THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6696, 4 May 1883, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

Tub following mining reports are to hand Rkubhx Parr.—There is nothing new in the mine since my last. "We are still in good working country and likely for gold-bearms. We have not cut the lode yet, but I think we should get it before long, if the hard belt does not throw it over a bit. Martu i Extended. —The battery started yesterday afternoon and went about three hours very steadily at 75, but the new bearines getting rather hot Mr. Corbett thought it advisable to stop till to-day. He w now laying on water to the bearings, which will prevent then", taking any harm. Nkw North Devon". —The face of the intermediate level is now at your boundary, and I h:ive started with four men to rise from the Whau level for a quartz pass. Since starting they have risen about 10 feet, leaving 25 feet to complete. The reef in face of intermediate level is a fine body of stone about four feet wMe, but I do not purpose doing any more at it until the rise is through, which I expect will be in about a month. Hobsoh.—l commenced operations in the rise on Wednesday last (25th), with two men, and on Thursday employed two more, and am now -vorking with four men, which I liuflicient for the present as the air is rather foul. I thought it advisable not to let any contract, as the ground was very h.trd, but we have now £0t into good workable country, in which We lav.) made good progress, having risen nin" feet. I have inspected workings T.; Papa side, and am very pleased with appe irance o£ reef, .which I fully believe, when opened up, will make a very payable mine ; but I cannot send a full report of the mine ontil we have made a connection with the winze. I have visited the battery, and find the engine (nine-horse power) and boiler in a good workable condition. The waterwheel, tablrs, and stampers (of which there are nine head), are also in very good order, but th'! stamper boxes are in want of repairs: Otherwise the battery as it stands seems right; any other discrepancies cannot be detected til! it is in motion. Deep Level Ckoss.—Stoping operations are still being continued on the Cross reef. It still maintains its size, and a fair amount of good crushing stuff is still being obtained. There has he -n no big hauls of specimens got lately, but a few pounds of picked stone is received mostly every day from some part of the slopes, and last month's crushing showed that the gold is fairly distributed through the quartz. Winze on cross reef is down 14 feet. On the footwall side there is a strong body ot quartz about 2i feet thick, and there are stringers of quartz running through the sandstone from here to the leader on the hangingwall side, a distance of 5 feet. Gold was soen in the footwall portion the lasttims it was broken down. Slow process is being made with this, as the winze has been very large, and stiff shooting ground. I intend to follow the footwall portion down if it can be done to advantage. I have bad the most of the water taken out of the wiozs on No. 2 Princ - Imperial reef. There is a slight break or heave in the winze, and the water has caused some of the hangingwall to fall out, but now it is nearly secured, and I expect to resume sinking to-morrow. It will benecessary to have this winze put down to No. 5 level, and I would like to have it down by the time the Imperial gets the drive on the No. 5 level to the boundary. There is not much change in the drive at 640 feet level. The "round continues hard, but the contractors are makiog fair progress. The cross-reef is nearly running parallel with the drive, the direction being nearly south. If the reef keep 3 the same underlie down to the bottom level as it ha? from No. 3 to No. 4, it w«uld be no «reat distance to intersect it with a cross-cut on the seaward side of this drive, but before doing this it wonld be well to continu- the drive to where it was intended, to the No. 2 reef, and get communication as soon as possible. Clearing up for the month took place yesterday. 255 loads of quartz and 120lhs. picked stone were put through for the aplendid return of 6250z5. lOdwts. of melted .uold. Twenty head of stampers are employed at present, and there is on hand 201bs. picked stone.

jFBOH OtTB OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thamks, Thursday. Pbisce Imperial.—Oa No. 5 level a break was met oa Tuesday at the western end. There is a bare possibility of this not being the main break, for the manager informs me that a heave was encountered at No. 4 level before the break was reached. This break seems to cross the drive at a much greater angle than did the big break of No. 4 level. However, it is now being driven on, and a day or two will show what it is like. A few feet of tha lode which were left standing up to the break are now being broken down. The drive is being timbered so ad to admit of stoping, which is already in progress with excellent results, for just westward of the winze some pounds of specimens were obtained, and an excellent show is left overhead. The drive and leading stops eastward are proceeding. At No. 4 level, iilarinet's reef, eastward of the break, ia about two feet thick, and several dabs of gold were visible at the time of my visit. Stoping is proceeding on this lode westward of the break. At the eastern end of the mine on this level there is a wide -face of crushing dirt composed to a large extent of quartz stringers and veins, with mullock betweeu. The beach leader, No. 3, is being followed, hut is small at pre-ent. At No. 3 level a contract has been let to drive for the Mariner's reef.

Dehp Level Cross. —The manager has found that he could not conveniently carry both walla of the cross-lode down in the winze, because of the loose mullock which separates them. The winze is now down about 14 feet, but resembles a large cave more than an ordinary winze. Henceforth the winze will be sunk on the footwall portion only, which is about 3 feet in width, and carries good mineral. The winze on No. 2 lode, already down 40 feet, will be resumed to-morrow. It is being sunk upon a small leader, but there is a fair body of quartz in both sides. It will be down to No. 5 level by the time the Imperial Company has driven to the boundary. The stopes furnish an ample supply of payable crushing dirt. Dart. —Driving has been suspended, and all hands are engaged fixing pumps and excavating a site for tue boiler. The manager aspects to be ready next week for the new machinery, for the erection of which a stoppage of five or six weeks will be necessary, Rookt Poi^t. —This mine is now in operation. It is situated below—that is further down —the Karaka Creek than the Adelaide mine, which in yielding regular dividends to its fortunito proprietors. The Rocky Point claim comprises four men's ground, and is the property of ten shareholders. Operations have been started towards putting in a drive to form a low level main tunnel, which will be styled the Adelaide Reeky Point tunnel, for the Adelaide contributes half the cost of its formation. Work was commenced in the old General Uhute drive, which has been driven some hundreds of feet, and will serve the purpose admirably ; it will be continued 400 teet further, at which distance the Adelaide lode i* expected to be to hand. This will afford 300 feet of backs. The Moa, Duke, and other lodes traverse the ground. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENTS ] Thames, Thursday evening. Sharemarkkt. — Alburnia, sellers 15s ; Deep Level, sales 5s 5d ; Mariner, sellers 4s 6d ; Imperial, sales 58s to 63s ex div., sellers 63s 6d, buyers 62s ; Queen of Beauty, sales 17a 6(1, sellers 18s ; Devon, sales 5s 3d, ss, sellers 5s 3d. Imperial.—The 2cwt. of specimens from the western end, No. 5 level, were very rich and well mineralised. Manukac. — The manager thinks the quartz bas been passed in the drive. The contractors finish up to - morrow, when driving will be commenced on the lode just intersected towards the winze. Tho survey make? it correspond with the Waiotahi No. 5.' • ml Coromandel, Thursday evening. Union Beacii. — The driving from "the tangye winze is still going through good country. The leader looks well, but no gold can be seen. From the distance driven, they ought to have been on gold by this time, aud leads one to imagine they are not quite deep enough yet. From the general appearance they must be close to gold. Jcrsr-IX-TIMK. —The contractors are getting on first-rate sinking the shaft. The water is giving very little trouble, and the country is good. The usual work is going on in the mine, and good general stuff is coming to hand! There is not much picked stone, but judging from the last return of 108ozs., mostly from general stuff, this ought to yield well. lona. —There is nothing of any importance to chronicle from this mine.

Albion.—The 1 contractors are pushing the | drive well into the hill, but have cat nothing of; any importance so far. I Nbw Cobbt. —The contractors are making good progress in the cross-cut, going in to intersect Scotty's reef. If the ground continues easy a very short time will see the reef in hand. The surface drive on the reef is going through easy country, but the reef is very mullocky. South Kapavga.—The shareholders have started to open out at 90 feet down the winze. The reef is looking very well, gold having been got all the way down. Tokatea. — The manager reports that the reef in the main level has reduced to about a foot thick. The drive looks very promising. A little gold ia showing. He willl start leading the stope next week, and will test thfi stuff by crushing. He is finishing the block below the No. 1 intermediate level, and has commenced stoping above that level. Nos. 4 and 5 stopes above the main level are yielding good crushing material and a few picked stone. He cleaned up at the battery on Friday, and lodged 2230z5. retorted gold. There is nothing fresh from the tributers. Tikknan's.—Tlie manager reports driving a leader up the spur of the hill, getting some eood picked stone occasionally. The leader is very patchy. Home Rule continues to get a little gold in the stopes, but nothing very rich. Matawai is sinking the winze on the main reef from the level. There is a fine body of stone two feet thick. The country is very good. When a sufficient depth has been sunk they will open out towards a shot of gold.