THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9140, 23 August 1888, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[from our own correspondents.] Thames, Wednesday. Cambria. — A commencement has been made to sink a winze on No. 6 leader, at No. 3 level, at the point where the leader was first intersected by the crosscut. This is being done with a view to prove the value of the leader as it makes downwards, and also, if it proves of a payable nature, to facilitate the opening up of a block upon No. 4 level as speedily as possible. To effect a connection with this winze and the crosscut now being driven at No. 4 level will only require a short drive into the eastern wall. The crosscut at No. 4 level is still passing through a first-class sandstone formation, and communication with No. 7 winze should soon be accomplished. The other workings in the mine are progressing as usual, good strong colours of gold being seen in all the stopes.

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. Saxon. —The leading stope on footwall reef No. 3 level has been advanced 14 feet; the second, 12 feet; third, 11 feet; ana fourth, 13 feet. The reef is about 10 inches thick, and shows the usual class of mineral and colours of sold. The fifth stope, which carries both reefs, has been advanced seven feet. This stope is about 14 feet wide, with 1 toot of crushing dirt on the hangingwall, 15 inches on the footwall, and several small but fairly good leaders between. On the hangingwall reef the leading stope is nearly up to the face of the drive, having been extended 9 feet during the past week. The second and third stopes have not been worked this week ; the fourth has been advanced 13 feet. This reef is rather broken in leading and second stopes ; but in the remaining two it is well defined, and about 15 inches in thickness, while all carry favourable mineral and occasional good colours of gold. On No. 1 footwall leader the fifth stope has been advanced 11 feet, sixth 10 feet, and seventh 13 feet. This leader is about 6 inches thick, and still shows good colours of gold. The ninth and tenth stopes on main reef from No. 4 level have each been advanced 10 feet. The reef is from 12 to 15 inches thick, and at every breaking down shows colours of gold. At No. 5 level the contractors have driven 14 feet, making the present face 212 feet in from the shaft. The country is good sandstone, but no reef has been broken for the last four days. Amalgam on hand, 5030z lOdwt. New Manokau.—Mulligan's leader is looking about the same. Started to crush last week. Dirt shaping payable. Tributers : Go van and party have nad a payable crushing, and Kerr and party will start crushing to-morrow, and will have a good return, for they have a good bit of picked stone to back it up. Cambria G.M. Co.—The crosscut in No. 4 level is now in a distance of 80 feet. The reef in the face of the crosscut is about 20 inches in thickness. The quartz is kindlylooking. There is splendid-looking country in both walls of the reef, and is everything that could be desired for gold-bearing leaders. The fourth stone on the No. 7 leader is along 15 feet. The leader in the face of this stope is about 4 inches in thickness ; colours of gold were seen freely through the quartz when breaking down the leader. The fifth stope west on the main reef is along 35 feet. There are about 15 inches of the hangingwall portion of the reef carrying some nice-looking mineral, in which colours of gold were seen when breaking down the quartz. The sixth stope west on the main reef is alonjj6feet. There are about 18 inches of the hangingwall portion of the reef carrying nice-looking mineral, and gold was seen through the quartz when breaking it down. The hangingwall leader at the intermediate is now being driven on in the hangingwall of the intermediate level, which is nearly running parallel with it; colours of gold were seen freely through the quartz when oreaking down the leader yesterday. A start was made yesterday to sink a winze on the No. 6 leader at No. 3* level with one shift of two men. 27 loads of quartz have been crushed during the week for the return of 69ozs 15dwta of amalgam, and 5 loads of tailings have been put through the berdans for the return of 9ozs lOdwts of amalgam. The battery is running 12-hour shifts, 10 head on company's dirt, and 10 head on public crushing. The battery is in good working order, also the winding-engine. The mine manager wired yesterday, "55 loads quart/, and 461bs picked stone crushed for 77ozh gold.'