THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1841, 8 December 1869, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

THE SHOTOYER GOLD ' MINING COMPANY. /. That the glory of this magnificent claim is not quite departed was further illustrated yesterday morning, when another parcel of firstclass specimens was taken out of the branch leader on the 25 feet level. This leader improves as it is followed to the eastward, and gives every promise of yielding as rich stone as any yet taken out of the claim. We examined tho specimens, and can vouch for their superiority of quality. The big reef which is being followed down the gully on tho same level, also looks well, whilst not a few specimens are found in the adit that is being driven up the creek bed. Indeed, a verv marked improvement is taking place in the mine generally; the battery tells the tale, and induces Mr. Greenville, the manager, to anticipate at least 2000ozs. for tho current, month. Vcry satisfactory is it to us to be able to write in this strain of the grand old mine that first gave the Thames field a reputation. We hope to have the pleasure of re cording many more pleasing events with reference to the Shotover, and do not doubt it, for recent occurrences have proved beyond dispute that fclic surface "workings of the mine are anything t but exhausted, whilst it depths are compara- \ tively speaking, unexplored. MOANATAIRI GOLD MINING COMPANY. We hare much pleasure in reporting the discovery of another rich quartz vein in the above company's claim. This welcome event occurred last week in the main adit that is going through the ICuranui hill, and the vein struck makes the fourth payable rim of stone found at that level. Our attention was drawn to the fact on Saturday, when we visited the Company s battery, by observing the specimen stamper at work upon stuff which, as shown the loaded copper plates, was far above the average quality. Extending our enquiries, we ascertained that a vein of quartz, which was not previously known had been cut in the centre of the hill at a distance of 400 feet from the mouth of the adit, its strike—nearly N. and S.—being about parallel to the strike of the other veins, whilst its underlay was towards them. The new voin runs from three to eighteen inches thick and bears stone of excellent appearance, without taking into accouuta lot of beautiful specimens that were extracted from it. Some of them were completely saturated with the metal. The vein has been opened upon both ways, atd a trial crushing of between two and three tons of the stulf is now in progress at the machine, and will be finished about Wednesday next. We expect that the return will be a high one. Some rich stone has also been obtained lately out of one of the branches of the Moanatairi Company's old specimen leader at a high level. One or two of the specimens we examined are as rich as any ever taken out of the claim. "We are inclined to regard the new leader as being a continuation of the vein struck in the Eureka Company's claim last week the strike, dip and situation of each (centre of hill) being very similar. But whether this vein is connected with any other previously worked in neighbouring claims has yet to be ascertained, and perhaps it may turn to be a branch from Hunt's which, although not yet found in either tho Moanataiari or Eureka claims, certainly riuis through them— probably at a low level. THE PROVIDENCE GOLD MININGCOMPANY. There now seems to be but little doubt that the lode struck at the bottom of the Providence Company's winze is really a continuation of the Shooting Star and Berkeley Castle run, and the vein followed down by the winze is only a feeder of it. Squaring off the winze for opening out, which we stated in a late issue' was proceeding, has fairly uncovered the vein, and revealed its thickness to be from 9 inches to 3 feet. Gold is seen through it, but 1 the" best stone lies in a band of quartz in the centre. Several patches of rich specimens have been taken out of it during the last day or two, one of them comprising 30 lbs. weight of stone, being very superior. Several of the specimens were sent to Auckland yesterday morning in charge of Mr. Bennett, one of the directors. THE EUREKA GOLD MINING COMPANY. The new leader which -was struck in this mine last, week is turning out very well indeed. It is being followed both ways, and the stone grassed is of excellent quality. If its present quality is maintained, the probabilities are in favor of an early crushing, which will obviate the necessity of enforcing the call made by the directors on Friday last. This is tho first call ever made upon the Eureka Company, and is more than likely to be the last. THE SHOOTING STAR GOLD MINING COMPANY. Crashing the 100 ton parcel of stone from this Company's claim is proceeding at the Tararu battery, and with lair results; the amalgam already collected looks like 2ozs. to the ton. A great deal of stone from the various levels of the mine is being daily paddocked. The shareholders arc sanguine of obtaining an early dividend, which, in our opinion, is almost a certainty. BATTERY RETURNS. Goodall's battery is now crushing with five head of stampers, a parcel of about fifty tons for the Charleston claim ; it is promising to give a very payable return. The other five head is at work upon stone from the Nonpareil claim, and, from the amalgam to be seen on the plates, will give a very fair amount of gold. The new pumping gear is now in working order, and the water used is very good and clear, taken from the Imperial Crown shaft. The four amalgamators are still at work, but no cleaning out has yet taken place since they commenced work. The worki men arc busy preparing the stone for facing i the new reservoir. Tho reef exposed in the ; bottom of this excavation can now be seen 1 distinctly, and is a large body of stone dipping . away under the bed of the Thames ; specimen i stones are occasionally seen in the scuff taken I out in cutting j the reservoir the proper depth. • At the Kuranui battery ten head is crushing . for the Long Drive, and tho remaining thirty i head for the Kuranui Company. The sis head ■ in the old battery, crushing for the Long ; Drive, were cleaned up on Saturday, but the - amalgam has not yet been retorted. A quantity s of specimens will be crushed on Wednesday, 1 from the above claim, and the battery at pref sent crushing will be cleaned down. Tho amalgam from the crushing in the old battery, also that from the specimen and tea head batten", will be retorted on Friday. A ton of stone from the Venus claim, Waintohi, gave a return of thirteen pennyweights; this is s thought very fair, as the body of stone is said 1 to be nearly sixty feet wide. Tararu battery is engaged on stuff from a the Golden Crown and Sunbeam. 160 { ounces of gold from the plates of the ) battery crushing for the former claim was t lodged in the Bank of New Zealand, , Graham's Town, on Saturday. The t battery was cleaned up yesterday that has f been crushing for the Lady Bird and Hand of j Friendship claim, and the amalgam will be ; retorted to-day. Tho result is expected to be e over one ounce per ton. A parcel of ton tons s from tho Little Nell claim wa3 brought down n yesterday by the tramway, and will be com." menced upon to-day. The stone crushed from ! the Lord Raglan gave a return of 8 cwts. per - ton. The new turbine wheel being erected is t now ready for work, the pipe is in its place, r and as soon as a small piece of machinery - comes from Auckland, will be set in motion. t Gibbons' new battery is getting on very fast, - the stamper boxes are in their places, and the f tables are now nearly completed. This battery - will be driven by a turbine wheel, of a differen . patent from any as yet in course of erection i on the field.

The crushing for the Royal Charter claim at Kusscll's battery, Tnvavu, was partially cleaned up yesterday. A crushing of thirty tons from the Gold Spring was also finished yesterday, and the amalgam will be retorted as soon as the retorting furnace is completed. The next stone to be passed through this bat terv will he a large lot from (lie City of Dunedin claim, Tinker's Gully. The Tramway battery has again commenced wort and is now crushing stone from t lie Dauntless claim, Moanatairi Tbe parcel was only commenced oil Saturday, aijd there was over four -libs weight of amalgam taken from the plates yesterday. The Thames Crushing Company's plant is now busily at. work upon stone from the Shooting Star claim. 71. is intended to commence work upon stone from the Whan Company's claim. The Young American claim also Intends sending a parcel to this battery. The Goidcn Crown machine is now fully at work, as all the alterations are completed, and will be steadily employed 011 stoue from the mine. A quantity of stone is still being sent to the Tar.iru battery which, will keep that machine employed until Christmas. The Victoria machine has been crushing with twelve head of stampers these last few weeks for the Point. Russell claim, and the battery was cleaned up yesterday. The amalgam will be retorted in a day or so. The remaining twelve head is still at work 011 the company's stufi'. I was shown :a numbev of very fine specimens yesterday taken from the mine in the forenoon, There arc several alterations going 011 at tlu=. machine, a new concentrator is being erected, and it is intended to build a calcining furnace to heat the tailings belonging to the stone taken from the Company's mine, which arc found to contain a large proportion of pyrites. The jManukati stone is still being crushed at the Wniotalii batterv, and a good quantity of amalgam 011 hand which will be retorted in a few days. It is intended to erect, live head of stampers at ouce at this machine. The amalgam from five tons of stone from the Union Company's claim situated 011 the spur between the AVaiotahi and Moanatairi creeks, crushed at the Hauraki battery will be retorted to-day. From the amount on hand yesterday there is little doubt but the return will be most satisfactory, as there still remained a quautity of blanket washings to be passed through the berdan. THE JUNCTION GOLD MINING COMPANY. Underground communication between this : mine and tlie City of Glasgow was established on Friday last, when the air gallery opened 011 the Junction ground at the top of a twenty ; feet rise taken up 011 a vein rccogniscd as being I a continuation of the All Nations old leader. : broke through into the Glasgow workings. 1 The effect, in a ventilating sense, is most 1 beneficial. Another eli'eet is to establish i beyond question the identity of the main leader : of the Junction mine with that of the leader I that strikes through the Long Drive and I City of Glasgow. Within a few feet of the ■ end of the air gallery in the latter claim the 1 Xiong Drive vein is to be seen underlying and ! striking fairly into the Junction ground; in-1 I deed it has beeu traced in one place to I :

within sis inches of the Junction boundary, so that whatever doubts may have existed 011 this point are for ever allayed. Operations are confined to the 110 foot level, on which the long Drive leader and the All Nations old vein have been opened up. Neither of them, however, have been worked much, but what has been done, supplies testimony in favor of at least one of the veins—the long Drive. It of course lacks the wonderful producing power of that section of it in work in the Long Drive claim, but nevertheless is of good quality, and, so far as we can discern, evinces no disposition to either run out or seriously degenerate in quality. It is true that in the face of the drive that followed it towards the All Nations claim, it shows a branch of string veins, instead of a solid band of stone, but the veins converge, and are certain to make one again ere they are followed much further. "No fault can be found ■with the country which they run through ; it is clean trachyte, soft, easily worked, and containing many veins, lateral to the main lode, which is, no doubt, fed by them. Following the vein towards tho All Nations claim has, for the present, ceased, but it is to be resumed in a few days. A winze that is to be sunk to the level of the bottom of the shaft, has been, Jiowever, opened near the Glasgow claim, and is down about 15 feet; the leader looks well on it, and occasionally shews gold. We. looked in vain in the Junction claim for a sand bank that, according to common report, cuts the Long Drive leader off. —Times. THE WAITEMATA. A leader, apparently of extraordinary promise, has been come on in this mine, under some very peculiar circumstances, which, if brought to the knowledge of suspicious persons, might lead tliem to suppose that it should have been brought to the knowledge of the directors and shareholders " a long time ago." Under the

instructions of the mining manager, the men were directed to carefully observe the course of stringers. A number of those were observed in a rise that had been taken up on the main reef and on being followed a little way they led to a flue leader that was covered over with a set of timber. On picking a little about the sole plate of the set gold was found, and on removing the timbers the leader was plainly discernible; so plainly, in fact, that a careful suspicious observer might suppose it was not accidently hidden. It is a fine vertical leader, that apparently cnt3 right through the main reef, and carries its auriferous character at both sides of the latter. On the top, overhead the main reef, gold was talien out, but 011 following the leader a. small distance downwards the leaders which, when first cut , -was only about a foot thick, spread into a line body, fully three feet, in width. A very fine parcel of remarkably rich specimens were taken out, some of which were as rich as any we have yet seen in blue stone on the field. The gold is principally of a leafy character, hut in some of the stone it is of a fine shotty description. The same leader appears to hare cut through in < the main drive, but "passed -without trials. It is, we are informed, the intention of the-present manager to enter a. T drive from the-main tunnel, under the place where the gold has been found. This •will have the effect of proving the value of the lode previous, to going to the expense of entering a drive from the main shaft, which would be almost 90 feet in length .- THE NONPAREIL. Some very good gold was turned out of the Nonpareil yesterday. Our readers are aware that this claim is working on the same line of reef as that opened in the Waitcmata, and at about the same level. The prospects of the claim are daily improving.—Advertiser.