BARRIER REEFS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 206, 1 September 1898, Page 7

BARRIER REEFS.

A number of men have been put on to drive east and west on the reef at the 690 station in the adit. The three seams of quartz are opening more to the eastward. The east face is in eight feet, and the west six feefc in solid quartz over four feet in width, the three seami having formed a junction to make one reef, which looks well in both faces. The manager reported* that the face of the low adit is in 891 feet. There has been but little change for the past two weeks. The east drive on the reef is in 10ft. The reef there is somewhat split ancl the quartz scattered. This is the drive towards the shaft. The drive to the west is 13ft The reef there is good and strong, over 3ft wide. A large stream of water is flowing from this face. Since I wrote a change for the good has come into the face of the adit continuation. The country breaks there much better. In the west face of the drive ruby silver shows in the rock. BUNKER'S HILL. On breaking down the cross leader ten pounds of good picked stone were obtained, and a further breaking down exfiosed stone with strong blotches of gold reely distributed through ifc. Dabs of gold continue to be seen in the ore taken down in the stopes on the cross leader. The country continues of a favourable description. EAST HAURAKI. A trial crushing of five tons of ore from this English Company's mine at Coromandel is to he put through Scotty's battery shortly. Some nice nicked stone obtained from the mine has oeen sent Home. FOUR-IN-HAND. . The tender of Messrs. J. Chambers and Son has been accepted for the supply and delivery of a five-stamper, battery for this company. An aerial tramway is also to be procured. GOLDEN LEAD. The' Golden Lead Company crushed 25 loads of quartz for 13ozs lSdwts of retorted gold. The value of the bullion obtained should bo about £37. GOLDSTREAM. A working option over this Wharekirauponga property has also been secured by the representatives of an English syndicate, and work has already been commenced on the claim, the intention being to thoroughly test the larg-o lode which was some time since intersected in the No. 2 drive. HAURAKI ASSOCIATED RETURN. The return for the past month's crushing operations at this company's battery was not up to the average, 25 tons having yielded bullion worth £350. The cause of the falling off is attributed to the fact that most of the ore treated was won from No. 2 block, and the stone though very showy carries light gold. As a whole the mine has not been looking quite so well this ' month, though some important developments have taken place. The winze being sunk on the footwall leader from the No. 2 level towards the No. 3 level for a distance of thirty feefc down has carried ore of good quality, the fact of which speaks well for fche probabilities of a payable block being opened up by the No. 3 level. Sinking operations have had to be suspended for the present owing to the large quantity of water to contend with, due to tlie exceptionally heavy rains experienced here during the past month saturating the whole country with water. When the fine weather comes sinking onerations can again be gone on with. The lead iv the winze maintains its average size. Another rather important development is the marked improvement seen in the quality of the ore won from the No. 3 block, footwall leader. Some veryfair quality ore has of late been coming to hand from this section, ancl thero is every prospect of richer ore being found as stoping proceeds, Tliere is a considerable amount of tho lead still intact on this block, about 90ft long by 70ffc in height to the No. 1 level. The lead is a line strong body averaging about 4 or 5 inches in width. Tho ore won from the No. 1 block has been of rather poor quality owing to the lead being split. This block is about worked out to the No. 1 level. The gold in the ore from the No. 2 level has been of late light and ilakey, making it difficult to judge its value, but during the past week or two, much better quality ore has been coming to hand. The gold i.s now heavier. The cross reef in this block has shown a considerable improvement, nice dabs of gold being seen through the quartz. The reef at this point averages about 15iri in width and should he payable dirt. From above the No. 1 level, the ore has been rather poor, excepting afc the last breaking down when much better ore-was secured. The leader has been rather broken, bub is now making solid in places, where gold is almost sure to be found. Very little work has been done on the Rainbow End lead afc the intermediate level during the month owing to the men being required in other portions of the mine. Work has, however, again been resumed on this section. The lead is from eight inches to twelve inches in Avidth encased in a most favourable class of country. No 3 level has reached a total distance of 348 feet. At 300 feefc the Rainbow End lead was cut, after which the level follows the lead. The lead averages about three feefc in width, and is of a broken rubbly formation. So far no gold has been seen. It has been impossible to have a crushing again this month owing to the bad state of the road to the battery, which was never worse than it has been during the last month. ■

j KAPANGA. j _ Messrs Home and Johnston, tributers lin the Kapanga mine, Coromandel, had a crushing this week of two tons of ore and 17 lbs of picked stone, which yielded 23 oz. 9 chvfcs. of. bullion worth about £56. This Company crushed 10 tons of quartz and 141bs of picked stone last week for a return of bullion valued at £45. NEW FOUR-IN-HAND. This Company has now been duly registered with a capital of £22,500, in 90,000 shares at 5s each. Messrs W. D„ Holgate, E. W. Alison, and 7M, Niccol have been elected directors, Mr D. G. Macdonnell legal manager, and Mr li. E. Isaacs auditor. The area held by the new Company totals 220 acres, and includes the Four-in-Hand, Cuirassier, Tainui and Tainui Extended 'mines at Waikoromiko. The Company starts with £2,550 at> present available, and tenders have been called for the erection of a five-head stamper battery. NEW GOLCONDA. Driving and stoping is proceeding upon the leader. During the week 91b or 101b of stone showing nice dabs of gold were secured. The general dirt should crush fairly well. POHUTU BLOCK. Sometime ago a small trial crushing.! was taken "from this property and sent to the Thames to be crushed, and as the result was fairly satisfactory, it has been decided to treat a larger amount as a further test. With the consent of Capt. Hodge 50 tons is to be crushed at once at Scotty's battery, and should the result prove satisfactory, it is the intention of the owners (Hauraki Development Syndicate) to erect a battery and proceed at once with systematic crushing..The necessary machinery is in Auckland at the present time ready to be erected when required. TOKATEA CONSOLS. A parcel of 20 tons of ore from this Coromandel mine was treated at the Hauraki Associated Company for a return of bullion estimated to be worth £82. WELCOME FIND. At the No. 1 level the rise which is on the Just in Time lode has been continued to the 80 feet level. A start was then made to crosscut for leaders in an excellent belt of country, but as the water had drained from the winze on the southern lode, the men, two in number, were removed to resume sinking. The winze is now 39ft. below the No. 2 level. There is a fine looking lode about 2 feet wide in the bottom, and the country is improving in quality. Some prospecting work has been done on the cross leader near the junction. The leader is small at present, but colours of gold were again seen in the stone when breaking down. Colours of gold were got from a new leader 3 inches in width in the face of the drive on i the Just in Time No. 1 lode at the bottom level. Afc the last breaking-down ol the cross leader at No. 3 level a little gold was seen, and blotches have been found in the Just in Time No. 1 lode at the junction. There is a line looking lode at this point 12 inches in width. Judging from present indications real good ore is close at hand. In the southwestern drive the lode which appeared to have been cut off has been found. Its course is more southerly. It is a promising lode about 18 inches wide. TRIG HILL SYNDICATE. Messrs Couch and party, tributers in this mine, crushed five tons of ore at the May Queen Extended battery for a return of liullion worth £27 17s 6d. WYNYARDTON. Tributers in this mine struck a small patch of specimen stone, about 3 lb Aveight. This property adjoins the Hauraki North mine. Tributors' return from forty tons of general dirt and ten pounds of picked stone crushed at the Thames was'44oz. value £120.