THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5397, 5 March 1879, Page 2

THE GOLDFIELDS.

Corby.—The following report cazso to hatd yesterday : 2so. 1 winze is now down 00 feet. Sinking here is rather slow for the present, owing to the quantity of ground to he taken out, the leader being in three separate divisions, which require to he taken down and warelied carefully. Occasional prospects of loose gold can be obtained, but not payable. No. 1 LowLevel Driving progressing favourably, 15 feet more will take us underneath the winze, when a rise will be started to connect with it; farther than loose prospects, no gold has beeu seen in the stone during the week. Flat Leader : Goldcan be seen freely when breaking down, and is likely to lead oil to something better. Contractor is making good headway with the hopper, and if not delayed through timber will tiuisii next week.—H. Alacdo.vald. [FROM OUR o'vV>- CORRESPONDENT. J Thames, Monday. Russell Section: The new level which is being opened up on the Poms Russell lode, at a depth of about 100 feet below the floor of the creek level, has been extended on the course of the reef about 00 feet. When the drive was first started from the winze there was a strong bod\" of quartz in hand, but this has been driven through, and in the present face there is no sign of qmrtz to be seen. The whole width of the drive is a clayey head or slide. The manager purposes to continue the drive a little further, and then, if nothing more encouraging is met with, the men will be started to cross-cut for the specimen leader. Diiving in the main tunnel is b'jing pushed on as fast as possible. The country is more favourable for carrying goldbearing lodes. The winze going down from the 150-feet level was holed through to the 21S-feet level on Thursday. The last few feet of the winze were sunk through the slide on account of the underlie of the reef being very ti.it, consequently, although the winze is down, the lode is not yet to hand on the level. In the winze the reef is well-defined, and is about three feet thick. Now that the winze is i through, the men oil the 21S-feei level will be ; able to work with much greater comfort, and make better progress. Owing to the disturbed nature of the consequent on the proximity of the slides, it is scarcely likely that stone of rich quality will be met with when the lode is tirst intersected, but p.s it is opened-out upon, it is just possible the ran of gold which was lose below the SO-feec level may be again picked up. The out-put of quartz from the differeut parts of the mine has been of rather better quality, and there is a considerable improvement in the return this last fortnight. Since the last cleaning-up about 2GG tons of general dirt have been crushed, for the return 222 ounces retorted gold. Twenty head of stamps have been kept employed on stuff from the mine.