MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1897, 19 November 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Exchange.—ln this mine the stopes on the i\'o. 1 reef have reached the point where the No. 2 lode junctions with it, and both now appear to be going upwards in one solid lode two feet thick. It will be recollected that in the level those two lodes were 20 feet apart, but as the No 1 reef had a strong underlie, it met the No. 2 reef, the underlie of which was iu the opposite direction to that of the No. 1. The latter for some distance up in the slopes before the junction was met with, carried gold regularly, and now that tlio junction is to hand, it is reasonable to expect that, besides an increase in size, there will be an improvement in quality. Generally the prospects of the mine are very fair. There is gold showing in greater or less quautily in all the workings, and in the winze on No. 1 reef the lode is a really fine body of quartz, and shows gold freely. We have no doubt the crushing for this company, which \< to bo commenced ou Monday, will ylrld us Kucd an average as the crushing which has recently been completed. Nonpaueh. -The crushing for the Nonpareil, which is goinj on at the Prince Alfred battery, will be finished today, and retorting will take place tomorrow. There is likely to be a splendid return, for the general crushing has made an excellent show of amalgam, and there are still the specimens to be treated. The yield will place the compmy in such a position that tliey will bo aide to carry on the operations devised for opening the mine at the adit-level without making calls upon the capital of the company, Watchman.—The manager is still - breaking out crushing stuff from the I 'aughters of Freedom reef, and although there are not any very rich specimens coming to hand from it,.there is a good general show of gold much superior to that of the last parcel put through, and the reef itself continues to be a good strong lode clearly defined, and not difficult to work. Crushing for the company will be commonced noxt week, and should the stuff yield as well as the last tml lot put through, the shareholders will have good roason to be satisfied, and the position of the mine as a gold producer will bo very much improved,

Loyalty.—U will be recollected, that some lime ago. gold, wjg struck, in. a, Urge

reef which was found in the loyally mine, while sinking; an air shaft. 1 his lode wa«, and is, about 8 feet thick, but the depth from the surface was only 40 feet, A trial crushing wait taken out at this depth, but the- stuff did not prove payable, Iho average per ton being only 3£dwts. But as it was quite apparent that the gold was downward-that, in fact, only its outcrop was met—the manager accordingly started to sink a winze on it yesterday near the point where the largest amount of gold was visible. This winze was only down a couple of feet when quartz of a better class than any previously seen in the mine was obtained from it, and thero was good rich gold visible in some of it We were shown some of the specimens, which came to hand, and they are not by any means of inferior quality. The whole width of the reef is not in the winze, only about five feet on the foot-wall side of it. From the rich show yesterday, and tho improved quality of the stone in regard to formation and solidity, there is every prospect of good remunerative returns Hccruinir to the company from this mine before very long.

WAiorAiii.—The manager of the Waiolahi mine is now crushing trial lots, one of which is from the 3-l'ect reef and the other from the foot-wall vein of the Manukau reef. In the former the prospects have very much improved of late. It has been followed beyond the slide. Up to the slide it was poor and worthless, but beyond that it made go'd, and the prospects since have been very encouraging. A parcel of nice picked stuff came to hand from it yesterday There was also a good show of gold visible in the foot-wall vein already alluded to. It is probable that both trials will be completed this week. Should the results meet expectations sloping will be carried on to a sufficient extent to keep up constant crushing with at least a portion of the force of the company's own mill.