THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XI, Issue 3987, 22 August 1874, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[from our own correspondent.] ThAires, Friday. United Pumping Association.—Yesterday a trial of the 12-inch lift was made that has been attached to the plunger at the 400-feet level, and so far it answers all the purposes required, lifting the water that is making at the botton. The sinkers commence operations this afternoon, under the supervision of Mr. Box, the contractor, and it will then be seen, when new ground begins to be broken, whether the influx of water will be stronger, and if so, how the 12-inch lift will act. It is hoped that it will prove capable of meeting any new inflow, for it is much handier to manipulate than the huge lifts r,bove, and can be removed or changed with .ery little loss of time.

Black Anoel.—Crushing for this company is proceeding at the Maanatairi battery with ten stampeis, but the result so far is not very encouraging. The stuff comes from the blue reef at the 204-feet level, where there is an immense body of stone 15 feet wide. It is not an unlikely-looking reef, and anyone to see it would be pleased, and yet it does not come up to expectations at the mill. The second lot that will pass through will be from the stopes at the north side of the winze, at a depth of about 50 feet below the main adit. This is the brown reef, and averages S feet wide, carrying a very nice vein of stone on the hangingwall side. This stuff ought to pay, for it comes from close against the slide, yet as thoy ascend from the HG-feet level towards the adit it deteriorates in quality, for a splendid yield was obtained from just behind the 1 lli-feet level, while the last was only just payable. If the stone from either of these places were payable, any amount could be sent into the mill, as I saw a vast quantity of ground yesterday to operate upon.

Bu:d-in-Hand.—The gold which this company obtained for the past mouth melted down to 206.5; ozs - For this considerably over 500 tons were crushed, so that the result is not so good as previous crushings. This is attributed to the fact that the lode traversing N.E. towards the Queen of the Thames is in much harder ground, and that it is somewhat poorer going into the hill, that is, close to the compauy's shaft or on the S. W. side. To keep the stampers at work a lot of stuff from the level above was sent in, and this is known to be inferior to that of the present deep level. The stopes on the S.W. side of the shaft are pretty well nigh exhausted, so that the bulk of the stone is coming from the N.E. side. The drive in this direction is yet 140 feet from the Queen of the Thames boundary, but at the present moment there is a strong lode four feet wide, while the manager reports the crushing yesterday and to-day is much better, with every indication of a pinch going to take place, which usually forbodes better stuff. The shaft is down 04 feet below the present level, so that in a fortnight at the outside a new level will bo opened, and it is trusted with favourable results. That the new level will be richer than the present is almost certain, for the stuff crushed from the three winzes sunk to a depth equal to what the new level will be fully bears out this supposition. The opeuim; of thu present level, which has been only a very shallow one, not commanding above 45 feet of backs, saw them with outstanding liabilities of nearly £1500, and yet when everything was squared oil" this morning, the Bank was the only creditor, and that for under .£3OO. The incoming level will command nearly 'JO feet of backs, with a greater trend on the lode S.W., aiul rui t.lify will in all probability bo about square, or with very little of a liability, the shareholders naturally expect dividends from the future level.

(Jukes' ok Beahtv. —Tlie junction of the reefs near the City of London boundary in the Queen of Beauty mine is undoubtedly a junction between the No. 1 and No. 2 reefs, and the former proves its title of champion lode by maintaining its own strike and carrying with it the No. 2, although the latter is, and has been, the largest and apparently the strongest body of quartz. At the junction, as is natural to suppose, there is an immense mass of quartz, the whole of which appears to be good crushing stuff. There is a difference of opinion as to the distance which yet remains to drive before the City of London boundary is readied, but a survey is to be made to decide the point.—Advertiwr.