THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6255, 3 December 1881, Page 5

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] Thames, Friday. Waiotam. — The usual monthly cleaning up and retorting for this compans' took place to-flay, and produced the excellent return of 4250z3. of melted gold. For this return 2SO tons of general stulf were crushed.

Nkw North Devon. — The cleaning up and retorting for this company took place to-day, and produced the return of 201ozs. of gold. 162 loads of general stuff were crushed.

Caledonian.—Another parcel of picked stone was obtained to-day.

Prince Imperial.—The mine and property were sold to-day lor the sum of £500, being an advance of £250 upon the price paid for it in September last. Messrs. Frater Brothers were the purchasers.

Siiaremarkkt.—Sales : Caledonian, 21s, 19s 6d ; Young Colonial, 7s. Sellers: Caledonian, 20s 6d ; YVaitekauri No. 3, lis; Waitekauri Extended, Is ; Smils of Fortune,

lis 6d ; Young Colonial, 7s 6d ; Justin Time, 4s ; Cure, 2s 6d. Buyers : Young Colonial, 6s 9d; Cure, Is Sd. .

The following mine managers' reports have been received :—

BlackmOre (Tiki).—No. 1 Reef :During the past week the drive 011 the west end of the lode was holed through to the surface in the gully, near the western boundary. The reef carried a good body of stone, showing fair gold right through. In the stopes to the west the reef is split into two parts, the footwall portion being about 18 inches thick and haugingwall part one foot thick, with about one foot of mullock between. There has been very good gold 6een in_the atone from both parts of the reef during the week. The winze on the west end is down 14 feet. The reef during the past few days has become rather smaller than it has been hitherto, being now about IS inches thick, and although there has not been any gold seen in it during the week, it looks very well, and is of the right quality of gold-bearing stone. I have stopped the drive goiDg east, the leader we were driving on having cut out altogether, and which I believe was not the main branch of the No 1 reef. It appears where this reef was cut in the cross-cut it was divided into two parts, with at>out 6ft of mullock between, and the drive to the east has been driven on the footwall portion, which has now been cut out. I am commencing to drive on the hangingwaU part, which is over a foot thick, and looks very well for gold. There is a good body of stone in the stopo to the east, with a little gold showing. No. 4 reef: Work will be resumed on thi3 re*f during this reef. The cross-cu r , to connect with No. 1 level having been holed through, I am now busy putting down truck road, &c. Crushing: The o has been about 200 tons of general stuff, and flcwt. of picked stone crushed during the past fortnight, for a return of 198ozs. of retorted gold; making the total of 4270z5. 15dwts. for the month. The present staff of hands is able to keep the battery fully employed, and the output of quartz could be doubled, providing there was sufficient crushing power.—William STRA.UQHAK.

Bismarck (Coromandel). —There has been no change of any consequence underground since tho date of mv last report, but although no important find can be recorded, the general state of the mine continues healthy enough. Stoping has been com* raenced in the block where the gold was last got in the intermediate level, and the reef is of similar size and quality to that met with in driving, being about a foot in thickness, and yielding fair general stuff. The low level blocks have not produced anything rich during the week, but ft considerable quantity of payable general quartz has been got from them. In No. 2 pass the run of gold has been crossed in both stopes, and the rise is now being carried up for two fresh faces, but the part where the last finds of picked stone were dropped upon will not be reached before the middle of next week. In No. 3 there is a good-looking retf showing in both stopes, and in the south end gold is frequently seen as the stuff is broken down. In the west branch the vein is at present small and does not look quite so well as it has done. Preparations are being made to commence another face The fortnightly cleaning up at the battery gave 89ozs. retorted gold.—J. A. Dobson. City of Dublik (Waitekauri). — Butler has cut a leader about 20 feet from the City of Dublin boundary. It is worth 5 ounces to tht ton. The leader is about nine inches. I am going to work to cut it in the City ground tomorrow. I have been engaged autting another reef, but I will not do any more at it at present. lam pretty well sure I will cut Butler's leader in a week or so.—Edward Bain*.