MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1872, 8 October 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Black Angel.-A find of some importance took place yesterday in the Black Angel Company's ground, when the City of Glasgow leader was cut 60 feet under the old workings, and a fair show of gold was found in it. The lode is only about 3 inches thick, but it is well defined, and will in all probability pay well for working. At the time the amalgamation between the Black Angel and City of Glasgow was brought about, this was the most important lode in either mine, but singularly enough noihing further has been done on it since that time, Subsequent to the amalgamation important discoveries took place in the Black Angel proper, and a syctem of works was commenced with a view to developing the rich reef which has since yielded such brilliant returns. This caused the discoveries previously made in the City of Glasgow portion of the ground to be neglected ; but now there are no returns; from other sources, the manager has fallen back on this scction of the ground. It will no doubt pay well for prospectiug, and Ihe encouraging show of gold met with yesterday morning may be looked on as a proof of this fact Operations will not, of course, bo confined to this section of the claim; but, at all events, it will now get a fair trial. j

Old Whau.—The rise has not yet broken through to the winze, or rather, the winze, which is going down nearly vertical, has not struck into the I'i-'e which from the adit level is being carried np' on the foot-wall of all the reefs, but it is expected that communication will now be effected in a day or two. Meanwhile crushing has been commenced at the company's own battery on stuff taken out of this winze, and so far as it has gone the show on the plates is not only quite satisfactory regarding the auriferous character of the lode, but it gives promise of good payable returns. Of course peuding the communication of the winze and rise tl'ere is not much stone being broken out, but the reef on which the winze has been sunk being ou an average six feet thick, there is a large lot of stone already on hand from it. When the winze reaches the rise no time will be lost in starting vigorous operations on the block of reef stuff opened, and with the increased facilities for working the mine afforded by the new workings the manager has a fair prospect of being able to keep up a good supply of crushing stuff for a permanent crushing. This will be carried on at some of the batteries on the flat instead of at the company's own mill, as the manager has found that the cost of treating quartz at their own mill, in consequence of bad water and loss of quicksilver, is much greater than the cost of treatment at the batteries on the fiat, including tramway expenses. No doubt arrangements will be made for the use of a suitable force at the Moanataiari battery. However, it will probably be a fortnight yet before anything like permanent crushing ou a large scale is continued, but in the meantime it is very satisfactory to find that the quartz which is now being tried is fully up to expectations. The sinking of the winze on the Black Angel reef to tlie 116feet level of the Black Angel mine is getting on well. When this level is readied, the section of the lode will be worked through the Black Angel winze, and the stuff for crushing will be raised to the adit level by the Black Angel winding engine. City of London.—Contractors are busy excavating for the machine site on the City of London claim, and yesterday the manager took over possession of the poppet heads aud winding gear which was to have beeu erected by the Queen of the May Company. This shows that the arrangements between the two companies regarding the terms on which the the hoisting for' the Queen of the May Company shall be performed by the City of London Company have been definitely settled. The Queen of the May have abaudoned all intention at present of erecting hoisting works on their own shaft, and we commend the prudence of the directors in the foresight they have displayed, and on the businesslike arrangements which they have made on behalf of the company. .No time will be lost in getting the machinery erected, but there is a considerable amount of excavation to perform before the site is prepared. Meanwhile there is no work at all going on in the mine, nor will there, we understand, be any started before the machinery is in working order. Of course the Waio-Karaka Eoad is now become a very important consideration to the managers of these companies, but this appears to be now in li fair way of being made. •

Bitiairr Smile—So far the crushing for the Bright Smile at the Imperial Crown battery has not shown up for quite so high an average as the last stuff put through, nor indeed was it expected to do so, for the stuff is a good deal mixed, and comes from a poor section of the claim. In a few days work will be going on on a better class of stuff. Nothing further has been done towards opening up the specimen leader of the Queen of Beauty, nor is it intended to push forward any drives on it at the present level, as it can be worked to much better advantage from the next level j but in the meantime the cross-cut iu which it was intersected is being pushed ahead towards the Exchange boundary.

Oiiowtf Puikoe.—rho drive to seaward on tli© course of the new lodo opened recently in the Grown Prince mine has now been continued for a good distance, and so far as the lode has been opened it lias shown gold freely. The last breaking down added several pounds weight to the contents of the specimen chest, and the stuff is not by any means of poor quality. Although the lodo is small, only about 6 inches thick on an average, it is in such excellent country that it can be worked cheaply and advantageously. The drive ou the course of the No. 1 reef has now reached the Exchange boundary, and the latter company will continue it into their own ground to moot ihcir own drive, which will bo accomplished in the course of a week. Meau while tho crushing for tho company is progressing as usual with 20 head of stampers at tho Mauukau battery, but there is no noticeable improvement. it is running about tho same average as the previous month's crushing. Tivkkdside— The tributers of tho I'weedside havo succeeded in pumping their mine dry, and during tli.i last two days they havo been working at tho bottom, level. I hey have already met good gold in stringers and leaders which run through ahorso of country near the reef, but tijis is by no means tho most important discovery they luivo made. They find that at this level those who formerly worked tho mine left tho reef. In (act, they followed'what was not the reef nt all, and it is not, therefore,, surprising that thoy failed to obtain paytblo results. Tho tribu'ors are now raw sauguitu

than ever of the future of the claim, and they will commence crushing at the Bedford battery in the course of a few days. Indeed, they would commence to-day on a trial lot, only that steam cannot be got up as there is no coal at the mill, nor can any be obtained until a supply comes in. We understand that the manager intends, if possible, to procuro sufficient firewood to keep up steam for a few days. Cube,—There was a little more stone broken down yesterday in the winze on the black lode to which we referred in yesterday's issue, and the show of gold was rather better 'than on the previous (lay. The lode is increasing in size, and is now fully a foot thick in the bottom of the winze. The men were chiefly engaged yesterday erecting a windlass at the top of the winze, as it has now become too deep to throw the stuff up out of it. There is a good prospect of a payable block of ground being opened in j this winze. i