THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 6343, 17 March 1882, Page 5

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[from our own correspondents.] Coro Man del, Thursday. Blackjiokes. — This company started to crush again on Saturday, aud no doubt will keep it up indefinitely, unless they stop to allow some other company a turn at the mill. The level workings are in a very forward state, the drive being nearly into the Home Rule, or No. 3 reef, and to facilitate matters the manager lias started to drive from tlie bottom of the* winze to meet the adit. In doing this, one of the workmen on Saturday cut a small leader between two and three inches thick, from which he took a n'ce parcel of very good picked stone. It probably a dropper off the main reef, but in any case the find is of very great importance, being got, as it is, in the deepest ground yet reached in the Tiki district. As this reef is opened up in this mine, it will probably turn out as rich as it has done in the Home Rule. There is still a fine block to stope out on the Plat reef, from which it will be easy to keep the battery going for some months. Home Rule. —The manager is steadily stoping out the upper blocks on the main reef, and is also starting a new low level some distance down the tramway, which will give them a fine block on the reef. He is also pushing on prospecting work on the two new ones lately discovered in the cross-cut from the main level. There is every appearance that these will turn out more than payable. Success.—The manager reports considerable improvement in the reef driving north. It has been a good deal split up for some time, but it now shows signs of coming together again. They have still nearly 150 feet to drive before reaching the boundary in this direction. There is plenty of room for another rich shot of gold, or, what is better, cutting the main reef from which the present one springs. The contractors are making headway in the low level. The country has very much improved, but the air of late has not been good, and it is very doubtful if they will manage the whole distance without air pipes. A very nice leader was cut last week in this tunnel, aud the manager is strongly of opinion that it will be worth working.

Queen* of Beauty.—At the beginning of the fortnight, on the 27th ultimo, the contractors for sinking the shaft commenced their contract. During the fortnight the well hole ?or the pumps has been sunk nine feet, and two lengths of pipes have been put on the pumps. The shaft has been opened out to the full 'size—thirteen feet by six feet—for a depth of eight feet, and the first frame set of timber has been put in at a depth of four feet six inches below floor of platt, and the ground above has been all timbered up and secured. The contractors are now employed sinking the well hole round the bottom of the pumps before they proceed to take down another bench. The w»ter continues the same in quantity—six and a-half double strokes of the pump keeping the inflow. The amount of sinking put in for the contractor during the fortnight is eight feet; this includes the securing of No. 8 platt.—Gkoroe Black. I3la,ckmore (Tik.i). —No. 1 reef : The surface block on this reef is still yielding payable stuff, and from which I obtained 60 lbs. of picked stone during the past week. I re-commenced driving east on this reef last week. The reef has been pinched out for the last few feet driven, but is now making again, there being a nice body of stone in the face of the drive, at present two feet thick. I have driven 30 feet into the hangingwall of this reef, down the winze, without meeting with a re-make, so that I have ceased driving in that direction, and have commenced to drive eastward on the reef at the point where the stone cuts out, for the purpose of commencing to stope it out. No. 4 reef: In driving in the footwall of this reef at the bottom of the winze, to meet the contractors, "we cut a leader, about one foot six inches thick, of very good-looking stone for gold. Although we did not see any in crossing it, it is underlying to the west, or in the opposite direction from No, 4, and, after passing it about two feet, we cut a small stringer a couple of inches thick, carrying very fair gold, and running parallel with the other leader. No. 2 level: The contractors have made a little better progress during the past week, having met with a little softer country. Cru-hing: The Home Rule Company having finished and cleaned up I during tho week, the battery commenced on our stuff on Saturday last.—Willtam Strauoixan. Success (Coromandel). —There is a change for the better since my last report. The reef has changed more to the proper course, and there is a little gold seen in the breaking down, when the walls get more doflned. There is every appearance of coming on gold in the low level. The ground continues good. There has been another reef cut, about two feet in thickness, running in a northerly course: some goodlooking atone. Nothing seen in prospecting.—Peter Rkid.