OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5198, 14 September 1885, Page 2

OUR MINES.

CAMBRIA. There is do change to report from the mine to-day; the hanging wall of the reef in the winze has not been broken down since last reported. The specimens which have accumulated since last retorting— about 620lbs—are being crushed to day, and are shaping for the usual arenge. Cleaning up and retorting for the fortnight takes place to morrow, when a good return may be expected. THAMES GOLDEN CROWN. At No. 3 level the* shaft leader has been knocked about lately by clay heads. It has been driven on hillward about 25ft. Lately the heads have disturbed it, but a formation of nice quartz is in the face again. Towards the Waiotahi mine the drive has been extended about 40ft., and the lode is strong in the face—from 2 to 3ft. wide. Colors of gold are sometimes seen. The Waiotahi No. 5 lode is a mullocky formation about 2ft. wide, but occasionally a few pounds of picked stone are obtained. It has been driren on about 40ft. towards the Waiotahi mine, but at present it is rather pinched, because of bard sandstone. As soon as the boundary is reached—3o or 40ft. further ahead—a rise will be commenced. This lode has also been intersected by a crosscut in the opposite direction, but a fair judgment can scarcely yet be formed of its quality. At No. 2 level the shaft leader has been driven on hillward abont 65ft. It has lately tended very much to the right, but now appears to be resuming its former course. It looks really well in the face, being about 3ft in thickness, and produced about 81bs of specimens on Saturday. Rising and stoping is proceeding on the little leader in the footwall of No. 5 reef, which yielded 1 an excellent class of crushing dirt in the drive. Just now it is rather small and ill defined. CALEDONIAN. Crushing was commenced, with fifteen head of stamps, at the Herald battery today. The manager reported on Saturday as follows:—" The contractors at No. 3 level have made good headway since they started, having driven 14ft., and the country is all that could be desired. The leader was taken down yesterday; it will average 9 inches in thickaess, and showed gold throughout. I have taken along four stopes from the winze. These four are following after the drive east of tbe winze; the leader will average from 4to 8 inches, and some nice stone came from these this week. There are also four stopes in band west of the winze. In these stopes tbe leader is from six to eight inches in thickness, and looks very well; a 'few pounds of good picked stone came to baud from these this week. Tbe whole of the dirt now coming to hand should be good crushing dirt. I am going to start crushing on the dirt with 15 head on Monday morning—one shift. The winze below No. 2 level on No. 1 reef is still making very slow headway, the reef being so large and hard. It is carrying good minerals, especially the footwall portion, and colors of gold are occasionally seen in breaking. —T. B. Hicks." SILVEa CROWN (TARARU). During the week the contractors have driven a distance of 32ft. through a good olass of country. A nice looking mineral vein is running with the drive, and it is expected that No. 1 lode will be intersected in about 30ft., when it is hoped that something good will be met with. NEW FIND (TE AROHA.) The crushing dirt at present coming to hand is obtained from the low level on No. 1 reef and the surface of the same, while a large supply is also obtained from the footwall portion of No. 1 reef from the winze at Arizona level. A very encouraging show of gold is seen in the quartz every breaking down, and the crushing at the battery is shaping better this month. GOLD RETURNS. Moanataibi.— Rowe and party, tributers, have crushed a parcel.of quartz for sozs6dwts gold. Rocky Point.—Russell and party, tributsrs, have banked 2ozs gold. Smii.k of Fortune (Owhaboa).—s2<«s &( melted gold were banked from this mine to-day, as the result of the last fortnight's crushing operations. \