THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9151, 5 September 1888, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[from our own correspondent.] Thames, Tuesday. Sharemarket. — Manukau, sellers 2s, . buyers Is lOd : Moanataiari 6s, sellers 6s 6d; New Alburnia, sellers 2s Id; Old Caledonian, buyers 4s 6d ; Saxon, sellers 3s lOd ; Trenton, buyers 2s 3d ; Paroquet, 3s • Adeline (Karangahake), buyers 6d. Monthly Gold Returns.—The manager of the local branch of the Bank of New Zealand reports to the Town Clerk that the purchase of gold during the month of August was as follows Thames Borough, 15620zs 17dwts: Thames County, 9310zs 9dwts ; Ohinemuri County, 25ozs lldwts: total, 25190zs 17dwts. Caledonian.—The manager banked, today 290z lldvt melted gold, the result of a crushing of 15{loads quartz, obtained from Rowe's 'leader at No. 3 level. This leader is now being opened up in a series of three stopes, the leading one having been advanced a distance of 90 feet, the second 30 feet, and the third 25 feet, in each of which the leader maintains an average width of 6 inches. The crushing just completed did not turn out hardly as well as was anticipated, seeing that when the winze was sunk from No. 2 level the quartz averaged a return of 3oz per load, but its quality will undoubtedly improve as the stopes progress upwards. Another thing which was likely to have deteriorated the value of the present crushing is the fact that not so much care was taken in separating the quartz from the mullock as was the case when sinking the winze. The drive at No. 3 level is at present at. a standstill, but the manager expects to resume this work later on. Gem (Waiomo). — The manager, Mr. Steedman, informs me that the black reel' was intersected at No. 2 level on Saturday I evening last, and yesterday he broke through it, and found its width to be 115 inches, with colours of gold showing. At No. 1 level a rise is being put up on the reef near the face of the drive, and the quartz coming to hand shows strong dabs of gold, and about ISlbs fair picked stone were selected during the past week. Cambria.— indications in the winze on No. 6 leader looks well for the No. 4 level, the leader keening its size in going down, j and gold seen plentifully in the quartz. The drive past the bottom of the winze at No. 4 level is penetrating excellent country. Adeline Amalgamated.—The number of applications for shares to date is 218, and-the number of shares • applied for is 45,707. There are only a few applications to come in from a distance. The certification of incorporation was received yesterday. Steps to amalgamate the different holdings will be taken at once. Gem. —The mine manager telegraphed yesterday —" Cut reef in low level; coarse gold showing; 151b picked stone from surface level." THE WAIHI MINE. The following description of the Waihi mine has been sent home to London. The company is now registered there, with a capital of £100,000 : — The Waihi Company's property consists of the following mines : The Union, Amaranth, Trio, Rosemont, Nelson, and Winner, in one compact block of 160 acres. Machinery is now in course of erection for this company, and is expected to be completed by the end of the present month of September. The system of treatment will be roasting, dry crushing, and pan amalgamation, and the plant that is being erected is capable of treating 500 tons per month. The following are the results of several different parcels that have been treated:—Union reef : A parcel of 14 tons 12cwt was smelted in New Zealand at an experimental furnace, and produced gold and silver of the value of £344 8s 9d, or at the rate of about £23 10s per ton of ore. Several parcels were sent for trial toCalifornia,to Swansea,and to London. The Californian results in gold and silver were at the rate of 21 8 dollars 2 cents per ton, or equal to £43 per ton. The Swansea results gave upwards of £44 per ton. London results : Upwards of 17 tons were sent in February last to Messrs. Johnson, Matthey and Co., assayers to the Bank of England, and were found to contain 9|oz of gold, and upwards of 540z of silver to the ton of ore, and to be of the value of about £50 per ton. A further shipment of 36 tons sent to Messrs. Johnson, Matthey and Co., divided into three classes, gave the following results :—lst class Gold, 9oz ldwt; silver, 490z lOdwt per ton ; of the value of about £45 per ton. 2nd class, first portion—Gold, 3oz sdwt; silver, 17oz lOdwt per ton, of the value of about £16 per ton ; second portion : Gold, 3oz 12dwt; silver, 18oz per ton, of the value of about £17 lis per ton. 3rd class Gold, soz 7dwt; silver, 9oz per ton, of the value of about £23 per ton. From the Rosemont reef in the Rosemont section of the property, 81 tons, being the whole of the ore broken from this lode over a distance of 180 feet, were sent to a temporary smelting furnace at the Thames, and gave a result in gold and silver of £810 10s 9d, or equal to £10 per ton. Analysis of Quartz. —The following is an analysis made by Mr. J. A. Pond, Colonial analytical chemist, Auckland : —Silica, 89*3 per cent. ; alumina, I*s protoxide of iron, 5'94; lime, *19; sulphide of lead, •05 ; sulphide of copper, - 06 ; sulphide ot antimony, '302; gold, *021 ; silver, 1 *149; tellurium, a trace. Total 98 812. The Reefs.—l. The Union reef, which is, as far as yet proved, the most important in the property, and one of the finest in the district, is strong and well-defined, and averages from 5 to 6 feet in thickness ; its direction and underlie are regular, and it has been proved in several levels driven in the hill upon the course of the reef for up wards of 300 feet. The lode has increased in width from the upper levels downwards, and its quality and richness have been maintained. The strike of the reef should give the company within its ground upwards of 4500 feet. 2. The Rosemont or Pride reef, on the strike of which the company has 600 feet in its ground, is 2 feet thick, containing rich gold and silver ore. 180 feet have been openel, yielding gold and silver ore of very rich quality. 3. The Amaranth reef is a large reef from 12 to 24 feet in thickness. Two cuttings have been made into the reef; and, judging by the appearance of the quartz and the country rock in which it is found, rich deposits of ore will be found in it, even if it yielded only a moderate class of ore. From its great size and handy position it will prove of great value. The company have upwards of 1800 feet on its strike. Numerous other reefs have been found in the company's property. There are the following : —4. A reef 2 feet thick, cut through, and yet unworked. 5. A reef 3 feet thick, intersected, and as yet unworked. This reef will in all probability be identical with a continuation of the Union reef. 6. A reef 2 feet thick has been cut through, but no work of any consequence has been done on it. This reef junctions with the Pride at 100 feet eastward of the crosscut. 7. A reef 8 feet thick has been cut through, and driven on 18 feet. It has a contrary dip to the Pride and Union reefs. Gold has been found in it. There are 1200 feet of this reef on its strike in the ground. 8. A reef, 2 feet thick, was intersected, containing good minerals. 9. A reef 2 feet thick, of fair-looking quality, was intersected in drive C. 10. A smaller reef, 1 foot 3 inches thick, shows gold and silver through the quartz. 11. Another, 1 foot thick, bears all the characteristics of a good reef. The mine manager estimates the quantity of ore in three of the reefs only, drainable by adit levels, as follows :—Union reef, 42,000 tons ; Rosemont, 19,800 tons; Amaranth, 172,800 tons : total, 234,600 sufficient to provide for five years' consumption at the rate of 900 tons per week.