THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4788, 22 March 1877, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[>'KOM OUR' OWN CORRESPONDENTS.]

' '' ' • . ; Thames, Wednesday. \ Moanataiabi.—The battery return promises exceedingly well. The single stamper' is pounding away on specimens, arid the amalgam from the'general stone from "No. 9 lode,' as crushed in the 10-stamper box, is splendid. ..Kvery day the: specimens as such are treated, and each shot, although bringing down 6 and 4cwt. stone, leaveaitho face- as rich as it was before. There ■ is ' a large block of visible specimens ia'dependent of 'either, length, depth, or height. The reef to' the jnorth-eaatend isinoreasing in , size, , arid will supply large' quantities < of' payable "stone , ; indeed; the- whole of; the • reef in'' the level may b'e'termedprbfitaiblei'and, now that thie company are free from debt, would enable dividends to be declared eveii'without'the shot of gold .now.disclose'd the value" of which cannot yet be estimated, many .of. the spepimens being equal to, 30z3. q£ the jib., of stone.' On the course: bf this - reef ,; it: is known there is another'shot-of gold, but its yalpe, cannot be inference'"however 'is ,■ clear, that the jrun of this reef towards the slide • rriust. be good. The resources-of' tliis company arenowyastly superior to anything they' have yet possessed. They have the most complete. minjng. and ;battery plant free, from debt, with a balance in hand on the 19th •Ararch'-of £6420 .103 5d,. and T -the tribute .moneyiaocruing from the several parties now working the.'i upper and old portions of the mine; it being -well understood that the company. contiuuing;to;. work '-those sections ould never'realise so-much as the aggregate per centages amount ■ to. 1 The crushing for the outside , public; for the; last, fortnight, earning the price,.-of treating. 22(5 tons quartz (which gave to the owriers 1001 Ounces of gold), this last item forming a. considerable income... With., the mine intact below the present level, 60 feet below main tunnel, and'the yet iinknown riches to be discovered by extending the tunnel to the extremity of 'their'' property easterly,; for which purpose .they have decided to import one of the Patent Rock Drills,, driven by compressed air, the situation. ' being" lyery, favourable for using such withadvantage, and the project of sub-stituting-water as a motive power, in lieu of steam, will ■enable the company to deal with reefs and' lodes .that otherwise could not be [attempted.-Sinking.the shaft proceeds'-wellj the men, being in good country, and no. rlifficnlty.'.'ia^'aritieipsted!in going. down, the required depfcH. By baling-the water onee a tlay. the shaft is kept-clear. ! ':. '-"■''' : Waiotahi;—-The cross-cut ,is in 46 feet •from.theshaft.'and the manager, Mr.. Smith,' is of opinion that he has the 3-feet reef in hand. . ' ".-." . ' '..... ' '...'..; . : '

"' Red Queen.—ln rising upon No.'Glodo, withia a few feet of theboundary 'from the Caledonian, the present crashing stone was taken, and promises a good return. A small ■trial lot from another-portion; of the same reef has yet to be completed before retorting will take place. 'Continuing to break down, the. reef became rather,,flat, fullyj :8 feet wide, :tho footwall side looking much the best, as it proved yesterday by affording ,£cwt. of picked stone ; further on, the reef is divided by a horse coining in strong aud apparently forcing-the: reef into a more upright positionj-the footwall branch being tlie smallest," bur, evidences that it is good crush-' .ing stone and' probably the presont show of! picked stone-is: but the precursor of ashot'i of gold of a similar description to those fgundunder the • same circumstances bptn in the; Gnre and Caledonian.- The reef willTcon-; tinue upward for 140 feet , at the least. ' . ..,.,,, .WAiTßiiAum," -Monday. ; '. G. M. Co.—Timbering aud! centreing up the No. 2 winze so as to form a quartz-pass and ladder-way, was finished last Wednesday evening, and men were put on at onco to open up the intermediate level. Not a great deal of stone was bi-okeu quj; for the first few shifts, but on Saturday, tliurc being more room to work, a contiderhblc amount of splendid atone was run into the hopper, ready to be sent to the mill. . It will be some time before the hanging- w.ill of :the reef is found, as the intermediate drives are started from tli« foot-wall'- , 'side,- ; ami", rt'ill. angle .tciots until " it is : to hand. ,-When a sullicient distance a leading atope

will "When" - any ""quantity of" rich stone will be .comeatable. The,4ow...level is being: ex-' fended past the- No. 1 2/ b'ut-fi it alongside the footwall leader (which {is a greater; distanced romtheinahXTeef than' was expected) it will be a day or two yet before the latter is'cut.'and'as the leader carries as good or better'ggldithajr what it did in! the, upper part of the winzo, there is no dbu'ot but what the -main reef will be found' as richin theprecious ,as w.ha£ it ■}& fal levet'^'The-company's be., this week' cohveyihg stone'to"the'mill. "This day week - crjushinjjj, is, - ? to, ( be/ respmqd/ > -with;,'tlie ! full fored, as the" mine' by lhat time.todiave'ith'o.rdine.sUlliciently opened up to always keep the 40-head going on,fire.lr-. •->!>■' -J ■"'•'* »¥«? • s . being absent at the time of my visit yesterday, 1 had"a'lodk' , through""tne , workings for myself, and found. thereof, looking as well as ever, and in lino sandstone country., Therejiaa large'quantityj pf-'qparfe ;stackc<i; ready; for the mill, and' it'shoulcl.criish'wclliias 1 sawseveral pieces amongst .itwithi gold visible. I believe it is intended"to call;for tenders at once for the proposed, tramway ip connect; the, Welcome jnihe,''.withL:Mtne v:Waitekanri Co. , s battery .-s, :,.,.-- '■■..' ,--.-:»';«-< -'-"J, ' ,; ''' : During last week'" a?.6ouj>lp, r 'pf',VHe Young Newfealand'shareh'6lder3,iia;Yq'been busily ODgaged.iputtirjg.^a','drive ■'nnderneath jthe • placet from, where -'the ,I 'l\rst i .'c'rti.ening was taken, and aij a|di3tanged£"iq fel.liinterseqted. the lode,^jvhich';lii3' : a,,uAce*;l>odyiidf stone," about 3 feet tHickj:andcarries good gold.i -,n