OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4395, 3 February 1883, Page 2

OUR MINES.

DEEP LEVEL CROSS.

Cleaning up took place at the Moana* tairi mill yesterday, and the amalgam was retorted this morning for the return of 95|ozs gold, reduced on melting to 94 ozs sdwts. This makes the total for the month 15Oozs 7dwts. The amount of dirt crashed for the return banked today was about 80 loads and 1001 bs of picked stone and specimens, and the quantity for the total return about 120 loads. Work is being continued at the 640 ft level in the crosscut and drive on the reef, but there is no change to report. The drive at No. 4 level of the Prince Imperial shaft has been continued 12 feet beyond where, the reef was cut off by a clay band, but there is no sign of its making again. The country, instead of being a solid sandstone, as was, usually the case when a break was met with, is a kind of stiff clay, in which a little quartz is found, so Mr 'Coutts has stopped work here, ;and will'in a day, or two start driving on a leader found on the hanging* wall of No. 2 reef a few feet back from where the large cross-reef was met with. In the meantime the men are engaged in the slopes. . ■: - A PINAFORE. - - Mr O'Sullivan, the manager, has treated two loads of general dirt and about 201bs of picked stone, obtained. from a small leader he has been working on lately, at the Moanatairi mill for the yield of llozs 12dwtB gold. CALEDONIAN. The cross-leader in the Red Queen section is still, being driven* on, gold being seen each time the reef is broken down, though no picked stone has come to hand lately. The quartz should; however, give a remunerative return when crushed. The workings on Nos. 1 reef are proceeding as usual, and colors of gold are seen in the stopes. At No. 2 level the stopes on the specimen leader have been suspended for the present, and the men have since.Thursday been engaged cutting out chambers 100 ft from the surface, preparatory to opening up a new level. This work is slow, but the manager expects to have it completed in a week's time. All the hoppers are full of quartz, and there is also a considerable amount of dirt stacked at the* Herald mill. It was thought crushing could be continued regularly after the late rain, but the supply of water was cut off this morning. This delay is unfortunate, as in a short time, if the present state of things continues, work will have to be- suspended in the mine on account of their being no room to stow the quartz. GOLD RETURNS. Dabt. — Greenville and party have finished a crushing of picked stone at the Alburnia mill for the return of I2ozs 13dwts gold.