Mining in the Upper Country.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3835, 13 April 1881, Page 2

Mining in the Upper Country.

(FEOM OUB OWN COBBESPONDENT.)

WAIHI.

Yesterday,

la the Mabtha the drive is now in 176 feet, and is 18 feet into the reef, most of which yields small prospects. The reef is still compact, and is easily worked, 18 feet having been driven during the last four days. The owners of the mine expect to cut through to the footwall this week.

Dulcibeli. —The diive is still being continued on the footwall, 6 feet of the reef being taken out and stacked. A start has been made to cross cut the reef. It is in 10 feet, and shows the same kindly looking stone, and from the prospects obtained ought to yield well. Jones' Lease.—The re.ef Las been cut throagb, being 12 feet thick. The tunnel is being continued, and is now ?u 200 feet, another reef having been cut on the hanging wall side of the reef. There seems to be a split in the lode on this part of the spur, as none of the black looking stone found at the other end of the spur is found here. Mr Jones intends sending in a trial crushing of 10 tons to the Owharoa battery, and he seems satisfied with the- prospects at present obtained. In the Young Colonial a start has been made to test the value of the reef in their ground, and from the loose stone picked up, there can be no doubt but that the reef will soon be found.

In the Comstock a drive Las been started to out the reef below where.'the gold was found in the winze. Mackie aad party are also pushing on their drive, and are now in 65 feet, and have come on some hard country. They expect to have the reef in a few feet. Several other claims have been pegged out,;jjasnd there seems every chance of this dist^i^ having a fair trial. The two water* races applied for have been surveyed, and there will be no difficulty in getting water power for the district. Grog shanties are a nuisance to this district.

WAITEKAUEI

Several parties are out prospecting in this district, being partly paid out of the rote for prospecting in the North Island.

In the Waitekauki mine Butler- and Goonan are still getting out first-class stone. Hollis, of the same mine, are also on payable stone, and Korih and his mates have out a large parcel of crushing dirt; but, unfortunately, there is neither water to crush the stone nor a tramway to take it to the battery, as a short time since a large portion of the tramway was carried away. It seems a pity that something is not done to have good communication between the mine and the battery in this district, as not only in the Waitekauri mine, but in the Welcome and Perseverance, a large amount of payable stone is coming to hand, and if there were a decent road there would be soon a large population. OWHAEOA. .

The Golden Hill have just finished crushing 30 tons, which will go 2ozs to the ton.

Campbell and the other tributer in the Eadical are getting out a large quantity' of stone, and they would manage to keep the mill going, but unfortunately there is no water. .

The tributers in the. Smile of Foetuhe are getting out good stone from their upper level. In the Lucky Hit a large amount of stone is being got, and should prove payable. In the Victoeia the drive is in 150 feet, but nothing payable has been found.