COROMANDEL ITEMS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 268, 9 November 1895, Page 5

COROMANDEL ITEMS.

THE TOKATEA MINES.

(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

Coromandel, Friday. I visited the Tokatea Hill yesterday afterooon, the weather being fine, and had a ■ook at some of the mines in the locality. ■ Going up I spoke to Mr G. Steadman, manager of the Britannia, bub he was so busy pushing on and assisting the work of erecting the new machinery for the mine that I could got nothing but a "good day " and a promise to see me iater from him. I went on to the top of the hill, lefb my horse there at Kelly's hotel and wenb down to the Pride of Tokatea tip head. I went about 600 ft into the drive, and found two men working away "like anything." I inquired for bhe manager. "Jusb gone away." "Can you let mo have a look ?" "Ob, yes." Whab I saw ..as a nice-looking bit of a leader with a _tru_ger coming down towards it. Tho mineral looks very well, bu. there is no gold r.o show. They are now driving for the winze, on which gold was got before. These- are new leaders, and may be good or no good. The ground is now, I understand, befi.ro an English syndicate, who have accepted is, or are on bhe point of accepting it. Then I thought I mighb as well pay Mr Coll, of New Tokatea, a visib. I heard he was in the mine, and I borrowed a candle from Mr Kelly. Going down I found Mr Coll engaged on the upper level. Ho cried out, "What do you wanb?" "Any news?" »'Waib a minute and I'll show you a reef." We wenb down, and there, sure enough, was some large solid stone, say, half a load, taken from the reef. " All righb," I 8 »y, "let's hare a look ab ib." We go in the drive, and Coll shows the leader. It looks well, good stone, no gold showing in lumps broken down ; bub possibly if crushed ib would give gold. The reef runs north and south. They are now talkine, I hear, of amalgamation of tha North, New Tokatea and Harbour View, all situated close together. Coming down I tackled Mr Steadman again. This time he was nob bo busy. Tbe Britannia is a claim 40 acres in extent, on a spur of Tokatea. Ib is now ab Home, and will be accepbed as soon as proper authorities are received in London. Only ooe reef was really worked on to any extenb before. The Flying Cloud gave gold varying ioz to ia/, to the ton, and musb have paid, for ib was stoped righb out to bhe surface. You can see the stoping now from bhe creek level up. Tho present area was taken up aboub 6 months ago. A lot of time was partially wasted iv cleaning 00. the old tunnel, which wa3 bhe wrong tunnel, bub ib gave a small loader. The men then gob the proper tunnel, cleaned ib oub _nd found the old stopings. Mr Steadman recommended einking a shaft so as to go for reef at the lower level, and the shalb is now being pub down ab the old level, and possibly the reef has nob been touched at all above bhe -halt. Ab any rate the shafb will give clear ground, with plenty of backs to work on. Aboub 36ft of the shaft, 12 x 5 inside timbers, giving 3 chambers, 2 for winding and 1 for pumping, has been sunk, and arrangements are now nearly complebed for the erection of winding machinery. This is being pushed on with such rapidiby thab a lazy man cannob geb * show. Mr Steadman tellß me he reckons the country is good, blue sandstone, and every show of getting, the. old reef., •-._•. I saw the manager of "the Conquering Hsro. A contract of 50fb driving was finished last Saburday. Now anobher contract i« bo be leb going for under the old Copenhagen leader.