MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1852, 8 September 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Albion—Kelu's Tbibute.—A crushing was yesterday finished up at the Prince Alfred battery for Catran and party, tributers, under the Albion Company, of Kelly's old mine, and the result was quite as satifactory as was expected. There were about 25 tons put through the mill, and the result obtained from the crushing was 30ozs 2dwts of gold.

Watchmin Tbibute.—The tributers of the Watchman Company, who have for some time past been working in' the old Virginia City ground, have had another small crushing put through at the Manukau battery. It was a trial from one of the leaders near the surface, and it yielded an average of an ounce to the ton.

Goldeis Aas Tbibute. — Morrison's party, who are working the old Beehive ground on tribute under agreement with the Golden Age Company, completed a crushing of 10 tons yesterday at the Shamrock battery, and as the result obtained a very handsome return of 16ozs lldwts of melted gold.

Caledonian.—The usual weekly retorting for the Caledonian Company took place yesterday, but the result was a poor one of 37ozs of gold, although there was 91 tons 4 cwt stone reduced. The stone crushed was in about equal proportions from the reef in the iN o. 4 winze and from the old stopes. The former was very poor, worthless in fact, and the gold was almost exclusively the result of 45 tons taken out of the old slopes on No. 1 reef. There is nothing much of importance to report from the mine. The contractors started yesterday to drive on the new reef south towards the Golden Crown boundary, and in a few days a drive will be started in the opposite direction towards the Otago. In the former a distance of 60 feet of driving will carry the lode to the boundary, but in the latter there is a very long length of the lode in the company's ground at this level, so that should the reef turn out payable it will have, in a grout measure, the effect of making a new mine of the Caledonian. But none of the reef having been broken down since our last report, we have nothing to add regarding its prospects or appearance. So far, it has not shown any gold; but the quartz composing the lode is, as we have already stated, of a much more promising class than any previously met with in this level of the mine. The next cross-cat which is being driven at No. 2 level into the hanging-wall side of the reef has made fair progress during the week, but no lodes have yet been intersected by it. Impebiaii Cot.—We have to report an important gold discovery in this mine in the drive which is being carried in from the shaft workings of the Waiotahi mine. As our readers doubtless recollect, gold was struck in the boundary of the two mines when the drive was carried up by the Waiotahi manager. Afterwards, when the drive was continued on the course of this lode by the Imperial City, the lode reduced in size, and did not show gold for some distance. However, the drive was continued along a vein of quartz which gradually widened, and on Saturday, when a fair show of gold was met with, the lode was 3 feet thick. To-day there was a still richer show, and about 30! bs of fair specimen stuff was selected from the quartz broken down, and the reef shows symptoms of further enlargement. The course of this reef is somewhat singular. It runs nearly at right angles with that of the Manukau reef, against which it will strike in a distance of about 80 feet of driving, and this estimate makes a fair allowance for the heave which has occurred in the Manukau lode. Since Saturday about 5 tons of stone have been broken down from this reef, and in the course of a week or so there will be sufficient on hand to constitute a good crushing, should the management deem-it desirable to crush the stuff from this reef before it is traced to its junction with the Mauukau lode. The gold, we may remark, permeates the reef. It was first visible on the foot-wall side, but now it shows wifh equal freedom through that which comes from the hanging-wall side, and the minerals in the lode aro much like that which is so largely contained in the Manukau reef. The discovery, on the whole, is one of very considerable importance, and may possibly affect other mines besides the Imperial City, but the shareholders of the latter richly deserve any good prospects which may be mot with in their mine on .account of the perseverance which they have displayed, and the confidence which they have felt in the resources of their mine.

MiNUKiU. —Another fine parcel of rich specimens came to hand yesterday morning, from the south face of the upper level.

Bmgiit SiiiiiE. —There has been nothing further done on the new reef to which we alluded in yesterday's issue, but the manager yesterday had the tramway laid through the cross-cut, and will start driving on tho lode to-day. Tho size of the reof as it shows in the cross-cut and its appearance wo have already described, It is surrounded by au excellent class of country, through which driving will bo rapid and cheap, and no doubt before the end of this week it will be explored to a considerable extent. In other respects there is nothing new from tho mine. The inflow of water to the shaft has been so strong since Thursday that the sinking has been discontinued temporarily, but the water is now beaten, and it is quite possible that for the remaindor of the distance there maj not be suok a strong

inflow as on the present occasion. T he shaft is now down 46 feet below the floor of the present main level, but it will be sunk to a dopth of 70 feet before a new level is formed.

Bibmn-Hand. — Since cutting the chamber at the bottom level the manager has driven a cross-cut towards the reef, a length of 30 feet, and expects to have the lode in hand immediately. Wo time will be lost in opening up the level for vigorous stoping, and as the class of counlry which surrounds the lode is of a much batter class lhan that through which the last section of the shaft was sunt, there will not bo much difficulty in readily communicating with the winzes which are already sunk to the depth requisite for meeting the level. Qi'Ehn of Beautf.—Very good progress is being made with the stripping down and re-timbering of the shaft. Yesterday the heavy frame timbers, 12 inches square, which are to be inserted at the 150-feet level, were sent below, and •when these are fixed in position the chief moiety of the work might be considered finished. Meanwhile the contractors on the bottom level have driven on the reef up to the City of London boundary, where they are to-day squaring down the face. There is a splendid-looking reef 6 feet thick on the boundary, upon which no doubt the manager will commence operations as soon as possible. Inverness Tbibdte.—The gold lodged on Saturday was melied yesterday into a bar weighing 56ozs 12dwts.