THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6827, 3 October 1883, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

The following are the mine managers'reports received yesterday :— Old C u.edonias.—There has been no ■work in the company's Btopes this week. The contractors driving cross-cut at No. 2 level have been working since Thursday regnlarly. I have men putting up a door and laying down pipes in the cross-cut, which will take two or three days more to complete. The contractors will then have good ventilation. I put some men to clear the Sat winze, prior to laying down the incline road to the No.l level. This will tike more time than I first anticipated, there being such a large quantify of dirtto shift. The whole of the company s ■workings are clear of smoke and gss. Ahe men will all go on on Monday morning. There is still some steam and smoke comvng up through No. 2 shaft and out through the Golden Crown, thus showing the fire is not yet out, and still hanging about the old workings, it appears now to be in the vicinity of Herival's leader, and must be fed with air from the same leader, through some of the old levels or passes. . Mariner. —The drive on branch leader is now in about 33 feet from cross-cut, towards No. 3 reef. It varies in size from 9 inches down to a mere stringer, but it is now opening out again in the face, and mineral coming in GolcT has been seen every breaking down and also good dabs, but no picked stone as vet I have also started to drive east on it to-day, and by the end of the week will have about 16 loads for a trial crushing, including the quartz from winze, which I shall not put through before increasing the mine stall, Kcranui Hill United.-Junction, main tunnel level: A small likely-looking leader has been picked up in the west end; the quartz contains a small amount of fair mineral. In the east end the lode continues to be well mineralised; no gold has been Eeen in it yet, however. All Nations : Stoping is making good headway. Four men working this block. A little gold laseen occasionally. The leader ia keeping about the sitne size. Kelly's: These lodes maintain the same appearance and size. No gold has been seen for the week. The quartz towards the junction of No. 9 and Pukes lodes contains a larger percentage of mineral than formerly. Belfast, No. 9 : Paine, on this reef, has come into splendid-looking sandstone for gold. Connection with the drive from Kelly 'i end will probably be effected in a week or so. Mr. Bayldon will survey to-morrow to show the exact course to break through ; when this is done there will be perfect ventilation of Belfast and Kelly's workings. | FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Tuesday. Rockt Poi>t.—A leader about 18 inches wide has been intersected in the low level. The gold wa3 seen, but the quartz iB well mineralised. This lode is running almost north and south, and cannot be identified ; the coc-piny will have a great extent of it in their mine. The Adelaide lode ia estimated to be some 250 feet further ahead. London.—The drive on the No. 2 lode at No. 4 level is now fairly under way. About 200 feet should bring the face under where gold was first seen at No. 3 level, and 100 feet of cross-cutting thence should reach iNo. 1 lode. The winze on No. 1 lode ia down 54 feet, and both country and lode are exceedincfly satisfactory. The lode is not being tsken down, but a email portion waa broken a few days ago to test itu quality, the result being about lOlba. strong picked stone. Gold is also seen in stringers in the Bandstone and the attendant leader. This winze will be completed in leas than three weeks, when the men will be removed to No. 2 leader, upon which a winze is to be Bunk where gold was found. Besides the contractor at No. 4 level, only four men are employed, so that the expenses are very light. Mariner.—Driving on the cross lode is proceeding at No. 41evel. One of the branches died out or possibly functioned with the Other at a break. The lode has recently been six to nine inches, and rather mullocky, but colours and daba o£ gold have been seen pretty freely. . . Seymour.—The manager received instructions to ceaae operations on Saturday afternoon. The lode in No. 1 rise had been cut off when the rise reached 40 feet. A little cross-cut was then put in, and on Saturday a fi ..o looking lode waa picked up. It has been pricked into two feet, and contains an excellent class of mineral. It is a pity to see this mine stopped, as the country and quartz are of a favourable character, and very little prospecting has been done. tJpon resuming it would be a great saving in the pay-sheet, and an advantage in every way, to subacute a pump for the present system of tanks, which are particularly unsuitable for this ground. The slidey nature of the ground was very severe upon timbers, and in the shaft this, with overflow from the tanks added, caused a tendency towards contraction, which kept the manager busy remedying defects or devising fresh methods, from morning till evening. The company was fortunate in having a? manager so skilful and attentive a miner as Mr. Kneebone, and it is regretable that he waa so overweighted with surface work and expense as to have comparatively little opportunity of testing the ground. Dap.t.—Crushing haa been proceeding with one shift during the week. The battery carted on No. 1 reef, but for the past two daya has been engaged on No. 2. lam not in a position to aay whether the amalgam is payable, but it ia not rich, certainly not eau&l to anticipations. But shareholders should not be discouraged, for this ia only a trial in one place, where the reef waa intersected. At No. 3 level the reef haa b6eu atripped several feet on the footwall on either side, aud breaking down haa been commenced. Colours of gold have been seen.

Pbisck Imfkbul.—69o loads general dirt and 17cwt. specimens aud picked atone were crashed during the month. The former yielded 9820zi. lOdwts., and the latter 16440z5. lSdwta. melted gold, or a total of 26270z3. lldwta, The block o! No. 2, on hand, is more than half worked ont; but beyond the break, where the rich gold now is and likely to carry to the next level, ia iuat about half a toped, ao that there ia promise of three or four very rich cruahinga ere the block ia exhauated. Chriatmas, or at latcßt January, will see the end of this block at the present rate of working—and, what then? Unless BOme fresh works, such as sinking or driving on No. 2 lode, or prospecting for other lodes are undertaken in the meantime, there will be nothing for it bat to depend on the No. 1 (Mariner's) reef. That this lode iB a very valuable one does not admit of question, and it will be the backbone of the mine for years; bat, when the time comes for dependence to be placed on it alone, I am afraid some weak spot will be found; and this assertion is made ■ in the face of ail the trial crusbings yielding more than an ounce to the load. Still, taking one consideration with another, I have no doubt it will bo more than payable. Prospecting has been very much neglected. At No. 4 level there are 200 feet of No. 2 leader not driven on, and good gold was left in the face. At No. 5 level it has only been driven on eastward 100 feet. There is a section of ground towards the Mariner mine quite untested, and a leader worth an ounce ■to the ton was known to have run into the Imperial from that mine. In fact, with the exception of driving on the Mariner's reef, nothing has been done towards developing the mine. Another matter, which it may not be out of placo to mention, is the advisability of maintaining a strong reserve fund, as in a mine depending upon pumps it ia difficult to say what duty may devolve upon it some day. The old engine has already been removed, and widening the shaft 60 feet from the surfaoe is proceeding. Mining operations will probably be resumed within a week or ten days. A supply of quartz, perhaps enough for a week, is on Sand at the Albarnia battery, and sufficient for three or four days' rua is lying at the Goldea Crown battery. " Deep Level Cross.—The return for the month is 2340z5. melted gold from 2151oads general dirt and 2001bs. picked stone. At the 6io feet level there is excellent country. The winze on the hangingwall leader, which is now down 35 feet, will be sunk with all posnible speed. . Golden" Cbown.—Bo tons quartz, and about 401ba. picked stone, chiefly from the shaft leaders, yielded 116oza. 3dwts. melted cold which is a profitable return. There is a considerable amount of smoke about the mine, and work cannot be pursued except on the shaft leaders. , ~ MoASATAIABI. — Cleaning up for three weeks resulted in 120Jozs. gold from 80 tons xteneral dirt and 1451b5. picked atone. Aa the staff is now very small, this return will leave a good profit. A leader one to t«o inches, showing gold freely, was intersected in the cross-out, Nonpareil section, during the week. ■ ' , . , Caledonian. — The men are at work to-day The dirt will be sent through the flat winze to No.< 2 level. . Smoke is hovering

about, bo thai. it is evident the fire is still alive. •

Kueanui Hill.—The manager thinks that the drive from Kelly's suction and thit from the Belfast a ire within 2(1 feet of each other, bat certain indications lead him to doubt whether they are on the same lode. Colours of gold are seen in the reef in Kelly's, whilst altnough in the Belfast drive no gold has been seen, the country and quartz bear a favourable sippearance. Stoping is proceeding in the All Nations leitder, which is about five inches wide, and gold shows freely.

New Columbia.—Thi; manager ia convinced that the leader risen on is not the one sunk upon, and he is now cross-cutting from the top of the ri3e to intersect the latter. He expecti it to hand daily. Smile or Fortune (Owharoa). —A crushing of, say 230 tons, yielded 75ozs. of melted gold, lately the leaders have not been looking as well as could be wished. A low level is being: put in from the Radical tunnel, which will afford new kicks. It ia in fifty feet, and there are about 200 feet further to drive. The anauager expects to intersect the Radical No. 1 lode in about fifty feet. LAST WEEK'S COI.D RETURNS. oz. dwt. gt Adelaide ... 22 6 0 Alburnia (Connon's tr) 6 10 Deep Level Cross ... ... 234 0 0 Kuranui Hill. (Trebilcock's tr)... 0 16 0 Moanataiari 120 10 0 Do. (George's tr) ... 11 0 0 New Prince Imperial 2627 11 0 Pinafore (Delahunty'e tr) ... 17 13 0 Radical (Campbell's tr) ... ... 6 8 0 Smile of Fortune (Owharoa) ... 75 5 0 Do. (Campbell's tr) ... 6 8 0 Do. (Farmer's tr) ... 39 15 0 Thame3 Golden Crown ... ... 116 3 0 Total 3283 16 0 rBY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] THAJIE3, Tuesday evening.

Sharemaeket. —Dart, sellers 5a 6d; Imperial, 375, sellers 38a, buyers 37s ; Queea of Beauty, sellers Is 6d; New Find, 8s 7d, 8a 101, sellers 8s 9d ; Colonist, 7s ; Ivanhoe, buyers 2a 4d. \Vaiotahi. —160 tons yielded 1960z5. of gold. Moanataiari.—ln driving west on No. 9 lode a clay bead cut off the lode, and it has not yet been picked up again. Another goldbearing leader two or three inches wide was cut in the Nonpariel crosi-cut to-day. [BY TELEGRAPH. —P3E53 ASSOCIATION.] Gre'SMOOTH, Tuesday. Gold shipped per Mahinapua : —National Bank of Now Zealand, 26110za. ; Bank of New Zealand, 1540az3. ; Bank of New South Wiles, 1050oza.; Chinese!, 1450z3.