MINING MATTEES AT THE THAMES. (FROM YESTERDAY'S "ADVERTISER.")

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 3887, 5 February 1870, Page 6

MINING MATTEES AT THE THAMES. (FROM YESTERDAY'S "ADVERTISER.")

Young American : A parcel of tho richest specimens yet obtained from this mine were brought to grass within the last few days fromthe Belfast side of the reef. They contain a large proportion of rich leafy gold, and will yield a rich rettini when crushed. The Hazelbank : The Hazelbank shaft is now down to a depth of 127 feet. The bottom is soft, but the shaft is making a tremendous quantity of water since a leader was cut through a short time ago. It keep* the men constantly emploj el baling, and, were it not that the stuff i3 so soft at the bottom, the work would necessarily be very slow, as the shaft makes about 600 gallons of water per liour, and is still increasing. It will be necessary to erect a pumping engine before the work can go on properly. It is expected that at a further depth of about 20 feet the Young American reef will be cut into. The Otago : Tha Ofcago shaft is now down 265 feet, and the reef during the last few daya has been turning out good atone from the lower portion of the reef, which is about two feet thick. This part is separated from the upper portion by a horse, but numbers of stringers run through and connect them. The sinking is very hard, and has to be blasted, pitched cartridges being used for this purpose. The shaft is still worked by haud labour, and makes about 80 gallons of water in the hour. The Karaka Hill : The Lord Nelson Company's ground is one of the best-known claims in the district, and has been for a long time a good payable mine. The upper level has been entirely worked out, and the workings carried to a depth of 76ft., at which a level from boundary to boundary hai been carried along the reef. Stoping haa been briskly earned on, |and thero now remain only two atopea the whole length to finish the level to 40ft. The main shaft is now being carried down to a greater depth, for the purpose of opening up another level. The reef has been cut through in this shaft, and is much more likely-looking than at the 76ft level. There have been great signs of improvement of late, and the expenses of the company are decreasing. At present there »r& only 22 men employed, whereas the number previously employed wa3 30. The week before last the expenditure and income for that week was calculated, and it was found that a profit of £49 remained to the company. The new leader that was found a short time ago near the surface has turned out soino good atone. Tb.8 Trafalgar is taking out a lot of stone for crushing from tho Lord Nelson reef, and from a large reof that haa been met with. This latter ia about 5ft. thiok, and a trial crushing gava an average of 18dwt. to the ton. , Mount Pleasant : A quantity of very rich gpecimens lately taken from this claim were crushed yesterday, and from about 3141b. weight of stone 71£ ounces of gold were obtained. This gives a vary good yield, and shows that tho stone ie as good as it was represented to be a few weeks ago, when it was at first struck. There is a large quantity of general st«ne of the claim to grass, which will be crushed in a few days. The Harbour View : The Harbour View Claim, Coromandel, crushed a small parcel of specimens at tho Kuranui Company's battery yesterday, which yielded at the rate of three-quarters of an ounce of gold to the pound of stone.— Times, February 4.