MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1914, 9 December 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

D aimless Tribute.—Tho gold resulting from the Dauntless tribute crushing was melted yesterday into a bar weighing 1290zs didwts. The produce of the crushing will, after defraying all expenses and paying the company's percentage, give a dividend of £7115s per man to the tributes. Old WhauWe are glad to have t) report a good find of specimens in tho Old Whau mine; one, in fact, which approaches those which were found when the reputation of the mine was at its zenith. From 70 to 801bs of good rich stuff, some of which is described as being as good as any ever taken out of the mine, came to hand from the stopes on the main reef above the adit level last evening. These stopes are now about midway between the adit and the Wo. 5 level, or 35 feet under the latter. The gold was found back towards the bend in the reef, and tho lode itself is fuily 5 feet thick. . The best specimens came from the centre of the reef. Tho manager expects to carry the gold right up to the level bottom, where it will be recollected about 901bs of specimens were taken out when the No. 5 levol was first opened. Crushing for the company will be commenced on Monday at the Moanataiari battery, where 20 head of stampers hare been engaged for an indefinite period. A bout 200 tons will be forwarded to the mill this week in order to give the crushing a fair start. -Exchange.—Betorting for the Exchange took place yesterday at the Imperial Crown battery; but although those interested were not by any means sanguine of a rich result, the return proved less than was anticipated, and has in fact proved a disappointment. There were, in all, 1(35 loads of stone crushed, and the total yield is 62ozs 15dwts gold. The average is very much less than that of the first crushing, which, by the way, was a good payable' one; but although tho present return is poor the manager expects better luck next time. The small parcel of picked stuff which was on hand added very little to the general yield. Coliba.n.—The trial crushing for the Coliban at the Moanataiari battery is, we are glad to find, showing up for a yield equal to the previous crushings from the higher levels, an average of 2ozs to the .ton, This is very important, as the whole of the stuff included in the present parcol was taken out of a winze sunk on the reef below the last level, in order to test its quality, and ascertain whether the prospects were sufficient to warrant the opening np of a new level. Gold had been carried tho entire depth, but the whole of the quartz which has now been crushed to test the block is only about 10 tons. Betorting will take place to-day, provided the blanket washings and headings are completed in time. Candlelight.—Cleaning up and retorting for tho Candlelight will take place to-day at the Imperial Crown battery. Tho crushing is finished, but the return will, we understand, be only moderate.

Height Smile.—The new m-iin level lias so far not opened up so satisfactorily as was anticipated, for although the No. 2 reef at this level is as fine looking a reef as lias been opened in any part of the mine,, and shows gold frequently, the stuff from it is only yielding a moderate average, and the Pfo. 1 reef at the samo level is still considerably disturbed-not so well defined as it has been in other portions of the mine. Tho principal portion of the stuff crushed during the last week has eomo to hand from the No. 2 reef at this level, so that the manager _ is now in a better position to judge of its worth. 'I he stuff is said to be payable, but to secure any large profits from it, quantity must be crushed. To this end the manager will start an extra force of stamps (20 head) at the Imperial Crown battery on Monday next. Meanwhile good progress has been made with the company's new battery. Mr Judd has made a good start with the machinery for tho battery, and the heavy stamper boxes have been cast. The boilers are being riveted together at tho battery site, ancl the beam engine purchased by Mr Sully in Victorin, which arrived in Auckland a short time ago by the 'Hero,' has been forwarded to the Thames in the cutter ' Phantom,' which now lies on the hard off Grahamstown. The machinery will be discharged this morning and carted up to its site. Cbown Pbince.—There was a cleaning up aud retorting for the Crown Prinee Company at the Imperial Crown battery, and tho result exceeded the most sanguine expectations of the manager, and is in every respect a good payable yield. There were 180 tons of quartz put through tho mill, and this gave a return of 1700z3 gold. Another deposit of 200ozs was mado a fortnight ago, thus making a total of 3700zs from 380 tons of stono.