THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9064, 26 May 1888, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[from our own correspondents.] Thames, Friday. Norfolk (Tararu).— The proprietors of this claim, although having opened up a large and payable block of ground, are in the unfortunate position of being unable to forward quartz to a battery for treatment, owing to the bad state of the Tararu Creek road, which is badly in need of repair from the beach up to the Sylvia claim, a distance of three or four miles. As the prospects of this district have an upward tendency, and also to encourage further prospecting by other parties, it would seem most advisable on the part of the Thames County Council to remedy this state of things as speedily as possible. Waiotahi.—Operations in this mine are proceeding 88 usual, with a steady output of payable quartz from the productive workings. Excellent progress is being made in opening up a new level in the Mary Ann section, where a body of quartz known as the tributers' reef is expected to be met with daily. A small leader was intersected yesterday, but no gold was seen in it.

Manukau. —The manager informs me that No. 5 lode is yielding good grade quartz at present, and that more than the usual quantity of gold is seen in breaking down. The richest portion, however, is in the new stope commenced a few days ago at the western end of the block, from where a little picked stone is coming to hand. Men are employed in timbering up the drive on Mulligan's leader, and forming a pass in the winze lately sunk from No. 3 level previous to commencing stoping operations. Alburnia Tributes. —Christie and party have crushed 12 tons of quartz at the Moanataiari battery for the rather poor return of soz gold. Jobe and party are putting through 17 lodes and 451b picked stone at the same battery, and expect a profitable yield. New North Star.—Dacre and party obtained 2oz 3d\vt gold from live loads. This is the poorest return yet obtained by this party, their dirt having previously yielded from 4 to soz per load. Moanataiari. —Laing and party crushed six tons for loz lldwt gold.

Cambria. —Cleaning up and retorting took place to-day for the following returns :—l6l loads quart's crushed for loGoz; 251b picked stone, '290z; 15 loads tailings, 9oz; retorted gold, 1940z; melted gold, 190oz 17dwt. It fetched 57s per ounce. The legal manager has just returned from visitingthe mine, and reports that a fresh block on No. 6 leader at No. 3 level, 31 feet in length, has been driven, and is ready for stoping when the 13th stope is finished, and that thero is no reason for doubting that the new block will yield specimens similar to the section now nearly finished. The main lode in the rise above No. 3 level looks well, yielding payable crushing dirt, and small stringers with good gold are met with as the stope ascends. All the other leaders on and above No. 3 level are being systematically worked, and yield well. At No. 4 level the crosscut is not far from the footwall of the main reef, and the winze on the hangingwall of the reef is well down to No. 4 level, as the men can sound through to each other. The country on the hangingwall of the reef in the winze is simply magnificent. The same may be said of the country in the crosscut. The reef here will be cut clean through. The winze will be down almost immediately, and there will be an extensive opening out. Everything looked not only pleasing, but created a sanguine feeling that gold will be found at No. 4 level. Trenton. —The secretary has handed the directors instructions to Mr. Coutts on the brace of the shaft—to commence the sinking of the shaft when the work has been taken over from the contractor. Mr. McDermott and his men are busy completing the job. The powerful engine looks well in its position. The contractor deserves credit for reorecting it. The whole looked important, in view of the work about to be commenced, and the task to bo performed in developing the claim. The shaft is 333 feefc deep. A contract will be let for a first 100 feet deeper. The further depth will depend on circumstances which may present themselves, for instance, some discovery in the shaft. Meantime, a work of magnitude and importance will be inaugurated. New Fearnought.—The legal manager has visited the drivo, and was pleased with the work done, and the country. It is interlaced with small veins which, though small, are little specimens, and prove the country to be auriferous, while when drivon into, there is nothing to hinder gold being found in some of the bigger lodes towards which the drive is being exteaded. Gem.—l commenced crushing at the Paroquet battery on Friday last with ten stampers. The show of amalgam on the table is not very great, but still I think it will pay for sending down and crushing. After crushing up all the quartz on the surface I hope to send some of better quality from our workings. In carrying in our leaning stope I broke through into old workings, which has slightly disarranged my plan of operations. 1 have, however, beon able to get into and inspect all Workman's prospecting works, which will the better enable mo to carry on stoping operations. I purpose putting on a shift to drive on the hangingwall leader, where Mr. Workman got the richest of his quartz. The tramway is working very well, but I have to keep two men on it for the present to put it in a proper and safe state, as since the late rains the made ground has settled in many places, Colonist (Waiorongamai).—l have started two men, this will make six, working for the company in the drive. The drive is now about 35 feet from the To Aroha Company's boundary, and the further we are going in the hill the better the reef is looking. \Ve blasted down some of the reef this morning (21st) and gold showed freely in the stuff. You can now see dabs of gold all over the face of the drive for a width of two feet six inches. It looks better in the bottom of the drive than it does in the top. There is no doubt the dirt coming to grass is of a payable quality, and I think you are on a run of gold.

GOLD DISCOVERY AT BOAT HARBOUR, TAIRUA. The existence of loose gold in the creeks, and on the beach, in the neighbourhood of Boat Harbour, has long been known to the mining community, but all attempts to trace the reef from which it proceeded, have hitherto been unsuccessful. However, a half-caste, named Lewis King, who has been prospecting in this district since January last, has discovered a gold-bearing reef within a mile of the ocean beach at Boat Harbour. From information which I have received from several practical miners, I believe the find will prove a valuable one. The reef can be plainly traced for miles, and samples of stone showing gold freely have been taken out of the prospector's claim. Several claims are already pegged out and applied for. Mr. David Murray is now in Auckland with stone from the new find, but I learn that since his departure a rich leader about 12 inches wide lias been mot with, which excels the sample he took with him for teat purposes. While deprecating any undue excitement over this discovery until the several claims now taken up are more fully prospected, I have confidence in the ultimate value of the find.