MINING MATTERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1419, 4 June 1868, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

(From the Thames Advertiser, June 2.) The Loch Earn claim-owners, we are happy to siay, are'continuing to turn out remarkably: rich quartz, having on Saturday last struck another leader, or rather series of leaders of extraordinary richness. This is now we believe the seventh leader that has been struck, from all of which very rich gold has been got. This claim, which has only been worked since the beginning of March last, contains six men's ground,. and judging from the rich quality of the stuff already taken out, and also the first rate gold bearing leaders that are being opened up, promises to equal, if not indeed to surpass, anything yet found on the Waiotahi Creek. We congratulate the fortunate shareholders on the golden prospects before them, and all the more so when we consider the short time the ground has been taken up, and the consequent small amount of work that has been got through. The gold found on this claim is also of a superior quality—the holders having, we understand, had a few specimens crushed (about 80lbs.) at Spencer's berdan, which yielded 12i- ozs-, of the value of £3 17s IOJd per oz. From the nature and number of the rich loaders running through the claim, the owners expect to come upon a reef ere long, when wo fully believe that something truly astonishing will be the result. A sample of quartz from the Lucky Hit claim, on the Earaka, was crushed at Bull's one-stamper machine on Friday last, 1 with very satisfactory results. The specimen comprised 100 lbs. of quartz, and the yield was 7dwts. 12 : grains of retorted gold. The party have fiftytons of the quartz ready for the machine. The crushing was a rough sample from the heap, which had been lying at Bull's for some two months. The claim is now worked by Sturgeon and party. The Democrat Claim, on the Karaka, comprises eight men's ground. Several drives have been put into the ground, and several very thick leaders exposed. From one of these three hundred weight of quartz was crushed in their own machine (Smith's patent), about, a month ago, and yielded eight and a half pennyweights —though the gold was invisible to the naked eye. They have likewise seen gold in the other drives, but at present they have done no more crushing, as the machine has to be turned by a water-wheel now being mado. Tile trial crushing mentioned above was done by hand, and was so laborious that the shareholders decided to crush no more until the wheel is got ready. Tho names of the shareholders in this claim are Messrs. Gunn, McAndrew, llill, ILirkwoods (2), Smith, Kirk, and Harvey.

Armstrong's claim, Waiotahi, contains six .men's ground, and has been worked for four months. The main drive reaches a length of 70 feet, and a shaft has been put in with drives 20 feet and 25 feet leading therefrom under tho spur. A second drive has been put in to a length of 30 feet, with cross drives from thence to the leaders in the main drive. One of the leaders consists of a solid body of quartz, from which a considerable quantity of stuff has already been taken. A shaft in the main drive reaches 15 feet, with a drive from thence, in which leaders forming a continuation of those above, have been opened. The party are in expectation of striking the Rising Sun leader from the shaft drive. There ate five drives on the ground, and from each good looking stone has been taken. The ground is of such a nature that no slabbing is required, and a great saving of labour and expense is consequently effected. A. shaft has been commenced on the lower ground "with a view of connecting the two drives. There are some 50 or 60 tons of stuff in readiness for a crushing, but the want of machinery in the neighbourhood prevents the nature of the yield being tested. It is reported that a machine is to be put up on a claim near, so that the difficulty will then be obviated.

From Tapu Creek somo gratifying news Las been received during the week respecting the yield of the Southern Cross Claim ; the ground is situate No. 1 north of Mclsaacs' Prospecting Claim, respecting which the public have heard so much of late. It was taken up shortly after the latter, but the dispute pending between the owners of that ground prevented its working in earnest until within the past few weeks. During the week the party have struck the Lord Nelson leader in a shaft they have suuk ou the claim. They havo obtained somo very rich specimens of quartz, and have washed no less than 6 ounces to the dish, out of a mullocky leader.