THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5492, 24 June 1879, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

I [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Monday. Alburnta. —To-day, Mr. Samuel Gribble, who has been in charge of this mine for severnl years. Bave for a short pariod of three monthß towards the end of 1878, handed over the management of the mine to Mr. Thomas Radford, late manager of the Queen of Beauty mine. During the time that Mr. Gribbla has had the management of the Alburnia, a large quantity of gold has been obtained from the various reefs in the company's ground, and besides paying a large sum in dividends, the directors have been enabled to create a reserve fund of no less than £4000. The rich deposit of gold met with on the Whau level, and worked for some distance both above and below the level, appears, however, to have been exhausted, and no new discovery haß yet been made. A large quantity of very promising-looking quartz is coming to hand from various parts of the mine, but, owing to the distance from, aud the cost of getting it down to, the battery, much of this has to be thrown aside as unpayable. At present the quartz obtained is principally from the stopes above the 70-feet level, but, as these stopes will ere very long be worked out, new ground should at once be opened np. Westward on this level, and on the line of the reef, there is a considerable distance to drive before the Whau boundary is reached, and .the best prospect the company has of meeting with good payable quartz is in this direction. This drive, owing to the reef being somewhat pinched, has been suspended, and the very important work of prospecting the mine toward the western boundary is, therefore, at a standstill. Below this level the mine may be . said to be untouched. On Dixon's lower level the Sons of Freedom lode has been driven on about 130 feet, and on the Tunnel-level not muoh more than 70 or 80 feet, consequently, there is a large area of ground yet to prospect, and, from the wellknown auriferous charaiter of the reef, it is not too much to expect that new and fresh deposits of the precious metal will yet be discovered. The shareholders have no reason to suppose the mine is exhausted. GOLD RETURNS FOR WEEK. oz.dwt.gr. Sfoftnatirl Company .. .. .. .. 227 0 O Ditto, Moyle's tribute.. .. ~ 12 17 0 Ditto, Moor«'stribate .. .. .. 40 0 0 Kuranai—Jenkins s tribute 145 0 0 Ditto, Hoakini's tribute .. .. 35 2 0 Ditto, KetO'gfln'a tribute .. .. 36 12 0 Alburnia, Skeen's tribute 8 3 0 Ditto, Hawkina'd tribute .. .. € 10 0 Ditto, Kneebone's tribute .. .. 63 10 0 Ditto, Emerson's tribute .. .. 43 11 0 Rowrt's Caledonian Tribute Company .. 36 3 0 Caledonian- Brnwnlee's tribute .. •• 27 14 0 Pitio, Paltridge'a tribute .. .. 22 15 0 Red Queen—Johnson's tribute .. .. 64 10 0 WaicnoKii, Hunter's tribute .. .. 92 10 0 Old Whau, Wilcox's tribute .. .. 4 7 0 Ditto, tribute 10 0 Tookpy—Teasclale's tributfl .. .. .. 14 19 0 Prince Imperial—Campbell's tribute .. 28 14 0 Queen of B-.'auty, Wilson's tribute.. .. 65 5 0 l.ittle Sissy'-lalm .. .. .. .. 16 19 G Little Bertha Claim 6 19 0 9SO 9 0 Coromandel, Monday. MONTHLY SUMMARY. Contrary to my predictions last month, there is no perceptabie change for the better. Everything is still very dull, and the mines I relied on to comc to the fore are not far enough advanced yet at any rate.—New Golden Pah : Last week a telegram came from Auckland to discharge all hands. So far this is very unaccountable, as the mine has a very favourable appearance, and the leader should have been cut in the bottom level by this time. An amalgation with the Union Beach is hinted at, but mo3t probably is untrue. It is difficult to see how either company would benefit by the change, as the workings are situated too far apart to make working from one shaft profitable. There is something like 1000 feet of blank ground known to exist between the two shafts, which would have to be driven through and traversed at every level, and the Beach Company has now got many acres of ground which they have never attempted to prospect, but perhaps they think the Pah has a good thing and want to share it.— Union Beach : The tributers, Norman and party, had a small crushing of five tons, for the ("ratifying return of 22ozs. The leader is small but very good. Two men are employed by the company prospecting on the surface. —Premier: A great deal of driving and prospecting has been done in this mine during the past month, but the result has not been very satisfactory. At the present time, a winze is being put down on the leader from the bottom level. A really first-class body of stone is in hand, and gold is seen occasionally. Some three tons of this, crushed separately, yielded 4Jozs. —a very payable return, if the body of stuff will average as good. The battery has been kept going on poor stuff, the return being very small.—Kapanga : The manager is keeping the pumps going to prevent the water rising. It was expected favourable advices would have been received by the last mail, but tho late crisis in England has delayed the re-formation of the company.—Golden Point: The tributers in this mino are making very satisfactory progress. They have a largo accumulation of good payable stuff in paddock, and a crushing of picked stuff last week yielded 37ozs. However, the block they are operating on is small, and will soon be worked out, when they will have to go deeper.—Corby : There is considerable improvement in this mine since last report. The No. 2 leader has twisted in a most extraordinary manner, making it very difficult to prospect. However, early in the month the manager put in an intermediate drive from No. 1 winze, and having cut the No. 2 leader, drove on it southward with tho happiest results, a fine shot of golden stone was passed through, and a good haul of specimens obtained. These were crushed, and the general stuff cleaned for 114ozs. More gold is expected in the next stope, and as there is a good block of ground overhead, the company may look for better crushings, if not a return of theiroldprosperity.—Harbour View : Nash's tribute are doing remarkably well ; about lOOlbs. of very rich specimens are lodged in the bank. The leader is looking better than ever. They have a good paddock of stuff, and will crush next week. Tho County Council is cutting a road to the lower workings.—Bismarck: The work of opening up this mine goes merrily on. The drive east has been pushed on a long distance,, and gold has becu got in small quantities all tho way. A leading stope is also going in, from which some good picked stuff is to band, which will be crushed immediately, A large tonnage of good quartz is in paddock, which will bo crushed as soon as the tramway is repaired. This tram is a very desirable work, and has been undertaken by the County in connection with the Bismarck, Tokatea, and Royal Oak companies, the managers of which will have charge of the same whon completed, which is expected to be accomplished in about a month.—Preece's Point: A find of some importance has been made in the neighbourhood of Snowdon's old workings the leader is very small, but very rich. Messrs. H. McGregor, Coulthurst, and party are the lucky fiuderß. The following are the gold returns for the month :—Tokatea, 22ozs. ; ditto, Bannerman's tribute, 3izs. lOdwts. ; Corby, 114ozs. ; Golden Point, 37ozs. 2dwts. ; Pride of Tokatea, Wcllb's tribute, llozs. lCdwts. ; ditto, Bennett's tribute, 7ozs. ldwt. ; Premier, 190z3. )9dwts. ; Comet, lOozs. 17dwts. ; Uuion Beach, Norman's tribute, 22ozs. ; sundries, 3ozj, lldwts. : total, 2510z5, 16dwtfl.— [Own Correspondent,]