THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7513, 17 December 1885, Page 5

THE GOLDFIELDS.

. THE LAMONTE FURNACE. 1 The manager oi tho New Zealand Smelting ( Company's works at the Thames has just treated two email parcels of quartz from Waitokauri, Ohinemuri. The first parcel weighed 3 tons lOowts 3qrH, and it produced 4'2oze Bdwte 13gre of gold, worth £4 per ounce, and 23ozs lSdwts 21grs of silver, worth 4s per ounce. After deducting the cost, of treatment, viz., £3 per ton and 10 per cent of the gross yiold of metal, the net value of the product was £144 15a 9J. The second parcel weighed IScwt 2qrs, contained 7ozs lldwts 2grs gold, and 4ozs lOdwts sgrs of silver. .After making the same deductions as in the first parcel, the value of the metal was £25 10s. This demonstrates that both the authorities in charge at the Thames and the directors have every confidence that gold can be treated as easily as silver by the smelting process. The Thames Advertiser of Wednesday, in an account of the smelting operations, says : "The ore intended for treatment is in tho first place pulverised in the stone-crusher to about the size of large pebbles. It is then carefully sorted and sampled, and assays are made for thu purpose of ascertaining its value (for purchase from the producers) and analyses in order to decide upon the nature and quantity and fluxes required. These consist chiefly of iron-stone and lime, the latter being obtained either from the bed discovered near Tararu Cemetery, or by the use of ordinary aeashells. The fire being lighted, tho ore and rluxes are introduced into the furnace in the required proportions through tho feed doors at the level of the upper floor of the building. The powerful blast from the rotary blower is admitted to the furnace by tuyere, or openings in the water-jackets. As the ores are smelted, the metals which they contain fall into tho lead bath in tho base of the furnace, forming an alloy with the molten lead with which the receptacle is charged. The bullion gradually overflows into the square well situated outside the furnace, whence it is ladled out and run into moulds, forming ingots of about SOlbs weight. These are removed to the refinery, where the bullion is separated from the lead, and finally purified in readiness for the market. The slag formed by the refuse runs continually from the ends of the furnace, which are tapped alternately by the workmen, the red hot liquid passes down an iron gutter, where it is caught in large vessels, and conveyed on trollies to the rear of the emelting sbed. During yesterday the bullion flowed freoly, and large numbers of ingots were moulded, containing large proportions of lead, and a smaller percentage of gold and silver. There are lees than 100 tons of ore on hand, but Mr. Lane informs us that this will be sufficient to keep the furnace supplied for nearly a week. The consumption of ore yoaterday in tho early stages was very large, approaching, to his estimate, more than 20 tons a day, but this rate is not expected to be maintained. The smelting operations are being carried on under the supervision of Mr. Sternp, the head smelter of Mr. LaMonte's staff, and, should no accident occur, they will be continued until all the ore purchased by tho company has been disposed of. Immense interest in the operations is ehown, and several hundred persons visited the premises yesterday. MINE MANAGERS , REPOUTS. ' Bbiotit Smilb.—The louder is looking well, and showing cold us Uio loading stopn advances south. 1 have been extending th» drive douth since my last report la the beck etopes I sea gold when breaking, hat huve only secured, about slbn of picked etone. Nm- Amu'ANia.—Sinco my Inst report a bettor class of country ha« been met with In crosscut In 70feet level. The contractor!) are therefore making (rood headway. Klifht feet has been driven since the contractor* started on Wednesday latt. If the country showing nt present in face of crOBECUt continnos, the reef should be in hand in ftvo or six we»k» from date. I will start crushing thie week at the Ooldon Crown battery. McLean and party have finished crushing for the moderate yield of 17ozi ftdwts, from '_'.'. l-.arlß. Throe tribute parties, viz., Bice, l>»bb. and Clark, are now crushing. Saxon.—Since amine the liohvo on No. 2 reef, at No. 3 level. '10 feot his been driven ou tho course of the reef, and rs yet no settled country has been met with. There is a little quartz showing in tho drive, which carries good minnial. A ri?e hi. been startea westward of thu heave, whore kood strong colours of gold were got In driving, and a lending stnpe will he commenced tomorrow in mrrr air into the face. Tho drive on the sp-'Clmen leader at No. 6 level has not been advanced much this weok, as the roon working hore have bor.n e-jii loyod at the buttery. The crushing of '21 loads li£S tven completed *t lh* I'rlnco battery. Cambria.—Th» winze below No. :' level ii down a distance 0f;:.9 feat. The reef in the hottmr) is »'out (1 feet in thicUneis. Colo.ira of gold ivcro poen here last time i: waj Ivoken down. In the immr-dU'e drlvt,. on th" western side of the winze, nlmui If) foot was driven northward on the br*ik. There, is some quartz hero close to the wiuze in which * few pounds of picked stone with obtained "he drivn la uow being extended at aniles from tho winze 10 cut the cross-reef on tins wa«ternj side of the hreak. No I Btnpii east, on the D,irw!n reef, is along 70 foot from the winze. Th« reef is "bout f> feet In thi:knen«. Gold aro seen here occasionally in the hftUKiugwall portions of the roof. No. " slope cksl, or, the Darwin reef, in along i-> font from the Wirizi The reef is >iz feet in thickness. Colours of Cold arc fcle* seon her. in the haniflnßvs-ill of the reef. No. (> etope e*st, on the Darwin roof, is along IS feet from tho winzi; :>ot) pounds of sfocimene have hecu obtained fiom hero during the week. There is Btill good mineral in the face of this stope. Stoplns is atlll b»ing continued ou the western side t>l the winze. A fair amount of crushing dirt ia coming to h»nd from here. :ind gold is occasionally seen in breaking it ont. The third stope on the cross rtef is along OH foul from the winze. The reef hero is about Ihruo f«-t in thickness The fourth stone on the crois-retf. coming towards the winss*, Iβ within 27 feet of the winze. <iold is seen hero freely through the quartz. In No. 1 stopo, nbovo the eastern interraoiliate, tho retf is about four feet iu thickness. Colours of i'old arc soon here In the hangingwall poiUiin of the r-'ef. The filth stope above the western intermediate in along 20 foot from the winze. Dabs n.ntl colour.-i of gold aro toen bore frequently. Six men aro still employed in breaking out quartz on No 1 reef. A little gold Is hood here occasionally. O\Sulliv»n's drive is in a distance of (II feet. There is about » foot of quartz here, carrying a little mineral. Ihe chamber at No. 4 level was completed on Friday, and driving has been commenced. The country in tho faco of the drlv» is very hard. Tho drive on the reef from tho Moanataiari tended is in a distance of 47 feot from the crosucot Colours of gold were soon In a small stridor in the footwall tide of the reef. It is my intention to try *nd keep the battery rnnning constantly until the 24th instant, then it will b«i necessary to tike a week at the holidays for tho purpose of (Ming in the stopos and re-bedding three of the stampers boxes in this company's battery, also putting up one new shoot from tho brace to tho hoppor, aUo repairing the other shoot and hopper, &c. Tho air compressor haj uow been tltted in its place. Tho steampipe has yet, to bo connected with the Mounataiar»i Ext»nded boiler, but the work of laying down tho air pipes has been commenced. General dirt: Cambria battery, 88 loads for ti73ozs amalgam; Herald battery, 88 loads for 7470« amalgam ; Crown battery, 40 loads for 30lon amalgam : total, 216 loads for 17210zs amalgam. The company's battery and also tho Horald are working very latlifactorily, Adklihk. —All tho quartz from the mine has been carefully sorted and sampled, and a email portion taken from each he*p for testing, and the corresponding pieces forwarded to you per favour of Mr Lockwood. I gave tho stono to Mr. Smith, of the Woodstock furnace, who put it through in my presence, and enclosed please find his assay certificate. The directors, no doubt Ilka mysnlf, will be aitonithed at the return of No. I, No. 1 »s*ay: In selecting the stone we took what was considered a fair average parcel (as I think the Board will nee when they examine the duplicate pieces) and tho assay of No. 1 is beyond anything I expected, although, from the care we had taken in sorting the stono,' I anticipated a big return, and there is no doubt whan the stuff goes to the furnace it will assay hicli. The lode carries a blue vein, varying in thickness, sometimes on the foot, at others on the hanplngwall side of the leader, and the richer this vein is in silver, it is correspondingly no in gold. If this stone (ua ii being done) is carefully kept out from tho general stuff, it is actually tho specimen stone of the leader, and requires separata treatment. No. '2 assay: The assay in poor. 1 am perfectly satisfied with It. It tells that a>l the white stone should be loft on the mullock tip. This heap, which at present forms about 40 to 45 per cent, of the whole, will have to bo re-sorted and about one-third of it thrown away ; that la, all the white quartz. No. 3 assay : The assay shows gold and nilvor to the value of about 45s per ounce, which I believe is only the usual alloy of silver contained in the gold, end should not be sent to the furnace. What 1 would recommend If, to re-sort No. 2, ami mix the beat with >o. 3, and have the stuff put through the battery, acil tho No. 1 kept for the furnace. The above ia, I believe, the proper treatment these ores ought to receive. Thero is about 21 tow of No. 1 ready for bagging. As the No. 1 ore is about a quarter of the whole, we shall not be able to make up a parcel of live tons until about, the middle of January next, and the battery will lie employed during next week on their ewn company's quartz. Yesterday we bad a good breaking down, and the face is looking well.

Dakwik.— No. 10 stope Is alone a riUUnca of lh feet from thoiwiDze. Gold U seen here in the hangingwall portiou of the roof. No. 11 stopo is along 15 feet from the winze. About lOlbs of picked stone was obtained from hero during tho week. Another slope will take it up to tho No. '2 level. Thn chamber at No. 4 level was completed on Friday, and driving has been commenced. The country in tho face of the drive U very bard. Crushing will bo commenced tomorrow at tho Prince luiperWl battery.

LinxK Helen.—Since my last I have been driving along the hangingrcall of the big reef, carrying the slide with mo. 1 have cut through one or the east arjil wost leads, which ;coles well, .showing tittle blotches of roM in breaking down. The other lode (mentioned in last report) I expect in baud to-morrow. When cut through I intend breaking down the big reef, in junctions of which 1 expect to get some good specimen:;. I have ulio ent a mineral lead in the slide going into the liiif re?f, which 1 think will throw a good shot of gold iuto her. The country loots well, the miner.il veins coining in very closely as the drive progresses. |BY TKLEGKAFH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.] HoEiTiRA, Wednesday. Four mineral leases were granted by the Land Board at the Gorge Eiver, Barn Bay. The minerals supposed to be contained are niokel and stream tin. A party of prospectors left by steamer for Big Bay this afternoon. They have obtained a large area of ground for prospecting from the Otago Land Board, and will be away six months. The locality iu on the boundary of Weatland and Otago.

Lybll, Wednesday. Tho United Alpine return for nine daye' crushing of 300 tons is 900 ounces of amalgam from the plates.