MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1834, 8 June 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

; Old What;.—Another gold find in the new level of the Oil Whau mine occurred during Friday night in a most unexpected manner. As our readers are aware, the manager has pushed ahead the drive on the hanging-wall reef towards its junction with the main reef to such a. distance that the stuff could not be conveniently shovelled baok into the pass; it therefore became necessary to widen and timber the drive and lay down rails through the level.' It was while widening the drive that the gold was discovered on Friday night, not in the face of the drive, but 15 feet back from it in quartz veins coming into the foot-wall of the hanging-wall reef from the main lode, which is now close to hand at the side of the drive. These veins were very rich, fully 501bs of rich specimens and about 2401bs of picked stuff were taken out of a- very small space. At the time of our visit to the mine on Saturday afternoon there was no gold showing, but there were splendid indications, and in the course of the evening another rich parcel of stone came to hand from the same lodes. .The junction has not yet been reached, but it is now close .to hand, and might be looked for after a few feet further have been driven. The great.riohness of these veins met with on Friday night and Saturday is strong proof of- the richness of the shot of gold at the junction, and before many days elapse the main shot will be to hand-beyond all-possible doubt. The orushing for the company during the last month has not proved so rich as usual. At the Moanataiari battery there were frequent stoppages, and the stuff sent to the mill was of rather inferior quality, mainly taken out of the end of the mine, against Dixou's boundary, which was off the run of gold. The stuff was payable and had to be crushed, and the return obtained amounting to 4140z5, is on the whole a very satisfactory one. At the company's own mill there have also been many stoppages for want.of water, and also on account of defects in the boiler. The yield at this mill only amounted to 2230z5, and this gold was mainly obtain from a parcel of poor picked stuff crushed early in the month. The total yield for the month, including 2260z9 previously lodged and the 6370zs lodged on Saturday, is 8630z5. The specimens taken out on Saturday have not been treated. The find alluded to has greatly enhanced the prospective value of the mine. There can now be no doubt but that the shot of gold which was so rich through the rest of the mine strikes downwards into this level and beyond it, and in all likelihood the present level will prove richer than any of those previously worked.

Qoekn o? Beiuty.—The total yield of gold produced from the Queen of Beauty rainefor the last fortnight is4oßozs of gold, of which 182ozs were the result obtained from the stuff crushed at Bull's battery, and the renwinder'was obtained at the company's own mill. We are informed by Air Wardell tliafc £3,800 was [offered' for a full share in this claim on [Saturday last and refused. Yery good .progress is being made with the lowlevel [drive which is now in a considerable distance towards the City of London baundary.

Bibd-in-Hand.—lii thi3 miae gold showed as freely on Saturday as during the early part of the week. A contract was let on Saturday for sinking the shaft a further depth of 70, feet; The country being good tho sinking of this depth will occupy a great length of time, and in about six or seven weeks we may expect to see a fair commencement made with the Opening up of the new level. Bbight Smile.—There were 30lbs of rich specimens taken out of the seiward face of the drive on the shaft lode on Saturday afternoon, and a good show_ was left in the face. In the opposite direction the drive on the course of this lode has reached the No. 3 winze, with which, communication was effected on Saturday afternoon. Here also the junction of the shaft-lode with the No. 2 was found, and

there is now a width of eight feet of quartz in the face. Jn fact this No. 3 winze appears to have been.sunkonthe j auction of the two lodes. A little gold showed in this face when the junction was reached, and the stuff generally is of ex-

cellent quality. Of course the progress made with opening the new .level has afforded increased facilities for breaking out stone, and the manager will start an extra force of ten head of stampers to work to-day at the Imperial Grown battery, where ten head have been at work for the company for the last week on stone which has made a very fine show on the plates. In future 20 head will be employed at this mill, in addition to the 22 head at the company's own battery, and a further .increase of the crushing power will be made shortly. The new level is opening up splendidly. All the reefs show gold freely, and the prospects of the mine were never better than they are at present, MoiNATiUßi.—The usual fortnightly retorting for the Moanataiari. Company took place on Saturday, but the result is not quite so good as that obtained during the two previous: fortnights. The stuff crushed was taken from all parts of, the mine, but principally from the tunnel level, and there were in all 553 tons reduced. The gold obtained is 218 ounces, but although the average is low, it leaves a fair margin of profit. Kvuiwi— The fortnight's cleaning up and retorting for the Kuranui Company took place on Saturday morning, bat the return was only a mjderate one of 990z3 - 17d>vts molted gold. Thero were about 250 tons of stone crushed for this result.

Eosb and Shim book Tbibotk.- -During tue'lastwesk the Mlarat andOluues battery has had all the orushing power for which water was available employed orushiag. for the tributers. of the Rose and' Shamrock mine, which has made a favourable show oa. the plates. There was no cleaning up on' Saturday, but in accordance with an arrangement nude with the manager of the Alburnia mine, the mill will be this week employed crushing for tho Albukia Company, and the crushings will in future be carried on' for both mines alternate weeks until suoh time as there is sufficient water for the whole force of the mill.