahyl'sAiaipo. sand as'.tho e.pemngj.Uß; ! wQrkß'i u progress ' taaking.r,6.om:f6rJinore men; jtherj i.,willj ..be additional quarfcz > available, and fur--';be -iistart'd to 'work'jand -kept:iiemployed. .."This.iwe ,may Remark, isutheideepest level-under the sea from which payable .quarta'has ever been taken out, but in respect to the . Bright. ,Bmi!e..lodes, ;^he,( r,uJe .winch has the greater tho d'eptli the richer the quartz, and this new level further confirms the rule. The new .level .besides* affords' grater room for working than 'any of those previously opened. With backs 75 feet in depth to Btopo on all the" lodesj'it''may ! be,expected that from this level they can be[fpllowed much, farther in a seaward direction than in the other levels, so that there will be-not only a gr,eater { depth of "them v to J ~ slope, but' a*greater length of them besides. This may be considered the first crushing from the new level, although recent ones have .been, from tho winzes sunk towards it, and the company may well be congratulated on the splendid prospects opened up before them. J '."ALBiONi^EKLfiY-s'TBiBirTB.— A crush- ■ j ing of about-60'tons ofstuff from Kelly's old claim has been finished for -,tlioi tributera, Oatranyand party,ratjthe "Prince Alfred' battery, ! and a' good pay; ''able" yield of llqzs was the result obtained f ;from jthej Se tor ting i 'whichl ;took place on Saturday. ' ''"South British Association.—Since bfiie^Mciaha- . iaiari,mine as manager, Mr Cameron has supervised the operations carried on by ' 'the : Bbuth'BHM l A'ssociation; ; '' ! Ttie-shaft has now reached what appears to be the bed rock at aieptii of 19,3 feet- It is a soft fsandstone) of Mour, and has been~Bunk'into for a (lepth of 7 feet .without change of formation. But although goftand apparently decomposed jto extent, there is no doubt but it is J-trueWookA Hitlferto the shaft has been .sunk- thrpugkidnfc,, QTJiore aVo'ne'tinie or another qeen a ; great. slip, off the..fap* of for ■the, wih'ble 1 , of .fclie, Icoii.atry tbrougli which 1 .shaf('"has'been''|s j uok ! ' 'jfcp/thft presenif'is ';simpjy..m^ ' 'toad's-'.to'cjinliniie'tbe '.shaft t'o.a.'depth of 200 feet," aad .'dri"ye itlie .hill. wiere 'tie • ,wiU"' soon' i'ge't into ,-sqM.'country ' iv TFoEfißTEßß.C£,AiM.— A.{Small jawelot , 'gold' weighing sp'zV 7dwts was "lodged in ' as: the. result of \ ,a cr.u3bingj .from, |'oi;es j ter. , s' ' Claim. '■' lt'was .Udwis are'oo : fc''a | ware I !jhow ! mu'oh' 'sidaej tiaV'frejea "return."' .'"" '" "' ,''.'.,;. \^'- : ;, i(fi ■ .h.ChammpNi LioN.T-Th3' ( ''g'rea|''.success which has" attended 'the'development ,pf the mines on the. Grahamstpwn flat, in'eluding the'Brighl Grown, Prince,, and others, has. l'edi'auehtion %' the extent''of flat country,' further south',' and, 'the. r 'p?pspeqfcs ,o£ j, the 'Vanguardi 'a large' area' of ,^rouad ? . are now viewed.,. jvith. rThis lease, br.'iice;ns'.e;talcei in I'a, considerable ex.teat of. 'street.'. : , on. Saturday 'section'of i6 ( ' acres,was pegged.bffyto"She southward" of M 'the°Vahguara "by Messrs Tookey and Eannaford, who have named "it" the Champion Lion. We are glad •to see,, that .prospecting the flat land is: bWg'Me'ndea in the Shortland direction.' It is ,the,ppniipn. of ,raen 3 of. the /greatest : experiehU'thaf;'there,are"am atthe.so'u'th'side of the llaraka as'well as to the northward, aad surprise now been evinced J ihat v no efforts were being made to'pro.ve them so in reality. Wtien the minesjem] the GrahaWstown flat were first mnrked off; indee"di"until rich meiKwJp tookUhM'up-and' invested their tooney in them were by many considered little better fthaniftnadmen, but results have proved differeutly, and it is quite probable that such may again prove to be the case in respect to the Shortland fiat. Old. .Whau.—There, was no, news .of very great importance on Saturday regarding the low level of the Old Whau mine except that a little gold had been ;,wible/jri the;:face: of(hthe -driveptfjfthe hanging wall reef the junction of .the.-,»aia reef with the hanging-wall reef. Across-cut has also been driven for a few ife'et, to ascertain .the position. of .the maiu re'eflJ JaadL'id.Hthis ul'soliquatfev was struck on Saturday apparently a fine strong body, which has, however, only 'Veen penetrated for a short distance. TW-right band L brancb. lode also became distinguishable in the level, but has not been opened yet, and the main drive is still continued as,before .towards..the j d'riotiq'nj •' ; in ! ' all'protiabilifcjr-y the whole of.tue lodes•' will'unifei-''" The distance' to'be driven-is of course'prbblema'ticai, 5 but in 8 ; bt-10'fe'et at the-outside'it .should 1 be Cached; arid,'judging'.'frdhi the strong flow of water from the faoe, the bodyof quartz at the backmusl be very large and, open. Operations are ( still ' as 1 before? iii' ( the v upper' level, sometimes on the main reef at others pn ; : the!hanging-ivall reef,"and th'en ! 'again;_pi' 'the i right : liarid branch lode requires or oQnvenienci Corves, On Friday 'and' Saturday there'was a fine show of gold' through ,the, right ...hand r .bpanpli, ; ,reeF, ifrom 'whicli "a parcel' i of" , '3olbs'of" specimens in addition to_ a con"ffidefable quantity of picked stuff -same, to haud. r , The •hanging-wall reef "also3'uoWed f .''|old ! 'fre6ly. and good'pa'reerpt : ; pick'e(J;stuff^o'n''Saturday, fh'ere'will, We;learn'; , be i 'no , ''cieaning up or for the 'another wee£ J '' '$ i ne;duep^brs i K , , m;eetjug ( iS' to take 'of the month; aiid th'e' gold l be J ' t'6 hand tythat time;* <Frbfttlie 'go'dd'sliowmade by the general stuff at the Moauataiari battery, and at the company's own mill there should_.be a large return, out of %hich ; a'dividend' Will 'probably*'be 1 paid. ~ plunger having 'prb^e'rly'"'Med 1 in' atthe;bottom 1 , of,:the]shaft ]the manager on" Saturday had oho of the immense .rods slung and lowered also. This rod is a tiugo tree of kauri timber, 5) feet in length r and; 20 < iuohea square. The seooud* rod ? will A b lowered iio-day, ao.d in. probability tho. .whole, of ..the, -goac« 4

will be conn'ecTed and "the pumpßfairly to work again tn thecourße of a ? w,eete 'vOf OponrsefitHe!; jy'ork ;?p"n.Qt|p'a rusliVdr 'for 'frequent stoppages are requisite while'U'he'lshaft' is being pumped out. (If.jt,was-only making) tile connections, 1 that would soon be dono, but it is. the keeping the wiater and gasciinder whictcausea delay. ! ,was a better show of gold in the mirie'than on thp pre- „ vious da'yj itt.,'thefseawardCd'riveVfor .theli reef was increasing. .Jn^pizejin tho,/ace, and the specimens' 1 taken-oiit'ofM face were larger and; pf^ripjhej.iglaaUty than those .found on the previous day.