OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4454, 14 April 1883, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PRINCE IMPERIAL

The rcof at No. 5 level has shown a marked improvement since Wednesdaylast. In the eastern end the drive has not been advanced since my last visit, but on breaking down a portion of what was stripped the lode was found to have become larger and more solid. A small clay head has been running alongside the reef for some distance, and it was no doubt its proximity that made the lode so tuullocky, but this is now striking away on the footwall. The air here was becoming light, so the men have been started to carry a leading stope along from the winze. The reef in the wertern or seaward drive shows even a greater change for the better than the hill-ward end. The reef h;;s opened out, and is lully a foot wide in the face. It is also more clearly defined, and the quartz looks belter. Gold was seen pretty freely' last bracking down. About five ft et oi the reef is stripped, but a waler-course crosses the drive in the end of the dig, and in this the reef shows lully a foot wide. . The tenth stope on No. 2 reef broke through today into the winze sunk through the old underhaud stopes by Mr Clark, but there is yet a couple of stopes to rnke out towards the break, and a greater number on the opposite side. It can now be sren how very near the old tributers wero to striking the rich shot of gold followed up by the present manager. Had they carried their stopes down another 15 feet they must have touched the top of it, and from there to No. 4 level it was a continuous run.

DEEP LEVEL CKOSS. A rumor was in circulation yesterday evening to the effect that the stopes on the crossreef above No. 4 level had cut a quantity of water, and shares in consequence became a little easier. The true facts of the case are that yesterday afternoon water was found to be issuing from a crack in the country on the hangingwali of the reef a few feet to the eastward of the junction of the cross reef and No. 2. The point at which it came out was just above a pass, down which the water flowed to the level below. Mr Coutis was soon communicated- with, and in conjunction with Mr Clark he directed the stream infj the winze sunk on the boundary of the t.vo mines some months ago. A small hole was also dug on the crossreef a few feet to the north--ward of its"junction with No. 2, and some of the water turned into it, when it disappeared in the cracks of the reef. The water ran for about an hour a good stream, and then gradually stopped. When I visited the mine to-day there was hardly any sign of it. What was the cause of this sudden outburst cannot be determined, but it probably came from a water - course somewhere id the vicinity. It did not issue from behind the big slide, as that is fully 50 feet distant, and the workings there are quUe dry. Another rumor is afloat about this mine, that gold had been seen in the quar'z on the mullock tip from the small leader in the south crosscut at the 640t t level. Both manager and men have been on the lookout, but they hare not bren ab.e to see a color of the precious metal yet, so there is probably no truth iv the report. LENA LICENSED HOLDING. . j

The following report, under date April 10th, ha^ been received by the directors: —"During the past fortnight we have beenengagrd in timbering end dividing the shaft and in covering it at a depth of 70ft. We have also erected a windlass and a, shed over the abaft. Everything is now in fair working order. We have diivena crosscut 12ft in a northerly direction, ard .his I intend to extend 150 ft in the same direction. The drive for some few feet was in excellent sandstone country, but for a distance of six feet the ground was soft aad disordered. It is now ia more settled country, and has a good appear ance. We have intersected several veius of quartz, and have seei colors of gjld, but nothing of consequence. I have had no time for prospering other parts of the ground, but when ladders are placed in the shaft, and the men can go up and down without the use cf the windlass, I shall be able to devote half of each day to this purpose. I firmly believe that we have a fair p.ospect of getting gold.—-W. Rowe." NEW EUREKA (OTUNUI).

The following is the report to the D'reotors for the fortnight j ist ended : " inuring the past fortnight we have timbered up the east drire od reef to face, and where, a portion of the roof has fallen in, thereof is showing and I am of opinion that if the drive was continued, the reef' would soon be as good as ever. We have done very little on the footwall leader during the 1 past week, owing to the rain, but will con» I tinue the stupes as soon as possible. The leader has improved in size the last few feet worked upon, and shows gold every i breaking down. Duriug this week wo have been engaged driving the main level ahead, and are in ten feet. It is going through a favorable class of country for gold, and we may cut a leader any day." EEUBEN PAEB.

The manager reports:— In the mine wo have driven a distance of 70 feet in the direction of- the Dauntless lode in good country. I do not think that we will be long before we come across the lode. We have got the truck road put across the tramway and the creek, and have also got the' creek flumed for about 40 feet. We hare cleared out and repaired tho Dauntless level, and cleared the drive that I pointed out a diatan: a of nearly 40 feet. I may mention that I think the way th» lode seems to have ran in the top level, where we cleaned, out, it is treading io«

wards us in the low level, so we are likely to get it soon. GOLD EETUBNS. Queen of Beauty— Connolly and pany, tributers, have crushed 16 loads of qqprtz at the company's mill for the yield of 31ozs. 15dwts retorted gold.