MINING SUMMARY.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4773, 26 April 1884, Page 4

MINING SUMMARY.

Work is jfteadily being pushed on, but there is very little fresh to report this month. The Karaka Creek district is coming to the front, and the Rocky Point, Adelaide, and Belcher claims, which are now being opened up, promise to turn out good payable ones. In most of the mines on the flat, operations are progressing as usual, but the London and Mariner companies, which were working through the Winding Association shaft, have been obliged to suspend operations. The London was obtaining payable dirt from the block on No. 1 reef, but the returns were not sufficient to warrant the Winding Association keeping on. Some mention has been made of the three companies interested, viz., the London, Mariner, and Queen of England, amalgamating, but npthiog has been done yet. It is a pity to see the splendid winding plant lying idle/especially after so little work has been done to test the ground. It is the opinion of most experts that this shaft should be sunk at least another 100 ft., to fsee if the good class of country met with in the Prince Imperial adjoining would not be entered ; and a company formed for this purpose would probably meet with extensive support. New Prince Imperial: The sinking of the shaft is proceeding as quickly as can be expected, and another two or three weeks should see it deep enough to open up No. 6 level. The stopes on both Nqs. 1 and 2 reefs yield payable dirt; 42 head of stamps are now employed, and the average is over an ounce per load. Deep Level Cross: The footwall branch of the crossreef has been cut at the 640 ft. level and is being driven on. It is a strong body of well mineralised quartz, but no gold has been seen yet, Caledonian Low Level: The eastern crosscut is advancing rapidly, being now in over 270 ft. Several bodies of quartz have been passed through, and some of them contain bright minerals, but no gold has been seen yet. There is over 400ffc. yet to drive before the Moanatairi slide may be expected. Caledonian: The payable result of 2680zs gold from 170 loads quartz, broken out of the Red Queen leader at Nos. 1 and 2 levels, has been banked, and crushing is steadily proceeding on remunerative dirt. A winze to open up No. 3 level has been commenced. Queen of Beauty: A promising reef is being driven on seaward at No. 10 level, but payable dirt has not yet been found, though the manager is hopeful of coming tpon it shortly, At, No. 8 level, it has been discovered that there is still another 50ft. to drive to the Vanguard reef. The crosscut is at present in hard ground, but this should change before long. The Moanatairi and Golden Crown are producing payable quartz, the Kuranui Hill and New Manukau are prospecting, and the Waiotahi is still engaged putting the new boiler in.—Moanatairi Creek: Only the Alburnia and New North Devon are working here,bothbeingengaged prospect* ing. —Waiotahi Creek: Work in the Bright Smile is confined to prospecting, the Moanatairi 'Extended machinery is in course of erection, attd the Darwin is j

sinking the welMiole previous to crosscutting for the reef at the 230 ft. level. In the Cambria the winze from the Darwin 150 ft. level has been sunk deep enough to connect with the No. 8 level, and operations are now suspended till the crosscut is put in. The reef showed gold neatly jail the wtoy: down, and from the indications there 'should: be a run of gold somewhere in the vicinity. The quartz on hand is now being crushed, but is only shaping moderately.—Karaka Creek: Mining matters here are beginning to look up a little. A trial parcel of three loads taken from the reef discovered in the Collarbone Creek by Messrs Dixon and Barker yielded the good return of sozs I7dwts gold, and a shaft is now being sunk to pick up the lode at a depth of 50ft. Excellent country is being penetrated, and the lode should be to band very shortly. Tbe Eocky Point company has driven about 70ft. on the Adelaide reef at the General Chute level; it is somewhat split up, but showed gold freely, and has lately manifested a great improvement, several pounds of picked stone coming to hand from near where a cross-veia passed through it. A trial parcel is to be put through shortly, and the mine should, judging by present appearances, turn out a good payable one. The Adelaide proprietors are driving on the same reef at the same level, and are taking out payable dirt.—Hape Creek : The excellent return of 2690zs gold from 170 loads general dirt was banked for last month by tbe Dart Company, and the quartz from the stopes on No. 2 reef continues to shape payably. Good progress is being made with the sinking of the shaft to open up No. 4 level—At Otunui only two mines are working. The New Eureka is driving a low level, which has just been carried through a hard bar, and is now in good country; and the Oriental is steping out a small surface block. The metalling of the road from the mines to the battery being finished, both companies will start crushing as soon as they can get their quartz down. In the Upper Country mining has been quiet. At Te Aroha operations are being steadily pushed on, but every month demonstrates forcibly that it is abundance of cheap crushing power that is needed to make the field a prosperous one, and as yet no start has been made with the erection of a second mill, though it would be kept constantly going when once erected. A tailings plant of 34 berdans has just been completed, and this should materially increase the monthly yields of gold. The New Find reiurn is a payable one, and that from the Colonist has enabled tbe directors to declare a 6d dividend, absorbing £500. Both claims are putting in low levels. The yields from the Werahiko and Premier are not so good as was expected. The other claimß at work present no important new features. Waibi: A payable return has been banked by the Martha Extended, and the dirt is reported to be improving in quality. Owharoa: Tbe Smile of Fortune company has crushed 30 loads for the yield of 19ozs 4dwts, and the tribute parties are getting out good dirt. At Waitekauri also tribute parties are doing fairly well. Karangahake: The Hauraki company has been crushing dirt from the Excelsior section, and the last parcel treated was payable. A trial of 5 tons from the Retreat gave 13ozs gold, and the Sir Walter Scott should commence crushing in a day or two on good quartz. Hunt and party, at Kotokohu, are taking out a trial parcel to forward to the Thames. The reef is reported to be 2 feet wide, and showing gold freely.