MINING NEWS. Grahamstown, Thursday.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVII, Issue 4407, 29 September 1871, Page 3

MINING NEWS. Grahamstown, Thursday.

Nonpareil Company.— The yield of gold for the past month fully justifies the confidence in this mine displayed by those investors who have bought in at high prices. This morning retorting the amalgam was finished, and the gold, together with the 850oz. banked a fortnight ago, was melted at the Bank of New Zealand, the result being six ingots, weighing in the aggregate 1,4030z. lOdwt. This is a splendid yield for one month's work, and may be regarded as the first fruit of the rich harvest of gold that has to be garnered from the rich block of country that extends from the level of the main tunnel to the Central Italy boundary on the underlie of the lode, and to the Italian boundary on the strike. To assume that this block will be found payable throughout, and that it contains many thousands of tons of lode stuff, would not be indulging in extravagant anticipations as to its value, for a rich lode of large size has been struck near its lower side in the Centr >1 Italy shaft, whilst so far as the lodes struck in the Nonpareil workings have been traced into it they are strong and well defined, and afford abundant evidence of permanency, In the other direction, towards the Italian, the country also looks first-rate. It has of late undergone a marked change for the better. What was regarded as a slide and likely to break up the main lode has been driven through, and the lode, unchanged in its main characteristics, picked up on the other side of it. The slide has thrown it a few feet to novthwai d, but happily without exercising a detrimental influence npon its quality, as is evidenced by the gold to be seen in the stone, and the parcel of rich, specimens taken out of it this morning. This says a great deal in favonr of the Ltalian mine, the boundary of which is only some 70ft. from where the reef is now in hand. That the Nonpareil is a first-class mine cannot be gainsaid, and I am also of opinion that it has justly earned second place on the list ot the gold producers of this field Excepting the Caledonian streak, I know of no lead of gold that gives such promise of richness and permanency as that which strikes through the Nonpareil Mine. The new manager, Mr. Borthwick, appears to be a thoroughly capable man. lie is working the mine well, aud keeps ahead of his work — a serious consideration if the yield of gold is to be kept up to average mark. Opening another low-level, that will command a largo section of the block abovementioned, is in progress, and is likely to be accomplished in the course of six weeks or two months.

City of St. Andrew's. — Driving for the reef at the 80ft. level of the new shaft sunk by this company was begun the other day, and yesterday a body of stuff, supposed to be che reef sought for, was struck. It looks well, and shows a little gold in places, and was struck at only ten feet from the shaft.

Point Hussell — The poor character of the stone has decided the manager to suspend crushing operations at the Kuranui machine until an improvement in the lode takes place. About 100 tons were put through the battery, and the yield therefrom was 470z 17dwt. melted gold. This return, although poor, is sufficiently indicative of the probability cf better stone being found in the mine, and prospecting is being pushed on with vigour both on the strike and on the underlie of the lode. Operations are confined to the low level, wherr> the lode is being followed to the eastward and whized at a place where some very fair stone was obtained last month A shot of gold is supposed to be going down there.

Cnowx Praxes.— A leader containing nice stone was struck yesterday in the prospecting drive that is passing through Gr.vhamstou'n flat fiom the main shaft. The country generally looks well, and is not wanting jn aunfi-rons inrlica tions.

Ovr.RLVXD liourE.— l hope to be soon in a position t > rcporb favourably upon this mine, in which until Tuesday last work has boon suspended fi om adilficulty in maintaining proper ventilation at the end of the lonjj tunnel, whore the leader in which gold has been seen, and which the company aie desito'is of testing, is situated. A variety of experiments, made for the purpose of clearing the mine of gas, were tried and failed ; and, as a last resource, it was decided to sink an air shaft from the surface. The shaft was sunk 40ft. of the 100 ft., the estimated depth, and then work was stopped by excess of water, and was not resumed until Tuesday last, when, a set of rods having been procured fiomthe Imperial Crown Company, boiing to connect the shaft with the tunnel, and so make an outlet for the escape of some of the water, was commenced.

Goldev Ltox. — 'I he new whim has been working for a day or two, and answers well, and it has also been ascertained by practical test that the water iv the raaiu shaft is not so heavy as it was feared it would bo. The shaft has been baled out dry, and the work of sinking a well will be commenced in a day or two. — [Correspondent.]

Couomatstdel, September 2S. The Tokatea crushing is still going on most satisfactorily. Upwards of l,Goooz. is now in the Bank, and by the end of the week this will be largely increased. — The Green Harp crushing, at the Nil Desperandura, promises to give about ten ounces to the ton. I shall be able to give you the result on Saturday. — [Correspondent.]

The transfer books of the Multum in Parvo Goldmining Company will be closed on Monday next, and remain closed till Thursday, when a dividend of Is. per share will be payable. Shareholders in the Golden Lion Goldmining Company who have not paid their calls are by advertisement ! threatened with legal proceedings. An extraordinary meeting of the 'shareholders in the Apollo Goldmining Company will be held at the Waitemata Hotel ou Tuesday, October 17, at 2 p.m. A call of 3d. per share in the Conquering Hero Goldmining Company has been made payable on or before October 11. A call of 9d. per share in the Ladybird and Hand of Friendship Goldmining Company has been made. A call of 2s. per share has been made by the directors of the Coronet Goldmining ! Company.

According to the Gardener's Magazine, hot water may be employed for the destruction of the insects that most commonly infest plants. Aphides quickly perish, if immersed in water heated to 120 degrees Fah, "We obtained fr»m various sources plants infested with green fly, and cleansed them all by the simple process of dipping. It became desirable to ascertain the degree of heat the plants could endure in the dipping process. A number of herbaceous and soft-wooded plants were therefore subjected to the process of immersion. We found that fuchsias were unharmed at 140 degrees, but at 150 degrees the young leaves were slightly injured. Calceolarias suffered at 140 degrees, but the plants were not killed, though their soft tops perished. Pelargoniums were unhurt up to 150 degrees, but the slightest rise beyond that figure killed the soft wood and the young leaves completely." A phyaican claims that 10,000 women have teen iqueezed to death by corsets during the bit five ye»w,