OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4458, 19 April 1883, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PRINCE IMPERIAL. Theportion of the reef stripped in the western drive at No. 5 level was broken down this morning, with what result the following telegram from the manager to: his directors will show:—"4olbs speci- . and ?.Olbs picked stone from drive, No. 1 section west, No 5 level.—Q-. S. Clark." The small clay head visible in the face yesterday shifted the reef about 9 inches, and it was near this that the stone was ob« tamed. The greater part came from inside this head,near the floor, and the remainder were broken higher up the drive, a little gold being left showing in the roof. The stone is heavily mineralised, and the gold well distributed through it. DART. The quartz struck behind the No. 1 reef in the crosscut at No. 3 level proved to be merely a white stringer about an inch in width, so* work in this direction has been stopped, and the men started to strip ihe reef on the south-western side, of the crosscut. Soon after my visit yesterday, a quantity of water began to flow into the winze from No. 1 reef, so the manager has discontinued operations till the country is drained, and put the

men to excavating a site for the new boiler. '■■■... THAMESWINDING ASSOCIATION. The guides were finished, yesterday afternoon, and two or three trucks of dirt lifted from No. 3 level, but a fair start was not made till this morning. The engine works very satisfactorily, but owing to the cages being light, their weight is not sufficient to keep the rope taught till about 50 feet has been run out. It will take all to-morrow and possibly part of Saturday, to wind the mullock accumulated at Nos. 2 and 3 levels, but early next week the manager will tttart to lift the water, which is about 50 feet deep.

QUEEN OF ENGLAND. The manager will start work on Monday on the No. 1 reef at No. 3ievel. The crosscut has been cleaned out, and rails laid, but there is still a little mullock to remove from the drive on the reef. This body of quartz has been driven on at No. 3 level for a distance of about 70 feet, 60 feet east of the crosscut, and 10 feet west. Eastward a winze was sunk from 'No. 3 level on the reef, but otherwise nothing has been done to work the block. The manager intends shortly to place aTadderway in the winze, so as to provide an outlet for the men in ca»e of a sudden rise of gas, and also to enable him to pick up the water which is now soaking through the ground, and convey it away to some other part of the workings. The men will start to, drive westward on the reef, and as there is. 5^ large amount of ground in this direction entirely unprospected, Mr Hill is in hopes of coining on payable dirt. He will also' shortly commence a crosscut at No. 4 level to cut the No. 1 reef there. The distance to be driven is about 150 ft. GOLD EETUfiNS, Caledonian.—Lewis and party have put through 16 loads of general dirt at Bull's mill for the payable return of 37ozs. 6dwts. melted gold. Kueanui Hill. — Grubb and party have banked 9ozs. 15dwta. gold.