OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4463, 25 April 1883, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PKINCE IMPEBIAL.

The chief attraction is still the seaward drive on the No. 2 reef, at No. 5 level, though the workings on the Mariner's reef at No. 4 level are coming more to the front. At the first mentioned place good progress is being made in a very favorable class of country. In the'face there is fully 2 feet of crashing dirt visible, but the increased size of the lode is partly caused by a splice in it where a" clay head crosses the drive, just behind the face. A nice show of gold is visible, and the quartz looks much more promising than it did last week. At one place in the last 20 feet it pinched very small in the roof, but carried good gold. Eastward; at this level, a compact, well«mineralised reef is showing. The men here are ad> vaucing the dig.: At No. 4 level Hhe/sea« ward drive on the No. 1 reef has been timbered from the break to the Crow boundary, thus opening up a fine block of ground. The reef is in J places four feet wide, and hitherto has shown gold-freely. In the eastern drive, on the same 'r'tifef, the quartz is about two feet wide in the face, where a fine show of gold is visible on the hangingwall for a- length of 18 inches or more. The specimens bagged here yesterday were very rich., In the leading stope, which frfieing carried along the drive, the reef is irbout three feet in width. The eastern drive, on the No. 2 reef, at the same level, is turning out .a very large amount of crushing ■ dirt dt present. The lode is being shot down fully seven feet wide and sent to the mill. Gold is seen in breaking it, and a few pounds of stone are also bagged. The manager reported yesterday as follows :— " Drive on No. 2 lead, No. 1 section west, No. 5 level, has been advanced 22; feet during the past week; making the total distance now driven from the crosscui'92 feet. The lead here, although sometimes small, continues to took well and produce good picked stone at each breaking down. Last week 401bs of specimens and 451bs of picked stone were.ol»tained from here. Yesterday 151bs more came to hand, with a fair show of gold left. I will have to start the leading itope over this drive, as the air is becoming very light in the face. Drive, No. 1 section east, same Uvel, hais, again been resumed, but as yet no quarts broken down. . Drive eastward on No. 1 reef, No. 4 level, is in 45ft from the break. The reef here has opened.out, and is now almost as large as on the seaward side of the break, and shows gold freely when taken down. Leading stops on same feef seaward of break has been carried home, and the drive all but timbered up. We have now 105 feet in length open on this reef, all of which has shown g01d.,. Drive and leading stope on No. 2 lead, No 2 section east, No 4 level, is still in progress. The lead, although considerably split up at present, continues to pr.Juce a few pounds of picked stone occasionally. Drive and leading stope on No. 3 lead, same section and level, has been at a stordstill during the past week, as Ihave the men from here employed in the stopes on the No. 2 lead, on acrount of being able to break more quartz, so as' to keep t£j^ battery going. Stoping on No.' 2 leud above No. 4 level is being carried oi> as. usual, but there is nothing fresh to report. Crosscut at No. 3 level to out No. 1 reef is in S feet from the chamber, and as soon as we are through the rock I will call ten* ders for the work. There will be about 110 feet to drive to cut the reef. Crushing is still being continued with 22 head of stamp?, and is shaping for a payable return. Cleaning up and retorting will take place on Saturday.— Q. S. Clabk."

DEEP LEVEL CEOSS. Sloping is now in full swing on the crossreef north of the junction with No. 2. The lode is of good size, and gold is seen in breaking it down. The main stopes on the. same reef are turning out crushing dirt. The winze on the boun- , dary is now down about 10 feet, and the two branches of the reef appear to be coming together again. The hangingwall portion is nearly a foot wide, and the foot* wall is fully four feet thick. The quartz is well mineralised, and shows gold when broken down. HAND OF PBIENDSHIP. Since the new contract was let, 22 feet - have been driven on the No. 3 reef at No. 3 level. The country on the hangingwall is more settled, but the leader is still very mullocky, and appears to be turning somewhat to the right. The contractors hare not been able to work the last two days, ou account of the air being too light.

CEOWN (KAKANGAHAKBK The trial crushing of one ton of quartz from this claim was concluded last nizht, and yielded 43ozs of amalgam, which? on being retorted this morning, gave 15o*f

4dwts gold. This result cannot be considered as otherwise than satisfactory, as the quartz was taken from a reef which for a length of 100 feet has averaged 4| feet in width, and has shown gold freely all that distance. The stone yielded very regularly when being treated, most of the gold being caught in the stamper box. The parcel was not taken indiscriminately from the reef, but it was all general dirt, no picked stone being mixed with it. Several other trial {tercels will, we understand, be brought down shortly for treatment from claims adjoining the Crown, and they are all expected to yield satisfactorily. The gold, on being melted, was reduced to 14oz8 Bdwts.