MOANATAIRI.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2570, 3 April 1877, Page 2

MOANATAIRI.

The following is a copy of the mine manager's report, which was to be submitted, at. the weekly meeting of directors held at Auckland this morning :•—r ••• Thames, March 31st, 1877.—The Directors. —Gentlemen,—l have the honor to report as follows:— Bottom level, S.E. cross-cut, No. 9 reef. The drive east has been suspended.this week, it being necessary to break out ail the payable crushing stuff on.each side of the reef before timbering,:to prevent blocking up truck road, The leading stope h now worked eight feet east from clay band, and shows a splendid run of gold. This is of a different character to the old run, being coarse gold in white quartz. , West. from clay band the gold is more'-disseiriinated through the stone, aqd is very rich. The total quantity of ground driven and stoped east from crosscut is 37 fathoms, which has averaged 450 ounces gold per fathom. The length,pf stope is now 48 feet, and it looks quite" as-Well now as at any previous* time;" The' leading stope has .been carried east from junction 15 feet, and it is how necessary to'putin timber. This work will take two days; to complete, and during that time no specimens will be broken. In driring west from cross-cut the reef is five feet thick, and shows good colors of gold.

There is no change to report elsewhere in the mine. During past fortnight 400 tons of general stuff and specimens have be^n crushed, producing 16,662 ounces gold, or an average return of 4lozs 13dwts per ton. This result is highly satisfactory, and I have no hesitation inlaying that the future prospects of the mine look as bright now as at any time during past fortnight. Good progress is being mado jn sinking engine shaft, whichvis now down" 26 feet below 80 feet level; In conclusion, I would beg to remind you that nothing has yet been broken under the floor of drive on No. 9 reef. All the machinery is in good order aud working satisfactorily.—l am, gentlemen, yours obediently (signed), Robert Comeu." There is, of course, nothing fresh to report as regards the No. 9 lode, as nothing is being broken down. Timbering is proceeding as rapidly as possible, and as soon as it is so far completed to enable stuff to be broken down, quartz will be broken from the reef. In the meantime the specimen crushing is still going on on stuff over from last week's crushing, so that the week's return will not suffer very much from the stoppage of the supply of specimen stone. .

W. Eowe (jun.) and party finished the berdanning of a parcel of picked stone and specimens at the company's battery yesterday evening. They obtained'the satisfactory return of 36ozs Bdwts retorted gold. The amount of stone put through was 801bs. The only party now crushing at the company's battery is. a- lot of the company's tributers, though several lots are waiting for the use of the stampers.