OUR MINERS.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5068, 13 April 1885, Page 2

OUR MINERS.

NEW PRINCE IMPERIAL.

The manager reported for last week as follows:—" The drive on No. 4 lead, at No. 5 level, has now been extended 52ft. The lead is keeping a very straight course, but has not yet improved much in size, being in, places from 5 up to 10 inches thick. The quartz is of a very kindly description, and is carrying a good deal of bright minerals, which generally accompany gold with us. The ground, although of a first-class quality of sandstone, still contains a good many open water-courses, which greatly disturbed the lead. All the - quartz from here is kept by itself, and will i be crushed separately. The winze on No. 1 reef westward of the break, at No. 4 level, is now down 70 feet. Gold ia still seen freely through the quartz. I After sinking a few feet further, I will enter a drive from the Cross stopes to communicate with the bottom of j the winze. When this is completed, ' stoping operations on the block can bo at once started. Work in the other parts of the mine are being proceeded with as usual but there is nothing fresh to report. Owing to the scarcity of water, the battery will not be able to run full time.—G. S. Clabk." SAXON. Two shifts are now employed in the < winze on No. 3 leader, which is down about 18ft. It carries excellent minerals, and colors of gold are seen. Owing to lightness of the air at No. 6 level, driving 6a No. 2 leader has been suspended. Two men are employed on No. 1 reef, and gold is seen so frequently that the quartz ob- • tamed should be payable. CALEDONIAN. * No crushing has been proceeding for some time owing to the Herald battery. being stopped. Prom 24 loads, (J4ozs of plate amalgam was obtained. The quartz was taken principally from the winze, some being from the leading Stope in the drive at No. 2 level. In the drive at No. 3 level no quartz is being broken. Latterly the country has been rather tight but the manager expects to soon hole through t» the winze. No. 2 winze is at a standstill, all hands being engaged in breaking quarts from Ellis's leader. KTJKANUI HILL. Crushing would have started to-morrow had the County authorities seen their way to supplying water for the plates, which however they do not at present. The quartz on hand is from No. 2 leader Albion level, and the last parcel from the same place was worth an ounce to the load. DEEP LEVEL CKOSS. Stoping is proceeding in No. 6 leader. Colors of gold are seen frequently, and the quartz ought to be payable. Owing to inability to obtain crushing power, some inconvenience is experienced because of the difficulty of stowing quartz. . MOANATAIBI EXTENDED. The shaft is down 56ft. from No. 1 level, the contractors having sunk 32ft.. 6inch. since starting. A leader, a foot t>4 13 inches wide, was passed throug'a. Some of the quartz looked fairly well. The northern crosscut is in 342 f t; country in, the face is not so clayey as it has been. The drive on the leader is ia I 68ft. The lode is about nine inches wide^ and looks well, although no gold has been seen. The footwall country is rather soft but the hangingwall is firm and white. ' QUEEN OF BEAUTY. Only two tenders for sinking a winze do the lodo last cut were received, viz.; Hawke and party, 24s 6d, and 8. Papa, 21s 6d; the latter was accepted.l A shot put into the wall on Saturday night disclosed hard rock, so that it is unlikely anymore quartz is immediately ahead in the crosscut. The dig is being continued in the lode, but although the quartz- looks, well no more gold has been seen. GOLD EETUBNS. MoANAriißi.—Kneebone and party tributers, have banked lOozs 15dwts gold the result of a crushing of about 8 loads of quartz.