OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4887, 8 September 1884, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PEIIVCE IMPERIAL.

The break has at last been cut at No. 6 level, and the men are now cutting into the left hand side, whither the manager thinks the lead has been heaved. As will be seen by the following report, despatched on Saturday evening by the manager, the dirt is shaping better at the battery, and the stopes are improving :—" The country in the shaft contin-ues pretty favorable for working, and the contractors —Harris and party—are making first-rate progress through it, having sunk 20|ft. during the past fortnight, which makes the total depth now down 46ft. No. 6 level: The western drive reached the break to-day, at a distance of 186 ft from the crosscut. There is yet, I think, about 15 or 20 feet to be driven to reach the boundary. The break is larger than it was at either Nos. 4 or 5 levels, there being a stronger band of soft blue clay in it. The lead where it butts against the break is about Ift thick, but the quartz is still white and of a rubbly nature. I expect the leader will heave 10 or 12 feet to the left. The sandstone surrounding the break is of a much beter description than that which has been in the drive for some time. The stopes here are still improving, producing first-rate crushing dirt, and there has also been lfcwfc of specimens got during the past week. No. 5 level: The No. 2 lead in the slopes above this level continues to look well, and good payable dirt is coming to hand. The sfcopes above Nos. 3 and 4 levels are being continued as usual, and are looking much about the same. The dirt from all parts of the mine has been shaping first rate during the week. — G. S. Clabk»" MOANA.TAIRI.

The manager reported on Saturday: — " A crosscut is being driven by two men in footwall of No.'9, and at same level as top of wipze sunk below Guthrie's block. .We obtained a few pounds of picked stone when cutting through the footwall portion of No. 9. The same lead is in the stopes below.- The country in crosscut is highly favorsble for gold, and a leader or two should be met with shortly. "Waitemata section : Progress here has been somewhat impeded in driving during the week, in consequence of having light air to contend with. We have laid boxes for a considerable distance, and this work is attended to when the face of drive is not accessible. The air, however, has been much better the last two days. We did not divert the drive from its former course until a congenial class of country was met with, through w.hich a lode might traverse. The disordered country referred to in my last did not continue more than about 6ft from the slide. The crosscut is passing through a good settled sandstone formation, which carries veins of quartz, indicating, I think, that the lode is near, and there is still a little water coming from the face of the drive. Price Bros, have completed the repairs to the winding engine boiler, and we resumed winding with the old rope today, the new one not being ready.—J. G. Vivian." CALEDONIAN.

The Red Queen leader at No. 2 level has now been driven on over 50ft eastward since the pinch came in and the reef became poor. For the greater part of this distance the lode has been about 18 inches wide, and heavily mineralised, though showing no gold, but a considerable change for the b tter occurred last week. The reef spliced, becoming much smaller, and losing most of the mineral. In the face it is about 10 inches wide, and at last breaking down showed gold freely, some of the pieces being good enough to class, as picked stone, The country is a good white sandstone, and the quartz is very similar to that at No. 1 level, so it may yet be found that the run of payable dirt worked there has descended ahead of the present face. The crosscut at No. 3 level is in a total distance of 77ft, and the manager now thinks it is clear of the hard boulders which have retarded progress lately, a good class of country appearing in the face, while the lead which has been followed is widening. CAMBKIA. The crosscut into the hangingwall of the main reef, at No. 2 level, has, since cutting the small leader referred to a day or two ago, been passing through a mass of stringers, the apparent hangingwall of which was intersected on Saturday night in the shapo of a solid lead about a foot thick. Some good gold> bearing stone was obtained from the leader first cut, colors and dabs have been seen in all the stringers, and good colors were seen in the vein cut on Saturday night, so it may reasonably be expected that the dirt will be payable. The lode formation is about 9ft. wide, and as soon as the contractors are a few feet further ahead, the manager will start and take out a trial parcel." Should the dirfc yield as well as the stringers on the foot'

wall of the main lodi did, a payable large block could be opened up. MOANATAIRI EXTENDED.' A distance of 9ft. was sunk last week by the wages men, leaving 32ft. to sink before reaching the bottom of the wellhole. This will make the total depth of the shaft over 16Oft.i and the point where it is proposed to open out will be about the* same depth as the Cambria No. 1 level. The country has lately been,' a mottled sandstone, but it is now becoming whiter and more favorable for gold. EO.CKY POINT. Some- good dabs of gold were seen on Saturday in the leading stope, at a point about 20ffc from the face of the southern drive, and where a flinty strikes into the main lode. The men have lately been employed carrying along the leading and second stopes, and have not been working in the richer ones nearer the Adelaide boundary. GOLD RETUKISrS. Pinafore.—-Delahunty and party have crushed 2 loads for 14ozs 3dwts gold.

Dart.—Driver and party and Dunn and party have banked the respective yields of Bozs 12dwts and loz ldwt gold.