OTUNUI.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4258, 24 August 1882, Page 2

OTUNUI.

Obiental.-—Three men were at work in this claim, which is the property of Mr Alex. Bruce. It is now 47 men's ground, several licenses which were held by him having been amalgamated. For some months past work has been carried on in a very desultory manner, but there seems to hare been at last a fair start made in the drive carrying the main reef. The drive is in 65 feet. The reef which if; has carried averaged from a foot to two feet; 1 ust now, however., it is small and split up, but the face is in a favorable, soft sandU stone country. The reef ran north and south at first, but now she is taking to her true course. This reef has showed excelleut gold in various parts, and 2Olbs of specimens soni* months ago yielded foz to the pound. There is another drive in 45 feet on the hangingwall leader, This leader averages from one to six inches in thickness, and runs due N.E. There are several veins, all carrying gold •, indeed, it is not lack of gold, but a lack, of work that the mine has been suffering from, if all accounts are true. As far as driving is concerned, some of the newly started claims will soon be far ahead of the Oriental, unless the tactics pursued therein in the future differ greatly from the past. This mine should catch the Anglo-Maori leaders.

AnglO'Maoei.—This claim consists of two men's ground, and is owned by Messrs Mills and Tookey. It is situated above the Oriental. A drive has been put in 150 feet in a north-westerly direction to cut the leaders worked at a higher level. The leaders are ruuuing uorlh-east and have been driven on about 12 feet. They at present consist of three stringers one about 6 inches, and the others each an inch in thickness. They all carry excellent gold, and on the occasion of our visit, # some small but rich stones which had just been broken out were being washed in a disb. From a shaft which was sunk further up tns hill 6Oozs of gold were taken; the drive is going in that direction, and should be under the shaft in another 80 feet. The leader in the shaft was 6 inches, but" sometimes spread out to 18 inches. The characteristics of these small leaders or stringers is that they show gold almost everywhere. There is another big reef which yielded

good prospects which should be intersected by continuing, the crosscut. B&nanza. —Two men—R. Ross and Ascott—-are working here.' The drive is in 53 feet in a northwesterly direction. Here the leader running E. and W. was cut, and was driven on for 100 feet, and yielded good gold the whole length, including some fair specimens. To obtain any depth of backs on this reef, the readiest way would be to arrange with the AngloMaori people for permissiou to work through,their ground; this plan would give xaboufc 50 feet of hicks. JBufe the present works are of a prospecting character, namely, to interspct the Eureka reef or any reef intervening. The crosscut for tliat purpose is in some 80 feet from the Bonanza leader, or 133 feet from the mouth of the tuunel. The country could not possibly be better as far as indications are concerned, being a white sandstone with mineral veins distributed through it. There is one mineral vein traversing the present face, five or six inches thick. It is thought that the Eureka reef should be cut within 50 feet.

Abizona. —This mine adjoins the northeast part of the Eureka claim, and the works -proceeding are with a view to catching the Eureka reef. It is only a few weeks since the mine was taken up, but Messrs McKenzie and Syms have done 70 feet of driving, and expect to intersect the reef 70 feet further ahead. The face is in very satisfactory ground, white sandstone crossed by black veins. Were they to cut the reef, they would have 100 feet backs, and some 140 feet of the length of the reef, besides the dip She underlies about 2 feet in 6 feet, in a westerly direction.

Eureka.; —This at the present time is the leading mine of the district, having eclipsed the Bonanza and Oriental. The tunnel has been driven about 100 feet in a north-westerly direction when the reef was cut. The reef is a large body of stone averaging four to five feet in breadth, and fills the whole of each face. It has been driven on 12ft in a south-westerly direction, and 15ft towards the north-east. She consists of blue and brown quartz, and gold has been visible right along in both directions. Excellent specimens have been obtained, and nice dabs of gold were showing in several places in the face on the occasion of our visit. Other specimen stones were on hand, and some of them when broken exhibited a most gratifying interior. This reef should prove a very valuable property, and might be described as a four feet reef showing gold freely in all parts, with occasional patches of specimens. Were it on this field or Te Aroha, it would probably be valued at five times its present price. There are two hands employed, S. Ross and Johnson, and they are driving in the direction of the Arizona mine, having some 300 ft to go before reaching the boundary, and there would be about 150 ft backs. Towards the Albion there are some 250ffc to be driven, with 60 to 100 ft of backs There is already a considerable paddock of quarlz to grass. As to which claims should catch this reef there is a considerable diversity of opinion. As to one side, it is geaerally admitted that the Arizona should have a portion of the reef with the underlie into the ground, and thence it would go into the Bonanza, which claim would be the possessor of even a greater extent of the surface. But on the other side the claimants are more numerous, and there is nothing like unanimity. The Albion and the Comet are the chief aspirants for the honor, whilst the Surprise and Invincible do not lose anything through modesty. Apparently the reef must go through either the Comet or the Albion, and if it be the former the Surprise should get some of the surface, if the latter the Invincible should have a good chance for a share. It is said that according to surveys the reef is running S.W. and N.E. and should go into the Comet; but even then the Albion would have the underlie. The Albionites on the other hand contend that she will hug the spur (for be it understood the Albion is on a continuation of the same spur as the Eureka, whilst a small creek and gully intervene between the Eureka and the Comet) and that in the drive she has altered her course somewhat, shaping more into the hill. Without venturing an opinion, our reporter is more favorably impressed with the chances of the Albion than prior to his visit.

Comet. —This is the old Valentine lease, acd there are at present three men working on it, including J. W. Adlam and O. D. Grant. They have just by direction of the saiveyor started a drive due west to intersect a reef three feet in width which was found in a shaft on the spur. The shaft was sunk about 30ft, end thence a drive had been put in 25ft, but further operations were p. event by water, hence the necessity for the present workings. The drive begins in a fine sandstone country, having black veins in it, and there is also a flinty showing. The reef is thought to be. only 40ft ahead, and the Eureka reef say 100 ft. The drive would give some 300 ft of backs. The Comet is 21 men's ground.

Albion.—Operations in this mine are with a view *o catting the Eureka reef. Work was started six weeks ago, and but 40ft has b§en driven. But when the fact that the men, McKeown and Carson, have had to work in a bar of blue metal, unsurpassed in hardness on the Thames is known, the,progress must be considered creditable. When we visited the claim, a shot brought out some rock which was whiter and softer than that preceding it. There is every reason to believe that tha bar is not a thick one, probably not more than 20 feet. They expect to cut the Eureka reef inside 100 feet. But these claims are all so young that it would almost be as well in any one of them to put in a drive somewhere, on speculation, and "go it blind," as the poker players say. The man who goes ahead somewhere stands the best chance. The mouth of the Albion tuenel is only some 150 feet from the Eureka drive.

Invincible.—This mine joins the Albion and Otunui mines on the western boundary. Time Hid not admit of visiting the mine, but an eye-witness informed our reporter that the drive is in some 30 and that a large mullocky reef bad been cut in the face that morning, gi™?g strong colors of gold from washings. We hare since been informed that the reef is believed to be identical with the Eureka lode. , , Exelsioe —This claim is on the southwest of the Comet mine. The owners, Adams and party, are making preparations to start work. They too are said to be claimants for the Eureka reef. However, our reporter was informed that a landslip had unearthed three reefs, gold being found in one of them.

Subpbise.— This claim is next to the Comet, and south of the Albion, and from

its position should hive a portion of the Eureka reef if it runs into the Comet claim.