MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1868, 3 October 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

DWNTLESS AND SINK-TO-EI9E. — The crushing for Sawyer and party, tributers of the Dauntless and Sink-to-Eise mine, which has been completed at the Prince Alfred battery, has yielded 84ozs Mdwts gold. Eetorting took place yesterday, after 24 tons of stone, and specimens had been put through the mill, and the yield is in every respect a highly satisfactory one, profitable to the tributers and to the company. There were 861bs of picked stuff included in the crushing. We may add that this is the result of two months' work, but the men have not been employed all that time on the leader. They have had a considerable amount of dead work to perform, which was necessary before breaking down quartz could be carried on, but this work will be sufficient to obviate any similar operations for the next crushing, or that which is to follow. Subsequent to that it will be necessary to sink in order to open up fresh ground.

Centbal Italy.—Crushing for the Central Italy was finished last night, and retorting will take place to-day. There have been in all 86 loads of stuff put through the mill, and from the amalgam to hand a return of about 80ozs ■ gold may be expected. Oiring to the bad state of the Moanataiari Creek road the drays have been unable to carry full loads, in fact, each load would, we are informed, only represent a ton of stuff, so that after all the average will be dose upon an ounce to the lon.

: Manukau.—Since the cleaning up and retorliag for the company, the Tramway battery was idle up to yesterday, while the engine was being cleaned and other repairs effected, but it started to work again yesterday morning with 11 head of stampers for this company. The remaining 6 head have for the present been allotted to the Cure Company, • So'far as regards the Manukau crushing, we have only to remark that the stuff at the mill appears to be quite equal in quality to that recently crushed, and so far as we are aware there is no particular change to report in the mine itself. As soon as 1 the Cure crushing is completed the whole force of the mill will be set to work on the Manukau stuff. The amount of the dividend resulting from the recent crushing has not transpired, but it is pretty generally understood that it is to be £1 per share, or a total of £6,000. CußE."Asstatedabove,6headofstamperß at the Tramway battery were startedto work yesterday morning, on a crushing for the Cure Company, but the run up to the present time has been too short to enable. us to form any estimate of the probable average. The stuff contains gold, and shows it, but to what extent will only be known when the crushing is finished. There are in all about 35 tons on hand. The largest proportion of this came to hand from the black lode, where it was stoped before»its junction with the Manukau reef wa3 struck. 'I he remainder is from the junction, but we believe the whole parcel will be treated together, not separately. There was nothing further done on the junctioned reef yesterday, nor was there auy more gold visible. Bright Shue.—lt i 3 the opinion of the manager that should the weather, which yesterday took up so favourably, continue fine until Monday, the contractors for filling the open stopes with mullock will have so far completed their work, that operations upon the reefs can be resumed without inconvenience to the workmen or detriment to the mine. As soon as this is started, the manager will forward stuff to the Imperial Crown battery, and some time early next week the usual force of 25 head of stampers will bo working for the company at tliat mill. It is not at all likely that there will be any further stoppages to the crushings. As we stated previously, there has been no stoppage to. the progressive and permanent works, especially thoso intended for opening up and developing the new level, so that witli the single exception of the sloping operations, all others 1 have beeu going on. as usual. Having so

recently referred at some, length to the operations of the company, it is unnecessary to say more now than that they show no particular change. The winzes and shaft have been deepened, and the reefs in the winzes look to be in every respect promising and satisfactory.

] Albuenia.—There was again a mca I show of gold in the rise from the adit level to the winze from Dixon's level yesterday. The specimens taken out were quite equal in quality to those found on the previous day, and the reef appears to be on the whole much more compact and solid as well as larger aud better defiued than it has been since the rise was started. It is quite evident from the appearance of the reef generally, and the richness of the gold which shows through it, that a very valuable block of rich stuff is being opened up between those two levels. Oid Whau.—There is nothing particularly fresh to report from this mine, except that the sinking in the _ winze on the main reef to meet the new rise is now much easier than it has been, and better progress is boing made. It is probable that in another week connection will be • formed, and then the manager will be in a position not only to work this particular seGtion to better advantage, but will be placed to far greater advantage in regardto all the other portions of the mine above the adit-level. The reef in the winze is of large size. A little gold is constantly showing, and there is no question but that it is composed of good payable crushing stuff. PoiNr KussELL.-The total quantity of stuff crushed for Teasdale and party, tributers of the Point Uussell mine, is 25' tons, and from this the yield is 22ozs 7dwts melted gold. The average- is rather below expectations, but the yield gives a good payable return, although the percentage to the company takes a, considerable portion of the profits. Neck-ob-Nothing.—a small parcel of gold, weighing loz 18dwts 12grs after melting, was lodged in the Bank of New Zealand yesterday, as the result of a crushing for the above claim. We are not aware how much stuff has been crushed, nor where the claim is located^ Imperial Citv.—A fine lot of specimens, the best yet taken out of the mine, was obtained yesterday from the reef in the Imperial City mine, when the remainder of what had beefl stripped was broken down. There were fully 601bs of handsome specimens selected from the stuff broken, and a good rich show of gold was lelt standing in the face. This makes, during the last two days, fully lewt of specimens to hand, and the prospects are much better than they ever were before. The reef is fully four feet thick, and good gold has been left in the roof and floor of. the drive as well as.in the face. During the next few days there will be no further stuff broken clown, as the men will be employed stripping •the reef. There is still a long distance to drive towards the Manukau reef before the junction of the two lodes is established, and until that is reached it is not likely that there will be any stoping started on the lode which is now in hand.