OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4647, 26 November 1883, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PRINCE IMPERIAL, j The manager reported on Saturday :— " The general dirt at the batteries has been shaping rather poor .this week; 42 head of stamps have been employed full time,, and have reduced 195 loads of quartz for the yield .of 400ozs of amalgam. Five extra head of stamps were started last night, and makes the total number now running 47. The drive going east on No. 2 lead at No. 5 level; has advanced 20ft since starting. The lead is from 12 to 18 inches thick, but has been con-siderably-disturbed on account of the open heads in the ground^ G-old is, however, still seen in the quartz, and a few stone that might be classed as picked atone' were obtained last breaking down. iThe 10th stope on No. 2-section west reached the boundary early in the week, but the 13th stope was not commenced until yesterday, as the stopes on the eastern side of the winze had to be extended a short distance for the purpose of filling in. The ;llth stope is now half way between the break -and the boundary; 501bs of specimens were obtained from here this week, but from the appearance of the lead I thought a much larger haul would have been 'got. In the 12th stope, which iswithin 40 feet of the break, the lead.has been very sm>»ll for the last few days* but is now widening out again. The stopes eastward of the winze are being carried on as usual, and continue to look about the same, gold being freely; seen at every breaking down. Driving on the No. 1 reef at No. 4 level has not yet been resumed, as Mr Bayldon will not be down until, Monday. In the leading atope at the No. 2 break the reef continues to carry splendiel minerals, and promises well for making a patch of gold. The remainder of the stopes on this reef have not been producing so much orushing dirt lately, as'the reef has. been much smaller, only averaging from 2 to 3 feet. Driving on this lode at No. 3 level is being pushed ahead on both sides of the winze. In the eastern drive a portion of the reef has struck off into the banging-; wall, but the remainder of the reef, which is about 4ft. wide at present, looks as well as ever, and as the drive is advancing through a splendid class of sandstone, something good ought to be met with before long. The reef has been broken down in the western drive up to the face, and some, nice dabs of gold met with. The reef is from 12 to 18 inches wide, and is a good strong promising body of quartz. A contract for sinking a winze on this reef from No. 2 to No. 3 level has been let at, 22s per foot.—G. S. Giaek." ' ..V " :

QUEEN OF BEAUTY. The crosscut for the Bird-in»Hand and Vanguard reefs at No. 8 level is now making good progress, the contractors having driven 22ft. since starting last week, The country shows a great improvement, having become softer, aad also mottled, which is a good sign for gold in this mine, the patch unearthed by Mr Wilson being found in sandstone of this discription^ A body of quartz was passed through on Saturday night; it proved to be about a foot wide in the roof, narrowing down towards the floor. The lode is somewhat mullocky, but the quartz is of a favorable class, and were a patch of mineral is to be found it is probable that gold would accompany it. The face of the drive is nowf' within a short distance of the point at which tlie Bird-in-Hand reef should be met with,, but the leader just cut can have j no connection with that body, as it is dip ping to the southward, or in an opposite direction to the reef mentioned. The manager is about to proceed with some slight alterations to the winding machinery. '; ;■■; ,•;■'. :-: ■'■■■'■ y■

MOANATAIRL The manager's report for last week is as follows:—" No. 9 stopes above 132 ft level, are producing payable quartz?, the western end of same being jnost productive.; as yet. The reef is divided into two parts, both of which are of promising character, The footwall portion; will average six inches in width, and has yielded' 2Olbs of picked stone during the week. The hangingwall [portion is about 12 inches, wide. A contract was let on Thursday last to two men, (formerly in stqpea) to continue the 132 ft drive west a short distance, in order to lengthen the.stopesin that direction. We knocked into old workings eastward a few days since, I think it is tributers' workings on the Don Pedro lead just where it junctions with No. 0. Only a little has been done on the reef at this point, There are now three men employed in clearing and, timbering; the drive eastward, which work I hope to complete next week; after which we shall &o in a position tp open out on No. 9 and properly test it in this quarter, We are driving westerly from Crown crosscut j the two leaders the above named crosscut intersected have converged so near to each other as to enable us to take both in one drive. They will average about 3 inches each in width, and have produced about; 181bs of pipked stone since my last. No improvement has taken place in the face of Grown crosscut during the week.—J.G.Vivian." GOLD BETU&NS. Aibuenia.—McLean and party have hare finished a crushing of 18 loads foy the return of 29ozs sdwts gold. Waitekatxbi. — Stavens and party, tributers, have crushed a parcel of qußirtz for the return of 17ozs sdwfcs gold.