THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4129, 6 February 1875, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[kpom on: own coi:kksponi>knt. ] Cokomandhi., Friday. Tin: City of Auckland has taken out several small lots of very good stone during tin; last few days from the leader about tiftv feet beyond the Xo. 2 road winze. They have yet, however, to go some 100 feet before they strike the old run of gold which came down with the winze from the No. 1 level. In the No. 1 mad level they are opening out, in order to sink a winze on the lode about 00 feet ahead of the old winze. In Heenan's claim the extension of the low level is being pushed rapidly forward «-n the leader, and gold has been seen in j aying quantities, almost daily, along the entire distance yet driven, some 00 feet. Several smoll parcels of specimens have been broken out during the past week, and the general ! etulT bids fair to give a good crushing when forwarded to the mill. I The Harbour View, I am glad to learn, j is setting vigorously to work again. The ! work of pushing on the No. l,or low level, ! lias been commenced by the company. The j tributers, I learn, have got a lode in hand, ; about live feet wide, towards the Little ! Anglo. It is auriferous, although as yet but little gold has been seen in it. 1 In the I'lutus 1 am sorry to say some | thirteen men were discharged from the mine and battery on Wednesday. The fact is that the stone can be got out much quicker than it can be crushed, now that the battery can only work half-time and only ten stampers out of twenty, in conseqiieueo of the wet, given wood, which is the only fuel available. Could the battery make full time, and with all stampers, making sixty strokes instead of forty per minute as now, tlie weekly return would be soli ething handsome. I«ast week it was only .'U o/s. At the least it would have been quadrupled with full steam-power, ami the per week expenses would be met and a handsome profit left. The battery is placed down in a deep ravine, where neither sun nor M ind can get to dry the fuel, which at best is only green wood. The following is the Tokatea mine* manager's report - u The only news >f importance that I have to communicate this week is the cutting through a small leader that I believe to be the tribute, in th j Pride of Tokatea drive, from our No. level. It is small and contained a lot of base metal at the point intersected, and the country alongside looks soft and kindly. The contractors in the Siege level have got into better working country, but tlie leader is still rather open and porous to contain much gold. The contractors in the Van level are making fairprogress, but the le.tder has not been looking so well during the past week. Tim Jlismarck people continue to see gold in driving out towards the Van boundary. Vestcrdav J sent to the mill about 120 lbs. picked stone, that we collected from the Siege level since tlie holidays. We are making satisfactory progress in drive oil tribute leader that ! am putting in towards Royal Oak boundary." The manager of the Koyal Oak-re] oris for the week as follows The usual st» ping on Xo. I leader stfll progresses satisfactorily, and for the week I beg to inform you the specimens and picked stone, 000 lb. in all, crushed at the Whakaroa battery, yielded .*s!.*{ ozs, 10 dwts. rotorted gold, which is quite as much as I anticipated. A further haul of 70 lbs. of specimens 1 have obtained from the same leader since Wednesday last, and left gold still shewing freely in thestopc. This week I have opened out a few feet on the branch leader which junctions with Xo. 1, and got about 2o lbs. of specimens. This leader is rather small and broken up at present, but I have no doubt as the ground gets easier towards the surface, it will be more defined, and a valuable acquisition to the company's property. In No. 2 the winze is going down through easier ground. The leader looks more promising, and yesterday

in breaking down the lode 2 obtained abont 20 lbs. of specimens, and expect more shortly. I have now on hand a little over 100 lbs. of specimens, and about 15 ton 3 of good crushing dirt in the paddock. Since then I have taken 100 lbs. of specimens from the run lately opened upon. The Three Brothers' claim is advertised for sale. At a meeting of the Royal Oak directors a dividend of 2s (id per share was declared. The Tokatea lodged to-day with the Bank of New Zealand 122 ozs. 15 dwts. of gold for the last fortnight's crushing. Ratjen's claim lodged 5J ozs. of gold, the yield from 40 lbs. of picked stone. j