ALBUENIA.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3566, 1 June 1880, Page 2

ALBUENIA.

During yesterday 501 bs of picked stone and 301bs of specimens were obtained, and there is now on band altogether ICOlbs of picked stone, and 301bs of good specimens. Some of these were obtained from the stopes towards the New North Devon, and some from the east drive, intermediate level, but the balk, as usual, is from the intermediate stopes both east and west. The Sons of Freedom tunnel. —Driving continues on the Sons of Freedom reef. The lode was somewhat shaken from a water course, but is making solid again, having about 2£ feet of very nice looking stone. Only the mineralised portion of the lode is crushed. On Saturday the first color of gold since driving commenced was seen. I was shown the stone to-day. It contained a quantity of copper, and the color was a good-sized coarse splat. This is very encouraging, as it shows that something better may be expected, as the drive gets farther into the hill. 160 feet lerel— In the eastern drive I found a new party of contractors at work, the old crowd having finished their distance. The country and the lode continue hard. The winze from the 70 feet level was "holed" into the back of the drive, and the ventilation is consequently much improved. As this winze was started within a few feet of the junction of the hanging wall leader with the reef, the junction at this level should shortly be reached. In the western stopes I found that good progress is being made The lode continues to look well, showing colors of gold. 70 feet level: la the intermediate stopes east and west the lcde is looking as well as bver, end specimen dirt is broken out every day.

There is a vast improvement in the appearance of the reef in the east drive, where gold is showing freely, while several good stones have been taken out. This is at a point 120 feet back from the Whau boundary and thirty or forty feet behind where the present patch waa first struck in the 70 feet level. That the patch is lengthening eastward and downward is evident, and the continuation of the gold easi promises that there are several good dividends yet in this block. Some nice looking gold was visible in the reef, in the stopes at the New North Devon end.