Mining News.

Auckland Star, Volume XI, Issue 3163, 8 September 1880, Page 3

Mining News.

COROMANDEL, Tuesday,

A general meeting of the shareholders of the Empress of India claim was held yesterday at Barrett's hotel, Captain Thomas in the chair. The Secretary read the mine manager's report: — "To the directors of the Empress of India, - Gentlemen : As this report i 3 to be read to the shareholders at a general meeting, I have thought proper to recapitulate briefly what has bcon already stated iv my f jrmer reports. On the 19th of July last I commeuccd operations, aud on the following week I opened a face at the main creek level as low as the water would allow, and commenced a drive which is now in a distance of 93ft. At a point 50ft. in I met with the leader I was in search of. This I followed in for 30ft. alongside of some old workings, at which poiut it suddenly deviated from its course towards tho right. In order to pick it up again, I put in a cross-cut, 12ft., but it does not look so promising as in the main drive. The prospects I washed from here I did not consider payable. The main leader is, however, of a decidedly promising character, and I am persuaded in my own mind that if worked at a lower level payable gold would be obtained, tho ground above me having already been stoped out. For future development of your mine there are three courses open, either of which you may adopt. Ist, you may further prospect the lode by sinking a winze about 20ft. deep. The water would, I am of opinion, stop you from going deeper, unless at great expense. 2nd, you may continue the present drive further into the hill. lam of opinion that Scotty's reef would be intersected at a distance forward of about .40 feet. I am of opinion that another leader exists, runninjr parallel with our present one, about 40 feet ahead, which was worked some years ago from a shaft in front of Mr McCormick's house, and from which good gold was obtained. 3. You may work from the shaft of the old Coromandel and Kapanga Companies, now abandoned by them. At the 200 feet level there is a drive already opened up about 250_ feet, but parties who have, at different times, been working from this level, have filled the drive up with mullock. This, then, would require to be cleared out before you could get to new ground. Under these circumstances, itmightbe better if the shareholders prefer working from the shaft to open a chamber at tho 250 or 400 feet levels, and by so doing new ground would be had all the way, and should gold be found at that depth, it would give extensive blocks on the reef to stopc down. I have found the best prospects along the floor of the drive, and the reef keeps improving in size and quality the deeper I have tried it.—E. Edwards, Mine Manager." A long discussion then took place concerning tho future working of the claim, and the general opinion seemed to be in favour of adopting the suggestion made by the manager to drive from the old Coromandel shaft, which would open up a very large block of new ground. The meeting was then adjourned for a weeky in order to give absent shareholders an opportunity of attending and expressing an opinion as to the future working of the mine, and to consider the advisability of forming a Company. •