THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6297, 23 January 1882, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

-'[VROK OCR OfTS CORRBSPOSDBST.] Thames, Saturday. 2Jkw Goldes Ckows.—DuriDg the slack season the battery and winding plant in connection with this mine has received a thorough overhanl. While thin was in progress it was discovered that the large boiler whick supplies the steam for the -winding engine required more extensive Tepairs than was at first anticipated, and as theie took some time to complete, operations in the mine below the battery were necesearily euspended. To supply the battery with crushing stuff, recourse wa3 had to the surface block of ground northward oi the ■haft, and a large quantity of quartz h*s been obtained from here - L . tuff is easily broken, and there is so difficulty in getting it into tbe battery. In quality this stuff var.es exceedingly at times, crushing remarkai.lv well, and at others producing but little gold. This is accounted for by the fact that the sandstone in this working is nothing but a mass of quartz stringers, and as the whole oi the stuff broken out is forwaraed to the battery, it will happen that some days more real quartz is crushed than on others. The gold u free loose gold, and is all caught on the plat-s, the blankete producing nothing. Yesterday (Friday) steam was once more got up, and winding resumed, and on Monday the men will again start on the stopes above the 100-feet level. Work will also be resumed in the winze on the No. 1 lode below the 100-feet level. It has previously been mentioned that the prospects here are very encouraging. There is every reason to expect that below the 100-fett level there will be a large and valuable block of ground on this lode to work out. Southern Cross.—The crushing for this company, which has been proceeding at the Alburnia battery during the week, was completed to-day, and produced the very gratifying return of 1230z5. of retorted gold. For this yield only 22 loads of general stuff were crushed. The major portion of the stuff was obtained from the specimen leader west--ward of the winze, sunk from the battery level. Unfortunately there is but a small "block of ground to work out here, which precludes the possibility of maintaining similar returns from this leader. There is no change of any particular moment in the other -workings in the mine. Gold Returns for the Week Endiso January 21st.—Alburnia Company, sozs. 14dwts.; Alournia, McDonald's tribute, 19025. 15dwts.; Bright Smile tribute, 8oz».; Hape Creek, Wilson's tribute, 21ozs. sdwts.; Hape Creek, McCallum's tribute, loz. 160z5.; Moanataiari, Nolan's tribute, 3ozs. 15<iwts.; Southern Cross Company, 1230z5.: total, 183ozs. sdwto. ' [BT TELEGRAPH.—OWS CORRESPONDENT J Thames, Saturday evening. Gold Returns.— Hape Creek, Wilson's tribute, 21ozs. sdwte.; Hape Creek, McCallum's tribute, loz. 16dwts.; Moanataiari, Nolan's tribute, 30z3. lodwtii.; Southern Cross Company, 1230z5.: total, 1490Z3. J6dwts. Hape Creek.—Wilson and party, tn■buters in this, mine, have completed a crashing of general stuff for the return of ylozs. sdwta. of melted gold. Alburkia. —The manager reports having 3, fine promising body of quartz in hand in the Sons of Freedom tunnel. Driving was resumed here a few days ago. Radical (Owharoa). —The crushing for the tributers in this claim is showing up for another good return. New Noh.th Devok.—Within the last day or two an improvement has been observed in the stopes above the 160-feet level. Several pounds of picked stone have been obtained. This fact would apparently indicate that the run of gold met with in the intermediate level is aflein coming to hand.