NEW NORTH DEVON.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3634, 19 August 1880, Page 2

NEW NORTH DEVON.

Since the tributers' term expired the manager has beea busy making arrangements for the opening works for developing the mine. Driving will shortly be started on the Sons of Freedom reef from the Alburnia. boundary 70 feet level to meet the winze which it is intended to sink from'the tributers' workings. Tenders will shortly be called for erecting a hopper. Mr Penk, who had the contract for erecting the office and mining store, is finished, and in the course of a month or two the mine will be in full working order. CALEDONIAN. The winze from thd No. 2 level is now down about 80 feet, and the hanging wall of the eastern lode is showing in the bottom. A rise Has been started from the No. 3 level to meet it. The lode at No. 3 level has a healthy appearance, being well-mineralised, and a test has proved it to be worth about a quarter of an ounce per ton. This, though not payable, holds out encouragement of something better in future. The manager's weekly report is as follsws :—" The work of stripping the lode in south face, No. 1 section, No. 3 level, has been continued most of the week. The quartz broken out is extremely hard, and. very highly mineralised. I have passed a test of three I loads of it through the battery. It > showed no gold on the plateß, but the yield from the berdans is about Sdwts of gold per ton. This, although far from payable, is encouraging, as what gold there is is from the heart of the hard mineral stone of the big lode, and it is impossible to say what may be found in driving. I have started from No. 3 level to rise to meet the winze. I find it necessary to hole through as quickly as possible for ventilation. For this purpose I have suspended the contract for driving the eastern crosscut and placed the contractors in the rise until communication is opened, which should be in about a week it the ground continues favourable. The ground in the crosscut has turned very hard, contractors only passing through seven feet in over a week. Biie No. 3 lode, No. 2 section: As expected, the crushing pf this dirt proved very poor. I did not pass, all of the quartz taken out through the batterj.as it would not pay crushing expenses. The lode in the rise has now formed into one body of quartz about five feet in thickness, having a favourable appearance, and is comparatively easy for risingon. Drive on leader south of shaft, No. 3 level: There is no change to note here.. The country on the hanging-wall carries rich mineral veins, and the leader tests well for gold. The winze is down 80 feet from the No. 2 level, 69 feet perpendicular. The hangingwall of the eastern lode showing in No 1 sec ion is now showing in the bottom. There will be a large piece of the lode stripped here when the rise and. winze are holed.—Thomas Jambs.— August 17, 8880."