OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4559, 15 August 1883, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PRINOE IMPERIAL.

. The stopes abore No. 5 level continue to look well, and small parcels of picked '^ stone and specimens occasionally come tohand. The fifth stope is now within a short distance of the' Gross boundary. The sixth has been carried about 16 feet past the break, arid has touched the gold left showing in the back of the fifth atope. A small parcel of good specimens was. secured here last night., A little, gold is showing in the back. The reef is of good size, being fully 18 inches wide in places, and is looking exceedingly well: - Strong dabs of the precious metal are seen freely through the generals dirt. The seventh stbfie is within about 15* feet of the break. The leader* here is split up, but appears to be coining togetjher in the roof. The manager .finds, that'he has not all the reef in hand, there>bMßg '* another branch 10 inches or '«-> foot wide in the banging wall, of thj^Btope which has not.been' broken down yet. Gold is seen freely in the quarto " here. The eighth stope is in 20ft from the winta, and the face is now within about tJft Ipi ' the commencement of the rich jthotr left in the back of the seventh stope.' On the eastern side of the winze the lower slopes are being advanced to the end of the block opened up. At^o.~4,lev^|t|ke reef in the eastern drive continues of large size, and colors of gold are |een each breaking down. The stopev &lfte are in progress as usual, and are producing a large amount of good or ashing dirt.

DEEP LEVEE CROSS., The footwall leader in nw drivs* at No. 5 level is still split uprin the stopes it is looking better,'and .besides 1 the XOOlbs specimens secured from the thi-d stope, a few pounds hare been obtained in the lead* ing'stope, a' little gold being left showing in both places. In the drive on the footwall branch of theeroSsreef the leader has taken a turn to the right. The face here is at a i standstill for the present. In the slopes tTi'e quartz looks well, and colors of gold ar* seen occasionally. The crosscut to intersect the hangingwall branch of the reef is in about 15ft from .the footwall branch, and a body of quart* was struck yesterday. It carries a ve^pn footwall, and the few pieces of stone broken from it show good mineral. Theimoaffer thinks it is the lode he is in search of. The men are now stripping, it. Wh"»re shotrdowjaln " the winze this portion of"the re"ef' is *2£ft wide,,, and thocgh no gold was seen in breaking; it,.. an, t abundance of favorable mineral was found. The south crosscut at, the;64oft level was advanced llftlast week ; there is'no change'to report ia the country* ■ The ; dirt - being , crashed ii shaping for an ounce per load.* 1'

HAND OF FRIENDSHIP. Mr D. H. Bayldon, who recentlyv.made a surrey •of the New Princa Imperial workings at Nos. 4 and 5 levels, with a view to ascertaining hoW;far the Hand of Friendship. Company would have.to, driva to reach their boundaryj and the; amount of ground available on No. 1 reef, has sent in his report. He states that 1 No.

4 level; will be of little benefit to; the icomptny, as the Mariner's reef istrjkei nearly parallel to the boundary, and soot* ■distance inside the Imperial grounds No. 5 lerel can be made available for working the Mariner's reef by driving'a crosscut* from the eastern face of the drive on No. 2 reef, in a northerly direction. ' About 240 ft, qf driring would intersect the,ree( which would be, well within the Friead* ■ ship ground. About 50ft. of backs should be available at the point of intersection, gradually increasing to 100 ft. toward! the east, and the length of the block, will bo about >3Coft. If. satisfactory arrangements can be made with the Imperial company, the reef should be in hand three months afterstarting work, as the eo«nf try is likely to be favorable for driving/ It may be necessary, to provide ventilation, to sink a winze from lso. ,4 level to meet the tiroiseut at No.'s. -Only the lower half of the reef in this winae will be in the Hand of Friendship ground. In the meantime ventilation could be obtained by means of iron pipes or wooden boxes. '•■'.*•>•■

LONDON, The trial crushing of 21 loads from the winae on No. I'reef .at Noi 9 tayeLyidded the good return of 470z«. retorted (4oozs M melted) gold, or an average of ldwt over ■ 2ozs. per load.; The general dirt yielded T about an ounce per load, and the remainder of the- return came from the's6lbs off picked stone. The winze is down a little more than 20ft., but the pretence of gig in it has stopped-work for the last shift or two. The result of the crushing from the No, 2 reef will be to hand on Friday. A fair show is seen on .the plates. We prel sume the directors will now lose no time in extending No. 4 level to connect with the winze, and thus open up the block ready for working. ; The distance to drive is between three, and four hundred feet, and nearly all of this is in the London ground. The drive could be put in on No. 2 reef, and weald prospect that lode, on which, as gold has been found for a length of about 60ft. at No. 3 level, there should be a good payable block to take out. /j 0