OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3705, 9 November 1880, Page 2

OUR MINES.

Operations.in* the South Pacific level have been suspended, as. the manager finds the working the tipper section of his mine from the Vale low level tunnel will be much more effective, and give better backs. The cleaning out of this level is now in progress, and a thousand feet of rails are on the ground ready to be brought up. I may mention that these, and other mining timbers, were taken up from the town by Mr M. Casey, it being found that he could. supply such material at a cheaper rate than the timber-getters of Fanga flat. Driving on the low level is proceeding speedily, and the indications met with in the quartz continue exceedingly favourable. The manager expects ' by the end of the month to have a parcel of twenty or thirty loads of dirt ready for crushing. Of course the output of the mine will not be' great until stoping is fairly started, but as it at present stands, I consider the prospects of the mine - are unexcelled by any new'mine on the field. MOANATAIBI. The weekly report of the mine manager is as follows:—" 160 feet level: In driving east from south crosscut, No. 2 reef is well defined, and two feet thick, worth 4dwts per ton. This reef has not been seen elsewhere in the mine, and from the character of the stone good deposits of gold may be met with. 80 feet level: The winze being sunk upon the junction of Nos. 1 and 3 reefs will in a few days break through to the 160 feet level. For the last 16 feet (or below the junction) we have only had a clay wall, which, will not pay to stope out, but Say able gold was carried down for a epth of 46 feet. The stopes abov* this and tunnel levels have been poor during the fortnight, more especially about the 132 feet level, and not much picked stone has been obtained, the general stuff being of low grade. Nonpareil: Stoping is being carried on 30 feet in length, in order to bring up pasies, and get through to old workings above. The leader here is 6 inches .thick, averaging $oz per ton. Point Bussell: The stuff obtained from this part of the mine is of low grade, but ; as the stopes are worked upwards Iba» lieve there may be some improvement. During past fortnight 296 tons of quartz has been treated, yielding 178ozs retorted goId.—BOBEBT COMBB." NEWWHAU. Mr "Wilson, the mine manager, states that he has started to drive eastward on . the lode, and by driving 46 feet in that direction it will bring him under, the cross-cut, where he cut the lode, 60 feet above this level. When in that distance he will rise to connect the two drives, and ■ when connected it will give good ventilation* and then stoping out will be started, and from all appearances he believes he will have a large block of payable ground to workout. f