OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4451, 11 April 1883, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PRINCE IMPERIAL.

At No. 5 level work is being pushed on with all speed in the eastern and western drives on the No. 2 reef. Westward the lode is more solid that it was on my last visit. It is not broken.quite up to the face. The quartz in places is 9 or 10 inches wide, and looks well, carrying fine mineral. At the point where the specimens and picked stone were obtained last week it is 14 or 15 inches wide. The lode in the eastern drive is about the same size as it is westward. It is still some-' what mullooky on the footwall, but the bangingwall is good solid quartz. The country at both ends continues of a capital class for gold. At No. 4 If rel a leading stope is being carried along the drive on the Mariner's reef south of the crosscut. The reef is a §.ac body of quartz—in places fully 4ft. from wall to wall. Gold is seen freely all through the quartz, and good dabs were visible on the footwall for a length of 5 or 6 feet to.day. The drive east on the same reef is being timbered. The lode looks well in the face, being about a foot wide, carrying good mineral. Gold is seen freely, and some was showing at the time of my visit. The country is becoming a better class of sandstone as the face gets away from the hard bar. The manager reported yesterday as follows ••—Drive going seaward on No. 2 leader at No. 5 level, is now in 40ft. from the crosscut. There is a slight improvement in the lead here during the last day or two, and the country on the footwall has become much kindlier and easier to work. I think the lead will open out again to its former size. The drive hill wards on same level is in 20ft. The lead here is keeping about the same size, and always shows gold freely when taken down, fully 40lbs. of good nicked stone having been obtained from this end since Friday last The No.l, or Mariuer's reef, in the drive seaward of break at No. 4 level, has all been broken down forward to Deep Level Cross boundary. There has been a large amount of crushing dirt obtained from here. The reef is fully 3ft thick, and looks exceedingly well, gold being freely seen all through the stone from foot vail to, hangingwall. The drive on the same reef on the hill, or north-eastern, side of break is in 25ft. The country here has greatly improved, having become much more solid, and very similar to that on the other side of the break., pThe reef is also looking better, and showing more gold. The quartz coming to hand from this reef is shaping for fully loz per load at the battery. Drive and leading stope, No. 2 lead, No. 2 section east, No. 4 level, is still in progress. The lead is maintaining its size and appearance, and although notmuoh gold has been seen lately, the dirt continues to crush very well. Drive and leading-stopeon No. 3, or footwall lead, same section and level, is also being carried on. This lead is about one foot thick, and is composed mostly of very white quartz, but which always shows good strong dabs of gold when taken down. I have not had so many men employed in the stopes on No. 2 lead above No, 4 j level lately, as I hare taken advantage of the cocl weather to push on the drives ou the different leads to open up the ground. We have now 17 head of stamps employed full time, and the dirt being crushed con tinues to shape much about the same.■— G. 8. Clabk.

DAIiT. Ibe obamber atKo. 3 level is completed, and tbe men are driving a crouout to interseot No. 1 reef. This is in 7 feet, in good country, of a more solid nature tban

that found in the shaft. The winze at .No. 2 level on the specimen leader is down 18 feet, but the junction of No. 1 reef has not yet been met with, owing to the leader changing its coume somewhat. The quartz is about G inches wide, and showed gold freely last breaking down.

GOLD RETURNS. Dabt. —Papa and party have banked Bozs. 15dwtB. gold.