MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1886, 4 November 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Manukau.—A parcel of picked stuff and specimens, which had accumulated on hand since the large cleaning up for the Manukau Company, was put through at the single stamper battery yesterday, in order to he ready for the cleaning up and retorting, which is to take place to-day. Some of the stuff was splendid; but, on the whole, the upecitnens were not so rich as some which have been included in previous crushings. The crushing this month has been a very short one; but as the general Btnff has been turning out well, and the picked stuff will add largely to the general return, the total yield will be a very handsome one, probably about 800ozs. In regard to the mine itself, the only new feature to report is in regard to a rich dropper which has been discovered. It strikes into the foot-wall under the main shot of gold in the same, but at right angles to the main reef. It is a foot thick, mid from the first has shown gold iu good quantities. In fact, a proportion of the specimens from this vein—the best or richest, certainly—was included in the specimen crushing yesterday, and in the course of the day some really rich stones came to hand from it. The main reef presents no particular change, except that the cnppery vein is making stronger towards the Cure boundary. Gold shows pretty frequently, and as already stated, the general crushing stuff is yielding a higher average than formerly, and it is besides, turning out more regularly than when rich patches of specimens were of more frequent occurrence than they are at present.

Exchange.—The crushing for the Exchange Company which has been started with six head of stampers at the Tramway battery is, we aro glad to find, yielding a very satisfactory show of amalgam fully sufficient to warrant the expectation of a good payable return. When the plates were cleaneddownyesterday morningafter the first 24 hours' run, it was found that there were 2oozs 15dwts of, hardsqueezed clean amalgam to hand, and during the course of yesterday there was a better show miking on the plates than during the previous day. Altogether the prospects of the mine, as shown by the stuff which h now being crushed, are much better than the manager or the most sanguine shareholder hoped for, and we have no doubt the crushing which has now been started, although ou a comparatively small scale, will bo kept up permanently, yielding profitable returns to the company. Bbight iSmilb. -The gold resulting from the fortnight's crushing for the Bright Smile was melted yesterday, sad reduced to a bar weighing 3330zs 18-iwts. The only crushing at present going on is at the compauy's own mill, where the stuff during the last two days has been showing ou the plates for a yield much better than usual. We are informed that a telegram has been received from Mr Sully, one of the directors of the company, staling that he has purchased a powerful beam engine, in Melbourne, for the new battery. Cube.— The gold resulting fr/)m. the Cure crushing was melted yesterday into a bar weighing 1670zs 15dwts. As we have already stated, the retorting is incomplete, aud an additional sozs is expected from the silver and blanket washings. In breaking down the reef on the winze yesterday, the show of gold met with was as good as usual, aud about 151bs of very good special ins were taken out. It will not be long before the manager is ready with another crushing, as large and probably as rich as that which has been completed this week.

Old Whau.—The manager is pushing ahead the opening works on the Black Angel lode, on whiob, as our readers are aware, a winze was sunk below the adit level to a depth of 35 feet. Here drives were started on the course of the reef in both directions, and one of those is now in 30 feet and the other 23 feet. The lode averages 6 feet in thickness, and has shown gold from first to last. In fact the stuff which lui3 come from it, and which is being crushed at the company's own mill, is showing up for a good average of over an ounce to the ton, In tho meantime tho 116-feet level of tho Black Angel mine is being pushed ahead to meet tho winze, and it has now reached the boundary. At tho adit-level the manager has driven for some distance on the course of tho right-hand branch reef, I aud is now putting up a rise on it to open a block of ground for sloping. The lode varies in size from 1 foot to 4 feet, and some of the stuff from the rise is now being crushed at the company's own bat-1 tery, aud is showing lip for a payable ! average. The main rise, which has been started from the .No. 4 level towards the surface, is now up 100 feet, aud the manager anticipates that in tho course of a month it will bo right through to daylight. Iu the meantime the main. rise from the aditlevel is being pushed up to the No. 4 level, uud will connect in about a fortnight, and when these works are completed there will bo a straight ruu for quartz or timber from the surface to the adit level, or to any of the intermediate levels where it may be required. The manager commenced forwarding stuff to tho Herald battery yesterday, ard crushing will probably be commenced in a few days. L'omiun.-~A. good riolx find of about 601bs of picked stuff aud specimens occurred in, thy. inin.o. yesterday, aud tha

find is the more important as the manager has only just started to open up a new block for stoping. He has started to sink a winze on the reef under the present main working level. It is now down ten feet, and last evening after the specimens referred to were taken out, a good rich show of gold was left. This new winze is going down under the block recently stoped out. It is about 60 feet nearer to the Watchman boundary than the main winze, and when it reaches a sufficient depth, a drive will be carried on the course of the reef to meet it from the main winze at a depth which will give good backs for stoping. The average size of the lode is six inches. Tookey. -A parcel of stuff from the reef opened a short time ago in the drive at the 400-feet level, from the Tookey shaft, has been put through at the Prince Alfred battery, but no. result was obtained.