THE GOLD FIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8475, 28 January 1891, Page 6

THE GOLD FIELDS.

[by telegraph.—own correspondent.] Thames, Wednesday. Sharemarkkt.— 3s 4d, sellers 3s 6d, buyers 3s 3d ; Manukau, sellers 7d ; May Queen, buyers 4s Id ; Moanataiari, lis 6d, sellers lis 6d ; Alburhia, 3s 3d, buyers 3s.

Hazelbank.— Crushing was commenced for this company at the Cambria battery this morning. Cambria. rise upon the main reef above No. 2 level is up a height of 80 feet. A start will be made in a day or two to rise upon the leader cut in the footwall crosscut at the same level for the purpose of connecting with the former rise, and of ascertaining at what point the two junction. The company s crushing will be completed to-morrow. Saxon. contractors in crosscut at No. 6 level have met with somewhat easier ground, consequently are now making a little better progress. Quite a large stream of water is now gushing out of the righthand corner of the drive. Sinking was resumed in the winze upon the main No. 2 reef below No. 5 level this morning. Tho reef is about live feet thick altogether, there being two feet of solid quartz on the hangingwall side, and the remainder is divided into a series of ribs of quartz. Cleaning up and retorting from the quartz treated during the past fortnight will eventuate to-morrow.

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS.

; Cambria. —No. 2 level: The rise on the main reef is up a height of SO feet. During the past week there has been no quartz broken from here. I intend in a few days to remove two men from this rise, and put them to rise on the leader cut in the crosscut in the footwall of the main reef, with a view of ascertaining the value of the footwall l>ortion of the reef at the point of intersection, which should be met with in 30 or 35 feet rising, and also to connect with the rise going up on the hangiugwall of the main reef. It will be remembered that this leader was driven on for about 70 feet, and two stopes carried along for 40 feet. The quartz broken showed some nice colours of gold, and also a little picked stone. Intermediate below No. 2 level: The second stope on the cross leader is along 45 feet. The leader at present will average about 0 inches, and still shows gold. A few pounds .of picked stone were also saved during the week. In tho drive on the same leader there has been no quartz broken. The leading stope on the leader at right angles to the cross leader is along 55 feet. The leader here is at present rather small, but still shows gold when' breaking down. The mineral leader in the drive is much the same in appearance as it was last week. No. II level : A second stope has just been started on No. 7 footwall branch. As yet no quart/, lias been broken from here. During the past week a few,pounds of picked stone came to hand from the stope on No. 7, western branch. No. 4 level : A third stope is now being carried along on No. 7 leader, and from the quartz broken some nice pieces of picked stone were obtained, The company's crushing will probably be finished on Wednesday next.

Trenton.—'The western drive on new lode, No. 5 level, has been driven a further distance of 7 feet through an excellent class of sandstone for gold during the past week, the total length from crosscut being .'l3 feet. The lode, which is about IS inches wide, continues to be most promising for the production of gold at any breaking down. The eastern drive on the same lode has been forwarded 8 feet in the past week. Here the stone is well impregnated with such minerals as are generally found with gold. The last stope on foot wall lode below No. 4 level is finished, and the rails are being laid to the new pass. We are also fixing the ladder road from No. sto No. 4 level. When this work is done I purpose crosseutting into the hanging wall at No. 4 level in order to pick up the hangingwall portion of footwall lode, and which 1 think is identical with No. 1 hangingwall branch which we had in the winze below No. level. Hero it showed gold freely. A block of ground is being stoped above intermediate level on the same leader; it averages about 1 foot in width, and shows gold occasionally. No. ;J level : We are cutting into the footwall, as a portion of the footwall lode should be in that direction. The stope above No. level has been carried along .">.l feet from the boundary. The lode is from 9 to IS inches in width, and looks well. Twenty-live pounds of good picked stone were obtained in breaking down, as you were advised by wire on Saturday. We have commenced to rise for the second stope. We have obtained Gib picked stone from ne the boundary since 1 wired last Saturday.

Lone Hand. —The drive on the Manchester reef eastward lias been extended 14 feet during the past week, making a. tocal distance from crosscut of 607 feet.' I mentioned in my hist report, of the 19th instant, that many <*f these tlinties had disappeared, and a splendid class of sandstone country had taken their place, hut during the latter part of the week a slight change lias taken place in the nature of the country, the sandstone in some places being of a more darkish description. We have not met with any seam or break in the drive during the week, and the face of the drive at present does not emit the quantity of water which it did about 'JO feet back from the present face. Ninth stope west of the winze on the Manchester reef is along 72 feet. The reef in the face of this stope is about 7 inches thick. This stope is now carried forward to the end of ground I intend to drive in over this block of ground, and to which we have been carrying up our stones until we reach the Adelaide boundary, which will be about 28 feet. Tenth stope west of the winze is along 54 feet. The reef in the face of this stope is •pened out to about 12 inches in thickness. We see some good mineral through the quartz when breaking down the reef. Eleventh stope, west of the winze, is along •28 feet. The reef in this stope will average about 5 inches in thickness. There is good mineral through the quartz, and colours of gold were seen when breaking down the reef. We started an intermediate drive east of the Manchester winze, anil while stripping the reef we shot down a few pieces of quartz" with some nice colours of gold showing in them.

May Queen.—The tenth stope on the No. 4 lode is along 38 feet. The lode in the face of the stope is about 9 inches in thickness. Gold was seen when breaking it down. The eleventh stope is along 12 feet. The lode in the face of this stope is 1) inches in thickness. Colours of gold were seen when breaking down the lode. The western drive at the bottom of the winze is now cleaned out for a distance of 00 feet. The drive is still full up to the top with soft wet clay, which makes it very heavy for winding up the winze. Other 10 or 15 feet should bring us to the junction of Nos. 3 and 4 lodes, and therefore to the drive which goes straight from the junction to the City of London shaft. The winding engine and winding gear are in good working order.

Consols.—The engineer-in charge reports : Mr. McDermott, the contractor for the erection of the pumping and winding plant on your mine at Hape Creek has made a good start with the work, and lias now a considerable portion of the machinery and material taken down and removed from the Albion to the Consols mine. A small house has been erected by the contractor as a storeroom and offices and will eventually serve as a changing house for the miners. A quantity of sawn timber and material for concrete has been delivered, and a start will be made within a day or two to put the same into position. Messrs. Price are getting on with the steel boiler and fittings, and appearances at present promise its delivery within contract time. Messrs. Judd have notified their readiness to deliver the steam engine on the machine site when called on.

New i.IANCKAU.The leader in the prospecting drive, No. 3. level, which I shall call the Crown leader in future—for it is in the Crown section of the mine, continues to look very well, though it varies in size. It is still rubbly, but carries good minerals for gold, but so far no gold has been seen. I>y the end of this week I shall have enough dirt to have a trial crushing, which I think will he payable, for I have seen dirt like this leader crush over an ounce to the ton, and no gold seen when breaking it out.

Ma(!N'oi,ia. —The level was extended last week 14 feet, making a total of 820 feet. In the last six feet we got through the big lode that came in from the westward. It is from 14 to 15 feet right angles in thickness. We have got a splendid sandstone country, lull of mineral veins from a quarter of an inch to two inches thick. The best country we have had for gold in the level yet. I have got no quartz at present in the face of the drive. No. 2 level; The winze is down a distance of 44 feet. We saw colours and dabs of gold in last breaking down.

Pridk of Ivaraka. —Since my last the drive has been extended a further distance of 12 feet, making a total of 247 feet. The country that the drive is passing through is of a very hard nature, consequently making progress slow.

Victoria.—The contractors (McDennott and party) are making fair progress with the crosscut from the 248 feet level of the New Prince Imperial shaft. The country for the past week has been somewhat tight, but an excellent class of sandstone country.

Success.The contractors have had the tunnel fully manned during the past week and arc making fair headway ; fully 25 feet

has been driven. The tunnel is passing through a kindly sandstone country, and it is expected that the Pride of Karaka reef and the Una main reef will be both to hand inside the present contract. Occidental. — The eastern drive on the reef is still being carried on with two shifts, without any change to mention; the reef still maintains its size, and carries good minerals. This drive is now in 240 feet from the crosscut, making the total distance driven on the reef '287 feet. No. 3 stope is still being carried along with two shifts, and shows a fine-looking reef, 15 inches thick, well mineralized. A large flinty has made its appearance in this stope, coining in from the hangingwall on top of the stope, and running with the reef. In places the flinty is two feet thick, and should improve the reef in the next stope. No. 4 stope is now manned with one shift, and has just now reached the break. The reef in this stope is about six inches thick, and of fair quality. The other stope is not manned. Rising for the 9th stope is still being continued with one shift, and in breaking down the reef yesterday, 701b of picked stone were secured. The contractors in the upper level have driven 17 ! feet for the fortnight, through a splendid class of country, but there is either a change of ground or a boulder now showing in the face.

Little Nell.The drive at the top level west has been further extended 11 feet since my last report. Tho reef averages about the same as to size and in other respects. The distance attained is not so great as usual, in consequence of all hands being engaged carrying quartz up hill, and making a track passable on Collarbone side to have it conveyed to battery. The return, 15dwts melted gold is disappointing, nevertheless I think that a little more driving should reach the vicinity where Unities may come in contact with the reef, and where this occurs a material difference for the better can certainly be expected. Dives. —Two stopes are in progress above No. 2 level, and the improvement mentioned in my last report still continues. From the back stope where the reef shows from four to live inches of crushing dirt, about seven pounds of picked stone were obtained in the early part of the week, and the mineral indications are of a, very favourable nature. In the stope below, also, excellent minerals arc abundant. The reef is four inches in thickness, and in breaking down on the 24th inst. the satisfactory haul of 201b of picked stone (as wired) came to hand, while colours of gold were seen through the general dirt. The reef is being stripped again in both these stopes preparatory to another breaking down which will take place during the present week. The winze on Adam's leader is down thirty feet, but very little quartz is met with as the country is disturbed by cross-courses and clay heads. In the drive on main flinty there is no change worthy of note. The contractors have driven 34 feet since starting, making a total of 317 feet from the flat sheet in main level. The air here is rather light, and boxes are being put in to improve the ventilation. Crushing was commenced at Bull's Battery to-day. There are about 14 loads of general dirt and 31 pounds of picked stone to be put through. Junction. —The crosscut is now in 231 feet. The country lias become hard during the last few days. The work will, in the future, be carried on by three shifts, and a better class of country should soon be met with.

Hongkong.—We have not yet come to the leader. The country is very hard. We have cut several small stringers, but nothing showing gold. The dip of this leader is more than was reckoned on, as it is lying away from the direction now being driven.