THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6271, 22 December 1881, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[FROM OCR OWN COTUU'-SPON DF.N'T. j Prisce Imtkriat. Licensed Holding — Messrs. Frater Bros, have so far succeeded in floating the new venture with regard to this piece of ground as to have disposed of 214 promoter's shares out of 25 shares offered to the public. The promoters are now about to commence operations in the ground, and propose to put in a drive for a distance of 200 feet at the road level and immediately behind the shaft. The prospccts at this point, it is believed, arc very promising, and one if not more lodes ought to be intersected soon after starting the drive. Besides this work it is proposed to break out a trial crushing from the Mariners' lode at the No. -2 level, a point where the old company met with very encouraging indications at one time. It is probable that early in the new year a new company will be formed for the purpose of further developing this ground. The Batteries.—Battery managers and owners are complaining of want of work, and thi3 fact forbodes a dull Christmas. Usually at this particular season of the year the batteries have more work than they can get through, as tributers and small claim owners, if possible, lay themselves out to have good crushings about Christmas. Last year the Christmas crushings totted up several hundreds of ounces of gold. This year, however, with one or two exceptions, the returns have been small. The exceptions are the Bright Smile claim (Garvic and party) 141ozs. from 2S loads of quartz; Hodge and party (Kuranui tributers), 1630z5. lTdwts.; Coliban claim (Hunter and party), 12!)ozs.; aud Northey and party (West Coast claim), about 1350z5. from 33 loads of quartz. There may be one or two others to add to these before the holidays, but the fact that the batteries are not working full time is good proof that the amount of gold from this source will not be equal to ■what it was last year. YVaitkkauri.—Later reports from this district confirm the information that there was an improvement in the prospects there. Butler and party, tributers in the Waitekauri mine, are breaking out a quantity of good crushing stuff', and are keeping twelve head of stamps employed at the compauy's battery. Besides this, they are opening up a large block of ground, which appears likely to produce Some excellent returns. It is probable they will have another parcel of gold down before Christmas- Xn tlio Wailckauri jNo. 3 the prospects are also improving, and better grade quartz is coming to hand. This company have ten head of stamps employed. The Waitekauri Company have some 00 tons of quartz broken out, aud crushing will be commcneed next week. In the W aitckauri Extended, a promising looking lode about a foot thick has been driven on for about 40 feet, and good indications met with throughout. The crosscut in the Just in Time claim is supposed to have touched the lode, but as it has been met with about 10 feet sooner than was expected there is some uncertainty about its being the lode which outcrops on the spur. Although the stone shows no gold it prospects remarkably well. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWS CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Wednesday.

Gold Returns. — Moanataiari Tributes : Whisker, 11-lozs. 9dwts.; Goldswortliy, 910z3. lOdwts.; Quaclly, 24ozs. '2dwts. Caledonian Company, 1770z5. lOdwts. Kuranui tribute, Magnus, 12ozs. Sdwts. Habour View Claim, 12ozs. Gdwts. Wheel of Fortune (Tairua), 3ozs. 12dwts.

Caledonian. —The return from the recent crushing for this company was 1770z5. IOJu ts. of melted gold. About 50 tons of quartz were crushed. Moasataiabi.—Goldsworthy and party, who are tributing in this mine, have crushed 10 tons of general stuff for the excellent return of 91ozs. lOdwts. of melted gold. Whisker and party, who are also tributing in the mine, have also completed the crushing of a small parcel of quartz for the good return of 114ozs. 9d\vts. of melted gold.

Kuranui. —Magnus and party, who are tributing in this mine, have crushed four tons of quartz for the return of 12ozs. odwts. of melted trold.

AVest Coast.—Northey and party, proprietors of this mine, have completed a crushing of thirty-five loads for the good return of 13-tozs. 4-dwts. of melted gold.

The following mine managers* reports have been received :—

Success (Coromakobl).—There is a little gold got in almost every breaking down. In the stope there is an improvement. Tho gold is being carried further jfiiead tban what it was in the stopes below. The quantity of goM on hand is about 24 ounces. The distance stoped from the main level is 24 feet. In the main level south, the ground has got much harder. The reef is small, carrying heavy loose gold : nothing s?en in the stone. The contractors have driven SO feet in low tunnel level. —Peter Reii>.

Goldes Star (Thames). —I broke down tho quartz from the rise in drive going west, but no gold showing. Still the stone looks well. Continued rising in the week, then carry a stope west. Tho face of the miin drive .still continues the same full of good looking stringers well mineralised. —Henry Cowe. Old Caledonian*.—There has been nothing done in the east drive since my last report. Three nxen bavo beeu breaking quartz. I started driving again thi3 morning, and shall continue with three shifts. The rise and stopes are still about the same. The gold i.s dis ributed more throughout the reef eastward of the stope, and the reef is now fully four feet in thickness at the end. Coming west the reef gradually gets sm-.l!er, but i 3 lengthening. Here tho gold is mora confined towards the hangingwall, and a few picked stones coming to hand every shift. The geoeral dirt and tailings were finished on Saturday— about DO tons being put through—and I have 231023. of amalgam squeezed in hot water. I am now putting through tho picked btone, and when through will retort it separately, so as to know in future of their value. I have still one shift cleaning out Captain Kichards' works on No. 2 reef under the Cure, but have not yet got to the face. lam now in eight feet from the rise, and eight more should reach the face according to the plan.—T. 13. Hickm. A ielegr.mi to the following effect was received at the company's office yesterday" lSlozss retorted go!ri fr-im 5310zs amalgam." KunAN'trt Hill Unitkd.—Junction: Sloping has been carried on as usual. Tho winze on the block underneath is now down over 60 feet, and the prospects obtained therefrom are very encouraging. The cruihing now going on is not shaping quite as well a3 List, wrich shows that the leader gets poorer upwards, and promises bettor returns downwards. AU Nations: Work has been suspended in this quarter, pending the result of the crushing, whi h is shaping very poor indeed. Kelly's: 1 started driving on the cross-lode, but had to discontinue on account of insufficient ventilation, and started the men cleaning out the surface level, in order to establish a good current of air. Young American: No chaoge to roport sinco my last. Alriion Crosscut: The contractors are still going through a good clasi of country for gold-bearing leaders, alt lough none have been mot with since my last. Hattery: Crushing is now going on for tho conipiny and tributers.—J. if, Crawford. Sootiipi'.n Cross.—Work ia still being continued on the leaders wliieh are showing on the face of the hill. Gold is occasionally seen in the stone when breaking down, and now a fair amount of crushing stuff is coming to hand from this portion of the mine. The leader on the western side of No. 1 winze is looking better than it has done for some time past. For the last four or five days a few specimens have come to hand • very time the quartz has been broken down. The:e is new to hand about 251bs specimens from the leader, and every appearance ot us coming on something butter. I have still two men working on No. 3 letder, with the intention of breaking out a few loads of qtrtrU for a trial, as tho quartz from here got mixed with the quartz that came from other placcs, and I w&h unable to know what the quartz from here was wcrth. General crushing will bo finished to-morrow, and ftbfiut 23 loads will bo put through, that is, including the six loads that were left over from last crushing; but I will not retort or crush the specimens before Friday, the 23rd instant.—James Coutts.

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