THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7274, 12 March 1885, Page 5

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[BY IELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] . . Thames, ,Wedne«.day evening. Shahbhabket. —Imperial, sellers" 9a 6d j Caledonian, sellers 6s; Darwin, tellers 9s ; Queen of Beauty, sellers 2e; Moanataiari Extended, sellers Is 9d ; New Eureka, 2s.

Cross.—The winze in No. 6 leader-holed through to the. drive from the Imperial to-day. This will enable a toping to be commenced on l£oz. quartz immediately. Imperial. —Driving will be continued at once for No. 6 leader, and 60 feet of crosscutting should reach it. Cambria.—Eighty loads yielded 2690za. amalgam. Calkdonian Low Level.—The southern crosscut is in 353 leet, and the northern 418 feet in the latter.

Moaxataiaei.—No. 9 should have been to hand at the two-inch leader, containing mineral. It was cat here yesterday.

Waioeongomai, Wednesday evening. IsvKßNF.rts.—s3 trucks crushed for a return of 19ozs. retorted.

Premier. —This company are crushing another parcel from the intermediate level. About 20 trucks will be put through.

New Find are employing 25 head of stampers at the battery just now.

Caledonian Low Level.—The Manager reports : During the week fair progress has been made with both drives at 640 feet level. In the south side the drive has been continued along the conrse of'leader, which ifl"well defined at present, and-averages about ten inches in thickness. This leader varies very much in size, and also in character, so far as mineral is concerned. In breaking down this leader last night, a few light colours of gold were seen. There was a clay head'which came across the face, and it was at this point the gold was seen. 1 have from ten to fifteen loads of quartz from this to go through the battery as soon as a battery is available. I have made arrangements with the Herald battery to start on Thursday or Friday first with it. In the north drive, a small leader, about two inches in thickness, passed across thedrive last night, containingsome promising minerals. This is the first quartz in this end for some considerable distance. • The distance driven in each drive from main cross cut is as follows :— South aide on reef and cross cut, 353 feet; north side cross cut, 418 feet; total from main cross cut, 771 feet.

Qoeen of Beacty.— The manager reports : Good progress is still being made with the drives at tbe low level, aa will be seen by the undermentioned work, 109 feet being driven in the fortnight. This being all shooting ground, I think speaks well for the class of sandstone at this depth. The driving has been aa follows, viz ; —Western crosscut : 46 feet have been driven here, now making a total of 87 feet from the shaft.. We are now passing through a series of stringers, one of which has shown a few colours of gold. A large stream of water is still flowing very freely from this drive on the other side of the leader. I will continue this drive some distance farther, as we are not the distance yet which we expected to have to drive to cut tbe reef, according to its underlie in the upper level. A better class of minerals than ie now corning from the leaders cut in this cross-cut I have never seen. Eastern crosscut has been extended 11 feet, making a total distance of 48 feet from the shaft. At 45 feet from the shaft the reef was cut, and it is now being driven on north and south. The north drive has been extended 30 feet, the reef rather small, being now about 9 inches of quartz, and up to the present has carried good-looking minerals. The south drive has been driven 22 feet, the reef being here a little larger, running on an average about 18 inches, and also showing good minerals. Owing to the small size of the reefs, the amount of quartz is of course necessarily small, but in breaking down to-day they show signs of enlargement.

Cambria.—The manager reports : I have the honour to report that tenders are being calledfordriving 100 feet, more or leas, extending the eastern drive along" the bangingwall of the reef to the Moanataiari J , } x tended boundary. The stapes are still turning out payable stuff, gold being seen in , all the stopes. The stope at the intermediate level is turning out good payable dirt. Good dabs and colours of gold are being seen', all through the quartz when breaking down the reef, and the reef is still carrying good mineral. The contractors at Mo. 3 level are making fair progress. The drive is ia a distance of 79 feet. The stuff at the battery has been shaping fairly. This week about SO loads have been crushed for 2690z5. of amalgam. The battery stopped on Monday morning to make some alterations and repairs, which will take three or four days to complete. I will start crushing at the Prince Imperial battery to-morrow vnsh ten. head of stampers. Darwin.—The mine manager ' reports on. the 16th instant that the winze is down a distance of 47 feet, and the reef still continues to look well, colours being seen at each breaking down. The contractors at No. 3 level are making fair progress with the joint cross-cut drive which is in a distance of 79 feet from the chamber.

Lord Wolseley.—The new contractors, Kneebone and party, have sunk 9 feet and the shaft is now down a depth of 159 feet in all.

Ivan hoe.—Mine manager's report : The winze is down 52 feet; the average thickness of the reef is two feet. I started the lower level last Monday with two shifts, and drove 17 feet for the week. We are driving through a large boulder, lying across the mouth of. the gully. I expect to get the slide the other side of this boulder, aa we had the clay formation in front of the boulder. I have 49(ioza. of amalgam on hand. I. will cleau up on Thursday and retort oa Friday. I think I will have about 200oz8. of gold. The following telegram was received yesterday fro.n the manager of the New .Prince Imperial:—" Deep Level Cross have holed through to our south cross-cut at No. 5 level. Will start driving for lead at once."

SOUTHERN MINING. On the low level, the Jußt-m-Time are patsing through very favourable looking country, meeting at intervals quartz boulders. These indications are .looked upon by reefers as sure signs of a block of stone not being at any great distance. Welcome, 3180z3. from S5 tons.

Prospecting for the lode in the Fiery Crosi below the 453-foot level is the work in hand. The lode took one of its usual jumps into the footwall, but sinking has been continued oil the same grade, and from the change of the rock now coming in the foot of the sinking the reef should soon make the winze again.

Inglewood, 2340z3. for ten days from the top plates. The Golden Treasure are employing tea heads of stamps reducing stone obtained from the top level.

Inkerman, 2450z5. from 318 tons.