THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4789, 23 March 1877, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

|>ROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.]

Thames, Thursday. " Aloanataiari. — The shot on Wednesday morning on the run of gold brought'.down about scwt of stone that has rarely'been exceeded in value on this or any other goldfield. Aβ soon as this was known, stock advanced from £9 to £12 10s. After the issne of the brokers' list of prices, Captain Hanney, of the Union Beach, Coromandel, visited the mine, and was present when the shot was let off.., He was,quite satisfied with No. 9 reef, and after inspecting the other reefs on the level, took ship per Kotomahana for Auckland. Tha present "show" is by far the most satisfactory, the face of .the rnn of gold being superior to any hitherto seen since its discovery. The reef is being worked by carrying a, testing etope back towards the*'cross-cut, and at the distance ,ol 40 feet from' the face, splendid stone"hai' been broken out, besides many similaronea along its present length.. The extent of 'the specimen run has not only increased, but the quality as'left exposed by every'shot is, now" superior' to "what" "it has been." The general stone, ,-n.a- -eents to the battery, independent of .the specimens treated as such, warrants the opinion that the present level is the best the company ever,had, and promises well for the succeeding one. Sinking the shaft progresses well. The contractors are down 12 feet in good country, and work continuously, being, free from water. The water, formerly draining into, the shaft ihas been diverted by cutting a trench back to No. 9 reef", where.it finds a road for iti'elf, and is lost to eight. Transactions in Moanataiaria were few on Wednesday night, and closed with sales at £16 each. '

i■: Pumping Association.—The :drive from the north has been extended 47 feet during the past fortnight, making the total distance from shaft 579 feet. The contractors are in good countryy-and keep up full shift* of men ! on full time, and make good headway.; The erection of the balance-bob below progresses, and.in the oourse of a short time will be complete. Queen of the Mat. —Driving on the crosscut is now extended to within 5 feot of the winze sunk upon the jnnction of the reef in the upper level, and a3 good crashing stone,' equal to 2Jozs. gold to the load, wan obtained from the out-put of the winze, it is anticipated that the value of the lode will be much enhanced when the men break thvongh. The main lode divides into three sections in'the bottom level, hence the error of following the middle portion for a short length instead o£ the foot-wall branch, which has hitherto proved the company's sheet-anchor. ! It is, however, more than probable that, the new middle one will prove payable, and that the hanging-wall reef will be'bejtter than formerly, while the truo footwalllhas indicated itsi'better value' by the winze already sunk upon it. The, ley el. is only being now opened, with 80 feet backs, while the profitable length in the upper leveljhas been 200 feet. The Qdeen of May have, therefore, a good prospect of. continuance upon profitable stone. '■ ■ ■ j Waiotahi. —The reef cut in the north cross-cut from the shaft (new level) j has proved to be'not the 3 feet reef, aa mentioned in a former notice, but a new body of stone on a different course, iand may likely junction with it further on. The manager is still . driving j for thereof, which, by.survey, is expected to be met with at 60 feef from shaft, or 6 feet, more extension. A small leader hae also' been cut immediately at the baok of the new reef, and both are likely to be payable the cqmpany. 3Jhe battery is partially employed on public account; and if the water from the Government, or rather, the County supply was used' in lieu ofi the present creek jupply, it would be better for the company, as well as any others employing the battery. , ...-■.. i •:■■• ;.: -'rp Ckeek; Wednesday.

. ■ This district, fora long time dormant, at one time produced a lartje quantity of gold; and the gold obtained a much higher price than the average Thames produce. The diggings were emphatically surface ones,' and as soou as difficulties appeared, in addition to the then.high price for'crushing and transit, the place was deserted. Latterly a few Thames miners ihaye taken up, ground, and are iikely to make it pay ; and there is every reason to believe, now that crushing and other chargesiare much reduced, with a trifling assistance, from the Thames County Council, that many of the abandoned claims could be worked successfully. ; As an instance. Mr. Stephens, owner; of what was Buckland'a mill, has opened'some old works in the All Nations, and though at first compelled to crush mullock and quartz mixed, tramming it.a considerable distance, 40 tons yielded 17oza. retorted gold, worth .three guineas ' per ounce—a result that has left a,very encouraging.profit to tho proprietor, and should stimulate others to take up ground, of which there is a wide scope to choose from. ~