KURANUI HILL.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3793, 23 February 1881, Page 2

KURANUI HILL.

The manager on the 21st inst. sent the following special report to the directors : —" Sir, —I have the honor to send you the enclosed tracing of our works in the deep lead and Teutonic ground, and to report thereon as follows;— From the mouth of the new drive to the Teutonic shaft is 300 feet. At 150 feet from the mouth of the drive a crosscut was thrown out westward, which at 78 feet passed through Barry's lode, and was afterwards continued 44 feet without finding any other leader, but the country in the end looks favourable, and I suggest driving on. Barry's lode was driven on southward 65 feet, and the ' back ' was stoped into old workings. Northward the,lode was followed 50 feet in drive, and stopes when there occurred a split. The No. 2 branch continued nearly north for 40 feet, when it was squeezed out. The No. 1 branch has been driven over 80 feet, being at times 18 inches wide, but at other places only a small thread. Until Monday last my previous experience of this lode had led me to believe that at least on the level of our adit nothing good would be met with, and I had depended on getting my returns from the brown ground in the stopes towards the surface. However, on Saturday afternoon we unexpectedly found about six pounds of rich specimens at the point marked •A' at which the lode is croseed by a black mineral seam, and the gold is showing in the ' floor' and * back' upon the line of this seam. I will lose no time in following this gold, but as the air continues very bad, I must first connect 1 the 'end' with point marked F. This will be done about Thursday. In my last week's report I made mention of the doings of a party of Moanatairi tributers, who, upon this same leader are working where it shuts against the great " slide." These men have been getting thd fairest possible indications, and with these a little gold, leading to strong hopes of fielding in this quarter a deposit of consequence. The slide is underlaying towards us at the rate of 10 feet horizontal for six feet vertical. I think when the leader reaches the buck of the slide at the point when both are touched by the mineral seam above referred to, we shall find something good. I am also of opinion that even elsewhere at intervals along the points of contact by slide and the leader we shall find deposits. i also draw your attention to the leader at point marked D. On this I have driven westward 20 feet. This may prove a continuation of the Jost No. 2 branch, but whether or not, it should be driven upon both ways. In 65 feet eastward it will touch the line of the slide. The formation along on the 'back' of the lost No. 2 branch, but whether or not it should be driven upon both ways. In 65 feet eastward it will touch the line of the slide. The formation all along on the " back of the slide is very much disturbed, and this will of course give trouble in following the veins, but as these have all along made their heaviest bunches in that quarter, we cannot leave them without fair trial. Observe the line proceeding northward from point marked E. On this line 370 feet north of E, a shaft has been sunk below our present level. A drive from Eto that shaft would open all other veins on the back of the slide, provided always that the latter maintains its present direction. There is a large extent of country here, of which very little is known. It is known that near the bottom of the Teutonic shaft (considerably deeper than our present work) Mr John Goldsworthy got some rich stone, but could find nothing with a regular formation. At that time they were working in water, and hauling everything with horse whims. 230 feet of driving from old work in the Kuranui would bring me to the Teutonic shaft, 120 feet deeper than my present works, and this piece of driving must be started if the show at present in the floor of the No. 1 branch drive continues downward. I have little doubt that good deposits are lodged at irregular intervals on the back of the slide, both above and below our present level. The work done in this section of the mine since 23rd July, 1880, amounts to 939 feet of driving, 82 feet of rising,, and about 40 fathoms of stoping.— S. W. Walkbe."