ALBURNIA.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3628, 12 August 1880, Page 2

ALBURNIA.

I am glad to be able to chronicle an improvement in the prospects of this mine, more especially as it conies at a period when there seemed every prospect of far less prosperous times than heretofore. I refer to the discovery in the old stopes abovo 70 feet level, near the No. 4 winze sunk during Mr Samuel Gribble's management. Some time ago Mr Badford suspended operations, there being an abundant supply of more remunerative stone from other parts of the mine, but on the company becoming pessessors of a battery of their own he decided to resume the old operations. Since work was commenced a very great improvement has taken place in the quality of the lode, and during the last three days about 3ewt of fair picked stone have come to hand, besides some sixteen or seventeen pounds of rich specimens. Some of these show a well defined seam of gold an inch thick running through and through the quartz. There is a very considerable piece of this block to work out—3o or 40 feet of backs by 150 feet in length, so it will be seen there is plenty of room for a good patch of gold. The intermediate patch is now nearly wrought out. At the 160 feet level the contractors are now home to the Devon boundary. The lode in the face is about three feet thick, only eight inches of which, however, is solid quartz. The balance is sandstone interlaced with white quartz veins. During Mr Gribble's management a drive was put in from the vicinity of the Black Angel winze towards the Sons of Freedom reef, and in the course of this drive runs a small leader which however was evidently thought of no importance, as the quarlz was in many places left standing. A few days ago the manager started the new crosscut to Djzon's, and in so doing cut thron.<>h the small leader when some of the stones were found to be thickly impregnated with gold. The leader where cut has an exceedingly promising appearance, and it is probable that it will prove a valuable addition to the sources of the quartz supply of the mine. —The manager's report for the week is as follow :—" In my last report you would perceive that the reef in Sons of Freedom level was cut off by a slide. I continued the drive on the original run of the reef for a distance of 15 or 16 feet when I came into bard blue rocky country. I have now gone back and opened a cross drive to the left where the slide came in. The ground here is giving a little water, and looks favorable for reef, being composed of broken sandstone. I also mentioned that we had the reef on the other side of slide in Dixpn's winze. The reef is very small, being composed of quartz and clay—the quartz always showing gold, and I am in hopes that should the reef become more solid it will be a payable one. Western stopea in intermediate level are now finished, and the eastern stopes are getting very short. As mentioned in my last report the old stopes never looked better since we started them afresh. Since then we have secured two or three cwt. of picked stone, and should things continue to look as at present you may expect a good payable return at the end of the month. The battery is working well.—T. JJadfobd."