THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9095, 2 July 1888, Page 5

THE GOLDFIELDS.

>ENTB.] Thames, Saturday. TrESTON.—This company's shaft is now down a depth of about 350 feet, the contractors having sunk six feet during the past week. The country still consists of hard blue rock, so that but slow progress can be made.

[from our own

Cambria.—At No.'4 level operations on the main reef have been temporarily suspended in order to continue the tee crosscut on to the boundary, a distance of about SO; feet, which will occupy about four weeks. In cutting through the reef its size was found to be about 10 feet, and for a thickness of about four feet on its hangingwall side strong colours of gold were found, whilst through its entire width a large percentage of silica and favour able mineral existed, and the quartz itself was of a very promising character. The crosscut is now about 10 fest westward of the reef, and as soon as it reaches the boundary a start will be made to' drive towards the winze sunk from No. 3 level on No. 7 leader, and also to intersect the other leaders which were worked so profitably in the workings above. The winze below the intermediate level, on the hangingwall of the main reef, is now down a depth of 20 feet. At present the men are employed in breaking out about IS inches of the reef, in which colours of gold are to be seen, but the mineral is not so dense as sinking proceeds as it was near the top. This is thought to be a favourable sign, and one which it is hoped will grve place to a larger percentage of the precious metal.

Gem (Waiomo). —The crushing of 12 tons of quartz taken from the new leader discovered recently at the surface level has resulted in the satisfactory return af !ssozs goid. A distance of 80 feet has m * been driven on , this leader, which ranges in size from 4 to 9 inches, and a leading stope carried along 60 feet. Other stopes are now being opened up, and the manager hopes soon to have another crushing ready for the battery. The return of gold from the quartz crushed from Workman's old paddock was very small, only 4Jozs being obtained, which was not payable. Waihi Gold Mining and Smelting Company.—Mr. Walker is pushing on the numerous works in hand with all possible speed. The various buildings are now approaching a state of completion, and a start will be made shortly to erect tho machinery, which is now all on the ground. This will occupy about three months. In the meantime the mine will be thoroughly opened up, and a large supply of quartz brought to the surface ready for treatment as soon as the plant is available. Driving and stoping is already in progress in the Rosemont section, where a good class of ore is being broken ; whilst in the Union section a start has been made to rise on the reef to connect with the shaft. Tenders are also invited for driving 150 feet on the line of reef in this part of the mine. Bi.iTANNTA (Waihi). —This is a claim of 30 acres just applied for by Mr. H. C. Savage. It is bounded on the northeast by the Martha licensed holding, and on the west by the Waihi Goldmining Co.'s property. For some time past Mr. Savage and his mates have been employed prospecting the ground, and after driving a crosscut a short distance, a large reef was intersected, upon which they started to sink a winze. Tliis is now down a depth of 20 feet on the footwall of the reef, about four feet of which is being taken, with no sign of the hangingwall. The quartz coming to hand is of a whitish nature, with bands of black and blue seams running through it, and although gold is not visible to the naked eye, excellent prospects are obtained by panning off. A day or two ago Mr. Savage brought down to the Thames a piece of quartz, which he asserted was a fair sample of the class of ore coming from the winze. This has since been assayed by Mr. Montgomery, at the Thames School of Mines, and found to contain gold at the rate of 770z lodwt 4gr per ton, and of silver IGSoz -tdwt 23gr, consequently the find is of considerable value. To work the ground profitably, however, it will be necessary to erect pumping machinery, for the surface ground iti rather shallow, and water in considerable quantity is sure to be met with in sinking. Two or three other leases have since been pegged off on the line of reef, which is thought to be entirely a new discovery.

WHANGAMATA. WHANGAMATA, June 27. After several days' delay on the Whangramata landing, the two parcels of quartz from the Goldwater and Observer mines were shipped on board the steamer Douglas for Auckland on Saturday last. Both lota are to be treated at Mr. Geo. Eraser's plant in Mechanics' Bay. That from the Observer is a one-ton trial lot, and a fair yield is expected from it, whilst that from the Goldwator amounts to five tons, and was taken from the stopes immediately over the drive from where the ten-ton parcel came which was recently treated in Adelaide. The quality of the ore is not considered to be so rich as that which was exported, there being no picked stone among this lot. The manager is still breaking out ore from the surface stopes, but these will be exhausted in about a fortnight, when sinking operations will probably be resumed on the payable run of ore.

Driving is still being carried on in the Brogan in search of the Goldwater reef, which is expected to be intersected very shortly. The manager of the Observer unearthed the reef in a new place last week, and obtained excellent prospects. A lot of work is being done in the Young Colonial, and another trial lot of half a ton is being forwarded to Auckland for treatment, from which a fair result is anticipated. The result of the treatment of tne 4cwt parcel sent from this mi.no two months ago is not yet to hand. In the Just-in-Time prospecting is still being carried on with indifferent results.

Mr. W. Ellis, an enthusiastic amateur photographer, has been visiting this district with his camera. He • blained a number of excellent views, among them being several in connection with the packing of the Goldwater quartz from the mine down to the landing ; also first-class views of the entrance to Whangamata harbour, and Mr. J. J. Wilson's residence and store. News has just, arrived in camp to the effect that we are to have a post-offioe here after the Ist of Julj T . This will be a great boon to the residents in this localitv, for it is a well-known fact that on more than one occasion it has taken letters from chree to four weeks to reach here from Auckland, although we are separated only by about twelve hours' direct steaming.

[by telegraph—own correspondent.] Paeroa, .Saturday, Mr. W. R. Wilson, of Broken Hills,'arrived hero to-day, and was escorted to Waihi by Mr. J. Moore and others. News has been received that Mr. Edward Kersey Cooper is en route for New Zealand. On his arrival a great advance is expected in Waitekaui-i stock. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRKSS ASSOCIATION'.] (iREYMouth, Saturday. Reefton returns : —Dnrk, 4160z amalgam for the week ; Welcome, '2670z from 67 tons ; Fiery, "2750/. from 110 tons ; Progress, 178oz for the week ; Venus, Slloz retorted gold from 425 tons.