OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4558, 14 August 1883, Page 2

OUR MINES.

QUEEN OF BEAUTY. Work is now in, full swing again, all the men being engaged at Not. 8, 9, and 10 ! levels. The various places near the Piako shaft where the men were.placed when the water rose, are however, kept open, and in the .event of a stoppage of the pumps, the men could all be removed to them. The crosscut for Bice's leader was 1 advanced 20ft., and another 10 should we the leader in hand. A splendid class of j country is showing in the face here,.,and gold should be found when quart* is struck. The "crosscut for the BirffcinV Hand reef at No. 8 level, is in hard epan> try, but the men are making good pro* gress, having driven lift, last week., The manager intends to erect a door in the drive to the Piako shaft, and as the boxes already,laid a portion of the distance carry in a splendid current of cold air, he anticipates jio difficulty in regard to ventilation. At Nb. 9 level the seaward winze is down about '30ft. Two feet in width of the hangingwallof the reef, whiidh look* very promising, -is being brokeii out. " In the northern drive, a clay headhas crosed the face of the dig,' but the reef'has not been broken up to it yet. 5 Where showing the 'quartz is about a foot wideband colors of gold were '"seen last breaking. Only the leading slope is in progress here; the reef is about the same size as in the drive, carries excellent minerals, and also shows colors of gold. The ''fffcjopd and third stopes have been started^; but the manager has not men enough employed to keep them all in progress. The win« here is down about Bft; the reef is 6.. or 8 inches wide. A few pounds of pteked stone were bagged last breaking down, and colors are also freely seen. At No. 10 level the northern drive is in 62ft. past the'slide, but is at a standstill for the present. The reef in the face is about 9 inches wide. The leading stope .here has just reached the break which beared the reef in the drive. In the third stope, which has been carried along abont 15ft, the reef is .6,.0r Binches,wide. The quartz contains a great deal more iniMral than it did on the level, and colors of gold were seen in several places yesterday. A stope is also being advanced on the Queen of the May reef, which is a compact body of atone, 2fft. wide, and looking well. The highest stope from the winze, No. 5, is up about 36ft. from the floor of No. 10 level, so there is still a good deal of this block to take out yet; The seaward drive is in 125 ft. The *e.ef ;ia. the face* is 2ft. wide. A hard bar*of oftuntry appearing on the footwall, the. dig is now being advanced on the hangjagwall of. the. lode, where there is a mojh'. better^fjass of i country. The full fbroe of stamps^ are engaged at the company's mill, and the dirt is shaping payably. , :

QUEEN OF ENGLAND. The beach slide w*a% diet with in the seaward drive on No. 2 t ttpt at No. 3 level od Saturday. *It is •bout 3 feet wide, and beh.iad.it,solid, sandstone carrying a vein of quarts is visible, bat whether this will continue any distance it would be hard to say. A small stream of watei is issuing from the'faee. The reef looked much better close to the slide, and carried a large quantity of bright mineral, bat showed no gold. A. small hole"it being sunk to see if it improves downwards,'the •most mineral being met with' igar the floor of the drive. The reef is tboit 2 feet wide. - '•*}'■ * • L6NDON. ' No. 2 reef'was broken down in the eastern drive; lart night. The qoarti averages 10 inches in width, and showed colors and dabs of gold. It is looking well in the face. The, crashing of the trial lot from here commenced this,- mprn'ing. The result of the crushing from the winze on No. 1 reef will be to hand to-morrow. MA.BINER, , ', The winze on the cross-leader runping between Nob. 2 and 3 reefs, at No, 3 l^rel, is down about 12ft. The leader ia dinches in width, and at last breaking down produced 31bs of fair'picked stone. < -