OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4349, 8 December 1882, Page 3

OUR MINES.

NEW PRINCE IMPERIAL

The shaft has been sunk ,8 feet, and the men to-night will be employed limbering it up. The reef will be left in the northern side in another sor 6 feet. It looks well,

and a few picked stone were bagged at last breaking down. The crosscut for the Mariner's reef is at a standstill till the successful tenderer starts work next Monday. QUEEN OF BEAUTY. The manager reported early this week : —Owing to the sultry state of the atmosphere lately the contractors in the Bird-in-Hapd crosscut ..have not been able to keep "ffeady at /'their work, having lost two,, pt three shifts last week. rJfbe country continues favorable for driving, though not so good as it has been, as it is more jointy than formerly. The distance driven. during the fortnight is 36 feet, making a total of 102 feet in from tbe chamber. The drive on reef at No. 9 west.has been extended 13 feet during the fortnight, leaving 7 feet to drive to complete the contract. The reef is making smaller again, being about 6ft wide. The best portion of the reef only is being sent to the battery. The slopes at No. 7 are looking well and turning out some good mineralised quartz. The reef is 3ft thick. During the last week the shift employed at > the Piako shaft have been putting in extra bearers between the sets that were first put. in. This was. necessary on account of the stuff settling in the winding shaft. ' ;Tbey are now employed cleariog '■"ODt.alk.Njo.s. which will be finished ..in a * fewT<?fty's» i;whc« the plunger workings and the main rods will be sent up. Several pipes»(s) b«ve been sent up lately, all in ({Odd v^ound condition. The quartz from th»;Nir. 9 stopes is showing a better yield in iWbftliery since last cleaning up. No. 7 Stopes is' about the same. .■» r ' GOLD EETUBNS. '"!■ Dabx.—Stewart and party, tributers,

have crushed 2.0 loads of general dirt at the Alburnia mill, for the return of 39ozs - lldwts melted gold. Radical (Owharoa).—-Keid and party's return was reduced to 1440zs Bdwts by melting. ..