MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1859, 8 July 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

'■ PouTrr British Association.—This association slill continues its vigorous efforts to .prospect tho section of ground which they occupy at the base of Murphy's Hill, on Block 27. Tho shaft which they have sunk is down 120 feet. For the greater part of the "distance, .in■deed we might say the whole distance, through alluvial deposit, but the bed rock, at length appears to have been reached, and it was , then .considered- whether itj would, ,'be ~ more,; advisable to drive towards the hill into solid country and intersect any leaders which might come down there, or to continue sinking Further, The latter [course has been decided on. The shaft will now be sunk to;a depth of 300 feet, and provision has also been midti for erecting a winding engine.. The old portable engine ;'which has been used to ,;i drive the;Whau battery has been purchased by-this, company, and after being thoroughly repaired will be erected on this m'ne for winding purposes. *<;■ ,j J Ceown PfliNCE.—The Wo. 2 reef would b? to hand in the new level before this time, only that a hard, bar was | mot with ■iii the cross-cut, 1 which has delayed ; the' 'operations very considerably.; • -ButVthi}' bar does tobe a-very-wide bne, and the men are now, through it or nearly' s6, and in ariother weak' the.reef 1 will be iii hand. !pke : drire;is J ttpif in;s2 feet. It wjill intersect tho ; No. 2 reef within 'about three feet of the winze which has been siink on the latter, so that communication can be formed, almost immediately. It • will then be continued ; to ! the K'oM, which' wjill be intersected ; witto six'feet or-less of the winze sunk on that lode. This winze has alriady\ : roached-the requisitedepth for commutiicatiobj- and;the witlze on the Wo. 2, to which we have ; allude'd, will be sufficiently deep tliis r evenirlg. : In tile latter there : is- a" -'very handsome containing a rich general - showlof gold. Latterly there has not been llrjany specimens found in this winze, j';biit , the is,, better distributed |"tliati 1 previously,afid there' appears to be 5 more of it. A. now winze, if ye may so. call the continuation of one-which had':been previously started, is now down 35 feet on-the--JSo;-l-reef,- at a-distance of--110 feet from the main winze seaward. In tliis there is a-splendid body of crushing 'stuff 4 feet thick, containing a fine show "of gqldr-lii'-iliOS v.'uk- 1

' j Bibd-in-lland.—For the last few days. the show/Qfi'.gdd';in: : the!seaward; face ;of /tile Bird-in- Efand reef has been much (better than usual. Yesterday afternoon ajnice parcel of rich stone came to hand, and on the previous evening fully Bq.lbs, of good' specimens weri 1 taken out of. ithe sime face. There is no change in the other direction. The reef, although soke--times rather,pinched in hard ground, maintains ail''average 1 size of 3*feiet, : and : i no specimens halve''been found 'in this end for some timo ; past, : gold occasionally shows in sufficient quantity.'tbwarrant, the stuff .|):iyable_ irrespective of tlie ghow jVhiph U i makes !at the crushing milf;" 'At' the latter the crushing looks [better than eVerM < During yesterday the fdrmation of amalgam on the plates was much more rapid than heretofore. In; the anticipation of a stoppage of'the Imperial ' Crown battery while the. reservoir; .was •being cleaned out, there was-ttfhave been i ajuieanihg up and Tctortibgi'to-day; but .there will, we learn, be' no stdppagefor an ,an indefinite period, and l the!'cleaning lip,' .which at'all'ovehts would' have been ; an irregular 'btte,iias consequently been ;i 'ppstponed'.' ' ''.• *" ( j Manukau.-In. this I c6mpany,'s idiiie a. rich lot of stone came to lima yesterday from the new stope which lias been startedover the level. One rich' boulder which came to hand from the foot-wall of the .reef was almost solid metal' In the south face, also, the show is very rich still, but for the last few days, in fact since our last visit to the mine, there has been nothing dpne in the north face in continuation of the drive towards the Cure.; boundary. The specimen crushing vis .'looking splendid, but as there will; ; be'a cleaning uj) and retorting to-day, we'refrain in the meantime from hazarding ari-opinioa as tb the result. It.' will at all events be very rich, and will no'doubt enable the share-' holders to carry out their intention of •payiug a pound a share' dividend.' ■ L j Cube.—ln this mine work was yesterday continued in' tlie cross-cut, and the lode in the face was penetrated to a depth of two feet or a little more. The lode shows an improvement; It" is of more compact formation,, and better defined .in quality, and besides it shows, minerals, although no gold has yet ..been" visible. There was no sign; of. the '.second wall of the reef up to last, night; so fiat .whatever the lode may prove to be it is quite evident it is of large size. ! ' Cicy of London.—ln this mine the manager started driving yesterday' on the east and west cross-cut, both ways. It is a fine looking libdy of quartz in the west drive, but little oan yet be said of it in the ['other direction, as it has not be/ollowed sufficiently beyond the. junction-to . getclear of the disturbance. :It will not, at least it ought not, now take long to find No. 1 reef. Theidistance to be driven on the course of tho cross-lode before the spot is reached at which • the No. 1 is supposed to strike-in, is gnly about 40 feet, and as tho country is good, this wiil; not occupy much time.