MINING MATTERS AT THE THAMES. (FROM SATURDAY'S "ADVERTISER.")

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 3888, 7 February 1870, Page 4

MINING MATTERS AT THE THAMES. (FROM SATURDAY'S "ADVERTISER.")

The Batteries : From some series of causes for which many attempts have been made to account, the batteries latterly have not been kept sufficiently employed to give very profitable returns, and the most apparent reason for this is that quartz is not taken out in sufficient quantity from the few (comparatively) mines that are in work to keep them going. While fully recognising the importance of cheap crushing ou such a field as the Thames, we certainly are obliged to come to the conclusion that this is not all that is required, for, since the beginning of the present year the scale of prices has been lowered throughoat the field to 15s. per ton, there is less stone crushed than formerly. Roads have been formed, and tramways too, but stone is not sent down iv sufficient quantity to keep the batteries erected on the field employed, althoiigh from the number of mines that are registered one would be led to believe that they were entirely insufficient to crush the produce of the mines. From these and other observations, we are led to the conclusion that the fault must lie in the mines themselves or in the system of management. Under the latter head we aie perforce obliged to place it, for we have observed that those mines that take out and crush large quantities of stone are paying well with averages as low as 15dwt. to the ton ; and this, too, in cases where heavy carriage expenses are incurred. We would impress on the minds of our readers that the only way to enable machineowners to crush cheaply is to keep them constantly employed. In the majority of cases, where a reef of say 18 inches or two feet thick is properly opened, it ought at j the least to be able to keep ten stampers constantly crushing. This system would enable machine-owners to crush cheaply, and would make the gold returns from the Thames much larger than they are at present. If more vigour were infused into the system of working the mines there would be less complaint of the depression existing] on the Thames. j The Hape Company's Battery : The Young May Moon stuff gave an average of 2oz. -to the ton, the Royal Standard something over an ounce, and we have not heard, what the result of the i Wandering Star crushing was. At present I the machine is employed crushing for the j Mount Pleasant, with every prospect of a good return. A parcel of specimens has been crashed, which, we are informed, yielded 7140z. of gold from about 321b. of stone. The" Ona Company's battery ia fully employed on the company's stuff, and there is a marked improvement in the appearance of th& plates this week. Gold, too, is more frequently visible in the stone. Latterly some, very good stone has been taken out of the Loyalty Reef. Bull's battery yesterday finished up a specimen crushing from a Cpromandel Claim, and the result obtained was 38oz. sdwt. of retorted gold from 351b. of stone. We belitevo the specimens were from the Little and Good Claim, on the Tokatea Range. The amount of amalgam before retorting was ,71b. j avoirdupois, so that the lot yielded nearly half gold. A trial crashing for iome olftim a

j■■ •- J' .■, J ' ' ' i < ' Ki.t^' ponaiderable distance beyond Tararu is now going on, and we are informed that if it tnrns put payable a lot of 100 tons will be crushed fortnwith\ ' ■ The Hokiariga machine has eight stampers constantly "employed crushing for the Lord Nelson. *■■* Vickery's machine js idle. IfSouter's battery ei^ished a parcel of 31 tons from the Goldeft oHill,0 Hill, -^fiich did not prove payable, A 10-t^n lot from the Prince Imperial gave a return' of 7oz. 14dwt. A parcel of specimens, 201b. in all, from the Adelaide Claim, next the Lucky Hit, yielded 14oz. 15dwt. of gold, and a parcel of stone from the Shooting Star yielded 230z. 9dwt. from about 2cwt. of atonej amongst which were a parcel of specimens. ' The Hauraki Battery: Of 30 tons from the Sons of Freedom Claim, Madman's Gully, the result was retorted last evening, and yielded 550z. lldwt. of retorted gold, or an average of nearly 2oz. to the ton". This stone was taken from a large reef about four feet thick. The Waiotahi machine is still crushing for the Waitemata with most encouraging prosspects. A cleaning up will take place this evening. The Thames battery is idle at present, having completed a crushing for the Young American during the week, which averaged about an ounce to the ton. The Shooting Star lot has also been completed, with a similar result. Goodall's battery has not been working during the past week. The Kuranui Company's battery is employed crushing for the Long Drive, the Kuranui Company, and the All Nations. The crushing for the latter will be completed to-day, and the Junction will occupy the sixhead battery on Monday. A specimen crushing for the Harbour View Claim, Coromandel, was finished at the one-stamper on Thursday evening, and the result obtained from it was 450z. of retorted gold. The Long Drive : On Monday last the newly-appointed working manager of the Long Drive took charge of the mine, and seldom indeed has it been the lot of any mine manager to take charge with more encouraging prospects. The claim has already attained a world- wide celebrity for the extraordinary richness of the ore it has produced, and with some alterations it can be put into good working order ; not that the late manager, Mr. Muir has any reason to be ashamed of his portion of the work, for he has carried fit on in a really creditable manner, and would, we believe, have produced the promised ton of gold if he had continued in charge. We understand that tlie new manager intends enlarging the beach tunnel at once, and this is certainly a most requisite work, aa for the future this will be the principal discharge of the mine. Other improvements are also in contemplation for the purpose of economising labour. The crushing is steadily goinej on, and specimens are accumulating. There are now 3591b. on hand : of these upwards of 1001b. were taken out yesterday, amongst which , were two remarkable for size and richness One of these weighed 111b., and the other 101b Work is still going on in the winze and on the cross-cut level. The Shooting Star : The late crushing for the Shooting Star, at the Thames battery, including the specimens cnished at Souters battery, yielded lOOoz. 17dwt. 12gr. of gold from about 80 tons of stone. A complete revolution has taken place in the management of this mine also, and we must congratulate the company on having secured the services of such a man as Mr. Richards, who has had a large amount of Victorian experience to bring to bear on the Shooting Star Company's ground. The Dauntless : We understand that another crushing for the Dauntless Claim will be commenced on Wednesday next at the Tramway battery. It is expected that by that time one battery will be finished ready for a start.

All Nations : Some of the amalgam taken from the plates of the 6-head stamper batteries at the Kuranui machine, crushing for the above claim,, was retorted yesterday, and 421 02. 3dwt. of gold obtained. Golden Gate Company : We are glad to say that the contractors are now making good progress with the work, and expect to touch the reef very shortly. Twenty feet have been driven altogether — 16 feet straight in from the shaft, and 4 feet of cross-cutting. The Belfast : The winze putting down on the reef in this claim is getting on very fast, and is now about 40 feet deep. There is a good quantity of stone in the paddock, and some very rich pieces are found nearly every day. The body of stone is still about the same size, but has a more solid compact appearance. The Ladybird and Hand of Friendship: The shareholders of this claim are at present employed cutting a track from their shoot to Russell's battery, as they intend sending a large quantity of their stone to grass to be crushed. They expect to keep 10 head of stampers engaged for some time. From the large body of the Black Reef which runs thi'ough the ground, a battery could be kept going without any difficulty all the year round. ! William the Conqueror : This claim, J which adjoins the City of Dunedin, and h<is j the Black • eef running through it, has commenced crushing some of the large quantity of stone to grass, at the Flora Macdonald battery, lately erected on the Tararu Creek. The stone is shaping very well, and will, no doubt, give about the same average as that obtained from the adjoining claim John Butt : Work has been commenced within the last few weeks in this claim. A drive has been commenced about 114 feet from the top of the shaft, to run along the boundary of the claim, in wljjflh the Black Reef is expected to be cut. The reef which has been laid bare in the City of Dunedin, and again cut in two shafts belonging to the same claim, has so decided the course of it that it cannot possibly go otherwise than into the John Butt Claim. The finding of this reef in the Butt Claim will at once place it on a level with some of the best claims in Tararu as from the position of the ground it will run through the whole of the ground. The Black Reef Goldmining Company : A large shaft has been put down above the old Galway working, and cross-drives put in from its bottom, but little stone was cut in them. The shaft is already down over 40 feet, and, as the ground ia soft, it will not be long before good depth is gained. — Times, February 5.