THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 2796, 14 January 1873, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

<► [from oub ottn cobbespondents.] Gbahamstown, Monday. Ai/l Nations.—The crushing this month for this company has not employed more than five heads, and yet there promises a much hotter yield than last, although tho number of heads are less ; but this is solely duo to the regularity with which the stuff is crushing. The whole of the stone is obtainod from the Little Angel and Inverness leaders, back of the 100 feet lovel, the qunlity of which has improrod this last day or two, as evidencqd by the daily find of a little picked stone. Long Dbiye.—l had an opportunity this morning of going through the mine in company with Mr. Walker, who kindly showed me through the various undertakings that he has iu hand. Up to a few weeks ago, since the compact entered into between the company and the Imperial Crown battery, tho principal operations were confined to the reworking of the old stopes; but as theso did not come up to expectations, for the present they havo been discontinued, and attention devoted more to the foot-wall side of tho main leader, from whence innumerable veins shoot. As these are opened upon and worked, they giro out some very good crushing dirt, with occasional patches of good stone. At present, the principal operations are above the 80 feet level, or about 120 feet on the underlie of the leader to tho surface. Ten heads are only employed this month, but the quality is much better than last, and, as in the case of tho All Nations, a heavior yiold may be looked for at the forthcoming clean-up. United Pumping Association. — During tho past week very good progress has been mado with the sinking of tho shaft, over 60 feet having been accomplished, and the country still remains very good, with innumerable stringers coming in. There is very little water to contend against, and that chiefly from some distance up the shaft. To-day tho windbore that was fixed temporarily, a short time ago, is being removed, and the new one cast by Judd and Co. put in its place ; and occasion is also being taken to send down another length of column. The present depth of the shaft is 24S feet, which, according to survey, ought to intersect the lode, but it is very likely that some change has taken place in its underlie, it being more vertical than where laid off from the Caledonian levels. Cobosiandel, Monday. Obiana. —This mine has been now in full work since the new year, under the management of Mr. Brown, who was formerly working in it when Mr. Hannah was manager, and the latter having resigned owing to his being a large shareholder as well as a director, Mr. Brown was appointed in his place. I reported a short time since that they had opened out on the opposite side of the gully to that on which the first work was done, and that they had got tho lode iu hand almost immediately after starling. It has now been followed in for a distance of over forty feet, and has been a fair size up to within tho last few feet, when it mt\de out to about! two feet from wall to wall, being still well-defined, and containing a very large proportiou of quartz, there being only a

small seam of mullock in tho centre. All along the drive the quartz—more especially that on the hanging-wall side—has given fair prospects when tested, though nothing rich. Up to the present, however, they lwvo been driving in very shallow ground, which is also much broken; but in a short distance further the drive will be well in under the solid ground of the ridge, and an improvement may be looked for then. The level will give extensive backs on the lode, as the hill rises very abruptly. In the old block of ground from which tho last two crushings were taken there is still a small section of tho lode to be blocked out, but nothing of any extent, the stopes being close up to the surface now. It was from this part of tho mine that tho small parcel of specimens was obtained which I reported n few days since. The manager is just starting a winze from this level, close on where the best of his gold was ; and if the prospects obtained warrant his doing so, as they most likely will, he intends to continue an old drive which is in his ground, for a distance of 05 feet, which drive will give him from 40 to 50 feet of bncks on the lode. The expense would be small, as the country here is good working ground. Maegaeetta.— the drive in this mine progresses at the rate of about, seven feet per week, so that in about six or seven weeks, according to tho manager's calculation, the lode sought for should be in hand.