MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1911, 5 December 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

■ Dauntless and Sink-to-Bise Teibute. —Owing to a stoppage of the Prince Alfred battery yesterday while the reservoir was being cleaned out, the crushing for Sawyer and party, tributers of the Dauntless and Sink-to-Kise mine, will not be completed to-day ia time for retortinif. The stuff, of which there was about 50 tons on hand, is, we are glad to say, showing up for a very handsome yield of at least 2izs to the ton, so that it will pay the company, as well as the tributers, handsomely, Messenger's Tribute.—The tributers of Messenger's claim had a parcel of about 60Lbs of specimens and picked stuff treated at the Tramway battery. The return is not yet to hand, but it is likely to prove very satisfactory. There is a lot of general crushing stuff of fair quality on hand, but this will "not be put through until the Shamrock battery resume work, which it probably will do some time next week; for besides the stuff from Messenger's claim, there are numerous parcels from adjacent mines all waiting the start of this machine, the owners-of which parcels are, of course, all anxious to have their stuff crushed before the holidays set in. WArcHMAN.— ! here have been 20 tons of stuff from the Watchman claim crushed at the Moanataiari battery, and retorting will take place to-day. The yield will be a very handsome one, but the average per ton will not be quite up to the mark of first crushing.

■ Coliban.—The manager of the Coliban will forward a parcel of crushing stuff on Monday to the Moanataiari battery for treatment. The quantity on hand is small, only from 8 to 10 tons, which has been taken out of the winze sunk on the lode, and which is now to be crushed as a trial in order to ascertain whether it would be more advisable to open up a. new level or work out the block in other ways. The trial ought to yield fairly. The'lode, although small, has not been less than it was in the upper levels, and gold was carried down all the way in the winze, but although the quality of the stuff may make it under ordinary circumstances profitable to work and crush it, yet the quantity available from a winzfl sunk in pretty, hard country carinot be expected to yield a-very large profit, Quben of thb Thames.—From the indications near the face of the cross-cut, it is,now estimated that the Bird-in-Hand reef, to intersect which it was driven from the shaft, is now close to hand. There are numerous quartz veins and stringers striking through the couutry, and besides, the distance driven should be nearly sufficient according to survey measurement to intersect the lode. The ground for some distance in this cross-cut had been pretty hard, but recently it has been good practicable country, and the contract was let at a moderate figure. . .

Lincoln Castle.—lt will be recollected that some time ago the operations Of this mine were stopped for want of funds at a pi ouliarly mal« ipropos time. A cross-cut had been driven from, the Sons of Freedom. adit level to intersect the strike of the reefsof the Twenty-third of June. The first of these was intersected and a little gold was visible in it before the sloppige, but there remained about 12 or 16 feet to drive before the principal reef would be reached. The funds on hand were insufficient, and the works then stopped. As we said before, they have been started again, and driving is now going on. The country between the two reefs is pretty hard, and is intersected by quartz stringers, which makes it more difficult to work, but in the course of next week the reef will be to hand. We shall then be able to speak with more certainty regarding its prospects, but it is a fact that near the boundary, and at the same level, in a winze, the tributers of the Twenty-third of June had very good gold some time ago, in the same reef; and this, we may add, was the deepest gold which had ever been found in the reefs of the district around the Sons of Freedom. South Devon.—We learn that a nice show of gold was met with yesterday in one of the reefs of the South Devon claim, at the foot of tho Karaka Hill. Bihd-in-Hand. — Betorting for the Bird-in-Hand will take place to-day at the Una battery, where 15 head of stampers have:been employed during the last fortnight. At present this is the, total force employed by the company. The stuff has throughout been of similar class to that comprised in the previous crushings. Some days the show on the plates has been poor, and then improvements take place, but as there have been some stoppages during the fortnight the quantity crushed has not been very great, and the yield will therefore not be so large as previous ones. : Queen of Beauty.—This company will have their usual fortnightly -retorting, and _ a very handsome yield to-day. During the last fortnight-the stuff'at both mills has been showing up quite as .well as usual, and although- at their own mill they have been, at a disadvantage while the bit; pump Was stopped, in being obliged to use tho oreok water, which is rM sq suMLq, tliev hare acouraukted a

large quantity of amalgam of good qua* lity. The No. 2 reef in the bottom level of the mine appears to be of immense size. It has not yet been cut through, although it has been penetrated id a great, depth, and the quality of the reef appears to be quite as good as it was in the 270feet level. The No. 1 reef has not yet come to hand in this level.