OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4630, 6 November 1883, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PKINCE IMPERIAL.

From the mine manager's report, for> warded to the directors yesterday, we extract the following:—-" Theninthslope, on the No. 2 lead above No. 5 level, is now within 20 feet of the boundary. The leader here is much larger than it has been for some time, and continues to look well, producing some good picked stone, but no biir hauls of specimens. In the tenth stope, which is 30 feet behind the ninth, the lead is also looking weli, but did not produce as much picked stone this week as I expected. The eleventh stope is now within a few feet of the break. The lead in this stope has greatly improved, being now much larger, and standing straighter. Some good stone should be got from this stope when it passes through the break, as there is a good show of gold left in the back of No. 10 stope. The stopes on the eastern side of the winze are being continued as usual, and are looking better, gold being more frequently seen. The drive on No. lreef at No. 4 level has not been in progress during the whole of this week, as the leading stope had to be brought along and the drive timbered up. The reef in the face is not so large as it waii being now only about 18 inches thick, but the quartz has improved ia quality, carrying, splendid minerals, and having a few strong colors of gold. There are nine stopes in hand upon this reef,—six at the eastern side of the break, and three on the western side. The principal portion of our crushing dirt comes from these stopes, and a nice little parcel of about 151bs of good picked stone was obtained from the ninth stope on the western side of the break yesterday. The drive at No. 3 levej on this lode is still being carried on, and gold still continues to be met with freely as the drive advances. —G. S. Clabk." QUEEN OF BEAUTY. Six tenders were received for extending the crosscut south at No. 8 level 200 feet, the prices being as follows: —M. McGinn, 16s lid (accepted); E. Jenkins, 20s; J. Bailey, 20s; S. Stephens, 20s sd; A. Wilton, 235; W. Jaaaen, 24,3 6d. The

face is now in favorable ground both for progress and for gold, and another 70ft of driving should intersect*the Bird-in-Hand reef, while the Vanguard lode is some 400 ft from the present face. The manager, Mr Morrison, will in a day or two examine the workings on both these reefs from the Piako No. 6 level, and will also take out trial crushings shortly. A winze is to be sunk as soon as practicable on the Bird-in-Hand reef to connect with the crosscut now being driven at No. 8 level, 130 ft below. A winze will also bo sunk on the Vanguard reef, but this work, will not be commenced for some time.

DARWIN. The reef was broken down yesterday afternoon in the western drive at the 150 ft level. The lode is over three feet wide, a solid and well defined body, and showed colors of gold pretty freely. The drive is in about 7ft from the chamber. The ' manager has now nearly enough quartz ou hand to form a 20 4on trial lot, but will not crush till instructions, are received from the directors. HAND OF FRIENDSHIP. Tenders are called in .another column for driving 100 ft. at No. 5 level, and sinking a winze from No. 4 level of th^^ Prince Imperial. The winze will be sunk on the No. 1 reef, and will be started at a point a few feet inside the break which was passed through a short time ago. The winze will be in the Imperial ground for some distance. The crosscut at No. 5 level will be continued from the end of the crosscut put in by Mr Clark there. HAUJRAKI (KAKANGAHAKE). The manager to-day banked 30ozs I7dwts gold, the result of a crushing of 80 tons of quartz, none of which, however, came from the low level, where good gold was struck recently, it being obtained from Nos. 1 and 3 reefs, at the road level. Work in the mine has been stopped/ for a week. MAGNOLIA. - The crosscut for the Gibraltar reef, at the point where a large flinty strikes into it, touched the footwall of the lode last night, but none of the quartz has yet been broken down. The flinty at the point of contact is very large, filling the whole width of the drive, and as gold has been found in all the other leaders through which it has passed, it ia reasonable to expect that the large reef will also contain a proportion of the precious metal. The drive on the same reef under Lowe's old workings is being pushed ahead, and the quartz is of a likely appearance for gold, though none has been seen yet.

SEYMOUR The rise put up from the bottom level has reached the reef struck just before work was stopped. The manager finds it is about three feet wide, is composed of favorable quartz, carrying good minerals, and as gold was seen in the portion broken out by Mr Kneebone, it may'pay for working. The reef is lying in an excellent class of country, and is easily workable, so it would not take a large yield to pay expenses. The manager considers it to be identical with a reef worked in the Lucknow claim, and will drive southward on it to see what ia the size of the block available here. By com* municating with the Lucknow old work* ings the manager will also be able to determine the exact position of the specimen leader. '■■■■■■'■ GOLD RETURNS.' Moanataibi.—One load crushed* for Kneebone and party gave 9ozs retorted gold. ..