THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8385, 13 October 1890, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS. J Thames, Saturday. Moanataiari. — Ten pounds of picked etone were obtained to-day from the drive east upon the footwall reef at the 100-feeb level, and 15 pounds from the second stope upon the name body.

Cambria.—A commencement was made to-day to break down that portion of the main reef stripped in the rise above No. 2 level during the past week, but as the reef is very hard tho progress made was slow. Strong colours of K°M, however, were seen in what quartz was broken down. Saxon.—With the view of commencing stopintr operations at No. G level upon Noh. 2 and 3 reefs near the point of their junction, tho manager has had the air and water pipes used in connection with the rock drill all taken out of No. 6 level, and the shaft below No. 5 level, and has had them reerected along No. 5 level and then conducted down the winze which was recently sunk to No. 6 level, so as to prevent them boinsr injured. The starting of stoping at the point mentioned is with the view of again bringiug up the output of quartz from the mine to u sufficient quantity to enable the battery being worked full time instead of two-thirds, as at present. The two reefs look very well at and near the junction, gold having been seen quite frequently in the quartz when the drire was brought along, and consequently it ia thought a very good class of crushing dirt will be forthcoming. At No. 4 level the drive upon tho new reef has been suspended in orderto bring the leading stope along,itnowbeingaboutiSOfoet behind. When this ia completed and the drive timbered tho manager intends sinking a winze upon the reef to communicate with the drive now being opened up upon the same body at No. 5 lovol. The other works are going on as usual. Cleaning up and retorting for tho past fortnight's run will take place on Tuesday next. May Quken. —In the face of the eastern drive the reef sliows a considerable improrenioiit to what it did some little distance further back, the hard back quartz having disappeared and the heavily mineralised rtibbly dirt taken its place. The leading Bhope has been at a standstill for several days past, but is within about 30 feet of tho face, whilst the second one is along about 150 feet, with the reef about 18 inches thick. In the third etope, recently started, tho reef is fully two feet thick, being composed partly of quartz and partly of the rubbly formation, but the lOlbs of picked stone obtained during tho week came from the solid quartz in tho back of the stopo, fully 20 feet above the floor of the level. At the buttery ten head of stampers are still employed in treating the quartz coming to hand, and the daily returns of amalgam goes to show that the dirt now coming from th« mine is of very fair grade, tho quantity of amalgam obtained during the week from tho ten head being nearly equal to that obtained last week when liftuen head of stampers \\ ere at work.

QUARTERLY GOLD RETURNS. Quarter ending Quarter ending June "30. .Sept. 80. oz. dwt. OZ. dwt. Thames Korouch .. i.olitj 12 _ 4,307 10 Thames County .. 4,yvo 7 .. f>,siti i> Ohineiuuri County} .. 4,o;iU IB .. (J,oss> Vi Piako County .. ' .. 303 0 „ 248 0 Corouiandel County .. ],3LS 1 „ 8,512 12

10,(J1'2 19 .. 19.043 3 {About five-sixths of this quantity is bullion of less than tho average value of gold.

[BY TKLKUKAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Tuaiiks, Saturday. Sharemarkkt.— Cambt'ia, sollors 4s 8d ; Caledonian, sellers 3-i ; Consols, sellers lid ; Dives, la 7d, sellers '2s; Freedom, 10d; Flying Cloud, sellers 7d ; Golden Ago, sellers Is; Lone Hand, call paid, 4s (3d ; Manukau, sellers lid; May Queen, 6a Cd, Iri Id ; Moanataiari, Tβ 2d, 7s 9d, sellers Sfa, buyeru 7s Oil ; Albumin, buyers 4s tkl ; Orlando, Iβ 'id, sellers Is 6d, buyers Is 2d ; Trenton, Ss (id ; Victoria,, Is 3d ; Waihi, sellers Gs; Hazclbank, sellers :2s, buyers Is 9d ; Oriental, sellers 10d. Cohomandel, Saturday. Scottv's. —Tiie manager is sending 10lb of epeciinetis of coarse tfold from No. '2 reuf. This is the first result of the new operations. Tliey are liiiely to have a good block. Kapanca.—The compuuy nro getting i liirge of very rich stono in the northern end.

Vizahhs.—ln this mine they have struck very ricli gold in the No. 2 winze, worth 2ozi por lb. The reef is two feet thick.

Tho legal manager of the undermentioned companies visited the Thames on Saturday last, and sends tho following reports : — Lone Hand.—Met Mr. Barclay at the claim, and with Mr. Moore went into the eastern face of the drive low level tunnel ami saw the reof there where the three pounds specimens were obtained. Everything indicated that the point is* reached in the Lone Hand section when further driving will penetrate the locality below the rich runs of gold found in the level above. May QuKiiN , . —Proceeded to the May Queen with the mine manager, and visited the drive on the No. 4 lode from the slide west of the crosscut to the face of the drive on the lode east, now driven a distance of 225 feet from the slide. The lode in the facenearly vertical—is twelve inches wide at the top, eight inches in the middle, and eighteen inches at the bottom— looks exactly similar to its characteristic along the entire level of decomposed quartz, is encased in a most superb sandstone country, and shows no sign of payiiu; out. There are portions of the reef in the drive and slopes of solid quartz, the last specimen (solid stone) beinj' obtained "20 feet in the third stupe above the Hour of the level. From nearly the commencement of the present crushing, the quartz from all parts of the mine, including the quartz on the brace, was rilled truck and truck into each compartment of the hopper, and cartload and cartload from each compartment taken to tile battery, so that the clean-up a week hence will jjive the general average worth ot the lode .ts a whole. The yield, when ascertained, although no five ounces, will prove the lode to be of high value, and will last for years. A level above 80 feet up the shaft will require to be opened by-and-bye. Below the present level, for which drainage and ventilation were secured by communicating with the City of London shaft, a similar operation will require to be undertaken before going deeper. The county engineer called for a tracing of the underground works in relation to the reservoir within the company's claim. The request has been complied with for the information of the shareholders, and is on exhibition at the company's oliice. The tracing shows that the underground works are not within cooey of the reservoir. The crosscut from the shaft proves that no lode runs under the reservoir. It may be added that when gold was struck the mine was necessarily closed, pending an inquiry being made as to the reason the Warden had for postponing from month to month an application by the company to amalgamate the Hematite claim and the Queen of the May Licensed Holding. That matter was satisfactorily settled by the Warden, who acted by deputy on the loth ultimo, and the mine thereafter was opened to visitors and weekly ever since. It will thus be seen that all the points have been cleared up in respect of the le><al management. The mine will assert itself.

Tkl''.nton. —The mine manager is doiug his best at all points to develope the mire. The effect of No. 3 and the May Queen slides were pointed out to him with reference to the Trenton. He complained of beiug refused access to the Saxon mine for information and guidance as regards the Trenton workings, and cannot account for such action. Cambria.— Visited with Mr. Baker No. 2 level, and saw the place where the apecinieiiM were obtained from the main reef, about 5 feet above the level. Here the main reef had been stoped, and a pass put up about '20 feet, as it was supposed, ou the hanging wall of the main reef. Such stopiug is uow found to be on merely a rib of quartz. The crosscut lately put iu through the reof here disclosed this"; in fact, the hansingwall and the lode had not beeu touched. Consequently the operation now is an entirely new one and of great importance, and may reasonably be looked forward to with interest. Consols.—The local directors have in hand the mutter of winding-engine aud boiler, which can be obtained at the Thames. Instructions will be Bent to them to act. The water has now subsided 00 feet in the shaft. New Fkarnouuht. —Took down a report of Mr. Bayldon and plan of the claim for Mr. Movie's guidance. He waited at the boat, and is prosecuting his work vigorously. Blanche.—Did not see Mr. Maugan as the boat left for Auckland early.

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. Hazkliu NK. —The crosscut drive at the Caledoniu:. No. 1 level holed to the stones on the Younjf American lode to-day, ana in consequence I expect to be in a position to commence crushing at the Moanatai&ri battery on Monday. I am unable to say how much quiu'te we hare broken do wo »inw»

we commenced work, but there is sufficient oa hand for a trial crushinr. There is also a considerable quantity of stuff in the old etoped that will have to be eent to the surface, so as to allow ua to get in timber, and also to open up the workings. I intend to have a trial lot of this put through the battery, as I am confident a good deal of this will pay to crush.

THE REEFTON MINES. [BY TKLEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Reefton, Saturday. The gold returns for the week are : — Progress, 2600z amalgam for the week ; Keep-It-Dark, 1740z amalgam from 135 tons ; Globe, iG4oz amalgam from 177 tons ; Sir Chi rles Russell, 3Goz amalgam from 6 tons, trial crushing, retorted gold ; Inkerman, 1390z amalgam from 120 tous ; Fiery, 4t)9oz amalgam from 120 tons ; and 4690z retorted gold from 234 tons, clean up; Inglewood, 83oz retorted gold from 176 tons, clean up; Wealth, 1250z amalgam from 130 tons.