MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1889, 12 August 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

MANUKAU.-The prospects of this mine ' wore as bright yesterday at the time of < our visit as they have been since the ' mine opened, not only in tho bottom ' level, but in the new one which has been ' opened higher up. In tho bottom level •' tho drive towards the Cure boundary is 1 being carried towards the face still, and I has now reached to within about 10 feet ' of it. The lode at the face yesterday con- f sisted of very fine quality quarlz through ' i which there was a large amount of anti- i mony, besides copper pyrites and other i minerals distributed; nor was gold want- i inn, for there was a nice show in a part of ' tho reef down against the foot-wall, i Stoping at this level lias for the present 1 been discontinued pending arrangements I with the Golden Crown Company for s winding tho stuff, but the manager has < commcnced sinking winze on i gold at the north sido of the I cross-cut, and is about to start others ' at the requisite distance along tho I drive which will prove most suitable I for opening blocks, liises have also beeu 1 started, but those are new works with i which comparatively little progress has i yet been made. At the'south end tho I reef has beeu cut oflf by the cross-reef to I wliich we have recently referred, within I about 32 feet of the Imperial Crown ] (Golden Hill) boundary. It carried good i gold right up against the cross-reef, but the latter appears to have made a clean cut tlirought it. -The walls of the cross- i reef are most clearly defined; but although there is now no sign of the main 1 reef beyond tho cross-lodo in the sandstone ouuntry, it is only a question of whether the main reef has been hove to the right or lelt hand side. That it will be recovered at either si.les is almost a certainty. It is too strong a reef to bo cut clean oil. It may bo thrown some distance to either sides, but it can scarcely bo lost altogether. Judging from apearanees it is likely to have been thrown to the right hand sido, but of course this is only conjecture. It is quile evident that the cross-reef does not carry the gold, for a trial crushing from it did not, prove payable. Where thii 'lodo has beeii opened in the level 52 feet higher than tho main level there is a beautiful reef 12 feet wide in hand. It has now been driven on at both sides of the point of intersection for a total length of 50 feet, tho drive being carried along the foot-wall of tho lode. Although our visit yesterday was inopportune, both drives being filled with powder smoke, it was easy enough to distinguish rich gold in both faces, and tlie reof through tho whole of tho drive looked excellent. There is a lot of quartz from this drive now shot into the main level wnieh the manager estimates to be worth from 4 to 6 ounces to the ton if crushed separately. In no respect have the prospects of the mine suffered by the operations recently carried on. The show of gold is as good as ever it has been, and the appearance of the rock is all that can be desired. We may remark that at the south side, of the cross-reef a nice clean sandstone has come in, through which drives can be easily carried in search of the lost main reef. iN ojU'iitML.—fn breaking down the leader in the winze between 4 and 6 o'clock last evening, there was an excellent show of gold, and a candle-box full of good specimens aud picked stuff was taken out. The manager reports that the lode is more compact as well as larger, l'he leader in the foot-wall, which is about a foot in width, is looking better, aud gold was seen in it yesterday. Albubnia.—A nice parcel of about 401 bs of specimens came to hand yesterday from the new lode in the Alburnia mine. The block which the manager is now opening up gives promise of great richness. It has shown gold freely for several days past, and on Saturday there 1 was some rich stone to hand from it, but 1 in consequence of previous disappoint- ! meuts tho manager, was cautious in re- | porting the find and prospects. Watchman.--A nice show of gold has 1 been met with in the rise which is being ! put up in the Daughters of Freedom reef ' in this mine. A large extent of this lode • has been drivon in, but no sloping or J rising has been done on it to any extent. 1 .Buight SiiiLE. — iietorting for the 3 Bright Smile was completed yesterday • at the Maoukaii battery, and the result of 5 Ihe fortnight's crushing was 200ozs. >, This in addition to what was lodged on ' Saturday, makes the total yield 9140z5. 5 Tho rich show made by the crushing to c which wo alluded in yesterday's issue ' still continues.