THE MINES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 5016, 13 December 1877, Page 3

THE MINES.

The following reports were received yesterday : — K"uaxl-i Company.—During the past fortnight the stamps have not been fully employed at any time, and liave altogether stopped tor want of quartz oil Thursday last. All the force, however, was started yesterday, and w ill be busy until Christmas. All Nations section : 13 tons were crushed from the winze under Peterson's block, and yielded S.'iozs. lGdwts. melted gold—say ui oz3. per ton. 1 have now twelve men stoping, and ten stamps at work, and expect to take several hundred ounces from this block before Christmas. Poverty : Have 15 tons ready, but, shall be unable to crush this year. The lodein the rise remains as strong as ever, and I anticipate a payable return, as gold is occasionally seen in breaking. 3ol) feet level : The water from the. Sliotover workings will be down this week, and I w ill then lose no time in opening ou the lodes found in the cross cut. 040 feet level : Tho lode is over three feet thick, compact and strong. The containing rock is gradually assuming a more healthy appearauce, and in less than IUO feet we shall enter the gold carrying ground, as seen overlying the great slide at this level in the north cross-cut-. Th : north cross-cut is at a stand since cutting the slide, aud I anxiously wait your reply to mv letter in connection with this, dat<;d Ist instant. The water in the i>not->ver is sinking at the rate of nine inches per day. No doubt the sludge in the bottom will check the drainage to the OKI feet level, but this will be overcome by our 303 feet cruss-cuc. —J. Y*\ Walkbi;.

Calk no xi an Company.—The battery has been kept going during the week. • n Saturday night 1210ozs. of hard-squeezed amalgam vreru lodged in the bank. 4t)loz-i. of thi? is from iiewt. of picked stone. There i 3 now at tie bunk altogether 2'2!10v.-i. of amalgam. The quantity of quartz hauled up to this morning ii IS3 tons, which i ex pect will be through the battery on Thurs aay for a return of about SOO'Z-*. of gold. The lode is abut two feet in thickness, and 13 vieldin" over 2ozs. per Wu. I lie strike of the good »to ! ie h?.s a decline of about .itjdeg , and on the squire of this is about 3o feet long on course of the lode. Ihere is au old (Otago) drive along the course of this lode 10 feet deeper vertic illy than the level from v.-hich we are working. 1 have fouud tile same strike of quartz highly mineralised in the bottom of this level, but have not yet had time to prove its value. Upper Otago : There has been but little done during the \Peeli. i can now work this part so as to utilise the mullock for tilling stopes, having holed i rora lower working-! to Utago "haft. Tributes : Trie ditFjrent tribute parties are working as last reported. I'hey are all preparing for eiu-hiti;/ —'Tl.'OS. James.

ALiiL'KSiA Company.— I have trie honour to report that at toe bottom of So 1 winze, Whau level, the reef in the east driz* is of large size, but is of low grade I have let the west drive ou contract: at li>« per foot ; no change to report in the reef. X have started a leading stope from bottom of Mo. 2 winze east; the reef here is 1 root G inches thick, which is at present bring stripped. No. 2 winze : As reported in my last, 1 have opened out on the specimen leader 35 feet below the Whau level ; the country is tight, and slow progress has been made, only a small portion of the leader has been broken down, which shows good gold. 1 have also opened out both enda of winze on the Sons of Freedom reef at this point, which yields good ore, and 70!bs. of >-pecimens with 2001bs. of picked stuff have been selected this w*-ek. Whau Level : The Contractors in the west drive Have driven 35 feet during the fortnight. the reef in the face is about 2 feet G inches wide, but shows no gold at present. No change in the east drive or stopes above. Sou.) of Freedom : The low tunnel has

reached the required distance for the winze from the 150 feet level; it is therefore discontinued for the present. I have let a contract for sinking 50 feet of winze from the 150-foot level, for 22s (id per foot. When it is fully ascertained that the winze and drive are on the same lod*, 1 shall commence to rise to mee 4 ; the winze. Dixon's Low Level : Th« contractors have completed their contract of 150 feet, and I have let a fresh one of 50 feet at 20s per foot. No chauge in the leader.— Samuel Ukicule.

New Goldkn Pah—Finco my taking charge of the mine I have been engaged timbering the drives on leader, and started driving on the same ; also started a rise so as to be able to scope out the leader. 1 lie leader in the rise looks very w» 11, gold being distributed freely through the strne, but nothing which I could class as specimens. There are about 10 tons of stone in the paddock, which I consider should crush well.— JOHN* BREMNEK.