Mining Review of the Week.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3488, 28 February 1880, Page 2

Mining Review of the Week.

In a review of the events of the past week, the attention of the reviewer is again first attracted to the Moanatairi creek mines, as the point in which the greatest interest has been centred. The Alburnia is of course the first that comes up for notice, and especially' so as the premier mine and has been attracting extraordinary interest. On Saturday night last it was whispered at the corner that gold had been struck at the low level, notwithstanding the vagueness of the report and its want of confirmation there were immediate inquiries .for shares, but holders not knowing what was in the windwere chary about selling them. On Monday however the " murder was out."

and' shares speedily had an increase. The cause of the spurt was this.. At the latter part of last week, the appearance of the lode at the bottom level was not very promising but this had little effect' on the shares. A great improvement in tbe reef took place on Saturday, and some gold was seen. Owing Mo the departure of the manager to Auckland, but little quartz has been broken since Monday, the instruction! being to strip the reef. The face'of the drive is within 20 feet of the New Whau bouudary, so whatever gold is obtained will not be of any great extent. It is generally believed, however, that the lock between the 160 and 70 feet levels will pay several good dividends. Consequent on the improvement in the Alburnia, which it is patent must beneficially affect its next door neighbor, the .New Whau stoclrhas been active. - Negotiations are- how 'being entered into with the Alburnia company, which, if successful, will give the Whau great facilities for working. They wish to I obtain from the Alburnia permission to~use the quartz and mullock passes of that company. This, however, if assented to, will bp very inconvenient as the Alburnia has plenty of use for its own means of disposing of the out-put of tbe mine. The better way in bur opinion would be that the New. Whau and New North Devon companies should unite and-con-struct a pass in the Alburnia ground to the. Sons of Freedom level. The cost of | this would be considerable—£3oo to £400, we believe—but still this appears to be the only solution of the difficulty, if the Alburnia find they cannot assent' to the present proposal.