GOLDEN CROWN.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1099, 9 November 1869, Page 3

GOLDEN CROWN.

In the course of my visits through some of the more well-known claims about the Kuranui and Moanatairi creeks, I went through the workings of the above claim on Tuesday, which, from the extraordinary yields of gold received from it, has become one of the most famous on this goldfield. The claim now known as the Golden Crown was originally pegged out by Mr. Walter Williamson and Mr. Workman, and called Williamson's claim. It was marked out as soon as the block of ground of which it forms a part was thrown open for gold mining purposes, and consists of eight men's ground. It is bounded by the Manukau, Imperial Crown, Tookey's, and the Caledonian Gold Mining Company's claims. The ground was worked by the original shareholders for about ten

months, and, with very little return. A shaft was first put down near the top of the hill, close by the Manukau boundary, in which the reef, which has since turned out so much gold, was first struck, about two feet wide, and some of it, which was tested, did not give any very remarkable return. This shaft was put down one hundred and two feet altogether, but no other leader or reef was found. It was then decided to put in a drive at a low level, to strike this shaft, and of course cut the leader at a lower depth than where found in the shaft. At about three hundred feet in this drive the leader was again cut where it was four feet thick, and from this place some stone was taken out, as good as has since come from the claim. The first seventeen tons taken out were crushed at Groodall's battery, and gave the extraordinary yield of fifty-six ounces per ton. By this time several of the original shareholders had sold out, some even at the rate of £12 a quartershare, and one share it is said was sold by auction for a five-pound note. Just as the first crushing was being cleaned up, one shareholder sold a half-share for £800, so that in a very short time after the gold being found the shares increased in value very fast. Mr. Donnelly, the present manager, had then charge of the claim, and determined to follow the reef down in a winze, which was accordingly done, and from which the first large returns from this claim were received which gave it a rank among the most valuable claims on the field. In this winze, whioh was sunk seventy feet, the reef increased in size, and has been since increasing as far as it has been worked upon. After putting down the winze, the drive was carried on to the boundary of the Manukau, along the course of its reef, and in the other direction, back to the surface — in all, about 350 feet, along the roof. In the drive at the Manukau boundary, the reef is four feet, wide, and is of a hard blue stone. A winze was put down along the boundary between the two claims from this drive, and also a rise to the boundary along the hill side. Besides the two winzes already mentioned as being sunk from this drive, two others were put down, cutting the reef into large blocks, ready for stopping out. From one of these winzes— which were all sunk about 70 feet — a drive was put along the reef, towards the surface, which is the present ISTo. 2 tunnel, and from which most of the stone since crushed at the battery has been taken. As soon as this drive was through to the surface, some of the blocks which were formed by the four winzes put down from the first drive were then stopped out, and the stone taken to the batteries by this lower drive. This drive is now 230 feet in length, and is being still pushed on towards the boundary of tEe Manukau in the same manner as Wo. 1 was, so that when this drive reaches thai; boundary, there will be a block of reef seventy feet by the whole length of the drives. The reef in this lower drive is from twelve to fourteen feet thick — in fact more than could be taken out in driving along it. This drive has been remarkably well timbered, and a good tramway laid down, in a manner which reflects great credit on the person superintending this mine. In this JCsTo. 2 di'ive, about 130 feet from the entrance, a winze has been put down, as yet only about twenty feet, in which the whole width of the reef is being taken out, in all fourteen feet. The timbers now put into this winze are thirteen feet long, all large round spars, some over a foot through. It is intended to push this winze down about another seventy feet, when it will strike the present main shaft now in course of being sunk, so as to drain the ground. Although the reef is so large, the quality of the stone is not in any way inferior, as specimens are daily taken from it, and is the stone which has been giving such, good returns in the battery belonging to the Company, and at the Tararu and Hauraki machines. About thirty feet from this first winze, another has been put down over forty feet, until the water level was passed; and it was thought better not to go on with this work until the shaft has been put down below this level, and so drain the ground. A stop of ground is being taken from this last-mentioned winze, along the body of the reef, which at this place is of the immense width of eighteen feet, and is being altogether taken out. I went down into the stop on Tuesday, and took rich specimens out of the face, in which the gold could be seen without any difficulty. At this place, the reef will yield over thirty ounces of gold per ton, and is of a hard, solid blue stone, mixed with layers of soft, rotten quartz, from which some very rich specimens are frequently taken. There are at present only 29 men working in the mine, and some of these, including the manager, Mr. Donnelly, have been working in it since it was first pegged out. It has been frequently said that this mine was not properly worked, and other remarks regard' ing the system in which operations are being carried on ; but I must say that in my opinion no better manner of working thereof out economically could be proceeded with. The ground now can be worked easily, the reef being above the first drive, and can be taken out by that drive, which is being done so at present, and the reef lying between the two drives some 70 feet can be taken out the lower drive, and into the battery without any difficulty. When the main shaft is down the required depth, all the ground below the sea level can be taken out on the same system as is now carried in present workings, and if the reef goes on increasing at the same rate as it has since being first found, only two feet wide in the old shaft to eighteen feet at the lowest level in a distance of only 150 feet or so, there is no telling the resources of the claim. The new battery lately erected on the claim is after the newest designs, and has proved itself to be a very good gold-saver. The machinery embraces two engines, one 25---horse power, and the other 20-horse power; they drive the twenty head of stampers at present erected and pump the water, &c, from the shaft. The cost of this battery all complete lias been over £9000. The claim was formed into a Company under the Limited Liabilities Act in last March, with £190,000 in 192 shares of £1000 each. This claim with its large body of stone, and the facility with which the reef can be taken out, renders this ground one of the most valuable properties on our gold-field, and one which will long remain a most remunerative mine.