OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5011, 3 February 1885, Page 2

OUR MINES.

CAMBRIA. . ■ • This mine continues to look well, and it is especially encouraging to find that the reef is still payable in the east drive at the 239 ft. lerel, where gold is seen each ; breaking. This drive is now in 130 ft. from the winze, making the total length of the block from the boundary about 180 ft. T!ie lode in the face ia fully seven feet \ wide, all of which goes to the battery. The quartz contains a good deal of mine* ral, and the precious metal is observed in all parts, sometimes on the footwall, at others on the hangingwall, and at others in the centre. On such a large lode, the stopes progress slowly, but they yield a very large amount of general dirt'l Thi ventilation in this end of the .mine is now rather bad, and an effort will be made to improve it by fixing a door in the cbaor ber at No. 1 level, and drawing up, the smoke, &c , through the winze and up this travelling way to the surface; At the in* termediate level, the reef is five feet wide, and shows gold freely. A leader has struck off into the hangingwall at th« point where the reef turned to the east* ward ; this' is s'fill being broken in tha drive; and shows gold' freely'; It wilt have to be left behind, however, in a few feet. The main reef still carries the ' heary seam of mineral, and it would bo no surprise, from the appearance of the ' quartz, to come upon a haul of specimen!: any day. The chamber at No 3 level, it nearly finished, and a contract for the extension of the crosscut will be let to* morrow. , 1 . , darwin. ; "■-

Iv the western drive the reef is large, and carries good mineral, but a large por« lion of the stone is barren' and'hungry looking. The s topes are in progress'as/ usual, and a,winze i3-to.be/eomDieneed 1 shortly. ' ' ' ''- '■' - '■•'' <*■' MOANATAIRI EXTENDED. :?

Good headway is being made with the two crosscuts. The northern one ilia? ' over 200 ft, but the country, though easier to work, is not yet of a;very, favorable nature for gold. la the south drire« which is in 180 ft from the shaft, patohei of white sandstone are now, met with. This change for the better probably indicates that. the.Cambria reef is not ■ ■very great distance ahead.. , */ , WELCOME JACK, i * This is a claim situated on the right hand side of the Waiotabi Creek, about half*a« mile (by the road) above the Pinafore. Ifcl^ is owned by Messrs G. and F. White, with some Auckland shareholders. The party. . are quarrying out a parcel from the main reef, and will start erunhing-'next* week. The lodo is easily worked, and the: minerals contained in it are very promil* ing. A yield of about 17dwts per load will' pay all expenses, and if shoots wen encted, thus doing away with sleighing,! 15dwts would be a payable yield. [Should ihe trial parcel prove remunerative, fljk«* tensive works could be easily opened up* I>: