THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6064, 25 April 1881, Page 5

THE GOLDFIELDS.

SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH. ]froxi oub ovrx cotlkespokdknts.] Gkahamstowk, Saturday. Very little change has taken place in mining affairs during the past month. Indications of an encouraging nature are still being met with in several localities, but as yet there appears to be little prospect of a rapid improvement. The lodes on this field, however, are of such a changeable character that it is almost impossible to tell what a day may bring forth, and consequently while there may be a feeling of general depression throughout the mines so long as operations are being continued, a few days niayquite reverse the position of affairs. Hence while promising indications are being met with there is good reason for encouragement. In no particular mine does there appear to be much prospect of discovering a rich deposit of precious metal in the immediate future, but in several operations are being projected in very likely localities—viz., localities in which extensive deposits of gold have been found in lodes already worked, and there is reason to believe the lodes now being opened up will also produce large quantities of gold. In the Caledonian mine operations below the 360-feet level have been continued, and fair prospects have been obtained. Beyoud sinking the winze, no attempt has been made to open out on the lode, but it is probable this will be done shortly. The new cross-cut on the No. 1 level has touched the No. 2 lode, but the quartz being very hard, it has not yet been cut through. Minerals of a promising character are showing in some of the quartz broken out.— The new cross-cut on the Whau level of the Alburnia mine has intersected the Success and Star of the South lodes, and a little gold has been seen in the latter. Hitherto this lode has scarcely been worked in the mine. Recent operations appear to indicate that it will prove a valuable one, rod if such should prove to be the case, it may be said the company have what is equal to an entirely new mine to work upon. The Jiscovery of these two lodes is also of considerable interest to the Whau Company, as aetli lodes run through the "Whau mine.—The Sonsof .Freedom tunnel is about to be extended ;hrough the Whau mine, at the joint exaense of the Alburnia and Whau companies. This is a work of considerable importance, is it will greatly assist in prospecting a large irea of ground immediately beneath where til the rich discoveries have been made in ;lie two mines.—The first annual meeting of ;ho New Golden Crown Gold Mining Company will be held in a few days, when no loubt the directors will be able to place before ;he shareholders an encouraging report upon , ,ho year's operations. There are few companies upon the field which stand in a better i josition than this does. The prospects in he mine are very encouraging, and the , nachinery and plant are in excellent con- : lition. The big pump is still working from ■ho 400-feet level, but no definite decision las been arrived at. with regard to further ' prospecting at this level. It is announced, lowevcr, that the Southern Cross Company ire about to do so. The Queen of Beauty jump lias also been working satisfactorily, >ut the mine is not yot cleared of water. The , jolt of country at tha head of the Tararn :nd Kanaka Creeks is again attracting a ( considerable amouutof attention, and recently , i number of claims have been taken up'here. ( Encouraging reports continue to come to land from the Waitckauri, Owharoa, Waihi, .ml other districts. The battery at Te j Vroha was started to-day, and its opera- i ions during the next month will do much - owards proving whether any of the lodes liscovercd in this district are payable. In everal of the claims, work is still being j ontinucd, but for some time past a good ■ nany have been protected, the owners being ( lesirous of awaiting the of the irst crushing. The scarcity of water . Las been felt very much throughout j he field during the past month, and } here is no doubt it lias had a depress- ( ng effect upon mining operations generally. j 'he weather, however, appears to have r •roken, and there should now be an abun- , [ant supply. During the month information s cached here of an attempt to float a company n the London market for the purpose of j rorking a piece of ground_ upon the foreliore at Orahamstown. Whatever rights ( he promoters of the scheme may have had o the ground in question, there is little £ oubt but that they either lapsed or were c isposed of years ago. The ground is now, j lid has been for some time past, the procrty of two or three New Zealand com- . anies, who acquired it by purchase from the < 'haniesCountyCouncih ( Yevious to the sale, it was the property of ] ho Imperial Crown Gold Mining Company. 'he apparent success winch has attended ( lie above attempt on the London market as suggested the idea that a legitimate lining scheme backed up by a few inilueutial olonists, would be very favourably received here, and would be the means of introducig a considerable amount of English capital. 'he idea is certainly worthy of consideraion, and it would not be a difficult matter o secure a property which would offer a fair eld for mining enterprise. f GOLD RETURNS FOR THE MONTH. } Oz.dwt.tfr. ( Jburnia Company, 7G tons ... 79 15 0 j ~ tributes, 74 tons ... 5S 4 0 t Ldelaide claim, 50 tons... ... 51 13 0 ~ .nnie claim, 5 tons ... ... S 9 0 :ity of Manchester claim,'2o tons 2-t 0 0 lon Pedro tributes, 11 tons ... 37 7 0 ; lolden Hill tributes, 30 tons ... 40 10 0 [ape Creek tributes, 90 tons ... SS 17 0 ~ oker claim, 30 tons ... ... 41 10 0 airanui tributes, -Hi tons ... 9 s ,tick's All Company, 19 tons ... 10 3 0 j loanataiari Company, 400 tons 1-14 0 0 c ~ tributes, 74 tons ... SS 2 0 [ew Golden Crown Company, j 300 tons 244 0 0 c few North Devon Company, t 140 tons 10 0 t Tew Golden Arrow, 10 tons ... 9 10 0 lid Caledonian tributes, 30 tons ob 10 0 'rinee Imperial tributes, 13 tons 30 11 0 'rospectings J O toward churn, 30 tons ... ••• , a n tobin Hood claim, 5 tons _ ... 0 0 0 ■onthern Cross Company,4s tons IS S 0 tar of To I'apa claim, -S tons... r2 0 0 undrics n 0 'raitor claim, 9 tons ° " 1 Vaiotahi Company, ISO tons ... 200 11 0 ; Vest Coast tributes, 13 tons ... /4 11 O ] Total 2103 10 0 Couomaxdel, Saturday. -j Three very important finds ha\c been J nade in this district during the month. The f irst, about three weeks since, in the Success; lie manager having intersected the leader < .fter a long spell of very hard driving, pro- i :cedcd to drive on it, and in a very few feet uxmc upon some extraordinary rich stun, in act almost pure gold. Since then, aercral latches of the same class of stuff has been alccn out. The general stuff" iH also very ■ •icli. —Blackmorc's : This mine was the next : o make a very important discovery. Ihis I vas made by Mr. Bennett endeavouring to : rice the No. 1 reef into Barrett's lease, when le suddenly came upon an unknown reef, some > c eetthick, containingrichgold. A goodpaicel 'vas taken out, all more or less gold bearing, some very fair general stuff has been taken i jut from the No. 1 reef from the low level, uid it still looks very well. There is very little doubt that large quantities of good ■rushing material will be got from this leef. —Tieman's : This claim also made a very important find in the low level a few days iince For several weeks work in this level lias been in abeyance, pending the completion of the purchase. This having been accomplished, work was resumed, and some rich stone taken ont on \\ ednesday last, rile claim is now to be formed into a company and the work will be prosecuted with vigour.—Barrett's Lease: A small crushing of three tons was had from this nunc about a fortnight ago and a first-class return of Xlozs. of gold was the result. . Perseverance (McDonnell Brothers) : -Tins claim has just been formed into a company, and great things are expected from it. llie ground is full of reefs, several of which have been thoroughly prospected, ami good payable stone got in several, with occasional patehes of specimens. An attempt will be made to got a few tons sent to the battery as soon as possible, which, however, is rathei difficult, from the position of the mine. Ihe country is first-class, and the reef very casily worked. —Tokatca : The low level drive is going in with great speed.- lhe is splendid working ground. 1 lie reef also has improved a great deal, but tip to the present no gold has been seen in the reef. However, they are still a long way from the boundary, and the probability is that the gold dips westerly, following the big reef.—Union Beach : lnc manager is now confining operations to ! prospecting the surface portion of the nunc. Two cross-cuts aro being driven from the road level. In tho one to the west a very , small leader was cut showing gokl, tr.it ( I nothing of any amount lias been got.—Just-

iu-Time: This property lias just changed hands, Captain Thomas having become the , purchaser-for an English company, -con- ' ditiorially" on their approving of the purchase. The show in the mine is very good indeed, and 'well "warrants a considerable outlay to develop it. j The following are the returns of gold lor , the month :— Oz.dwt.gr. Pride of Tokatea, Hornibrooku tribute ... ... ... ••• 7 0 0 Union Beach, Nyhan's tribute ... 25 17 0 ~ Coulthurst's tribute 4 5 0 < Mount Egmont ... ... ... 215 0 May field ... ... ... 410 0 < Barrett's ... ... ... 33 0 0 Paul's Creek ... ... ... 314 0 J Tiernan's, Tiki ... ... ..- 93 10 0 c Golconda ... ... 0 12 0 1 Total 195 15 0 . [ET TIiUXJRAPiI. —OWN COKREBrOXPF..VTS. J - Grahaiistow.v, Saturday. Moasataiaki.—The usual monthly cleaning up and retorting for this company took j place to-day, and produced the moderate re- ( turn of 1750z3. of gold. The yield, although , it is still poor, shows a slight increase upon that of last month. During the four weeks , about 570 tons of general stuff have been j crushed. A large portion of this has been j surface stuff from the Morning Star section j of the mine. This stuff, although it is of j low grade, is very easily broken, and pays £ for crushing. • j Siiakemarket. — Sales : New Golden Crown, 13s. Sellers: Alburnia, 32s 6d; ' Whau, 7s 6d ; Caledonian, 17s Gd ; Kuranui, ) 7s 3d ; North Devon, 10s 9d ; Golden Calf, j ss. Buyers: New Golden Crown, 12s 6d; Kuranui, 6s 6d ; North Devon, 10s ; Qu«_en , of Beauty, Gs; Cure, Is 6d ; Columbia, Is Gd ; Luck's-All, Is Sd. J GOLD RETURNS FOR THE WEEK. c Ozs.dwt.gr. <i Alburnia. Goard's tribute ... 14 18 0 ( „ Sawyer's tribute ... 15 6 0 j ~ MeLiver's tribute ... 3 12 0 j Don Pedro, K«eebone's tribute 37 7 0 , Golden Hill, Urquhart's tribute 46 10 0 - Hape Creek 411 0 < Kuranui, Jury's tribute... ... 29 12 0 j 1 ~ Le Manquais' tribute... 14 13 0 j Moanataiari Company 175 0 0 t ~ Ross' tribute ... 3 13 0 [ ~ Robinson's tribute 3 9 0 u Prince Imperial, Scaalan's tribute Gls 0 f Prospectings ... ... ... 7 10 0 £ Robin Hood claim ... ... 2 17 0 c Southern Cross Company ... IS S 0 j Total 354 1 0 ' Coiiomandel, Saturday. 1 Coital". —Jlellsop's tribute lodged 45ozs. t of gold from a crushing of six tons. f New Golden Belt have struck first- £ class specimens in their largo reef. - Bihmakck.—The manager reports firstclass reef in the rise. A little gold is j showing. t