OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5058, 30 March 1885, Page 3

OUR MINES.

NEW PRINCE IMPERIAL.

. Cleaning up took place this afternoon, | and retorting was in progress as wo went , to press, but will not be finished till about 7 o'clock. Altogether 315 loads and lcret of picked stone, bare been crushed, and a return of about 2500zs gold is expected. Tbe manager reported on Saturday as follows :- " The stopes above No. 7 level are being proceeded with as usual, but there is no improvement in tbe quality of the lead. The highest., stope going « est is now close up under the floor of No. 6 level. The western' stepes on the footwaU branch of tho lead, above No. 6 level, are looking as usual, producing occasionally a few pounds of picked stone. Driving north in our own ground . on the No. 4 lead at No. 5 level was com- i menced on Thursday last; since then the ; drive bas been extended 20ft. The lead has been a good deal disturbed by large open heads in the ground,, but to-day we are getting into more settled country, so that I expect we are pretty well through the water courses. The lead is composed of very kindly quartz, and averages from a few inches to lft. thick. Goldhasbeen seen every day since work was commenced here. The Cross Co^ are carrying a much 1 larger body of quartz in their drive coming towards us, and I am not quite sure whether we have got the whole of the lead yet in our drive. The gas continues very troublesome, and it will be necessary for ns to carry a leading stope close after the drive for ventilation. Very, fair grade dirt is still coming to hand from tbe No. 3 lead in the stopes, both above and below No. 4 . level, eastwaTd of the shaft. There is still a good, sized block of good ground to beat out. below the level, and above the level the second stope is only yet in ■ progress. The intermediate drive going east on the No. 1 reef, below 4 level, bas been extended 50ft. The reef •t present is fuUy 3ft. thick in the face, and some good colors of gold have been seen through the stone. Driving west, loward the break, has also been started this week. Thejeef on tins side is fully as Urge ai in the drive going east, but we , have not yet seen any gold in it. However, lam pleased to say that all the quartz broken out from this quarter shapes very well at the battery. N The winze on the western side of the break is down 40ft, and gold continues to be freely metwith every breaking down.—Gr. S. Cialk." CAMBRIA. A parcel of 40lbs of specimens was ••cured this morning from the stope in progress on the main reef above the intermediate level. This is the first haul of any consequence made during the month, but as the cleaning up will not take place till Saturday next, it may be considerably augmented before the return comes to band. QUEEN OF BEAUTY. The country at No. 11 level appears to be gradually draining; and the water in tbe shaft is being steadily reduced. This afternoon it was standing about half-way up the opening sets of the chamber, and if •U goes well, by to-morrow evening the ilatsheets should be nearly dry. The two winzes from No. 10 level are in progress as n'Ußl' BOCKYFOpraV . ... Cleaning up and retorting took place today, the yield of gold being, after melting, the satisfactory one of 66ozs 12dwts, for which 63 loads of general dirt, andja small parcel of picked stone, have be.en treated. The quartz from the eastern drive and stopes on the crossleader gave over an, ounce per load, while that from the western drive, where tbe lead- was, a strong body of quartz about 3ft thick, gave about half an ounce, The remainder of the dirt came from the stopes on the Adelaide reef, and yielded a payable return. GOLD RETURNS. Moakataibi.—McCaun and party have kanked 19dwts gold.