OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4711, 12 February 1884, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PEINCE IMPEEIAL.

The eastern stopes on No. 2 reef above .No. 5 level are looking well, and about iQlbs of' specimens were ; secured last night from the highest in progress, near (he shaft. The current of air coming up the Cross winze is .not so impure as to stop the Cros3 men from working, but it escapes past the rtoor in the drive,, and, .coming back along the level, baffles the draught, converting the Imperial winding shaft .into an up-cast. "'This seriously affects the workings at No. 5 ■ level, rendering it impossible tor the eoi- , tractors to work in (he south crosscut on the break, and making it very hot in the eastcra-stopes. The. manager'intends ta Lake steps us soon as possible to improve the ventilation. 'new manukau." * ■ - The men were not working on the No. 2, reef to-day, being engaged trucking. Another slbs picked stone was, however, -secured yesterday afternoon in further breaking the hangingwall portion of the reef, and at the time of my. visit this morning dabs of gold were showing in several places. The point where the reef has been broken into is about 25ft. 'above the Golden Crown ICOft. level, and the reef is dipping towards the Crown ground. The hangingwall has' been brokeirfor, a: length of about 8 or 9ft, at the'point where the other leader abutted on it, and gold was seen the whole distance. The manager intends to cut through the tods at once

aud test its value. It has only been shot into 2ft. so far; it is not all solid quartz, mullock iatervrniag between leader?, and most of the .i;oid has been seen in tbe hanging wall, though, a little was observed as far as the quartz was taken out. There is plenty ofroom here for a large payable block, and the reef could easily be opened up at the level. No oua is at present working on the leader from which, recent crushing was taken, but it looks well in the roof, and gold was seen pretty freely in the last stope taken along.

NEW DIAMOND.

The manager reports that the winze from the intermediate level has been sunk 9 feet during the past week, making the f total depth 16 feet. The reef was broken down on Wednesday, and showed colors and dabs of jjold freely. Another portion was taken down on Saturday, when it looked better than before, the pieces of stone picked out being richer. A few more stone came to band yesterday. The stone looks splendid for a patch of gold, containing every kind of good mineral, with which the gold is mixed. There are about three tons of quartz on hand, which should be of payable grade. GOLD RETURNS. Caledonian.—McTnnes and party have - banked 21ozs. 13dwts. gold.