OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4337, 24 November 1882, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PRINCE IMPERIAL.

About 5 feet of the lead in the drive west at No. 4 level was broken down today, and a few pounds of picked stone were obtained from it. . The leading and second stopes are now being taken along as one, and several small parcels of specimens and good picked stone have also come to hand from here since Wednesday, when breaking down the reef. The third stope west from the winze is up to the break, and will be continued pastih withoutdelay. A few good stone were also bagged from a small leader in tbe footwall of the reef in the stopes going towards the shaft from the west winze. Nothing has been done in the east drives for the last two shifts, the air being too light.

ALBUENIA.

A parcel of quartz from the stopes on Dixon's reef above the Whau level will bf brought down to-morrow for treatment-

QUEEN OF BEAUTY,

The manager reported a day or two ago :—No. 8 level: The contractors driving crosscut to Birdtin Hand are making excellentprogress in good working ground, having driven 43 feet during the fortnight. Tbe ground gone through will not require timber. No 9 : The contractors driving on main reef east, and on the Queen of tbe May reef have both completed their contracts. There is no change to report. The Queen of the May reef will ■ be tried at the battery this week, when the No. 7 trial is completed. In the drive on reef No. 9 west there has only been a few feef driven during the week, the contractor having been engaged in stripping the reef and timbering the drive. The reef in the end looks better than it has ever done before on the west of tbe shaft. A trial lot taken from the face was started upon this morning, and is going through the battery at present. The reef is 12 feet thick in the face. Stopes: The quartz from the stopes lately has been showing some gold, and tbe crushing is keeping up a good average in battery. Shaft: The work of sinking the pump shaft has advanced so far that the double draw-lift is now placed in the cistern as the standing lift, acd in two days tbe new main rods required for sinking will be sent below. No more work can then be done in the shaft till the clack-piece, &c , arrives from the foundry, when the work will be carried on by contract, tenders being called for sinking of shaft in tbs meantime. Piako shaft: The men employed at this shaft holed up through in the beginning of last week, and have since been engaged in centreing up the pump shaft compartment, to keep the debris back which is still in the winding portion of tbe shaft. This work will be completed in another three days, when we will proceed to get out the pumps, pump-rods, and workings, which are in the shaft. Battery: The trial crushing in the battery, from the face of No. 9 reef west, is shaping to be payable, and the Queen of the May stone is also showing up for a oayable return. —G. Black.

PREMIER (TE AROHA).

A late report from Mr Gavin, the man-, ager, says :—On receipt of your telegram, I stopped the men from driving on the footwall lode to the north-east, and put them to drive on the south-west Since starting jl have seen gold every day in breaking down the reef, and think it will carry gold back to the junction of jS"o, 1 lode, which is a distance of 60 feet in the low level. The contractors have only driven 12 feet in the last fortnight, the ground having got very hard, but I think it will change for the better as they get near the reef.