MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1826, 29 May 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Inverness Tribute. — A parcol of about 40 tons has been crushed for Catran's tribute of tho Inverness mino at the Kuranui battery, where itwas finished up yesterday for a good return ofsoozs of gold, But the return is not so large as the tributers expected. They looked forward to an average of 2ozs to tho ton, and although the return obtained is a good .payable one, they are somewhat disappointed, No doubt the cold weather made the show on the plates hotter than usual with stuff of this qnality, and gave rise to this disappointment. Montgomery. Baos. Tribute. — A small parcel of 8 tons of stone has been crushed at the Ifuranui battery for the tributers of the Moutgonury Bros, claim, Waiolahi. Tho return, amounting to 9ozs of gold, gavo a' good payable I average. Tapc Gold.. — Mr Laurie, one of a party of brothers who are working in the Mata Creek, Tapu, lodj.'pd a parcel of nuggetty gold weighing 27dwts in the Bank of Sow Zealand yesterday. It was of splendid quality, and brought £3 17s an ounce, One of the nuggets, which weighed 21dwt9, was a really splendid sample of gold- For tho j last three years these have been prospecting in the same creek, and from time to time have had some splendid i!old, Thcy.aro said to have had about 200ozs during the last three years, but up to the present they have failed to discover the reef from which it is supposed this gold has been washed. It was in the neighbourhood of this creek that the Mcfsaacs first struck the gold which brought tho Tapu district into -prominence.— V crushing of 90 tons for the Cittle Jessie claim has been completed for a yield of 30ozs, and the average, although moderate, is a good payable one.

Hose and Shamrock,— A parcel of 450z3 sd\vts of, gold was lodged in . the bauk last/ night. as the result of a cleaning up and retorting for the Rose and Shamrock Company at the Ballarat and Oluaes battery. Some of the stuff which produced 46ozs of the amalgam retorted yesterday, was crushed two months ago, but the crushing was only completed last week, and the grindins of the tailings in the berdans was only finished yesterday, Theyiald, we are informed, is an improvement on that obtained from the previous crushing, ■ Alburnia.--So far as it has progressed the crushing for the Alburnia Company at the Billarat and Olunes battery is showing up in a most favourable light, and is estimated to be producing at the rate of l|oz* to the, ton, which is a very handsome average. Stopiug at this side of the mine is now being pushed ahead briskly, and hitherto the crushing has been cirried on with 15 head of stampers, but already the water has become so much reduced that the force allowed. to this company had to be reduced to ten head. The crushing at the company's battery is making a very excellent shoiv on the plates. There will bo a cleaning up and retorting on Monday next, which will probably produce about 2G00z3 of gold, in addition to what has already been deposited in the bank. Kose and Shamrock Tbibute.—The Bose and Shamrock tributers have for some time .past employed 15 head of stampers at the Ballarat and Clunes battery, but, like the Alburnia, yesterday 5 head were knocked off, leaving them working with a reduced fores of 10 head. The stuff is shaping for better than an ounce to the ton. It is takes from the main reef in the Cariboo end, and also in the Dixon's No. 3 end on the main level.

Manuiud".—There was a very fine show of gold in the north face of the drive on the course of the reef, and besides a ricli show which was left in the face last night there was a nice parcel of ricli specimens taken out, and a further bfc might be expected to-day. Queen or the rHiir.Es.—The shaft is now down 146 feet, and is into pretty hard country. Before the present contract was let the shaft had been sunk to a depth of 116 feet, and 30 feet has already been sunk by the present party. The shaft is 9 x 4 feet ia the clear; and is fitted with ladders, &c, and the whole arrangements are in good working order. The winding, in this shaft is, we may remark, performed with, an iron rope, and it is found to perfoivu its work admirably. Bright Suile—There is not much new to report, with regard to the mine itself, but o.utside of the miiing work it is saisfactory to lind that the quantity of stuff coming to hand is already sulH jienfc to warrant the manager engaging an extra crushing force. It is intended lo start an extra crushing power of ten head of stampers, which will be further increased as occasion arises. The battery at which the company's crushing is to bo carried on is- noo yet fixed on, but the manager was yesterday seeking the accommodation which he required. There was a good show of gold throughout the lower level of the mine yesterday. Oalkdonus.—ln addition to the fixing of a new flit rop; in 'the windingshaft, the manager yesterday bad two of the boilers tested by hydraulic pressure up to 901bs to the square inch, and they stood the test without any sign, of a fliw. The third boiler which is at present undergoing repairs was not triod, but when the repairs are completed it will be subjected to a similar test, and as' those boilers are only to carry a steam pressure of 35lbs there would not appear to bo the slightest risk incurred. In the mine there is little new to report. The drive into the footwall side to the eastward has reached a length of 67 feet, but no quartz has yet been met with. There is, however, a further distance of 162 feet to drive before the Dure boundary is reached, so that there is ample.room for finds in the meantime. There is no improvement in the No. 2 reef iu the drive north from the main level, and in the intermediate level : and old workings, although there is still being payable stuff taken out, there has been no new discovery, nor indeed can this portion of tho mine be expected in future to supply very largo quantities of crushing stuff. Albion,—The Caledonian bottom level drive has now been extended 100 feet into the Albion olaira,, but with the exception of the flat lode which has been cut through audwhioh the manager supposes to be the No. 1 reef of the Caledonian, thero is no further quartz met with. Driving from tho Huzelbank shaft has not yet been commenced, but the old drive has been cleaued out. A. cage is to be fixed in the shaft before permanent operations are commenced, and before doing so it will be uecessary to raise tho collar 'jf tho shaft to the proper height. Old Wiuu. -It would appear that the quartz met with on Wednesday evening in Jthe new level wns not tho main rcof, but was a dropper from it. Yesterday* thero was a .very, strong flow of water from the face, wliioli was "''' evidently poteolatuig fow-a, 'Mo,

The drive is still being continued towards the junction of tho hanging-wall and main reefs, which may be expected to-day or to-morrow. Yesterday from 1801bs to 200lbs of good picked stuff came to hand from the stnpes on the hanging-wall reof. Crown Prince. — Tho poppet-heads and legs over tho company's new engine, sliaftwere to have been "erected yester* day, and preparations for this purpose were made so far, that one pair of tho legs was actually hoisted 20 feet. But the crane which had been erected gavo way, and the logs and caps fell in consequence of a break in the ropj. There was not any person hurt. Somo timbers which lay about wore broken into splinters, but tho only seri ms consequence was the delav which ensued in effecting re;' pairs. Better precautions will be taken next lime and no doubt the legs will be in position over the shaft to-day. ' Pumping- Association.— The plunger was lowered in its position in the shaft yesterday without a single impediment. Some idea of the strength of the tackle used for this purpose may be formed when we state that tho plunger and stock to which it was fixed weighed considerably over Gve tons. ■But every precaution which experience and forethought could suggest was adopted, and the result is in every respect sa'isfucrnry,