THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8284, 17 June 1890, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

<BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Monday. Cambria.—About 12 feet of the leader driven upon in the f ootwall of the main reef at No. 2 level has been broken down but no gold was seen. The leader has dwindled down to about three inches in thickness. Norfolk. —The main reef in the eastern drive is showing an improvement as driven upon, being now fully three feet in thickness, and yielding excellent prospects of gold. Crushing operations are ab a sbandstill ab present, as the road leading from the mine bo tho battery is in a bad condition. Saxon.—A start was made bo-day to cut out a new chamber for No. 6 level, immediately above tho old chamber. This will give close on 100 feet of backs upon the underlie of the reef. Messrs. Price Brothers to-day delivered two new patent safety cages ab the mine, which are shortly to bo put in use in the shaft. Two WatsonDenny pans have been ordered for erection at the battery for grinding tailings. ORLANDO. —In breaking down Carpenter's reef, in tho new surface level, to-day, strong colours of gold were seen distributed through the quartz. The country has now become very tight, and has consequently pinched the reef down to about eight inches of compact quartz. MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. Lone Hand.—Tho drive east on the Manchester reef at the low level is now in a distance of 97 feet. The reef in the face is about 3 feet in thickness. There is good ininoral through the quartz, and gold was seen when breaking down tho reef. The drive west on the Manchester reef is now in a distance of 118 feeb from the crosscut. The country in this drive is very tight, which has pinched up the reef bo about six inches. There Is some nice-looking mineral through tho quartz. In the leading stopo west the reef is about 15 inches. There is some good mineral through the quartz. In the second stopo west on the reef the roof is about 2 feet in thickness. There is a good class of mineral through the quartz, and colours of gold were seen when breaking down the reef. In the third stope west the reef is about 9 inches in thickness There is good mineral through tho quartz. Gold was seen when breaking it down. Gleaning-up and retortiug book place on Saturday lust, tho 7th, for the following return : —l5B loads quartz crushed for 88oz Bdwt : Melted gold, 8?oz sdwb. Owing to the small ness of the reef in the western drive and stopes I had to reduce the number of stampers to 10 head for the present. There is a slight improvement in the quartz going through the battery this week. May Qokkn.The crosscut from the shaft is still going through a splendid class of country for gold-bearing lodes. lb is now in a distance of 149 feeb from the shaft. The leading stope on the No. 1 lode is along 50 feet. The lode in the face of the scope is about five inches in thickness. Gold was seen freely through the quartz when breaking down the lode. The second stopo on No. 1 lode is along 15 feet. The lode in this stope is four inches in thickness. Colours of gold were seen when breaking down the lode. There are now about 12 loads of quartz in the paddock. The winding engine is in good working order. New Moanataiari.The cross reef at No. 3 level of the Cambria shaft still looks more promising, and a little gold is daily seen as the quartz is broken out, but as only two men have been employed for the past fortnight there has not been much ground gone through. Point Russell level : The drive on the Golden Age reef is still going through much the same class of country, and so far no gold has been seen in either the reef or tho stringers on the hangingwall. Reuben Parr reef : The three stopes in progress here are now producing a fair supply of crushing dirt, and during the past week 20 pounds of picked stone have been selected from the second stope west. The reef here is fully three feeb thick, and carries gold on both wails. None of the quartz from here lias been passed through the battery this month yet, bub 10 head of stampers will bo started this afternoon. Main tunnel : The riso is now up a total height of 82 feet, 17 feet having been completed for tho past 10 days. The air pressure for working tho rock drill has been very deficient, and could not be kept above 35lbs when the machine was working. I have therefore to-day suspended operations in tho rise, and sent, the air compressor cylinder to A. and G. Price to have it rebored. This will probably cause a stoppage of four or live days. I would have continued on rising by hand labour, but there will not be sufficient ventilation for the men to work.

Caledonian.—l intend to carry along a stope in tho intermediate level and Stafford's leader to where it junctions with the reef. It will be seen that a jwrtioti of No. '2 reef is stoped out at this place, but it is only the footwall portion. It is intact to the westward for a considerable distance. As we have seen gold in the leader here, I think we cannot do better than try it. lOlbs of specimens were obtained on Thursday. The leader in tho back still looks promising for gold. Crushing will be commenced about Wednesday next. We should have about 30 tons to crush.

Freedom. During the past week I have been crosscuttiug into the footwall, in order to ascertain whether tho veins branching off from the reef in the eastern drive have carried the gold with them. This lam now satisfied is the case, as I have intersected in the crosscut at the end of the eastern drive one large lode '20 inches wide, and two small ones averaging six inches wide each. The latter are of a very promising appearance, and are well mineralised, principally coppot' pyrites and ruby silver. I have to-day removed the men from the crosscut and resumed driving on tho hanging-wall branch in the eastern drive. This is the most economical method of reaching the junction of the large lode and tho other two leaders cut in the crosscut. This I will accomplish in from 30 to -10 feet of driving should this lode continue its present bearing, when I anticipate the opening up of a large payable block of ground. About six feet has been driven on a small cross vein at the main crosscut this week, with encouraging results. Every time this vein has been broken down it has shown gold freely ; it will junction with tho footwall lode in a few feet more of driving. This leader carries excellent minerals, and the fact of it juncioning with a large lode may lead to very important results. There are now about Hi loads of crushing dirt stacked at the mouth of the drive, and as soon as connection is effected with our paddock at the county tramway this parcel will be forwarded to battery for treatment.

Try Fluke (Kuaotunu). —Daring the week all hands have been engaged filling bags and lowering to the spur, from whence the contractor conveys to the battery. The total amount now landed at the battery is 48 tons, about one-half of which is of poor grade, to run through first. This was taken from the north end of crosscut, in the upper level, and the best stuff has been previously picked out of it. The balance is mostly quart,/, which has been extracted from the winzo, some of which comes from the very bottom. A portion of this has also been picked and crushed a few weeks ago at the Thames. So far I have not broken out any whatever above No. 1 level. I hope to be able to break out some from the low level as soon as wo get a little timber on hand, of which it will require a great quantity to continue driving. We will also break out some from the lower part of the winze, probably next week. The battery started with five head for a few minutes this evoning. Everything worked smoothly; there is not the slightest vibration about the engine, which is capable of doing more work than is already put on to it. Mr. Eraser is going to make a slight alteration to the top plates, in the way of a splashboard, which will bo done to-morrow. He had a difficult job to get the plates in good order. The firewood cutters have started their contract. Morning Star (Kuaotunu).—Since writing last we have extended the main drive, No. 3, 52 feet, making a total of 88 feet.. Wo have cut two small leaders carrying gold, and a rubbly reef about a foot through, which gives excellent prospects. We will have to drive about another 50 feet before wo cub the reef on the spur. No. 1 prospecting drive is in 102 feet, cross drive 56 feet, on a very nice leader, in splendid sandstone country. The leader averages about four inches, and carries gold for the last twenty feet. Another leader made its appearance on the right hand side of drive at the last breaking down. They should junction in about ten feet, when we may exfltjet something: better. I am kceu'

ing one man in this drive. I have started another drive on the southern boundary of your claim, bo try and pick up a reef which sheds gold on the surface. The engineer for the new battery is making arrangements for starting immediately. The site chosen is in close proximity to your claim. Red Mercury (Kuaobunu). —Since taking possession of your mine four men have been constantly employed breaking out and bagging quartz from winze and surface, 10 tons of which are now bagged and ready for shipment— tons from winze and five tons from surface. There are also a number of tons ready for bagging; the balance I hop© to have ready in the course of a week or so. The winze has been discontinued on account of water, bub first-class prospects were obtained from the bottom, equal to if not better than from tho surface. When the low level is driven into tho reef the winze should be almost dry, when the work of sinking to connect can bo proceeded with. The prospects from the surface, where I have put in a large open trench, are really good. old shows freely in the stone from the hangingwall portion ; bub it is very fine, and will require careful treatment. In breaking down reef to-day obtained olbs picked stone. The show in the face is improving ; reef 3 feet wide. The gold is much finer here than on winze on No. 1 level. The show in the Try Fluke reef, where cub in level on southern boundary by the John Bull claim, is very good, and should be opened out on without delay. Shotovee Claim (Kuaotunu). —Since my last report we commenced a low level tunnel. We are working in conjunction with tho Morning Star, a man from each company. Up to date we have driven about 85 feet. We are making a large drive, 7by 4, in the clear, as this will be a permanent drive for the future workings of the two companies' ground. We have cut through several leads, varying from 4 to 12 inches, and have gob very fair shows of gold in each of tnem. The country is of mixed brown-and-white sandstone, intersected with small mineral veins. We anticipate having to drive about 50 feeb further, to cub the largo reef in Shotover ground, which gave such good prospects in our upper workings. If the country continues good the reef should turn out first-class stone on this level. Great Mercury (Kuaotunu). —The drive on No. 5 is now in a distance of 35 feet. The country is rather tight, bub favourable for gold. The reef is rather small, 4 to 9 inches, but gold is occasionally seen in the stone. First-class mortar prospects are also obtainable, this level should give 200 to 250 feet of backs on the reef. Driving on the hangingwall leader of this reef on No. 1 level, rich crushing dirt is coming to hand, and colours of gold occasionally seen when breaking down the reef. This stuff should shape for 3oz per ton. The drive is in a : distance of 30 feet in splendid sandstone country, and expect to meet with stone showing gold freely every shift. Have cut No. 6in level started some time ago. It is a splendid body of stone, 18 inches wide, and prospects for about loz per ton. A small hangingwall leader on this reef shows 'colours of gold, expect it to junction with the main reef evory day, when something better should be met with. Still driving on No. 8 (Red Mercury reef, which is in about 25 feet), and have about 15 toss of quartz at grass. The prospects from this reef are improving the further we drive on it. I should not be surprised to meet with stone showing gold any minute. No. 9, rich crushing dirt still coming to hand, and occasionally a few pounds of picked stone. It is intended to crush 20 tons from this claim, most of which is now ready ; a few tons will be taken from each of the reefs.