THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5497, 30 June 1879, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[from oxtb own correspondent.] Thames, Saturday. DURING the week'the water has risen over the flat-sheet on the Caledonian No. S level, thereby necessitating the suspension of all works on that" level. Since thd pumps ceased operations thie is the second occasion on which works, which were yielding payable quartz, have been stopped. The first time was when the Queen of Beauty Company had to suspend operations in their mine. At the time the Waio-Karaka pump was stopped, the company were workirg on a large lode which was yielding a consider- ' able qujintity of, payable crushing dirt, and there were many indications that the prospect of a deeper level were even better, than those already met with. The Association, however, were unable to keep their pumps going, and the result was that a large and valuable ree£ had to be abandoned. With reference to the reef in the Caledonian mine the facts are almost identical. Here we have a fine lode first discovered in the Old Golden Calf Company's ground, and work id by that company for some time, z.\-. •■'■! the No. 2 level, with very satisfactory results ; —the prospects met with being so good that they were induced to go to a considerable expense, and intersect the lode on the No. 3 level, where the reef was found to have much improved both in size and quality. The good prospects met with by this company had a still better effect, for the Caledonian Company were encouraged to seek for the same lode in their ground, and with very little troublo it was picked up on the No. 2 level, where it has been worked for some time with "<.ry goc* \-2sralts, as will be seen from the return. I ■- -.:.--.ger of this company wns also indu-j, .!'. *-, drive for the lode on. the No. -" level, °jiO is may be said hid only jujt sucueedeu in casting it, when the water vose and Vr-- men off the level. The tato aad, kow-jvjr. been worked suffi-c-i'vutly. v~ 'ioifsS thr.t it'had very much im--ifjvsa 'sotli'ia «&» wad quality from what it was an the level above. There .is every reason to believe that, had the men been able to continue operations a short time longer, some very rich stone would have been obtaiued on this level. The works, hewevor, had to be stopped, and another valuable reef is locked up, until such time as iho pumps shall be again set in motion. In the meantime the water is steadily rising, and, if the present do-nothing policy is continued, wo shall, cro long, hear of other important wo.-ks being closed through being flooded iiu*. There can be no doubt that the f'eld i r.afforing from this cause. The raciVthly returns o£ gold are gradually falling off. And thiire appears to be no attempt made to improve them in any way. Unless something is done very shortly the conseauencea will be moßt disastrous, aud such that it will take a long season of prosperity to overcome them.

[BY THLEGRATH, OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Saturday. Gold Ri;torns.—Moanataiari, Williams's tribute, 38*ozs. ; ditto, Green's tribute, 54ozs. sdwts. ; ditto, Martin's tribute, Sozs. 7dwts. ; Alburnia Company, 90ozs. ; Scott's tribute, 27ozs. 16dwts. ; Cure, Kimlin's tribute, 53ozs. : total, 4170za. Sdwts. Alburnia.—Cleaning-np and retorting for the. month's crushing, at the Herald battery, took place to-day, and the yield of OOozs. of retorted gold was obtained. During the month about 100 tons of general dirt and GOlbs. of picked stone have been crashed, for a total yield of about 1230za. 12dwts. of gold. The Herald battery was lying idle one week, owing to the water having been out off. The out-put of quartz from the mine has not been quite so large. The tributers, {Scott and party, have finished a crushing of general dirt for the yield of 27ozs. 16dwts. of melted gold. Moanataiari.—Williams and paxty, who are tribnting on No. 3 reef, above the tunuel level, have had another good crushing. They havo crushed a parcel of 47 tons of general dirt, for the excellent return of 184ozs. Melted Gold.—Green and party have crushed a large parcel of general stuff for the moderate return of 54ozs. odwts. melted gold. The tributers Martin and party have crushed 10 potinds of picked stone for the yield of Sozs. 7dwts. melted gold. Core.—-Kimlin and party, who are tributing in this mine, have crushed a parcel of 11 tons o£ general dirt, for the excellent return of 53ozs. melted gold. Prince Imperial.—The tributers, Jeffrey aad party, obtained a parcel of about 301bs. of gbod picked stone last night.

GOLD RETURNS FOR WEEK. oz.dwt.gr. Alburnta Company 123 12 0 Ditto, Han's tribute 7 iu u Ditto, Emerson's tribute .. •• 1 14 0 Ditto, Brendan's tribute .. . ► 12 S 0 Ditto, Job's tribute 11 15 0 Ditto, Scott's tribute 27 16 0 Caledonian Company.. .. •• •• 120 S 0 Cure Company—Gilmour s tribute •. 62 0 0 Ditto, Ritalin's tribute .. .. 53 0 0 Don Pedro—Diibb*:i tribute.. .. •• 7 12 0 Moanataiarl—Williams's tribute .. •• 184 0 0 Ditto, Martin's tribute 8 7 0 Ditto, Green's tribute .. .. •• 54 5 0 Last Chance Claim 1 18 0 CS5 5 0