THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9450, 22 August 1889, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[BY TKLKGRAPU.—OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] Thames, Wednesday. Cambria. — Crushing will bo finished tomorrow.

May Qoeen. — In consequenco of the scarcity of firsb-class timber, the contractors will bo unable to proceed with tho clearing out and repairing of the shaft until to-morrow. Tho winding engine works smoothly and satisfactorily.

Lone Hand.—Crushing is shaping for a good payable return, and will bo finished on Friday or Saturday. In the low level drive the country is still hard, and consequently progress is somewhat slow, only 6 feet having been driven during tho past week.

Saxon. — No. 5 level : Tho reof in the drive hillward of No. 2 break is divided into three veins, in all of which coloiis of gold are seen, while a few picked stone are occasionally saved. Sloping is proceeding as usual throughout the mine, and quartz of a similar grade to last crashing is coming to hand.

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. Cambria-—The rise on the main reef above No. 3 level is up & height of 42 feet. We have just cut a small leader in the dig about 2 inches in thickness, striking into the reef, which looks very promising for gold. Ido not intend breaking down the reef for a day or two. The drive on No. 7 lender is in a distance of 3S feet from No. I winze.. The leader averages about 6 inches in thickness. Cold was seen freely when breaking it down, and a few pounds of picked stone were saved. During la.st week two shifts were employed in this drive. The leading stone over the western drive is along 10 feet. The leader is about 6 inches in thickness, in which gold is seen when breaking down. No change to report from the stopes on No. 1 hangingwall leader. I will probably finish crushing on Thursday. The battery and winding engine are ill good working order. Lone Hand.—The country in tho General Chute drive at the low level is vory tight. The contractors extended the drive ti feet during the week, making the total distance from the Adelaide crosscut 228 feet.

The fourth stope east on the No. 1 leader, Lone Hand section of the mine, is along 5 feet. The leader in the face of this stope is 2 inches in thickness. There is some nicelooking mineral through the quartz. In the fourth stope west the leader is about 3 inches in thickness. Gold was seen freely through the quartz when breaking down the leader, Hud 4lbs of picked stone came to hand from here on Friday last. In the face of the drive west on the No. 2 leader the leader is about 2 inches in thickness. There is splendid mineral through the quartz, in which gold is seen freely. 51bs of picked stone came to hand from here during the week. The sixth stone east, Manchester section of the mine, is along 97 feet. At this point the Moa reef junctions with the Adelaide reef. The Moa reef is IS inches in thickness, and the Adelaide about 9 inchcs. There is some nice-look-ing mineral through the quartz in both reefs. The seventh stoj>e is along 02 feet. The reef in this stope is 18 inches in thickness. There is good mineral through the quartz. The eighth stope is along 4-4 feet. The reef in the face of this stope is 15 inches in thickness. Colours of gold were seen through the quartz when breaking down the reef. Crushing was started yes ten lay morning at Bull's battery. May Queen.—Mr. McDermott has completed the contract for the erection of the winding plant in a satisfactory manner, everything working smoothly. Mr. Wilson, the contractor for cleaning out and retimbering the balance of the depth of the shaft, will start work on Thursday next. There hits Iveen some delay ill getting firstclass timber for the shaft.

Saxon.—No. 5 level : At this level, the drive oil the main reef east or hillside of No. 2 break is at. present passing through a splendid channel of goldbearing country. The reef is still somewhat split up into three separate veins, but each of these are carrying gold, and a few pounds of picked stone have been saved from these different portions at each breaking down. I feel sure that as the drive is extended east, that the reef will come together and form one compact body. 1 have started a leading stope from the No. 2 winze on the same reef, to follow up this drive on the eastern side of the break. At the same level the leading stope on the No. 2 reef east of No. I break is now well

forward to the No. 2 break. The reef still averages about 12 inches in thickness, and shows gold occasionally. On the same (No. 2) reef west of No. I break, two stopus are in progress. The reef in those stoj>es is much larger, being fully 2 feet in thickness, carrying fair minerals, with a little gold seen near the break, same (No.

I 5) level. The s topes in progress on the ! No. 1 main reef between the two breaks are three, going east of the winze anil one west. The eastern topes sire N'os. 2, 3, and 4. In No. 2 the reef is small, averaging 10 being close up to tlu; No. _ break. In I\o. 3 stope the reef is much larger, being about IS Indies in thickness, and carrying .splendid minerals, while to-day 101b of picked stone were saved. In No. 4 scope the reef is also of a kindly appearance, ami will average about 18 inches in thickness. In the stope going west there is but little gold Been, although a large quantity of copper and iron pyrites are through the quartz, and the reef is fully 0 feet in thickness. ]So. 4 level : The drive ;t-t this level along tho course of No. 1 footwall leader has been extended a further distance of 10 feet. The leader still continues al>out 10 inches in thickness and of a promising appearance, although no gold is being seen so far this week. Stopes on old hangingwoll leader above No. 4 level : In this two stones are in progress, and a fair supply of payable quartz is coming to hand. .No. 2 level: The stopes on the foot and hangingwall reefs above this level are two on footwall and two on hangingwall. The stapes on the lumgirigwall reef arc poor at present, the reef apparently cutting out as it is carried upwards. The stopea on the footwall portion still continue to turn out a large supply of payable quartz. Cleaning up and retorting took place to-day for a yield of 410oz retorted gold, which was afterwards reduced by melting to a bar of 4020z lldwt, from 615 loads of general quartz and 05lb of picked stone.

Calkdosiax.The crushing from No. 1 reef at No. 1 level continues to show up. The reef is from four to live feet thick, in a very good channel of country, and contains some excellent minerals. About 45 loads liave l>een crushed to date, and there is on hand 60ozs hard-squeezed amalgam from this source. The drive in Brown's leader from the bottom of flat winze is still being pushed forward. No reef has been broken for the week to allow of the trial from No. 1 level, but about 10 feet has been stripped and will be broken down during the present week. The country here is intersected by goodlooking mineral seams in favourable sandstone. About 10 loads of quartz from other parts of the mine have been put through the battery during the week, but it is of a very low grade.

REEFTON MININO. [nr TKIjEQKAI'H PKKSS ASSOCIATION.] Rkrfton, Wednesday. The activity in mining matters here continues, the latest land booming being Hard-fco-Find, shares in which have risen from Is (id yesterday to 2s 4d to-day. A well-known speculator purchased 13,000 of the shares last night. Barge business continues to be done in numerous lines, and '20odd local brokers arc kept on the constant run.

Nklson, Wednesday. News is just in from the Owen with the report of the mine manager of the Wakatu Extended, stilting thata large reef has been cut in a crosscut about '200 feet from the surface. The stone is of a bluish colour, and heavily charged with minerals. Between four and five feet of the stone is in sight, but the hangingwall has nob yet been struck. The drillings have been tested, and gold got from them. The discovery is viewed as important.