THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 3602, 28 May 1873, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[from: ova own cobhbspondents.] Ihahes, Tuesday. Black Akgel.—Tho reinstalment of Mr. Daykin by the directors as mine manager meets with general approval amongst the shareholders here, and now that the hitch that took place between the contending parties has been settled finally, it is not out of place to state that it is the best thing that could have been done, and so far as I can learn, the cause of the suspension was of a moat tiivial character, and did not merit the punishment thtt was attempted to bo enforced by certain of the directors. Operations in the mine have been resumed. In a former report it was stated that they were about to lay flaming through the Sons of Freedom tunnel to carry the water away that would be met with in the sinking of the engine winzo. Howover, this will not bo requir?d for some time, as somo mistake has arisen in the survey of the two levels, which placed them equal, but it is now found that the Sons of Freedom tunnel is lower by 27 feet than their which means that there is a block of ground 27 feet high, by 190 feet long on the S., or richest, side of the winze, to stope av ay before sinking can be commenced, or to have the two levels equal with each o''iei-. Ibe value of this ground is estimated to be very goci, and there are bets made that another dividend will be declared before it is blocked out. The position of tho company is very good indeed, as the annual balance-sheet shows a credit of £S3ff.

Queen of the Max.—The crushing for this company has not been so good as could be desired during the early part of the term, but latterly there has been a steady but sure improvement in the daily take of the amalgam from the plates. Should the improvement hold good to tho end of the week, aud today's work points to this, then tho yield for tho mouth will clear tho expenses of the mine. Tho manager reports that a little gold was obtained to-day in the third stope, back of the level, where the lode averages over 2 feet 6 inches, or close up to the end of the drive, and this is looked upon as an important feature, as it is immediately under the best of the atone that was gjt while driving in the 150-feet level. The few choice stones that I saw were very good, and as it is close upon 150 feet N.E. from theahaft, or6ome2sofeet from thesurface, it must, bo acknowledged that the gold in tho Bright Smile lode has now been tracod for a greater distance than in any other lode on the field. The great want of the company is a still deeper level, or one about equal to that of the City of London, and as the present level of the company is equal in quality to any that the surrounding claims had at the same depth, it is only reasonable to infer that it will be richer below, as it is in the whole of the other company's mines. The company have close upon 500 feet on the line of reef, and under an arransement with tho Queen of the Thames Company they are bound to drive home to the boundary, and it is thought by so doing they will secure sufficient funds from this level enable them to sink the shaft, and open up u deeper levol, without having recourse to any further calls.

Golden Citaivs. —During tho past week (hi prospects of the company as reported from time to time, have not been of such an encouraging character as could be desired, yet the total yield from tho mine, considering the quantity of Btone crushed, is not so bad. The stone crushed for the company, of which there were SO tons, came from the No. 3 leader above, aud some 30 feet below the intermediate level, and as there is a good strong reef, the j'ield therefrom is a good payable one. The tributers have crushed 100 tons from the same leader, but above the 100-feet level, chicfly from the S.W. portion of the mine, and this has averaged li ozs. per ton. The total yield of gold from the mine is 2700ze. lOdwts. retorted, the company having 126£ ozs. and the tributers 153 ozs. I omitted to state above that out of the company's etuff crushed, 12 tons came from No. 2 reef, bottom or 170-feet level, from which a yield of 7 ozs. was obtained. Dixon's No. 1. —The company, up to the present, have 15 head of stampers crushing for them at the Ballarat and Clunes machine, but on Wednesday an additional five head will be set going. The show up to Thursday last did not look for over 14 dwtß. or so, but after that it improved. This may appear to be poor, but it must bo considered that a very large portion of the stuff going through is from a large face of surface dirt going towards the Whan, aud at that average it will pay equally as well as richer lode Btuff, as one shift of men can easily keep 10 heads at work. Operations oil the lode back of the bottom level is in t,he hands of contractors, who are etoping the block of ground between the main pass and Cariboo boundary, and there the lode is close upon three feet wide, compact, and in every way superior to what it was in the main drive. Another party are engaged taking away some large blocks of lode that are standing near to the No. 2 level, «n the Dixon's No. 3 side of the mine ; but as the whole of the stuff is sent promiscuously into the mill, no idea can be formed as to the value of this or any oilier block.

Kl Doiiado.—Since the intersection of the leader by the low tunni'l, the manager has confined his attention to the development of it in a S.W. direction, but as yet there ia no material improvement in the size. The country through whic.b the contractors are driving iB tight, retaining a very clean hanging wall, and there is every indication now apparent that better grsund ia at hand, and with this an increase in the tize of the leader may be looked for, and it ia also trusted that good payable gold may bo met with, for it is in this direction that the hope 3 of the company are baaed. The winze holed through a few feet to the S.W. of the cross-cut or tunnel, and instead of only having 45 feet of backs up to No. 3 level, it is demonstrated by the winze to be no less than 60 feet, a clear gain of 15 feet more than was laid o3* in the plana. In the sinking of the winze, it was found that the lodo divided, and as a splendid body of stone, 2 feet 6 inches wide, was met with, Bome 40 feet nearer the mouth of the tunnel, there is every reason to believe that tbiß is part and parcel of the lode, and to my mind it is worth being opened upon. This will, no doubt, receive attention heroafter, the manager being desirous of pushing ahead with the present lode drive, so as to get under some blocks of ground in No. 3 level, which ho considers very valuable. Nonpabkjx started crushing yesterday morning at the Tramway battery, with six heads, where it is intended to reduce about 200 tons of atone. It is premature to speak as to the Bhow on tho plates, but there is every reason to believe that it will be about the same as tho last. The quantity of picked fitono is not very large, but as the veins are patchy, a haul of good stono may be made at any moment.

Coroiiandel, Tuesday. News from the Tokafcea range just at present, is very scarce, there being no change in any of the mine* there of importance. In the Tukatea things progress as usual,— crushing dirt accumulating in about the same quantities as erer, the two batteries (the Whakaroa aud Nil Desperandum) being both employed at present. The most favourable thing in connection with this company's ground, is the excellent appearance of the lowest, or Bismarck, level, where for some distance firstrafce crushing stuff has been broken out, which shows gold in good quantities. This must be regarded as a most favourable omen, and speaks well for the value of the large blocks

of ground which lie between the present main working level and that just mentioned. Great attention is, of course, being turned to the Waikoromiko, 'Jiki, and Williamson's lease, in all of which excellent prospects have been obtained. The last named will, I expect., be the first put to the stamper test, as they purpose crushing their first parcel of stone at the New Zealand Company's beach battery, while it is at work for the Mud Company. I cannot venture an opinion as to the probable yield, but it is expected to be good. Tho Tiki find, that is in the old Challenger ground will be tested, by crushing, also in a very short time. I had forgotten to mention the Native Chief, also at the Tiki, some gaod distance higher up than the Challenger. This mine, formerly tho Flowor of the Hill, and Pride of the Hill, has been taken up by some dozen shareholders or bo, and they have started to work pushing in the low level (begun long ago and abandoned for tho reef, which yielded richly when worked in times past. They all seem very confident of success, and deserve it, as they are spending from £12 to £20 per week on the ground. The Mud Company took forty ounces of amalgam from their plates on Saturday last, and a very fair show is sti l ! being made.

Buffalo.—A survey has just been made which shows that the lode being driven on in the low level is not tho same as the specimen leader in the upper workings, but that the latter is some 35 feet further in. Thfe manager has, eonsequenlly, started to continue tho main drivo straight ahead, and has now about 27 feet to go to reach the right leader. Should gold be found when the lode is touched, a splendid block of ground will be opened up at once, which will very likely prove to be very rich. Besides the specimens on hand, which will be brought down this afternoon, amounting to nearly 80 lbs., a quantity of picked stuff has also been bagged. About 4,0 tons of general stuff is about to be brought down to be crushed at the New Zealand Company's Beach battery. BEACH.—The crushing for the mud company is going on at the Beach battery, and is showing up fairly for a good return, whilst the show in the paddocks continues as good as usual. Taptt Creek, May 26. The Hope people (six men's ground) resume crushing operations to-day. For several weeks past they have been putting things in order, —and, amongst other improvements, have put in friction-rollers in tho centre of the stamper-shanks, thus procuring a direct central lift instead of the old Corniali system. The Bullion folks (four meu's ground) are putting in a drive across tile claims formerly known as tho New Moon and the Full Moon. The drive is sufficiently low to drain the Full Moon shaft, and will allow of several adjacent claims to be worked from the same level. The Hard Cash (four men's ground), formerly known as One-tree Hill, is being worked with a very fair show of gold. The Southern Cross (ten men's ground) is still at work. Cruihing operations were suspended for a few days, in consequence of a landslip smashing a portion of the machine Burning,—and now, unfortunately, the tail-race appears to be all falling iD. The Governor Fergusson (four men's ground), formerly known as the Little Jessie, is also at work—a drivo being put in that will give 40 or 50 feet of a lower level than any of the old workings. Aaron's Rod (two men's ground), near the Great Republic, is also being quietly but profitably worked. The Tapu Tunnel is to be commenced next week. This is by far the most promising and most important mining enterprise ever attempted at Tapu, and will bo the moans of cheaply and effectually developing a large block of well-known auriferous grouud. Within a few yards of the mouth of the tunnel, good gold was got in a shaft about 100 feet lower than the tunnel, also along the proposed line of tunnel; splendid gold wbb got in other Bhaftß several hundred feet above the level of the tunnel, but in all theso cases the flow of water proved overwhelming. Further operations from such shafts would have required the erection of cosily pumping and winding machinery, while the tunnel will be an easy and comparatively inexpensive method for working. During the first stages of the Thames goldfield a great outcry was made by some working miners against Auckland capitalists, the firm of Wliitaker and Russell in particular. Now, I venture to state, that Mr. Russell has done more for the development of the goldfield than any other man in tho colony ; while at the present time, Mr. Whitaker is supplying funds for experimenting with Paul's electric-barrel amalgamating process, a process which promises to lead to the most important results. In connection with this invention, a patent for New Zealand either has been, or is about to be applied for. During a recent visit to tho Auckland Mechanics' Institute, I was much surprised at tho absence of all publications on the subject of mining, although so many Ancklanriers are deeply interested in that department. The New York Mining and Engineering Journal, the San Francisco Scitntific and Mining Press, tho London Mutiny Journal, &c., are highly interesting and instructive publication?, showing what is being dono in oilier parts of tho mining world. Novels, however, appear to be in far more request, and I am sorry to say that at the Grahaoistown Mechanics' Institute matters aro very little bettor, as tho Scientific and Mining rress, and tho Mining Journal, had to bo given up for light reading.