THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XI, Issue 4049, 4 November 1874, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[FROM OL'lt OWN' CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Tuesday. Manukau.—The new leader to which I alluded a few days ago is one that has dropped out of the footwall of the No. 3 or present main lode, and is running east aud west, or almost at right angles. Its position is directly under the rich shot of gold, or a little north of the shaft, and appears to be trending away towards the Waiotalii, and it will doubtless be found to connect with some big lode that lies behind No. 3, probably that which the Cure are now working upon. It has been followed by stopes aud drive for 20 feet or so beyond the footwall of the main lode, and it is of the same nature as the best of the main lode—hard, metalliferous stone, varying in width from 9 to 12 inches. It has yielded some very nice stone, and some I saw this morning was very good, and went into the specimen-crushing along with that from other veins. The main lode is being taken out against the slide, but the quality here is very poor, nothing but sandstone with a few quartz veins, and it is so for some distance further north, until good quartz again makes, from whence nearly 5 feet of stone is being sent into the mill. The black copper vein on the hangiugwall leader is the best producer of gold at the present moment, aud north of its junction with the main lode it is fully G inches, while the leader itself is about two feet. In the opposite direction or towards the shaft it has the same characteristics, and is in every way the same. The No. 1 winze sciutli is sunk about 30 feet, and at the bottom the lode is over 4 feet wide, and on the north side some splendid crushing stuff is in view. With the intention of opening connection with theGo'den Crown intermediate level, as soon as possible, men were started therefrom this morning to rise upon the lode, and meet the winze. This will enable the manager to open out large blocks of ground beneath the main lode, and the exit of quartz will be through the intermediate down to the Golden Crown 170-feet level, which will be much cheaper than the out-put of quartz from the present level. There will be a clean-up tomorrow, but what the result will be I have not heard.

Cure.—The recent crushing of the 14 tons o£ stone from the winze sinking on the black lode, confirms the idea that this lode will become a valuable one, and that the faith of those who saw the nature of its constitution was not at all shaken at the magnificeut average of gold per ton. From the very first day it was found, not only the manager, but those who saw it, were confident that it contained a heavy deposit of fold, and it is certain that the last of this eposit or ran is not seen, but, on the contrary, its true value will not be realised until the lode is fairly opened upon. To develop the lode in a legitimate and systematic manner, Mr. Crawford will shortly desccnd to tlie 170-leet level of the Golclen Crown, and therefrom start a cross-out of, say, 110 feet long, and at this distance should intersect thi lode, which will then command fully 105 feet of backs. This is the object which the manager had in view irom the first moment he touched the gold, but knowing

the financial position of the company was such as to either have gold immediately or call upon the shareholders, the recent crushing, although not systematic, was decided upon, which has not only provided funds for this new cross-cut, but also developed a richer lode than expected. Sinking upon the lode still continues, and a depth of 45 feet has been attained, leaving CO feet further to sink before equalling the Golden Crown deep level. In the bottom there is a lode fully 15 inches wide, of the same nature as heretofore, and shewing nica gold. It it; intended to have another small cushing immediately, and a set of men are opening out 011 either side of the winze a stope abov-j where the last crushing came from. The lode on either side, on my visit, shewed a fine seam of gold, and it is evident that the next crushing will be a rich one. Exchange.—-As intimated last night by telegram, crushing for this company was started early on Monday ; and after a few hours' run it was evident from the show on the plates and the temporary take of amalgam that the result would be a good payable average. After the 2-1 hours' collection of blanketings had been treated with the Berdans the whole of the amalgam was thoroughly cleanscd, and the result was ozs. of amalgam, or equal to about 9 ozs. of gold. Six stampers are employed, and those of a heavy nature, which must have reduced fully 30 cwt. per stamper, so that the yield is about 15 dwts. per ton. The show to-day is much better, but the shareholders will be satisfied if a return of 15 dwts. per ton can be realised, which will pay handsomely. There is nothing new to record since my visit to the mine on Friday, of which you have had full particulars. Bird-ix-Haxd.—As intimated on Saturday, the manager yesterday commenced to open out upon the new cross-lode that comes in from the Queen of the May ground, and after a few hours' work the result was very gratifying. The lode after a few hours' work commenced to open out into a line body of stone, not less than 4 feet wide, of a very promising nature. In fact, before evening several pieces of quartz containing gold were seen ; while this morning more was obtained by the braeeman, who saw it in various trucks that he landed from the shaft. Should this lode continue to maintain its present quality it will make the company's property a new and valuable one, inasmuch as it is nearly as thick again as the old lode, and is intact to tlic surface, and therefore capable of augmenting the output of quartz to double what the mine has hitherto produced. The Imperial Crown battery lias ceased operations for a week, in consequence of cleansing reservoir and other repairs ; so that the full force of the Una battery is at work, and the shew thereat is about the same as that which has been usual at the other battery during the past week.