OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4774, 28 April 1884, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PEINCE IMPERIAL.

Cleaning up, and retorting for the month takes place on Wednesday. From the manager's report, forwarded as follows to the directors on Saturday, it will be seen that the mine continues to look well:

—" The maim shaft has been sunk sft., and timbered vp 1.25 ft.., during, the week. Very hard sandstone is stilt being passed through, but the hard rock has now almost disappeared. No. 5 level: The No. 2 lead, in the eastern stopes above this level, looks very well, and is producing good payable dirt. No. 4 level: The eastern drive on No. 2 lead is still being extended. The lead is fully 15in. thick, but has been rather disturbed for the last 10ft. on account of tbe country being full of open heads. These are now disappearing, and the ground is getting more solid again. The stopes which are in hand here are looking about the same, and gold is seen each time the quartz is broken down. Two stopes are in progress on No. 3 lead, but gold has not been seen so freely this week. A large quantity of good crushing dirt is still being obtained from the stopes on No. 1 reef, above this level. No. 3 level: Stoping on No. 1 reef here is now in full swing, and I am pleased to say that the dirt continues to shape payable at the battery. No. ,2 level: The crosscut to connect with the air shaft has been extended 20ft. The air-shaft will be down the requir-d distance in a few days more.—G. S. Cjca.sk."

CALEDONIAN.

The winze below No. 2 level is now 18ft deep. For several feet the leader was disturbed, but it is now a well-defined body of quarts a foot wide, and slowing

gold at each, breaking. In the eastern drive here the men have chiefly b en engaged timbering up during the past week 1; the leader has not become properly defined siuce a cross-lode passed through it, but has shown colors of gold. Thestopes here are turning out good payable crushing dirt. The dirt from the stopes above No. 1 level not shaping well, only two men are employed here for the present. Crushing is proceeding at the Herald battery with 15 head, 12 hours per day. MOANATAIEI. The manager reported on Saturday :— "An improvement has taken place, since my last report, in rise above tunnel level on No. 1 reef; a series of kindly branch leaders have come in from the hangingwall, and are striking into the lead on which we have risen, and which has shown colors of gold up to the present. One of these cross-branches is from two to three inches in thickness, and has produced specimens of copper and iron pyrites, which is by far the best indication we have seen in rise. Should those good minerals make into the gold bearing lead, which it is likely they will do, I shall expect to see a much greater improvement taking place. The country is good for gold, but very tight, making progress slow with two men only. The quarta in the intermediate level below Guthrie and party has a very promising appearance" for gold; we have seen colors in it during the week, but no picked stone. No. 9 stopes above 132 ft. level are ! rvithout; change to report; also Morning Gtar stopes. Waitemata crosscut: The main slide has been cut through since my last; it being about Bft. in thickness. The country underneath it is of a very favorable sandstone formation for gold, also for driving. A contract for JOOft. by four men has brsn let to day, the lowest tender being 9s 6d per foot. We shall clean up and retort on Thursday next, if the tributers' parcels are completed by that time.—J. G. Vivian." QUEEN OF BEAUTY. The crushing of the trial parcel from No. 10 level has not yet been completed. A break has appeared in the dig of the seaward drive, but the lode has not been broken down up to it yet. Two men are engaged driving seaward on a body of quartz found in the Vanguard crosscut at Wo. 8 while timbering, and which the manager thinks will prove to be the Bird-in-Hand reef. It is not very large, and has not shown gold yet, though 1 *he quartz has a promising appearance. 1 ADELAIDE. A parcel of 12 loads of quartz, all • broken from the reef at the General Chute ■ level, has been put through at Bull's mill for the excellent yield of I7ozs lOdwts [ melted gold. As the gold is of good quality, this is very satisfactory, especially 1 as the drive is not yet supposed to have i reached the run of gold worked with such success at the level above. This yield i also speaks well for the return from the ' dirt now coming to hand from the Kooky • Point claim at the same level, more gold '. having been seen in it than in that from f the Adelaide. GOLD RETUBNS. ' Moanataibi.—The following returns were banked to-day:—Gutbrie and party, p 13 tons, soozs ldwt gold; Phillips and I party, 5 tons, 4ozs lOdwts; Waite and ; party, 3 loads, 32ozs lOdwts.