OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4479, 14 May 1883, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PRINCE IMPERIAL.

The mine all through continues to look well, and the small parcels of picked stone and specimens bagged from the various workings occasionally are amounting up, 4ewt having come to hand in all since the beginning of the month. The manager reported on Saturday night:—" The drive in No. 2 section west, No. 5 level, is now in ]5 feet past the break. The lead which is being driven on is keeping about the same size, and shows gold freely when taken down. The crosscut into the footwall on the break, to ascertain if the No. 2 lead is yet there, has been started, and is now in 9ft. A few shifts more will decide the matter. The leading stope over this drive in No. 1 section west is being pushed ahead as quickly as possible, and the drive timbered up. The lead in this stope is looking well, producing specimens and picked stone every breaking down. No. 2 stope here is also in progress, and is almost forward to'" the point where the lead commences to open out and make j gold. No. 3 stope in the same section was commenced yesterday, and this, evening in breaking down a small portion of the lead 70 pounds of specimens and picked stone came to band. Full lcwt of specimens and picked stone have been obtained from drive and stopes in this section during the past week. Drive and leading slope No. 1 section east, s.me level: The lead here is looking better, and is rather larger than it was a few feet farther back, bat no gold has been seen lately. The only work now in progress eastward of the shaft oa. No. 4 level is the drive and leading stope on No. 2 lead. Although the lead is still considerably', split up here, a large amount of fair crushing dirt is still being broken out. The No. 1 reef in the drive and leading stope, No. 1 section west, No. 4 level, is now very large, being the full width of the drive. This reef, although large, continues to look well, and produces a few lbs of picke 1 atone nearly every breaking down. There is nothing fresh to report from the stope on the same reef in No. 2 section west. Contractors in crosscut at No. 3 level hare driven 35ft sioce starting. The ground during the last day or two has been very hard, but they are still making fair progress. Crushing with 17 head is going on as usual, aud it is shaping for a payable return. —G. S. Clack." MOANATAIRL

The manager confidently expected that he would be able to start crushing this morning, but at the last moment the joint where the reducing pipe is attached to the 9in. supply pipe was found to have blown. The accident is not serious, and a start will in all probability be made to morrow aiornidg. The manager reported on

Saturday :—" All Nations stopes above 80 feet.level are being continued on a series of stringers; some show a little gold occasionally. Drive west on No. 2, 80 feet level: The hangingwall portion of lode has only shown colors of gold daring the week, but on the whole its appearance is better than it has been It is more settled and compact, and the class of country about it is still improving. Nothing has been done in rise behind the drive since my last, as it was necessary to out through to footwall of lode, and put in timber before forming our main pass. The lode at this point is 4ft wide,. and lying on the back of the ma n slide. The quartz on footwall portion of lode is just as likely for gold as that found on the hanging wall. S toping is still in hand in Heldt's section above 132 ft level. No. 9 reef and branch leaders seldom show gold, but they have a kindly appearance for it. Morning Star leaders are similar to the above-mentioned ones. Nonpareil section: 12 pounds of picked stone have been obtained from sink below 215 ft. level during the week. The lead producing the stone is one inch wide, and looks well in the bottom. There is another promising lead 6 inches wide ia the sink as well. As it became inconvenient to work here without a windlass, and no sign of old workings, I removed the men to the low drive, and when it is sufficiently advanced we shall be able to work the block to < much better advantage. We did not start crushing in the middle of the week as anticipated, there being some unforseen hindrance, in connection with the injector, but should be able to make a fair start on Monday next.—J. G. Vivian." KUIUNUI HILL.

The manager reports for last week as follows:—"The prospecting shaft is now down 29 feet, and it would have been down 33 feet to-day, but a covering had to be erected over it for the rainy weather. This is now finished, and I expect the required depth will be attained by Tuesday, the 3 feet being necessary for a well-hole for drainage. From Monday night to Friday afternoon three shifts of two men in each have been sinking, so the work has gone ahead very rapidly. As soon as this is done it will be best to keep two shifts, three men in each, to drive both ways, one of the three winding the mullock from the two who are driving, one each way; this will keep them all well employed. The country Ms very nice blue sandstone, and in a short time both* Hunt's and Barry's lodes should be to hand. The men who have been working on the Wheel of Fortune lode have been trans ferred to the shaft for the present, therefore there is nothing new to report with respect to it. Cook's lead: The quartz from this lode continues to look well, and t* ail appearances should prove payable dirt, although no more picked stone came to hand, at the same time gold shows in more or less quantities each time it is broken down. There is also a great amount of bright mineral intermixed with .it, and very little of the dull black mineral which so often occurs in nonpayable quartz— Thos. H. Cbawfokd."