THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5419, 31 March 1879, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

MONTHLY SUMMARY".

TriEns is no change of any importance to notice in mining affairs in the Thames district If anything, the depression which h3s been ie!t for some considerable time now is worse, -i-.icl operations are languishing in every direction. Many of the companies may be 2-vM to have suspended work altogether, and v. bat they are doing is barely sufficient to nsrintaip their title to the groun-i. The fa-Jure to a;'.'os',tr iarthei ric'u deposits of the pr.cion:: ;ne', il i.-.- ono cause of the continual d«precr:o-i ; but -;h.!rc -~n l, e little doubt that this is runte-i il', added to through the pumps still remaining idle- Early in the mouth another cffirtw.-j m.ile tj come to some arrangement with rcga-a to them, and an off r V! .13 ni3.;e to the County Council to try at. ; ii:duce theiu to hand over the t'oo,ooo securities wl:ich they hold iu trust tt> a new association, who would have enliageii to start pumping operations the County .*iutlioriUet>, however, consider the secarit'es V> be County property, and, it woul'.l ap|-.w>r. determined" to sell the whole ot '-he pr'■jiarticj mortgaged, in order to er.aMe tllc-in to ckar off a certain liability which they incurred at their bankers'. How far they are justified iu this action, remains to be proved. Iu consequence, however; of the attitude they have taken, the vc.riou3 compauies interested decline to spend any further sums iu prospecting their ground, *ntil they obtain tome security that they will reap the benelit therefrom, and the result is. that many of t'.e companies' operations are at a standstill. Ttiafc it is having considerable <lr ; ct on the district is evident, and capital which would have been employed iu opeuing up new blocks of ground is seeking investment in other directions. — Moanataiari : The prospects of this mine have improved slightly during the month. The lode which lias been driven ou in the Point Russell section, it is supposed, is ouly a branch of the main reef, and a cross-cut has been started for the purpose of pickiug up the latter. Iu the main tunnel a large reef has been met with running almost parallel with the drive. A trial parcel from this lode has been put through the battery, but although tiie stone container! good mineral indications, the result did not provij payable. However, it is highly probable that as the lode is further developed the stone will improve ia quality. At tlie 21S-feet level the 9 lode i 3 to hand. Iu the face the reef is about three feet thick, and has a favourable appearance. There is a good prospect of meeting with payable quartz as the drive gets further away from the slide. The output of quartz lias been of similar quality to that of the previous month, and the return is a moderate one.—Kurunui: The neiv reef discovered in this mine has not come up to expectations, and the returns are not so good as were anticipated. The stuff is very patchy, sometimes crushing well and at others falling off so much that it is scarcely payable. At the present timo the block of ground between the battery and Shotover levels is being stoped out. A considerable tonnage of crushing dirt is coming to hand.—l'ho Red Queen, Caledonian, Cure, and Beverel other mines oil the Moanataiari Creek are doing nothing worth mentioning.—The Old Golden Calf still continue working ou the Caledonian No. 3 level, although under great difficulties, owing to the lightness of the air. The lode has been driven on a considerable distance, and after the last breaking-down some fjood golden scone was obtained. In fa:t, there are excellent indications that a rich deposit of the precious metal would be soon met with could operations be carried on more vigorously. Auother small parcel of stone is to hand, whici will be crushed shortly.— Alburuia : The return from this mine, which waj not in in time for last mouth's summary, was sufficiently goo 1 to enable the directors to pay another half-crown dividend. During the past month, however, the quality of the quartz has not proved quite so good, and the return i* not expected to be so large. The >io. 4 winze has holed through to the 70-feet level, and preparations are being made to resume driving on the level. The stopes above the Whau and 70-feet levels are yielding a considerable tonnage of fair crushing dire. Ou the Black Angel level, and also on Dixon's love!, preparations are beiog made to start driving on the course of -he lode. On the latter level there is a strong body of stone, about 2h feet thick, which shews good mineral indications. From the stcpes in Dixon's section above and below the Whau level some good crushing dirt is being obtained, with occasional small parcels of good picked stone. — Waiotahi : The shaft has been sunk the required depth for the new level. The timbering has been finished, aad the guides for the cages are now being fixed. week the work of opeciug out the new level will be commenced. A little quartz is coming to hand from the 2 level. Operations will be iu full swing again shortly, ar.d the new level is anticipated to turn out well.—lu the Prince Imperial, Crown Princess, Piako, and Q-ieen of Beuuty mines all work on the companies' account has b-en stopped, the ground beiug worked by tributers only — The water in the Big Pump shaft •s u:> to the 2s"o. level, and in the Qnecn of Heauty it is up to the No. 15 level. — Waitekauri: Moore and party, tributers in this mine, have banked a good return from their block this month. The proprietors have also obtained a small parcel of gold. There are also one or two returns from other mines in the Waitekauri district. GOLD EETURXi Full TiIE MUXTII. Oz.'lwt srr. Moinatiiari Co'immy, 401 tons .. .. 403 10 0 Ditto tributes. 133 cons .. .. f>i«j 412 AlLumi-i C ;mp uiy, 320 tons .. .. t:0 » 5 i> tribute. J !T> tens .. .. Z75 612 Kuranni Company. 300 tons .. .. 2>! 0 0 Di'to, tri' iUes. 57 tons .. .. 32') 0 0 rrinee Im*j.critl Co:np my, 00 tons .. OS 1 0 Di'to. tril»ut ».>. 0 ton? .. .. 05 4 O \.'ale<l->nian Company 20 t< us .. .. 3 0 0 I)Uto, t*iimius. 10 tous .. .. -{!! 1 0 1 Cur* tributes, lti toos 57 y q : Oo!rt«n CVo*vii 1 00 tons .. .. 4Z 10 0 lJt n IVilro trihuTt'i, '21 tous .. .. 3 i) \Vatchuian tributes 10 tOLS .. .. 71> 2 0 W» 2>t C fast tribute*, ti tous .. .. -S 7 0 l.irerUH-s tributes. 4Cibs. 3 A 4 0 erow.i Princes* t ibir.es G1 toni.. .. 54 3 O Q ioen o: Brauty CompAM.v G s O Dit o, trtt.utei. 4S iuds .. .. l?.u •> 0 Piako tributes, 43 t->u4 55 G 0 U.ipe Crerk tributes, 12 tons .. .. 10 is o bu cuiim. 1 r OM 2 0 0 Uul«U22i.*cUitii.ttiors 11 14 0 Lrt t Cbnuce clairu. 4 tons.. .. .. 0* 17 0 Lit? Li K-uts claim 4 tons .. .. .. 2 14 0 Littl-i Si>sy chiiin. 15 tous ~ .. .. £S 50 0 . Tiafulgir KUim, 5 tons 10 l;> o -ecoutl Try, jo ton* i> 5 O Joi-er cl tiin, a tons .. .. .. .. i*, 1+ 0 Star of T« I'sip 1, 10 tius .. .. .. 11 i» 0 iJfo.-slde 10 tous is 13 0 Uttl« U. iuii 3 'o claim, 4 tftus .. .. 213 u Th tales Sottish eiai u, 15 tons .. .. 23 2 O >ur* cWim, 3 tuns G 15 0 Waiteka iri. s') tons SG 5 O Ditto, tributes, 175 tons 234 It 0 Welcome tributes, 2G tons 3S 10 0 Co»rn Stalk, S tons .. .. .. .. 2 2 0 Sundries SCO 0 O Tot d, 230G tons 4.15S 7 0