MOANATARI.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2599, 7 May 1877, Page 2

MOANATARI.

Hearing that it was intended to break down the portion'of the reef stripped in the new winze I visited the mine this morning, • and proceeding to the winze found the men preparing to fire a shot in the east corner of the winze; the lode was stripped for a distance of about 3| feet. After wailing some time the.shot was fired, and on again going down the winze and picking away all the loose stuff it was found that there was about one ton and a-half of quartz on the floor, many of the stones showing gold, some containing a good quantity and some only showing a few colors. They can hardly be called picked stone, but gold may be said to be showing free.'y throughout. The manager intends to crush the whole breaking down with the single stamper, and it will keep it going for some days, peihaps till next breaking down. As to the appearance of the lode, it may be said that there is a fair show, in the face, or rather the bottom. There is a large amount of the mineral which was to be seen when the

specimen run was b^ing worked oa coming into the eastern corner, and the general appearance of the lode seems to indicate that it i 3 not far off, and when the next breaking down takes place something good is sure to be obtaiie.i. I also paid a visit to the stopes on the reef. In the end of the western stopes n»vr where the winze was sunk from the tunnel level the reef is about 6 feet thick from wv'l to wall, but there, is a horse of muUock in the centre, and 'in the. hanging wall section the quartz looks mullocky. This part of the lode supplied a fair quantity of good crushing dirt. About midway between- the eastern and western stopes some nice specimens were obtained, and from ilie appearance of the lode tLere more may be expected, as nowhere in the stopes is the reef looking so promising. In the other parts of the stopes on the reef there is nothing particular. In the stopes on Wallis' some gold is being obtained, and a little of the same metal is seen in Heldt's leader.

The appearance^ of the latter lode is promising, and, indeed, it is one of the pretiiest and best denned leaders for its size that one might see anywhere. Going into tho drive on their All Nations leader I found thrt the aspect of affairs was not so promising, as (he leader had evidently " junopod." This, however, might be expected, ps the present distant^ from the slide is not woce than 25 feet. The manager expects to pick it up again shortly, and }S put ing in small prospecting drives east and west for that purpose. The shift is down, about 63 feet, and is limbered, and the guides fixed right to the bottom. Saturday was visiting day, but only about half-a-dozen visitors : availed themselves of the chance" of seeing - I the raise. Perhaps there will be something worth seeing next day the mine is thrown open. Duviog last week the battery has gained about 1( 0 tons, and hp.s now pretty well reduced the large quantity of stuff which accumulated daring the late stoppage for the inspection of the . machinery. * The following telegram was despatched t0.... Auckland te-day:—" May 7th.--Broken down part of reef in new winze, showing gold ii-eely. Mineral now extending to 'ength of winza.' The stuff wi'l be tseated in single stamper. 51b spec'mens fiom went stope.—K. Comkb.