MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1849, 4 September 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Black Angel.—Gold was struck yesterday in the Black Angel mine, under very favourable circumstances. It appears that a rise has been put up ou tho broni reef from the main level to tho 116-feot level. This broke through on Saturday last, but as none of the quartz had been broken down, and tho manager was anxious to ascertain the character of the lode, he commenced yesterday to open out on the reef 20 feet below the 116-feet level. ! ho first shot displaced a lot of stuff which included some that contained a rich show of gold, and the lode, which is composed of blue and brown quartz, i.i fully four feet thick. The gold found lies against the hanging-wall. As we have already stated, tho find has been made under very favourable circumstances. In order to got the rise up as expeditiously as possible it was carried up in the soft ground on the foot-wall side of the lode, so that up to the present no stone at all has been broken down except what was displaced yesterday. The block is likely to prove a good rich one, for in addition to the gold which was visible yesterday, there was some good rich stuff taken out of the bottom of the 116 feet level previously, which yielded as high as 3ozs to the ton, The depth of backs opened by the winze between the two levels is 80 feet, so that there is ample room for working what has already been proved to be a rich shot of gold.

Old WHitr.—There is not a great deal of interest at present to report from this mine, further than that the manager is breaking away quartz from the face of the reef nt the adit level, and crushing it. The lode.is fully 12 feet wide, but taken en masse as it is, and without any selection, the stuff is not crushing for such a good average as could be desired. In fact, it is only shaping for a moderate yield, but, under the circumstances, this is scarcely surprising. There has been some difficulty experienced in procuring timbers of the size and length necessary for the level ou account of the largo size of the reef; but sufliciout has been procured !o enable the manager to start the new rise. We might add also that the sinking of a winze from the upper level was started yesterday to meet the new rise, which is to be carried up from the adit.

CoiiBA.N.-The manager having now driven a distance of 30 feet on the No. 1 reef beyond the point to which it was formerly stoped, has again started to stope the now block, At the same time, however, that stopiug is carried on the main drive will also be kept going so long as the prospects warrant it. Up to the present the prospects are fair enough. A little gold has been visible on each occasion that the reef was brokondown, and the lode itself, although it only averages from a foot to 6 inches in width, is quite as large as it was in the other blocks. There is very little stuff yet in the paddock, and there will probably be no crashing for the company until tho end of this month.

Central Italy. -The crushing for the Central Italy Company at the Manukau battery was completed yesterday, but retorting will not take place before this morning. There were in all 100 loads of stuff (about 120 tons) put through the mill. The amalgam to hand gives promise of a good payable return of about 130ozs, or rather better than an average of an ounce to the ton.

Thames Scottish.—The gold lodged on Wednesday by the shareholders of the claim was melted yesterday, nud the total return after melting from 7| tons crashodis 30ozs lldwts of gold. Bied-in-Hand.-Tho gold banked on Wednesday was molted yesterday inta a bar weighing 32ozs Sdwts.

Qusen of Beatjij.—The whole of the gold lodged oa Saturday and Wednesday on belwlf of the shareholders of the Qneeiiof Baau'y was melted yesterday at the Bank of New Zealand aud reduced to Ingots weighing 1,0710zs 15dwts, The loss in melting was rather loss than might have been expected considering that the cleanings up at each of the batteries was a final one. The amount of the dividend accruing to the shareholders from this return has not yet transpired. Messenger's Tribute.— A parcel of 27 tons of stone has been crushed at' the Shamrock battery for one of the tribute parties who are working the Messenger's claim. The yield was 25ozs of gold. Exchange.—ln respect to the prospects of tills mine we have little to add to what we have already published, because for some time past the manager has not broken down any of the reef. There is a length of 30 feet of it now left standing on the hanging-wall side, and the drive has been diverted into the footwallside in order to facilitate its progress. There still remains a distance of 130 feet to be driven before the boundary of the Orown Prince is reached. .Every effort of the manager is now directed towards reaching this boundary as speedily as possible, in order to procure ventilation by communicatiug with the Orown Prince workings. _ Operations are now carried on at considerable disadvantage, owing to want of air, but it is not anticipated that any hard ground will he met with between the face of the drive aud the boundary, so that tho distunco will be rapidly driven by the aid of tho artificial ventilation hitherto in use. So far as regards tho identity of the Exchange reef with tho No. 1 reef of tho Orown Prince Llioro can now be littlo doubt. Their striko and underlie are identical, and tho class of country surrounding the lodo in both mines is exactly similar aud totally dissimilar to that which surrounds either [ tho No. 2 or No. 3 roofs of tho Crown Prince.

Queen of the TnAJiEs.-The contract for sinking this company s shaft was completed yosterday, tho shaft having reached a depth of 216 feet. The determined to sink a further depth of 35 feet before opening out, When thi-i depth is readied the chamber will ho excavated, and tho manager estimate that a cross-cut 40 feet in length will iuterjeot tlio I3ird-iii'llaucl rood

Nonpareil and Italian— Pboposed Amalgamation.—The rumour of a proposed amalgamation between the Nonpareil and Italian Companies were so far founded on fact that terms of amalgamation have already been proposad. At a meeting of tbo directors of the Nonpareil on Wednesday evening, a letter was received from the manager of the Italian Company proposing an amalgamation and requesting the Nonpareil directors to offer terms. After considering the letter, a resolution to the following effect was passed: —That tho Board (Nonpareil directors) will recommend to their shareholders amalgamation with the Italian on the following terms: —To issue 1,800 shares (double issue) to the Italian Company's shareholders in payment for all their property, including cash ia hand, and that the Nonpareil Company's capital be increased by tho issue of 1,800 paid up shares and 1,800 contributing shares; that the Italian Company bo wound up for purpose of tho amalgamation. There was alo a proviso that the office of the Nonpareil Company should be tho office of the amalgamated company. This offer, in its integrity, is, wo understand, not likely to bo accepted by the Italian Company; but as the terms are not of a cast-iron character, and may bo altered upon consideration, it is quite possible t tat terms satisfactory to both may be ultimately agreed upon. That tho amalgamation would bo a beneficial one appears to be unquestionable. The Nonpareil shaft is so much damaged that it would be almost as cheap to sink a new one as to repair it, while that of the Italian, which is sunk to a greater depth, is in good order, and if the machineiy was shifted on to it from the Nonpareil shaft it would be of greater use in working the section of the company's ground which is now being prospected beyond the slide than would the Nonpareil shaft, even supposing it was in good order. At the same meeting of directors Mr Hunter, the manager of the Nonpareil mine, tendered_ his resignation, expressing strong dissatisfaction with the manner in which he had; been treated by some of tho directors.. His resignation was accepted, and Mr O. B. .Robinson, one of the directors of the company, was appointed mine manager in his place. The new manager was instructed to have the quartz now in paddock crushed as soon as convenient.