THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4667, 28 October 1876, Page 5

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[FEOSC OUR qWH. pOBBESPONPKHT.]

' ..Thames, Friday. Moxsjk. T^na -~ ThV contractors are progress, j n _ sa jj with drives froia the low* 1 9ve l chamber, ■ below the Beach tnnnet la the 22 feet in, * leader M, £°<4 $P*£% "" **** . cnt through, *ft w ™ clles *"*<» »* *•» *SP» mcreasSfr b> c ne foot on the floor of the drive, and a» ** xbt i 4 will prove good crushing stone, gold bi '*« Be ? n »P »*• broken down: in- eA "kng through will be pnt through the mitt test' The course of it will continue through the company's ground in its underlay, but W" 1 found within the Don Pedro Emit* above. This drive will be continued to- Ni *• \ reef > estimated to be reached within-120 feet, of which 33 feet are done. A winze- I'tss been sank on the reef to the depth of 45 feet This will be deepened and for stoping from by the time the drive ie in, but in the opposite or south cut drive-,. tiHe country ia also good, and fair progress is being made, A leader of qnartz has been- c;*rrjed in a portion of the distance, bnt it isiiU-defined, and at present of no great valuer- The fact that the country is good and proved to be goldbearing is very encouraging , .

Golt>en Calf;— The prospectors have, for' the last few weeks, beeD engaged in? sinking: a winze upon the main lode from t&fflJ low level, and have met with success- in securing from time to' time excellent specimen*. A crushing is now going through the milli, asd a good yield is anticipated.

Bed Queen. —The- crushing at Ball's battery will be completed on Saturday, except the picked stone, which has- been.- augmented yesterday by lcwfc. The general diart is not by any means rich, but with tie- addition from picked stones will run the yield up to a respectable amount. .Retorting, will take place on Tuesday. —

Qtjeen of the Mat.—Driving rron* the footwall portion of the lode at rigaj angles for 24 feet the hanging wall branch has been cut, showing good stone 2'feet thick.

The Crown Princess have a large stack of qnartz at the Una battery, where crushing will be resumed on. Monday next. A eontract is to be let for breaking down a large parcel of No. 1 reef, the largest in the company's ground.

Welcome.—A report from the mine manager was presented at a meeting of directors on Tuesday last. It stated : " The following is a list of desd work done under ay management during the past four aionths : —No..-1 level, driving on croee-cnt *4 feet; No. 2 level, driving on crose-cat 35 feet; No. 2 level, driving on main reef 120 feet i No. 2 level, driving on foot-wall reef 89 feet; No. 2 level, main cross-cut 39 feet; total amouat of rising done, 99 feet, making a total of 456 feet. The total amount of tramway laid down during the same period is 552 feet, which all new timber had to be provided for. There has also been a quartz paddock excavated to hold 140 tons, besides other outside works. I merely mention the above to shew that the works have not been confined to stoping out quartz only. I may mention that there is a good stock of tools on hand, so that the ironmongsr's account will be very light for some time to come. lam now in a position, with the mine opened up as it is, to take out another 500 tons of quartz, without doing a stroke of dead work. 1 have the honor to be, your obedient servant, William Goldswoiithy, mine manager." It was resolved to instruct the manager to drive on the cross reef, and to let a contract for driving 100 feot on the main lode. It was also decided to continue the low level crosscut a distance of 300 feet.

Waitekat7RJ, October 24. There seems to be quite a panic on all stock in this district, though what occasion there is fcr it 1 cannot make out. I see by the monthly share report that the fall in the Waitekiuri Company shares is attributable to the price that has to be paid for the battery, and the probability of the water supply not being sufficient to keep the full force going in the dry eeason. Now, as to the £18,000 that has to be paid for the battery, I do not say but that it is a stiff price, but the plant is a g"od one, and it is far better for the company to pay that and have the battery their own property.

Young New Zealand.—This company started crushing yesterday at Wick's battery, the shaping well. They bave about 30 tons down, and expect to be able to keep the battery going for sonic time. The manager has laid about 600 feet of tram from the paddock to the top of the MIL The quartz is filled into bags at the paddock, and put on a truck, which is drawn by horset- to the top of the hiil, and then the bags ere put on sledges, and conveyed to the mi.il. In the low level there has been '10 feet driven last week, but the men are in better country, and expect to get on a bit faster.

There are a number of men leaving here for the Kutnara ni3h, which, along with some of the claims shortening hands, makes things dull.

UHINEMUKX (MaCKAYTOWN), Oct. 25. The Young Mew Zealand started crushing at Wick's battery yesterday, but I have not heard how the stuff is shaping. The Energetic people are still getting good stone, and everything is going on satisfactorily in the Waitekauri Company's mine and at the battery. At" Owharoa, the works in the Annie, Smile of Fortune, and Morning Light claims are being pushed ahead under the superintendence of Messrs. Ciimo and Dunlop. It is expected that Mr. Perry's battery will be ready to start crushing in a month's time.