(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) May 14.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 3972, 16 May 1870, Page 7

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) May 14.

The Goltoleld and its Prospects. — The depression that has existed here ever since the sudden collapse of the scrip bubble is slowly but surely wearing away, and, if the present aspect of affairs is any criterion to go by, I for one feel very confident that a sound and healthy tone will ere long be one of the chief characteristics of Thames business. Mining matters are decidedly redivivus, thanks to the wholesale weeding out of the dead stock that has so Jong encumbered the market, and choked the growth of many a goodly undertaking, which but for the selfish greed of short-sighted speculation would now be far advanced towards maturity. However, these ills, which all quartz-gold-fields are heir to, will soon be numbered amongst the things of the past, when sober reality has supplanted feverish visionary excitement, and steady work, with moderate interest upon invested capital, and fair wages to" the labouring miner, is the established order of. every-day life. This desirable consummation is not so T#ry far distant ; from six to twelve months in point of time should suffice to bring about the needed reformation. Meantime, as indicated by current events, a great increase in the yield ef gold may be expected. This is warranted by the daily increasing breadth of ground brought under mining crop, and the introduction of improved appliances for saving gold during the process of extraction from the matrix. The cheapening that has taken place in the cost of that process, and also in that of the carriage from the mine to the mill, exercises an immense .influence upon the welfare of the field by encouraging prospecting and the reoccupation of ground of the poorer sort by individ»al parties of miners, who for the sake of independence and the hope of a patches" prefer staking their chance of jecess by a dip into the "lucky bag" ~ * hiring themselves out as mere clay labourers. Such enterprise is commendable, and well worthy of encouragement, for without it the development of a goldfield must needs be both slow and uncertain.

Unfounded Prejudicial Rumours.— Rumours as absurd as unfounded touching the condition of certain mines on tliis field have been promulgated during the past week. One of them referred to the City of Dune- j dm, Tararu, which was represented to be on the point of abandonment, or at the least protection, on the usual plea of no payable quartz. I can state upon personal inspection that the mine is in excellent condition and in full work as well, the above rumour having originated in the stoppage oi underground operations whilst a whim was being erected, the quantity of water met with in the main shaft workings having necessitated the adoption of horse labour, and the abandonment of the primitive system of hand-heaving by windlass. The whim was built in the short space of three -weeks, and commenced work on Monday last, and by Wednesday morning had baled out the shaft and drive. The latter is opened at one hundred and five feet, and is being driven to cut the underlie of the lode and clear another back upon it, which back will be quite sixty feet high to the old workings on the fifty-five-feet level. The lode should be in hand by the latter end of this week, and a month later permanent crushing operations are likely to re-commence. Between forty and fifty tons of quartz from the higher level are already grassed, so that by that time there will be a goodly paddock to start upon, with the almost certainty of being able to keep the mill constantly going. This, however, will be to some degree contingent upon the weather, for after rain the sledge road down Tinker's Giflly is impassable to horses. I marvel much that the main tramroad up Tinker's Gully was not extended beyond the point it was marked to, and which is short by some three orfour hundred yards of the source of almost permanent employment for it. The City of Dunedin, William tho Conqueror, and Royal Charter claims could very nearly keep the- trucks going, to say nothing of the Ladybird and Hand of Friendship, which, although lying idle just now, is certain to be placed under work again, and that shortly. The last parcel of stone taken out of the latter company's mine, and crushed last week at the Flora Macdonald machine, gave a bare J^oz. to the ton, which was not deemed payable by the company. Tributers, however, might make something of it, and to tribute I believe the mine must go ; and also that it will be some day proved to be what it really is — a good property.

William the Conqueror. — The William the Conqueror Claim is worked on tribute, and pays well at the ton. This mine is being finely developed, and will soon be in first-rate working order. A low-level tunnel, to command eighty feet of back upon the lode, is in the course of driving, the requisite fall having been obtained by bringing it through part of the Royal Charter Claim adjoining. Quartz is being grassed out of the upper levels, from which a winze is going down to establish connection with the lower.

The Royal Charter. — The Royal Charter Company are still driving on the lode, and have turned out some very good stone. Just now they are in a break of the reef," where

the lode stuff is scarcely so promising. The Sunbeam. — On the other side of the ridge from Tinker's Gully, the Sunbeam Claim is well and economically worked by the industrious men who have the good fortune to possess it. For some weeks past they have been engaged in constructing a road to the beach to facilitate the transit of quartz to battery, the old road over the hill being impassable in wet weather. The new one was completed on Saturday last, and an excellent piece of work it is. Only a couple of men 'have been -working in the claim latterly, but for all that there is a fine paddock of nearly 100 tons of quartz to grass. This week will see the stope fully manned again, and sending stone to one or the other of the many batteries will likely recommence some time next week. Between loz. and 2oz. to the ton is the average yield, and it may -be counted upon to continue for many months. It will take at least twelve months to extract the proved payable stone in sight. The shareholders of the- adjoining Queen of the Isles Claim turned out to a man to assist in making the new road. They also will set in to their claim again this week, and with „ fair prospects, the ground being nicely Opened out ready for raising and stoping. (The reef (continuation i.of the Sunbeam),* where proved, gave over loz. to the ton. Moanataiabi Creek. — Rumours are current of important changes ia the working and management of those oft-quoted claims — Dawn of Hope, Point; Russell, and Little and Good/ It is said,that the formation of ene company out of the three is pending, and it' is to ' be hoped it' will be completed, as the three, if amalgamated, would form a splendid block of ground, that could be most advantageously \ if worked under one management-. 1 - 1 'am stir-prised that the union was not effected months ago. present, the Point Russell and Little' and 4 Gopd workings are in a state^ of inacfcivijy.;, whilst in theVDawtt'of HopeHhe ■work'jtnen.ar'e^con--finedto the low level^' clearing away tfcjickflj upon the lode preparatory.^ to 'calling fgE £cn :t ders fo_r out. /.Hie ,lbde r"ha.s beeh-foUowed-to"withiii'4off c of • the Point Ri^pli, boundary one way, and to jßdthina^ew rr feet, of the "Onion Company's ground.' the other;— : j thirty -six. -fathoms^ along' the ,lode being., thereby'uneovered^ The' back' above this is 62ft. UgNtbftM Noj^level, so that there is" an immense a W t itope'out. The'^big" lode that was cat in Ijhe hill 300ft/ from, the, mouth of the tunnel'is' also b'eirig , followed^ and IOQV8 7! pr^tty u well; i^gold''is»'sep'n J in it occasionally.' rh'aveno^hesi^tio^-infprg-gnosticating'a 1 brilliant fu'tur^ f or a^cpingany l6rmed_as lr abbve'' indidaiWd, arid' naving 'its own c^usj^ing^plant :* foT'therftare'thopSlaiidsr upon «o% u tons',of intone .iniofche ground^ thaV cpuld^lje t madeato, pay/ uMerjsuch. «^pystein, but t a»der,np other^jtfi ?s f l DAr^Ti^SSr^ra^fN^umißisri'^sOpera-; tions m"tKe,Da.untless and Sink to Rise mine are co^^ej.J^^he^3JaunttesB K part;»of > the J groundy*wnere~tlie largej3t'of,,the,twp.rich ' veins tKat- r liB r^ewia I *'lje^g^Btppett 1 M? - wctionit^Mt/r^t^^ne^u^afced^^ W* -eightytifoet^aa a Be J extrao^. f^Th^ : . ;v?in -BpM *&&'&&&*&s w&&^M{ f; c j> ; i iM u yt& MM ~&JX ?{mml&~ f-

thick, and -where rubbly, with soft, walls, .yields the most gold. There i8 about six months' steady work in this part of the claim. It is intended to extend the main tunnel of the Sink-to-Rise, and clear a new track upon that vein, and. also to continue the low-level main tunnel- that was driven , some time ago to command the Dauntless. A .large parcel of stone from this mine was sent to Goadall's battery last week, and crushing it commenced on, Saturday. A return of at least soz. to the ton (including 'specimens) is 1 confldentlv exnected.

< United Service and Dublin. — The "United Service and Dublin Companies, next above the Dauntless, are doing nothing just now. Their inactivity is a positive loss to the public, as both claims are known to be highly auriferous, and, if properly worked, could scarcely fail to pay expenses, to commence with a dividend afterwards. It would be well for, the field if a system of enforcing work were brought into operation. The Norwegian. — As a contrast to the

lack of energy displayed in these cases, I may mention the Norwegian Claim, next the Dnblih, which, although a duffer, so far as it has been proved, is being vigorously worked by a few miners (eight men), who have enlarged and straightened the tunnel, and brought the ground into good working order. The Goldjfinch. —Capital stone is still being grassed by the Goldfinch party (late United Mates), next adjoining. The lode they are working on is the same that was worked in the Edinburgh Castle ground, and which is now in hand in the Carpenters' Claim— part of the Star of the South Company's ground. The last crushing of fifteen tons of Goldfinch stone gave £25 per share, clear of expenses. The next lot is expected to be better. r - |

The Star of the South.—Capital progress is making by the Star of the South Company. The main tunnel to catch the Frying Cloud line of reef is one hundred and eighty feet into the range, where the country is easily worked. Carpenter's old leader, on the opposite side of the creek, has also been re-opened with excellent results. The lode is being followed both ways, and shows a fine body of stone from two feet to four feet thick. Crushing stone from it is now going ' n at the company's machine, and, to judge by the show of amalgam, a return of loz. to the ton, at least, is expected. Above the present level of the Carpenters' tunnel there is fully 50 feet of back to stope out. The Alburnia and Pride of the West.—Work in the Alburnia and Pride of the West Company's tunnel is being prosecuted, both out of the Success Company's tunnel and also in the Alburnia. old workings, where a winze is 'going down to connect that level with the tunnel. In the latter, the most northerly of the two veins which joined there, and so formed Dixon's lode, is being followed, and yields superior stone, and shows a large face as well, the width of the lode averaging four feet. Crushing another parcel of it at Weston's is proceeding, and will be cleaned up on Saturday next. The manager is hopeful that 2oz. to the ton •will be realised

Shotovee, Company.—A lot of splendid specimens were taken out of this mine on Thursday. They came from the middle block, about thirty feet from the surface, \ and I am glad to say that a great deal of the same kind of stuff remains behind. This month's returns are likely to be far in excess of any that have been quoted in connection with the Shotover Company for many months past, and SOlb. of amalgam have been collected from the batteries during the past week. There is a great demand for the scrip. Deep Lead.—The fortnightly cleaning up of this company's battery took place on Saturday, the return of gold being 970z. lOdwt. There will be a much better return next time, the aspect of the mine having wonderfully improved during the past week.