OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4261, 28 August 1882, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PRINCE IMPERIAL,

The only work at present going on in this mine is driving east and west on the Beach leader at No. 4 level. West of the shaft the face is in 10ft, which leaves 58ft to go before the winze is reached. The drive is now going ahead on some leaders in the fcotwall of the reef. These show gold pretty freely, and produce a few picked stone. They are probably the satoe as some met with in the winze, as their characteristics are very similar. All the reef except about a foot of the hangingwall portion was broken down up to the face on Friday night, and" a few pounds of nice picked stone bagged. At present Mr Clark is hampered for. room, but as soon as the drive is in a bit further he will start and cut out a chamber on each side of the shaft. In the west drive the reef is fully 3ft thick, but its exact size is not known eastward, as the whole of it has not yet been taken down. Good dabs of gold were seen in breaking, and a few picked stone were also bagged. The reef at this level is somewhat similar to

the Queen of Beauty lode, but is more solid, though the minerals in the two reefs are very much alike. The chalk-like deposit is making its appearance in both drives, and the country is of a splendid class for gold. As many reports have gained ground that a large quantity of the Beach leader has been taken out below No. 3 level, it would not be out of place to state how much work has actually been done on it. When the old company was working the mine, the Beach leader was cut in a crosscut from the chamber at No. 3, and driven on westward as far as the slide, and eastward for over 200 ft, and stoped out to the level above. For the whole of this distance it gave good : returns. When this block was worked out the company sank a winze about 100 ft east of the crosscut (the one recently, cleaned out by Mr Clark.) From this they put in an intermediate 1 level westward 23ft below No. 3. This drive was only 30ft in length, and good gold was left in the floor ail the way, and was showing in the face when work was stopped. This small block was, then stoped out, but as a quantity of gas) and water accumulated, no more ground was opened up. West of the shaft the leader was not touched below the level until Mr Clark sank the winze upon it from which he has already got such good results. A small amount of work was done on the No. 2 reef west of the shaft, and this also gave good yields. The slide, which, so far as is known, cuts off the Beach leader at No. 3 level, is 80ft. from the crosscut there, and as it is dipping away about 1 in 1, at No 4 level Mr Clark will have a length of about 160 ft. on the Beach leader west of the shaft, and over 2Coft. eastward which was payable on the level above. He will also have a large block to work on No. 2 reef, when he gets the new level opened up, and about 2C3ft. in vertical height on the Mariner's reef in which a hole has never yet been fired. The class of country now in the bottom of the shaft is exceedingly favorable for gold, and should it be found surrounding the Nos. 1 and 2 reefs, there is very little doubt but that they will be payable. In order to open "Up the ground thoroughly, Mr Clark will first push on the drive westward and connect with the winze, when a series of stopes can be started. The drive will then be pushed on to the slide, and stoping started on that side of the winze as well. While this is in progress, the drive eastward will be extended but as the winze here is only down about 70 feet, two or three stopes will be carried forward at the same time as the drive in order to effect communication. This method will be a cheaper and better way of opening the ground than by sinking the winze. When these two blocks on the Beach leader are opened up, Mr Clark will no doubt turn his attention to the other reefs. A considerable quantity of quartz is now on hand, and when stoping is started, 10 head could easily be kept constantly employed. MOANATAIRI. Betorting for the month will take place on Wednesday next. The manager reports for last week as follows :•—" No. 3 tunnel level: In driving S.W. of No. 1 N.W. crosscut, colors of gold are come times seen. The lead is from 6 to 12 inches in thickness. A strong, likely-lookiag leader 20 inches in width has been intersected in No. 2 N.W. crosscut. We shall test a small parcel from here before the battery stops. No. 2 reef should be struck shortly. Nothing of importance has been met with in drive underneath main slide since we obtained a strong blotch of gold, of which I advised you in a former report, but the indications are.still very encouraging. We have just commenced crushing a trial parcel from here. 80ft. level: No 9 footwall lead is payable; also No. 9 hanging wall leader. The All Nations stbpea at same level are producing payable stuff. Heidt's section, 132 ft level: The stopes are poor at present. Morning Star stopes are yielding remunerative dirt. Central Italy: The drive is now repaired for a distance of 60ft from crosscut. The reef is about 3ft wide at this point, composed chiefly of quartz, some of which contains excellent minerals for gold. Colors, however, were visible in the reef this week. The drive will be clear and re-timbered to its face before stoping is commenced, as I want to discover the most convenient and promising place to start at. Nonpareil crosscut: A promising leader has been struck in the drive since my last, but we were obliged to leave it and timber up the drive before extending it further. It will take two or three days to complete the job.—J. Gr. Vivian."