COROMANDEL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6004, 14 February 1881, Page 5

C OROMAN DEL.

[from our special reporter.] Although the rich discoveries in the Tiki district are now all the rage here,.and have drawn away many miners, tributers, and prospectors, I am glad to say that the old mines at the beach are looking up again, and something like fresh vigour appears to be in- : fused in to theshareholders. Havingafew hours at my disposal before the departure of the steamer, I visited some of the leading mines, in this vicinity, and ascertained what was going on. In the Just-in-Time, an area of -14 men's ground,.occupied by three men— Messrs. Anturs, Regaii, and another, whose name. I forget—l ''found that a' large amount of work has been done by them since it came; into their hands. They first worked the mine on tribute ; but finally, when the company was wound up, fifteen months ago, they bought the property, and have since worked it continuously, but without assistance. The ground adjoins that' of the Union Beach and the old lona, and the workings have all so far been above in the hill, but they have opened some good leaders, and obtained crnshings varying from 4Aozs. to l6ozs. to' the ton. They are now about to ;sink on their main leader, a lode about 18 inches thick. They have done a' very large amount of work during the time. Three prospecting drives, each 150 feet, were put in at different levels f r the present reef, and finally it was get in the lower level. A project is on foot to amalgamate the Just-in-Time and McLeod's lease—the old lona claim—with a view to floating a company and erecting suitable machinery. Should this be accomplished, there is every reason to believe that a good mine would be opened, for in three levels opened from a shaft sunk in the lona formerly gold was obtained in payable quantities, but the want of machinery and an influx of water compelled the shareholders to cease operations, and the excellent results recently obtained from the Just-in-Time Claim conclusively proves the existence of good lodes there. During the fifteen months the three shareholders havim; been working it they have had six crushings, the total result of which is 2030z5. of melted gold, valued at £556 16s lOd, the. price of the gold ranging from 57s 6d to 60s per ounce. lam now informed that the great difficulty, that of want of machinery, is almost overcome, and that arrangements are ..being made for placing a plant on the ground as soon as the amalgamation to which I have referred is affected, and, this accomplished, the shareholders might reasonably look forward to the possession of a payable and permanent mine. In the Union Beach operations are only being carried out on a limited scale at present by the company, and the greater number of the tributers hitherto employed in this once famous mine have left to try_ their fortunes at the Tiki. Work is confined to the ISO-feet level, where a cross-leader from two to four inches thick is being sunk on, and a little gold is visible in it. A reef six feet thick and containing very promising stone and minerals is being followed in, which is known as the Golden Pa section of the mine. It has now been followed about twenty feet, but no gold has yet been seen in it. The manager, however, expects that when the iode becomes smaller it will carry gold. Operations have been resumed in the Golden Pa mine, the management of which was taken over about a month ago by Mr. Martin. The first work was to repair the machinery, get it into working order, and pump out the mine, a work which was accomplished in about three weeks, although many thought it would have taken double that time, but only about a week has elapsed since mining operations commenced. The manager is now sinking a winze on a promising leader from the SO-feet level, which averages from nine inches to a foot in thickness, and out of this he has already procured a nice parcel of rich picked stone. He will further prospect all the leaders found at this level. In the future, if through want of funds or any other cause it is found necessary to desist from pumping, he purposes opening from the road level and driving into the hill, to prospect for two well-known reefs which gave good prospects on the top of the hill. The proposed level would give 100 feet of backs on these or any other lodes which may be discovered, and no pumping would be necessary. No doubt the directors will see the advisability of carrying out this suggestion.