THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8265, 26 May 1890, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

■ [from our own correspondents.] . !'■ \ v Thames, Saturday. ! Sharemarket.-— Cambria, buyers 2s 4d; Dives, sellers 2s; Lone Hand, sellers 9s; Moanataiari, sellers ss;. Saxon, buyers Gs 3s; Orlando, Is Gd, sellers Is Sd, buyers lsGd. • i Dives.—A crushing of five loads of quartz from the main reef at the intermediate level has been completed for the roturn of 2£oz of gold. . Mat Qui —The drive and leading stope upon .No. 1 reof has been kept fully manned during the week, aud the quartz broken from each place has shown gold freely, but the reef still maintains its small size of about 4 inches. The crosscut towards No. 4 reef is now in over 100 feet in a good class of sandstone country, and another throe or four weeks' work should see tho connection made. Colihan. —The contractors at tho low level have almost completed the driving of their second 100 feet, the total distance driven since starting being 193 feet. During tho last 50 feet a good deal of water has been met with, and several nice-looking leaders passed through, which leads to the belief that tho Brunswick reof cannot now be far away, and may be intersected almost immediately. The contractors at tho top levol are in over 180 feot, and they also expect to cub the same reef in a few days. Saxon.—Since Thursday evening last the water in tho company's shaft has fallen away fully nine feet, and that in the winze upon the main No. 1 reef hillward of No. 1 break, at No. 5 level, has disappeared altogether. lb is intended, however, to continue the drainage crosscut from the Prince Imperial shaft until what is known as tho Imperial break is mot with, which is about 20 feet further ahead. * This break crosses No. 2 reef at the Saxon No. 5 levol, about 140 feet hillward of the shaft, and ibs intersection will ensure the drainage of the surrounding country. Tho productive workings in the mine are yielding the usual supply of payable quartz, and during tho week two or three small parcels of picked stone have been obtained. The usual fortnightly retorting eventuates on Tuesday next. Orlando.—Since commencing operations upon tho Bendigo reef a distance of about 40 feet has been driven. Gold was first met with about It feet from tho starting point, and was then seen in the quartz broken for the next 12 or 14 feot, when a break passed the reef and threw it a little to the footwall side of the drive, and also caused the reof to narrow down to a few inches in thickness. ~ Since then about 12 feeb have been driven, with the result that the reef has again opened out to about two feet, with colours of gold showing pretty freoly in tho quartz. Nothing of importance has transpired during the week in the slopes upon Carpenter's reef. Owing to the large quantity of water which finds its way down from the surface through this reef, ib is possible that these stopes will be left in abeyance during the winter months, and tho men removed to drive in from surface upon the Bendigo reef, westward of where the prosent operations are carried on upon that body. Trenton.Tho drive upon the hangingwall reef has been advanced a distance of nearly 00 feet beyond the main crosscut, and ibis expected that- a few feet more the drive will communicate with the oro upon the footwall reef. In the face the reef is fully 15 inches thick, and is looking very promising, the quartz being highly mineralised. A good start has boon made with tho leading stope upon this reef, aud strong colours of gold have been seen in the quartz broken so far. A length of 200 feet is opened up upon the footwall reef, and five stopes are in progress, with tho reef averaging about 18 inches in thickness. A large quantity of quartz, in which colours of gold are seen, is coming to hand, and no dilnculty is being experienced in keeping ten head of stampers constantly employed at tho Cambria battery. So far as can bo judged, the quartz now being crushed is shaping quite up to previous crushings. Lone Hand. —The two reefs in tho eastern drive at the low level have now come together, but the quartz has not yet been broken down up to the junction. At tbe last breaking down in this drivo, however, good : blotches of gold were seen in the quartz, and also some very nice mineral. Two stojws are being brought along above this drive, the reef running from a foot in thickness up to IS inches, and showing gold at every breaking down. Tho drivo west is kept fully manned, and a leading stope is being carried along also; hero tho reef runs from two to three feet thick, and shows colours of. gold aC every breaking down. Thirteen head of stampers have boon kept going constantly at Bull's battery during the week in crushing the quartz coining to hand from the above-mentioned workings, and will be kept so employed until the end of next week before a cleaning up and retorting takes place. Mr. Bull is adding another 10 head of stampers to his battery, which will bring the full complement of stampers up to 23 head, and when completed they will also bo brought into requisition to crush for this company. Ai„oi'kxia.—After opening out a few feet upon the cross reef recently intersected in tbe drive upon the specimen leader, and finding that neither the country or the reef was of a congenial character, the manager lias commenced to extend the drive ahead upon two or throe nice-looking veins of quartz, with the double purpose of trying to again pick up the leader, and meeting also with the junction of the Sons of Freedom and Dixon's reef, which is supposed to be about 50 foot further ahead. The ventilation of this drivo has now been provided for by the bringing up of a rise upon the specimen leader from the top of Christie's old workings above bhoWbau lovol. The point where tho communication was made with the drive upon the leader is about 150 feet back from the cross reef, and tha ground where the rise came up is intact for about 30 feet above the old workings. The leader ranged in size from six to nine inches in thickness in this rise, and when breaking it down colours of gold were seen freely and a few pounds of picked stouo secured. In order to further test this leader, a start has been mado to drive upon ib eastward at tho bop of tho old workings, and should it bo found worth while to stope the block out, the drive at the Whau level will bo cleaned out and re-timbered, in order that the quartz may. be sent down that way. It should also .be mentioned that the tributors (Christie and party) worked their block for '■■ a length of only SO feet, and the highest point they reached was 50 feet above the Whau level, so that should the prospects warrant such a procedure, tho company will be in a position to extend its operations upon the leader from both ends of the rise. Stoping upon the Sons of Freedom reef is proceeding as usual, and a considerable supply of crushing dirt is coming to hand therefrom. In the western half of the block'the reef is divided into two portions, with two or three feet of country between, but it becomes more compact as it carries along eastward, where the block lengthens as each stope is brought forward. Colours of gold are seen pretty generally through, the reef'for tho entire length opened up, and occasionally-a few pounds of picked stone are secured. Crushing is now proceeding at tho Cambria battery. ' ;

The legal manager of the following companies has been at the Thames, and reports — Cambria.The hoppers are full of quartz, and there will soon be another crushing.;! The crosscut at No. 2 level from the hangingwall and the main reef is now in the estimated distance. The reef at the point intersected was found to be 25 feet in thickness, and in a further distance of 23 feet, a leader six inches was also intersected. No gold was seen in it, but containing good mineral and zinc .blond. Driving westward on it will be undertaken, and its value tested. All the other works are proceeding satisfactorily, and the outlook promising. Trenton.—The mine has not before looked so healthy or promising. There is a large staff employed, and 10 stampers are kept going at the battery. The progress of the works at the lower level and the development of the different branches of the lode are very encouraging. One feature of importance is the indication that the hangingwall lode looks as if in being driven westward it will go through the footwall, and shape its course towards the Queen 'of Beauty, in which direction the country is everything that can be desired for gold. No appliance required to develop the mine is wanting, and everything is favourable for successful and economical working. Lone'Hand.Since the main reef has been in hand at the low level 80 feet have been driven west and 70 feet eastward. The connection with the winze sunk from the upper level has provided a strong current of

air in the workings and perfect ventilation to the mouth of the tunnel. The winze is the point from which the stopes are carried along. The ; reef westward is very strong, and of great bulk, averaging more than 2 feet wide. The last breaking clown had the best show of gold seen since driving westward. The reef in the face has a good underlie, thus increasing the backs. Fifty feet driving will bring it up to the Adelaide boundary. The reef eastward shows apparently two reefs in the face of the drive. In a few feet further both will junction, it being almost a certainty that thero is here what is termed a splice. The country is kindly, aud there should -be a find of gold near this place. The junction with the Moa is expected further ahead, although the development at the lower level being different, time and further work only •will reveal—lso feet of so considerable a reef opened up •and stQpes_ means a large output of quartz. Since starting crushing 13 head of stamps have been employed, and as soon as the other 10 head are added to the battery in a day or two, the 23 stampers will be kept going. ( A cleauing-up is not expected before a fortnight heme. Thero may be a patch of gold in the interim, as both faces of the reef are at expectant places. May Queen.—Operations for the company are confined to No. 1 lede, from which there is now a good paddock of quartz, and when the contractors reach No. 4 lode, will be the commencement of crushing for the company. The contractors, have driven 107 feet. A fortnight should see to No. 4 lode in hand. Blanche.The mine manager waited upon me with the plan. Driving on the lode straight for the winze will be commenced. New Fearnought.—One of the Cambria underground bosses has been recommended to be placed in charge of this company's claim. _ A meeting of directors will be called to consider the matter and get work started at once.

■, . \ —————— Try Fluke. —Tho total depth of winze is now 77 fe«i. The reef continues between nine and ten feet in width, portions of which prospect very fairly, namely, the hangingwall, centre and footwall parts, a few colours to the dish only being obtainable in other portions of the reef. The reef was cut in the Tow level on Tuesday last. We have only just got to the back of it. Tho width here is 10 feet, and it prospects somewhat similar to that in the winze whioh is about five feet south of drive. I expect to connect winze and drive early next week, and then will have a considerable amount of timbering to perform.