MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1829, 2 June 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Bsisht Smile.—The gold lodged in the bank on Saturday as the result of the retorting which took place for the Bright Smile Company was yesterday malted into ingots weighing 3710zs 2dwts "of gold, the return being slightly iu excess ot that given as the result of the retorting, but tlie loss in melting was very inconsiderable in consequence of tho careful manner in which tho amalgam had been cleaned and retorted. Yesterday the additional force of 10 head of stampers was started to work for the company at the Imperial Crown battery. This force will in all probability be further increased in the course, of another week, for as the opening-up works progress in the low level tliero will be larger Quantities of stuff available for the crushing mill. Albion Tribute (Kelly's).— I'he gold lodged by Catran's tribute party on Saturday as the result of a crushing completed at the Prince Alfred battery was melted yesterday into . a bar weighing 69jozs. : It only lost half an ounce in mating. Cbown Piiinob.—Crushing for the Crown Prince will be commenced to-day at the Manukau battery with a force of 10 head of stampers. There is not a very large quantity of stone on hand, but the return will probably be a hand'ome one, -for the largest proportion of tho stone was taken out of the winzes which are being sunk towards the deep level, in which there has been a good show of gold all the time.

Watchman.—A discovery which is likely to have an important bearing on tile future of the Watchman mine was made yesterday by the manager, and this is, that the Colibau lode hai never been found in the company's mine, and that which has hitherto been recognised as such is another lode, separate and distinct. Owing to the Colibin winze having been sunk to the Watchman level, it has in a m diner been taken for granted that the Colibau lode was also followed, but this reasoning has not held good, although" acting - on it the company has been led into a considerable amount of expenst. Since Mr GoMsworthy took charge, he has put up a rise on what was supposed to be the Colibau reef. Jt went up iu a perpendicular manuer for that distance, and as the Coliban rerf was known to underlie at an angle of about 45 denreeg, his suspicions were aroused, and upon examination yesterday it was found that the lode upon which he had put up the rise was only a foot-wall dropper from the main reef, wbile the latter had been lef< away in the hangingwall side. It is now found not only that the Colibm reef has not been .ever worked in the Watchman ground, but that the cross-cut in which it wai supposed to be cut and from wliieli the rise was put up, must be extended about 60 feet further to intersect it. From the head of the rise, however, the distance to drive will be inconsiderable, and this cross-cut will be driven immediately. Of course if tho rise is continue ! it will also lead on to the main lode, but the manager thinks that cross-cutting will be the better plaa under tho circumstances. Of course the existenoi of this reef in the mine materially enhances its value, and it miy prove to bo of great importanc. When the reef is to hand there will be a large extent of it to open up for work, and the depth of the backs will alio be much greater than they would have been if the reef already to hand had proved to be the true lode.

Caledonian.-The uual weekly retortiug for the Caledonian Company took place yesterday after 70 tons 4 cwt. of stone from the intermediate level, and the old stopes had been put through the mill. The yield was a g tod payable' one, amounting to 72ozs of gold. There'is no change of importance in the mine nor any new discovery since our last report either in the east cross-cut or elsewhere. ,

Godden Ualf. — lletorting for the Gblden Oalf Company took place at the .Vlanukau battery yesterday, and produced a total return of 20)oZ( sdwts of gold, whicii included the amalgam obtained from the recent crushing at the Princ6 Alfred battcy, and the result of the picked stuff which was treated. The yield is only a mo.lerate one. There were, it is estimated, 300 tons of stuff put through, 100 tons at the Princa Alfred machine and about 200 at the Manukau, so that the average, as we anticipated, has only been a moderate one The further operations of the' company will be considered at t'ie directors* meeting which will be held to-day, but it has, we believe, been already determined to sink the shaft for a further level with as little delay as possible for t'ie double purpose of opening a fresh block on the Just-in-I'ime reef, and to . afford opportunity for opening up the old Golden Calf reef from this shaft. ■

: CfiNTßit fTALY.—In this mine yesterday the rise on tho course of the main reef broke through to the ; v o. 1 level as it is called, but which, properly speaking is the Wo. 2 level, fur the a tit-level is. 60 feet overhead; • There still remains, therefore, 60 feet to rise betore the aditlevel is reached,. so as to enable the manager to work out the lode above this level without having to use the win lingengine. The reef in the levnl which has how been reached by the rise, is a very fine looking body of stone three feet thick. Gold 'was carried up in the rise for a height of about 25 feet on the underlie of a slide, but a change occurring the inanagir drove along the course of the lole for a distahoe of ibout 25.feet, where he picked up gold ag iin in a fine class of quariz We miy remark that the aditlevel is still lower than that at which.the Nonpareil got rich gold, so that there .is a very large extent of grouud opened for working, and there are besides gool prospects of ri ;h finds along the course of what undoubtedly is a define 1 run of gold. In the low level, do>vn near the Golden Oalf boundary, themmager has lvsumed stoping on thV three lodes in now blocks. A little gold shows every shift, and tho stuff generally appears to be of good payable qualify. : Moanataiaiu.—3o far as_ may be judged from last week's operations there is good reason to anticipate another highly profitable fortnight's return for the iMoanataiari Company. The stufFwbioh is being taken from all parts of tho mine showed up for an average which, .if not quite sb good as that of the previous fortnight, at least approaches it very closely.