THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XV, Issue 5063, 7 February 1878, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[.FIIOH OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Tuesday. Smile of Fortune (Owharoa).—Mr. Wick, tho lessee, has brought down lOozs. 7dwts. of gold, as the result of the tributo crushing of 20 tons quartz. Kurajjui Hill Tributes.—MeLeod and party crushed 25 tons for IDossi. or gold ; Gordon and party realised 31ozs. 15dwte. of gold from 20 tons of quartz. Moanataiari.—The fortnight's crushing put through 482 tons of quartz from all sources, for the comparatively poor return of 34t>ozs. of gold. No specimens were obtained during the week. The main tunnel has been extended 27 feet, ihe tributers, Boyle and party obtained from 13 tons crushed at the Herald battery 470z3. lSdwts. of gold; Sawyer and party, loz. lGdwts. gold from 4£ tons; Hawkins aud party, 1540z5. lOdwts. of gold from a nice patch of specimens (1531b5.), obtained in the vicinity of the Eureka shaft. Qcee.v of Beauty Extended. —The regular crushinga at the company's battery has resulted in 39Sozs. of retorted gold, as the product of 13 days' crushing with 20 stampers on 390 tons stone, broken out chieily from the Queen of May section. The melted return proved 3920z5. lOdwts. of gold. Cure Tiuisutf.rs. —Morrison lodged 13ozs. of gold, and Johns 4ozs. lOdwta. Tookek Tribute Company.—Application was made by the manager for leave to work on the reef which had been discovered by the tributers of the Kuranui Hill Company, through their drive on the reef ; but permission was, for some reason unknown, withheld. Instructions were then sent to the manager to get at the reef from tho Tookcy workings, when he quickly found out another road through a drive 30 feet below where the gold was fonud on the Kurauui ground, aud 00 feet withiu the boundary. 'Ihe manager picked up the met almost immediately, aud aunt up a sample of the stone to tho Auckland olliee, which shows gold freely. The drive requires cleaning up, and a road laid down, to enable tho company to stud tho aurit\rous stone to the surface. Victory.—Scott Brothers and party lodged 33ozs. lodwts. gold from their claim in the Upper Karaka. Ux.v Tribute. —Itabe and party obtained Oozs. Sdwts. of gold from 6 tons of quartz crushed at Bull's battery. Haik Cki:ek Tribute.—Tetley aud party crushed 130 tous quartz for llozs. Sdwts. gold. City oi" Maxcukstick.—Scott aud party, while breaking out 13 tons quartz, secured 3311)3. rich stone, which produced o'Jozs. lOdwts. of gold, the general stone yielding lTozs. uJwts. ; making a total of 77ozs. ldwt. of gold. The crushing was at the Coulabah battery. Ciiuwx Princess Tribute.-—Kendall aud party obtained from SOlbs. of specimens from the low-level, aud crushed at Bull's battery, 500z3 Sdwts. of melted gold. Just jn Tj.me (latk Multum in Parvo), Waiotahi. —Chester and party, who have recently occupied this ground crushed 24 tons at Bulls battery for 20eZ5 of gold.

Lucky Hit.—White and party, working on the Karaka Spur, crushed 7A tuns at the battery owned by Mr. Perry, at the Karaka, iiiid put it into first-rate order, when l)ozs. Odwts. of f;o!d were obtained. Mokxixu Liuirr.—Turner crushed 4 tous for loz odwts. of gold. Caledonian' TiuuUTEiis.—Jenuiugs and party crushed 0 tons lor :iuzs. gold. New Mgunim; Stak.—The directors have, with a view to further develop the mine from the 200 feet level, tuade a third call of Is per share. A rrin/.e has been sank 40 feet, at which point it is expected to intersect the underlie of the old Just in Time reef. Operations will also eoatinue towards the JMoauataiari slide, and the reef driven on that has been intersected and a show of gold obtained. Wednesday. Imi'krial Crown Tiublte.—Walton and party lodged loz. Gdwts. of gold. Don l'Euiso.-'-lirowii aud party lodged oozs. Idwt. gold. Hate Creek Tribute.—Mann lodged loz. "dwts gold from 4 tons stone. Kuiu.Nr/1 Hill Tribute.—Mills aud party obtained 73czs. lTdwts. gold from a crushing. Kowe and party crushed IS.V tons stone for lSuzs. lOdwts. of gold. Moasataiari Tuiblte.—Comer aud party crushed a Jarge parcel at the Herald battery for 760z3. ISdwcs. of gold. I'liKO Tkii-.uie. — Daniels aud party crushed 5 tons quartz from the Bird in Hand section for loz. lodwts. of gold.

Dane.—Ularkson lodged 2dwts. of gold. Alma.—Ninnis and party, who have the winze and battery on a tribute from the company for a period, are progressing well; the return of gold being satisfactory to all parties. There will be a retorting ou Friday and the proceeds brought to town on Saturday. The stone crushed includes a, few specimens recently obtained, and the general quartz shows occasional gold, as it is broken out from the stopes of the intermediate level. The tributes, however, have penetrated more to tiie right, or footwall part of the reef, than was done previously, and only crush some 3 feet of it, leaving the bulk of the lode forming the centre and hanging wall portion, selecting the foot-wall side of the retf. Crushing at the battery occurs, as the quantity warrants steam'being got up. No fresh discoveries of new reefs have been made, but there is sufficient ground opeued to warrant an opinion that the trilratera will have a profitable tenure. PiUKNiY.—This company have done very little to their ground, pending the erection of the 4 stamper battery purchased from the Tairua Company. There ia a considerable (juaniity of iirewood stocked, and the battery site ia cleared of standing wood. The contractor for delivery of battery is at work with two teams of horses transporting the machinery, which is got over the corduroy road easy, but the new cut road from the main one-, nearly one mile long, is in a very soft, spongy condition, which will make it diifieult for heavy weights, aud contains one terribly steep part that wili need the assistance of block aud tackle to either lower down or haul up any load.

Golden Point.—The parties working ou this claim have expended much labour, and obtained a little gold, but suflieient to iuduce them to persevere, believing that the precious metnl is not only near the surface from which, by sluicing in a very primitive fashion, they obtain gold, mostly very tiiie, but occasionally in touch pieces ; but from bearings struck on a deposit of cement and pipeclay, easily worked. A small shaft 35 feet has been sunk upon it, and gold has been carried dowh the whole distance. This formation has been traced by sinking several holes for about 100 feet in length. In order to extract the gold, a pug mill has been erected, which answers the purpose o f reducing the material, bat the residue requires a battery or grinding process, while the fine gold has not been saved. It requires better appliances, aud to be dealt with more efficiently to save the gold, than is at present in use. The show of gold ia the dish is good, some of it is coated with oxides, giving it a peculiar red colour, but it amalgamates with quicksilver freely. The peculiar formation in this district, with the presence of gold for 3G feet depth, promises well for further development by driving a level from their present pujj-mill (which has been begun), or by continuing to sink the shaft, aud thereby demonstrate the depth of the formation, or to reach the bottom where probably a much richer find of gold will be found.

New Morning Stais. —Sinking a winze cm No. 1 reef from the bottom level, shows the stone to be of good quality. The depth attaiued is 10 feet, which shows a little gold all the way down. This winze will be continued till the slide is reached, probably 17 feet more, when the reef will be driven on and stoped to the boundary of the old Just in Time claim, whore the workings produced excellent returns formerly. Iα a lew days the quartz obtained from the several reefs will be forwarded for crushing. ToOkey TiUBUTK.—The manager reports : " The Belfast lode in the Tookoy ground has been secured in the 100 feet level, and shows gold freely, and so soon as the roadway is made good, the lode will be operated upon vigorously. In addition to the above, a. little visible gold has been met with in the No. 1 Caledonian reef at the 400 feet level, and the v/here this has been found are'of the most encouraging character. I believe that this is the first gold seen at thi3 depth from the big shaft, and we trust that this is not the last, and have no doubt there is more where the rest was found, as it can haidly be expected that it is there by itself."

BOROUGH OF ONEHUNGA. The ordinary meeting of Council was hold on Monday evening. Present: The Mayor, Councillors Bycroft, Clark, Codlin, Earle, and Hartnetfc.—A voucher from the Treasury, Wellington, was read, informing the Council of the payment of 10i in the pound of subsidy, less £51 10s 2d enforced contribution for hospital and charitable purposes. Gas.—A committee was appointed to ascertain some required statistics.—lt was agreed to apply to the Kail way authorities to open a gate across Victoria street. Wharf Tariff.— The Councillors who were appointed to interview Sir George Grey with reference to the wharf tariff, were further instructed to make representations with reference to abolishing the toll gate at Newmarket, and also with respect to a cemetery. Conncillor Codlia was added to the deputation. Slauoiit£li house. —The committee appointed on the matter of establishing Mr. Buckland's slaughter-house, at Panmure, an abattoir of the Borough, applied for an extension of time for their report, which was granted.—[Own Correspondent.]