MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1896, 20 August 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Cnr of London.—The gold resulting from the trial crushing for the City of London Company was melted yesterday, and lost 9dwts, leaving the result 21oza

lldwts melted gold. In regard to the operations now going forward in the mine we may say that they are mainly directed to the ventilation of the reef near the City of York boundary, by making a connection with the No' 1 reef. For this purpose the drive along'the latter is being extended, and it is estimated that when a further distance of 100 feet is driven the junction with the east and west cross-reef will be reached. Meanwhile the course of the latter is also being driven on towards the same point in order to effect communication as early as possible. The junction of the No. 1 and No. 2 reefs in the Queen of Beauty mine, within a few feet of the City of London boundary, will no doubt enhaneo the prospects of the latter mine in their new level.

Manukau,—There i 3 little fresh to report from this mine, except that the prospects are as rich" as before, and the crushing which is now going on as usual is showing up well on the plates of the Tramway battery. In the now level gold shows very freely from end to end of the drive, and in tho main leyel where the men are now busily stoping quartz to keep the battery employed, the quality of the reef is very satisfactory. The manager has just commenced to drive south on the course of the reef towards the Golden Hill, beyond the cross-reef which cut off the main lode. There is a total change in the class of oountry beyoud the crossreef. It is a nice clean sandstone reef, of soft quality, through which driving will be easy, but there is yet no trace of the lode itself. In all likelihood it has been hove to the right by the action of the cross-reef, but no doubt if when the drive extends some distance the reef does not come to hand, cross-cuts will be driven

both ways in search of it. The lode is too valuable to be lost sight of, and a vigorous search will be made to recover it. A crosscut has also been started along the Cure boundary at the foot-wall side of the reef, to meet the drive on the course ot the black vein of the Cure which in the latter mine is being driven on to the boundary. We are not aware whether terms have been definitely arranged yet between the Manukau and Golden Crown Companies relative to hauling the quartz, but the winding is goiug on, aud no interruption to the crushing need be expected. Grown Pihnce.—We are glad to find that the crushing which has been commenced for the Crown Prince Company, at the Manukau battery, where a force of 20 head is employed, is showing up for a good handsome average. Dnliko the previous crushings when for the first 21 hours' run there was rarely any snow of amalgam on the plates the present crush-

ing no doubt owing to the superior quality of the stuff soon began to form amalgam on the plates, and there was quite a nice parcel to hand from the plates yesterday morning as the result of the first 24 hours' run. In the mine gold shows very fairly, and although the manager did not intend at first to start a

larger force than tea head, he now reckons on being able to keep the full force of 20 head in constant work, thus adding another to the Waio-Karaka mines which employ a large force' of stampers steadily. Tho prospects of this new block are very much superior to those of the block previously worked, and we have no doubt a very short time will place the company in a good position financially. Waiotahi.—The manager is now excavating a chamber at the bottom of the No. 2 shaft for tho purpose of driving from it on the Manukau reef, which has been intersected in this shaft. There is a portion of the lode to hand in the chamber, and the quality of the stone is very encouraging, although J there is not any gold showing. As soon j as the chamber is finished, the manager will drive both ways on the reof, and a trial lot will be taken out and put through at the company's mill as soon as possible, is our readers are already aware, a little gold showed on the hanging-wall side of the reef when it was first cut in the shaft, so that in addition to tho fine appearance of the quartz and tho class of minerals which it contains, there is a certainty that the lode is auriferous in this mine as well as in the Manukau, where it has been more extensively developed. Konpaueil.—A small lot of lOlbs of

specimens came to hand yesterday from the bottom of the winze on No. 1 reef, The appearance and quality of the lode so far is very satisfactory.

Oenteaii Italy.—Tho prospects of the mine under the now management continue to exhibit very favourable indications. ' There are now on hand about 100 tons of quartz ready for the mill. While breakiag this out there was a fair show of gold through it, aud besidos the general stuff there is a parcel of about ISOlbs of picked stuff and specimens, which will swell the result of thegoueral orußhiug to a good average, Tho whole of tho stuff

is from the reefs which are being worked in the lower level. Crushing is to be commenced next week.

Alburnia.-The manager of the Alhurnia mine having started work in the Whau adit is about to have a trial lot from the reef along which the Whau manager has driven crushed at ono of the batteries on the flat, the Herald battery we believe. Should the trial prove payable crushing from this level will be continued,

Old Whau.—There was a nice parcel of picked stuff and specimens to hand yesterday from the Old Whau mine from the level at which the reefs are being worked from the old pass. There has not been any stone broken down yet in the adit level, although there is now a length of better than 20 feet of it stripped, but in consequence of the operations now being carried on by the Alburnia Company, it would not be convenient in the meantime to break down the lode." In' the course of a day or two all impediments will be removed, and the reef will be taken down and the rise started. From the large size of the reef in the adit, there will be a considerable lot of stuff from the section which is now stripped, and a crushing will no doubt bo started from it at the company's own battery. Lincoln Castle.—The contractors who are driving from the Sons of Freedom level to intersect the Twenty-third of June reefs in their strike through the Lincoln Castle ground, are making very fair progress. The country through which the drive is being carried is easily worked, and as the total distance to be driven was only about 80 feet, the lodes will be on hand in the course of a few weeks at furthest.

Twked3ide Tkibutb.—The tributers of the Tweedside mine are busy erecting the engine and boiler which they have purchased for the purpose of pumping the mine. The boiler (a) vertical one) is ■ already erected, and the engine (a steeple engine) is now on the ground. Should no difficulty arise in regard to the pump column, everything will be in working order in the course of another week. It is, however, quite possible that the column will have to be lifted, and to effect this will entail some trouble, as it is understood to be secured by yokea below the water level. Messrs Sprague, the contractors, intend, should it be necessary to lift the column to insert a 6-inch set of pipes to reduce the water and enable them to unfasten the yokes. Ooliban.—Crushing for the Colibau was started on Tuesday. There are about 40 tons on hand, and the stuff is likely to yield a very fair payable average. Caledonian.—The usual weekly retorting for the Caledonian Company took place on Monday, but the result was a very poor one only amounting to 28oza gold. There were 78 tons of stone reduced which was taken as usual out of the old stopes. There is nothing new to report from the mine. The east cross-cut is still very hard.