MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1870, 6 October 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

A leubnia— Cleaning up and retorting for the Alburnia Company took place yesterday at the company's own battery, and the total yield from the stuff crushed during the month of September is 2<l7ozs retorted gold. There were frequent stoppages during tho month in consequence chiefly of mishaps to the flume of the Moanataiari water race, On the whole the stuff crushed has been quite up to recent averages, and had the crushing been continuous there would have been a handsome return from the last month's operations. The stuff, we may add, was taken promiscuously from all ihe leaders above tho battery level, including some from the surface. Exchange—Sold was struck yesterday in the Exchange mine in a new lode which, without doubt, is the continuation of the Wo. 2 reef of the Crown Prince, although it was not at first recognised as such. It will be recollected that when No. 1 reef was intersected the cross-cut was continued to intersect the No. 2, The point at which it should have come into the cross-cut was reached and passed, but there was still no sign of the lode, much to the surprise of those acquainted with the strikes, and positions of the reefs in the adjoining mine. However, the manager recollected having cut through a clay seam before reaching the supposed position of the No. 2 reef, or about 20 feet beyond the No. 1. Failing to find the load ahead, he instituted a closer examination into this seam, and discovered the walls of a lode. He accordingly drove in on it, and last evening it had opened out into a seam of quartz 8 inches thick, and some of the stones taken out of it showed gold freely, There will be a section of the reef broken down this morning in which we have no doubt there will be more gold showing. That it is the No. 2 reef which has thus been cut through and passed where it was pinched up there is no reason to disbelieve, for there was no other lode in the Crown Prince between those two, and its position is close enough to that expected, considering the long distance between this cross-cut and the workings in the Crown Prince mine.

Albion—Kelly's Tribute.—Another crushing for Catran and party, tributers of Kelly's old claim, under the Albion Company, has been started with 5 head of stampers at the Prince Alfred battery. It is a trial crushing, but it is showing on the plates for a much more remunerative return than the crushings which have recently taken place.

Tookey—Long's Teibote,—A parcel of 36 tons of stone has been put through at the Prince Alfred battery for Long and party, tributers of a section of the Tookey mine. It was finished last evening, and retorting will,take place early today. The stuff will average about 15dwts to the ton.

Pumping Association.—Theoperations of the Association properly are confined to the sinking of the main shaft, and the other works which are progressing from the 400-feefc level are now carried on exclusively at the cost of the companies interested, under the supervision of Mr Dewar, manager of the Tookey mine. The shaft itself has so far made fair progress. It is down 21-feet'below the chamber at the 400-feet level, and the contractors will be ready to attach another length to the 12-incb lift which they are using for raising the water out of the shaft into the plunger cistern in the manner which we have previously described. The sinking has been for the most part through good country, but at the end of the shaft in which the pumps are placed, there has been quartz, evidently a portion of the underlie ot the reef out of which the trial crushing was taken some time ago at the 400-feet level, and latterly the stringers which strike from that leader havo formed the chief impediment to rapid sinking, but the remainder of the shaft is in good country, and the 12-inch pump is so far quite adequate to deal with the water making in the shafc. Although the works at the 400-feet level of the United Pumping Association shaft are not carried on under the supervision of the Gonijjauy's own manager, they are so intimately connected with the'other works that we shall refer to them here. The main double drive, which at the joint expense of the Tookey and Albion Companies, is being driven to the boundary of the latter company's ground, is at present in tight tough ground, which blasts badly, and which contains an immense quantity of water. But it is better than it has been, and the drive is makiug proportionate progress. The other drive is towards the south—intended no doubt ultimately to reach the Prince Imperial. This is in excellent country, and has now reached a j length of 40 feet from the Tookey shaft. The drive is continued at the joint expense ot several companies, but we are not acquainted with the contributing parties. Howevor, the drive is being carried on with vigour. The first find of importance expected is the Manukau reef, which should be reached under the corner of the Golden Crown battery, or perhaps closer to the Manukau hopper. Another find, which is looked forward to with considerable interest, is the junction of the No. 2 or No. 3 reefs with the Waiotahi reef —not the three feet reef which is being worked on in the Imperial City mine, but the large reef which crops up in the creek. This junction may be expected to occur near the south corner of the Caledonian battery. These are the only drives at present progressing. A crosscut to the westward into tho Imperial Crown mine has been proposed, but the matter has been submitted to the Association manager to report on as to whether it would interfere with the sinking of the shaft. Tookey.—Besides the work alluded to in the last paragraph as being carried on by this company at the <100-feet level, we may state that driving is also progressing at the 300-feet level, and a winze is being sunk from the 200-feefc level to meet it. The drive is not on the reef. In fact the position of the reef at this level is far from clear, for tliero has been an extremely hard dyke in the face which must inevitably have cut the reef or thrown it out of its course. The course of the drive has altered, and tho contractors managed to get into better country, but it is still hard enough for anythiug. It is now being driven in a straight courso to s'rike tho JNo. 1 reef diagonally, and meanwhile the winze is coming down on the lode. These workings will prove the position and uuderlie of the No. 1 reef, and will provo of great value in respect to future operations.

Caledonian.— In regard to the mine ilself we have nothing lo add to our remarks in faturdiy's issue. There was a drop in shares yesterday in-consequence of tho announcement that an extraordinary meeting is convened for tho increase of the capital of tho company by the issue of new shares...