THE THAMES GOLD FIELD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1519, 7 October 1868, Page 3

THE THAMES GOLD FIELD.

MINING MATTERS. . (From the Thames Advertiter, October 6.) . The Plying Cloud was taken up in November, 1867, by six men (and afterwards one was added) on. the Moanataira. A leader was struck the first day, and good gold found. Since then the claim has been worked by a main drive east and west. This prospecting drive , exposed a reef several feet thick, tending nearly east and west. Cross drives were then put in, which cut three gold-bearing leaders. These have been followed up, and there has since been stacked to break about two hundred tons quartz. In all thirteen leaders have been-cut, varying from half an inch to three feet, all showing gold more or less. :

The'Helvellyn claim, Haraka Creek, has continued crushing at the one stamper battery belonging to the claim during the past week. A large quantity of rough stufi has been put through, mixed with stone of a better quality, the result being a yield of two ounces to the ton. i

Rough Diamond No. 1, a claim of six men's ground, situated . next. to Nolan's [celebrated claim, and Candlelight No. 2, at the Head of the Waioitahi,. was taken up about two months ago. The party have put in three drives, in one of which, about six weeks ago, they struck a very rich reof, several feet thick. In the lower drive, which is- on a level with the • leader of the Alabama Creek, they are driving for Nolan's leader, and expect to strike it when they have driven 40Teet farther. There is every convenience for a machine, and a creek near the mouth of tkc drive.

The Digger's Hope, containing two men's, ground, situated at the Head of the Alabama. Creek, and adjoining the Kough Diamond No. 1, was taken up about two weeks ago. : The party camo upon a surface leader, containing some very good specimens, whilst fossicking _ about with a pick. They have also put two drives .in several feet, and expect shortly to strike the Jamaica and Golden Stag leaders.

HASTINGS (TAPU OEEEK). October 1. ' Sib, —It is gratifying for rae to be able to report fresh good finds .in this locality. A pros- j pecting party, bacTced by store-keepers, and ' others, have been working for the last three weeks some five miles up the main creek. En- 1 couraged by getting a good prospect on the surface, they commenced a drive, and last : evening, when in about sixty feet, and' at about thirty feet from the surface, they struck the cap of,a reef. Working upon it to-day thejr got some fine specimens, the gold lying like bars in the quartz. The claim is called the "Black Swan," and gives every promise of being |an exceedingly rich one, and remunerative to-the enterprising shareholders. The above discovery is particularly encouraging, as it confirms the idea long entertained by many here that good, gold was to be found further back in the ranges. We have now four gold-bearing lines discovered, all tending seawards. The. line on the Tapu Mint leader,' which would come out about a mile, and a-half along the beach; beyond these we have the line of the Golden Point, the Golden Spur, &c.; again Mr. Isaac's line; embracing the Panama .Route, Bluenose, and others.. Lastly we have the late discovered Black Swan, the bearings of which will give |a continuous line from here to Shortlaad. I' was shown to-day the ; richest, -specimen' of gold yet found in this district. It was a washing from twelve pounds of mullock from the famed Tapu Mint leader. Independent of some fine quartz specimens, several of which were very rich, the yield was 1 oz. 14 dwt. of. fine rich flakey gold. It is, I understand, the intention of the shareholders to forward this specimen to D. J. O'Keeffe, of Shortland, in whose .window your readers, will have an opportunity of inspecting it. As an incident of the uncertainties of mining, , I will mention the Faugh aßallagh, a claim of four men's ground, situate next Melsaac's. ; Theparties had worked six months on the ground, arid had. built a substantial timber hut, when they decided upon abandoning it. It had been taken up within the last three weeks and named the .Little Jessie by Bobinson and party, who, -in working, in one of the abandoned drives, in ten . time, struck what' proves to be Mclsaacs' noted leader. ' About a dwt. to the dish ' was obtained, and it is the intention, of' the lucky shareholders to put five tons through the machine next week. The Full Moon had a tori, crushed at Gibbons* machine,' yielding four" ounces to the ton.,' There were several fine specimens left in the stamper-box ; and a , beg of their richer specimens, which it was their interi--tion to have included, were not put through;the machine. The shareholders of the above claiih assert that there must have been a" breakage in., the : grating, as in about three quarts of the tail-: int's which they have sent to Shortland'to be : tested, the amalgam and pieces of quartz as large as peas were plainly visible. As this is the only machine wehave on the ground at present, I trnst the proprietors will; in their own interest; as also for the prosperity of the place, bb able to' show -that such complaint'is groundless, or the' ' result of an accident. One word to the .miners' 1 themselves, the quality, of; stone sent from the Full Moon is such, that in order |or the g:old to be saved, it is absolutely. necessary that the ■ stone should be burnt before being sent to the ■ machine ; the Panama Eoute claim are acting on , the above, and having sluiced five tons. bf stuff,'are burning it previous to their getting it crushed next week. The. Tapu G°W-' Mining-

Company have had thirty-two' tons, crushed,, yielding 113 ozs. retorted gold, and fifty-seven tons yielding eighty-nine ounces. The Comets crushing i 8 still progressing,' with a yield of about thre'e ounces to thetoi. Theunfavorable weather of the past week has greatly retarded

crashing operations, claims not being to, get their stone conveyed to the machine. But alow progress is being made with the erection.of jtho promised machines, but I hope the improved prospects of the place will urge the proprietors to fresh exertion, when I venture to assert they will find themselves amply repaidfor their venture. Another gratifying circumstance for this place is the putting on of the Halcyon to run four times weekly between this and Auckland. This is nothing more than the wants of the township require, and I venture to predict for the enterprising owners full freights and a good' number of passengers. We have much missed' the regular trips of our favorite paddle-steamer Clyde from Shortland. It is to' be regretted that your valuable journal seems to reach us " like angel's visits,"'few and far between. : This I can say, its value is appreciated' here, arid could it only reach us on the day of publication, or at latest the next morning, there would,be a great demand for it. I regret to have that the miner, John Chamberlain, the.iccident to whom in the Tapu Mint cutting I reported in my last, died in Auckland Hospital on Sunday morning, 27th instant. He was conveyed from here by tho cutter It appears that his spine was injured by the fall ot earth;' 1