OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4746, 24 March 1884, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PEINCE IMPERIAL

This mine is still turning out a large quantity of general dirt, and as it is shaping for a good average yield, the returns promise to be remunerative for a long tjme to come. There are now 32 head of-stamps employed full time, while 10 head were started at the Queen of Beauty battery this morning, and will be kept employed 16 hours per day. In the mine, stoping was resumed to-day eastward of the shaft at No. 4 level on the No. 2 reef, which is here good payable dirt. Gold continues to be seen freely in the stopes on No. 1 reef above No. 4 level, underneath where excellent dirt has been met with in the western drive and stope at No. 3 level. There is ,60ft of backs to take out here, and the manager is hopeful of meeting with something of importance as the stopes ascend. The dirt from the leading stope west on Wo. 1 reef at No. 3 level shapes better than that from any other portion of the mine. The lode is at one point very heavily mineralised, and showing gold very freely in the footwall portion. Tne air being good here, the manager will soon have the stopes in full swing as well as the drives, and be able to turn out a large quantity of general dirt.

DEEP LEVEL CROSS. The trial parcel of thrr) loads from tl c leader at the 640 ft level yielded about an dunce per load. Another bre ;king of the le;der took place to-day ; it is two or three inches wide, and snowed a little gold. Another work is shortly to be undertaken at the 640 ft leyel, viz., the extension of the crosscut (in which the cross-leader was intersected) to pick up the footwall branch of the cross-lode, which should not be more than 40ft distant. Should Ihe favorable class ot country hitherto penetrated in the crosscut continue, it is highly probable that gold will be found in ' the reef, and if payable quartz is discovered, there will be a very large block to take out. At the inter-* mediate level the hangingwali branch of the No. 2 reef is being driven on seaward, and its junction with the footwall branch of the erosslode should be met with.in about 15ft. The only work in progress above No. 5 is the extension of the western intermediate drive on the hangingwall branch of the crossreef. Crushing has been stopped for the present, and cleaning up will probably take place some time this week.

WAIOTAHI. Work in tbe battery, and also all operations in the mine, except, tbe sinking of a winze below No. 2 level, and the repair of the shaft, has be«n stopped, While the machinery is overhauled, and a new and larger boiler put in, in place^ of the one hitherto "used; It will probably, take a month before everything is in full swing ; again. The new boiler is expected to , effect a considerable saving in fuel, and as it will give more power it is probable that the shaft will be sunk for another level before long, the prospects met with at No. 3 warranting toe belief that payable ground will be found below. CALEDONIAN.

The manager reported on Saturday as follows:—"The drive on leader, No. 2 level, has been driven 15ft. this week; the leader is not so large, bat still carries colors of gold. It is about ten inches thick, and charged with good minerals— antimony in large quantities,—which is generally a good indication. The leading stopes on each end of the winze are being carried on. The leader west of winze is fully 20 inches thick, and looks well, colors of gold being seen at every breaking down. Tbe leader east of winze is rather smaller, about 12 inches, and when last broken down a few picked stone were secured. I have engaged 15 head at the Herald battery to work two shifts ; they started at noon to-day. I shall carry on the leading stopes, if possible to keep them going for the remainder of the montb, when a few days will bo required in timbering up, and excavating a chamber prior to the sinking of a winze from No. 2 to No. „3 level. No. 1 level:, Stopes are still-' turning out payable crushing stuff;' there is no perceptible change to report since my last, Cleaning up will be at the end of the montb, when I expect a payable yield.—T. B. Hicks." MOANATAIRI. The manager reports:—" No. 9, 132 ft level: The west end of stopes has been more productive during the past; week, 3Olbs of picked stone paving been obtained. The reel, (which is lft in thickness), and branch leaders, as well as the country, look well for gold. The lode in eastern end of workings, and which is. under Guthrie and party, will average about 15in in width \ it is compact, also very promising. Morning Star section, 75ft level s Stoping has been in full swing since my last. The leaders are small, but show a little gold at times; 131bs of picked •atone have come to hand in the past week. Nonpareil intermediate level, Waitemata section: The lead we have in hand, and which is about nine inches wide, has not yet shown gold, notwithstanding the quartz is well disseminatedl with a class of mineral which carried a good percentage of the precious metal ia Jea,deitß worked by us in the Nonpareil section. A trial parcel of iQ tons is being crushed from this point, I which will test its value.-—J. G-. Vivian."

GOLD KETURNS. MoANATAiBi.-r-Smith and party tww crushed 2 tons for Ifozs gold. : ■

" God bless the $*an who first invented sleep! " said Burnley as he reached home afc two a.m. and discovered k's wife snoring sweetly.