OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4871, 20 August 1884, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PEItfCE IMPERIAL.

The improvement in the western drive on No. 2 reef at No. 6 level continues, and at the time of my visit to-day the face was a complete change from what it was last week. The soapy hangingwall has entirely disappeared, and the country is now a good blocky sandstone. The reef, instead of being merely a clay scam, now comprises a formation quite 2ft. wide. The hanging* wall portion of this- consists of several .stringers, interlaced with sandstone, but on -the footwall is a strong vein of quartz. Gold is eeeu freely at each breaking, and strong dabs were observed last night and this morning. There is no sign of the break as yet, its nonappearance being accounted for by the fact that the'reef is lying flatter than it did above, but it should be close at hand now. Four stopes are in progress seaward of the winze. The leading oae is at present taking the form of a drive, a few feet above the level, in order to escape a bad piece of ground. The leader in the face is small, but is larger than it was in the level at this point. Tn the second and third stopes the leader is also rather email, but in the latter it is making bigger, and some nice gold watt showing here. In the fourth stope there is a large body of "crushing dirt. East of the crosscut, no work has been done for a few days in the drive. The leader continues mullocky, and has split into two branches, so operations are at.a standstill till the stopes are brought along, and it is seen which lead'is the main one. la the lower of the four stopes started above this drive the reef is very variable in size, but in the top one there is a strong body of quartz. The' contractors for sinking the shaft are making good headway in a favorable, though tight, class of country. At No. 4 level stoping is proceeding with good results on No. 2 reef eastward, and on the hangingwall leader of No 1 reef, while the other-works are also being coutinued as usual. Crushing was resumed yesterday at the-Golden Crown battery with ten head of stampers.

DEEP LEVEL CfiOSS. " The coiintryj Jx>nth<SL hanging wall of the", larger reef; paissed through \in the No; 4 level crosscuf^ii',"a, favorable class of sandstone, fq'l; of small stringers. As soon as jpossifile drif ing /ieawar4';>:vrH.l';.be.' ; commehcedV and from the appearance of the quartz, and the-fact that good gold was got in the foptwajl reef in^^thisjdireetionj it is hoped that good payable^dirl; will be come upon An{the vicinity of the beach'-»iide.-:-.-..;f.*.,--~-T:-;.v:'.--':, >';>^:'' -: -^\. :■-'■ HAND QF;FBIENDSHIP.I:;: r : Work in this; mine cannot be carried on "as regularly as could be wished in the two" faces in progress, the ventilation, at times becoming so defective that the candles will not burn. In the eastern drive on. the No. 1 reef. No. 4 level, the.lode has opened out, and is now about Bft., wide,> though the whole of this is not solid quarlz. - : ALBUENIA. ; The slip which covered the moutht of the Whau level proving too large' to reV moveji a short tunnel is being entered to connect with it inside the destroyed part. This will take quite two weeks to accomplish, and in the meantime all work at the bottom level has been stopped. ' :'■■-.'-■■•; • '..':.OAMBBXA.; ;;-':K;\)-:4A Ketorting took place late this afternoon, the retura beiDg 45ozs 15dwts gold, while a few ounces have yet to come from the silver, r: The crnshed was about 45 loadsj of which a trial oft 5 loads from the main reef gave a poor return; the remainder of the dirt was from the •footwall leaders. 'C'h* LDCKETUENS;:.::r>:-^ •? Kueanui Hill.—Grubb and party;to«» day banked lozs. Bdwts. gold. : "

'"■ Thames G-oldkn Chown.^—McKenzie and' iparty have;; obtained ? I7pzs Jlldwta gol^, from about 20 loads "quartz.