CAMBRIA.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5069, 14 April 1885, Page 2

CAMBRIA.

Very little change is noticeable in the mine; it certainly is not deteriorating. There is now a long extent of si opes over No. 2 level, the quartz being payable all the way. In passing through, our reporter was shown two or three places where dabs of gold or picked stone had been obtained quite recently. The lode in some places is 15 or 16ft.-wide, and seldom is less than two or three feet. Of course this is not all sent to the battery, the quartz being carefully picked over. As a rule the hangingwall is the better side. A vein in the hangingwall, at present divided into two branches of an inch or two each, has yielded several small parcels of specimens. It is being followed } some distance from the main lode. O'Sullivan's hangingwall leader is also being stoped about 30ft., and a pass left in view of future operations. It is from j a foot to three feet of crushing dirt. In i the winze only one sfcope remains intact, but the other two have not been carried home. Sinking the winze will be resumed to-morrow, but will not interfere with stoping the intermediate level. On No 2 level, the drive and leading stope are still being carried along, but as the lode is very large, progress is slow. Gold was seen in the haugingwali yesterday. The crosscut at No. 3 level is said to be progressing satisfactorily. :,-. DARWIN At No. 3 level, thefootwall lode has been penetrated several feet. The quartz looks fairly well, but no gold is reported as having been seen. This, however, is not extraordinary, as little or no gold was seen in it at No. 2 level, the hanging wall branch—or lode—carrying the payable quartz. Stoping is also proceeding above No. 2 level, and colors of gold are observed occasionally. . , CALEDONIAN, The manager reports .for the past week as follows:—" The drive at No. 3 level has made very slow progress this week. They have met with a tough bar of .sandstone—not a hard bar, as usual—it is interlaced with numerous veins of black mundic, which binds it together like a chain. A portion of the leader stripped last week came down, but no gold was seen. It is about the same size and appearance. There is still some 10 or 12 feet stripped, which I do not. intend taking down until the wioze is broken into. The surveyor was down on Tuesday ; there was then 20ft to drive'to reach the winze. Since then about 10ft has been driven, leaving a like distance to break into the winze, which ought to be done some time next week. There is no change to report on Ellis' leader since my last. The battery only worked one day this week, when'l cleaned up the table amalgam from 21 loads, which gave 64ozs of hard-squeezed amalgam. There is no likelihood of the battery working until rain cumes.—T. B. Hicks."

QUEEN OF BEAUTY. Owing to the increase of water in the County race, the manager has now no difficulty in keeping the water down. The pump is working very smoothly, at the rate of 14 strokes per minute. The manager reports as follows:—" We have now been working continuously since Saturday, and are now making good headway with the drive; but have not seen any gold since last reported to you. The No. 1 reef west, which is the first reef we saw gold in, is now looking better than I have yet seen it. No. 2 reef west, or the one where we saw the last gold, and has given out so much water, is rather of a mullocky descrip* tion (we being able to take, the reef for a dig), and varies in size from 18 inches to 1 foot. I am saying this reef for crushing, as nothing will give us any idea what it is worth but the battery. The main reef is now well defined, about 2ft. wide, and almost one block of minerals. I have let the winze to S. Papa and party at £1 Is 6d per foot.—Thos. BadFOBD."

THE BATTERIES. Yesterday's showers having increased the volume of water in the race, most of the batteries were able to start to«day. Ths Kuranui is running, and besides the company's own quartz, the Deep Level Cross and several tribute parties are dow crushing.. TheMoanatairi mill also commenced working atß o'clock this morning, and the Herald starts to-night.