THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8483, 6 February 1891, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[from our own .correspondents.] i Thames, Thursday. Warden's Court. — A short sitting of this Court was held to-day, but very little business was transacted. The following applications were adjourned to tho 19th instant:—Adam Porter, Cardigan special chain; I. Speer, Standard; W. G. L. Kenrick, Union Bank; W. Caron, Kohinoor ; G. Dunnett, Clunes ; T. Bennett, No Surrender; North Star G.M.Co., use of tunnel' and special site. Protection was granted to T. H. Russell for water-race at Waitekauri. The plaint of Mr. W. G. L. Kenrick v. J. Baggot, in reference to the Shotover licensed holding, was further adjourned to the 19th instant, as was also the plaint of W. C. Nicholls v. J. McDonougii with respect bo the Quayle licensed holding. Sylvia G-. and S. Co.This company's battery is now in full swing, working continuously night and day.' At first some little difficulty was experienced in getting the necessary mineral for forming a bed in the jiggers to catch the mineral of tho ore being treated, which of itself was not heavy or hard enough. This difficulty, however, has been overcome, by obtaining a supply of the necessary material from the Kawau Island, through the kind permission of its owners. Some doubts were at first entertained as to its efficiency, but since ibs arrival it has been found to answer the purpose required admirably. We may now look forward to. tho constant working of the company's fine plant, and soon to hear.of regular returns coming to hand. Moanataiari.—The southern drive at the 100 feet level, following the course of the cross leader, is now in a distance of

about 75 feot from the footwall reef. A good class of sandstone still prevails, but of a somewhat different character, and tighter than that which prevailed some few feet back, it being a liner-grained and dryer formation than hitherto, with white silica veins traversing it, and near the right hand wall an almost solid vein of antimony about an inch thick, is being carried along. The cross leader itself of late has averaged fully a foot in thickness, and a little picked stone has been obtained from it during the week, with strong colours of gold "distributed through the general dirt. The leading stopo above this drive upon the flat lode is along about fourteen feet from where the rise was started upon it. The face of the stope is now up to the point where, the vertical loader met with in the drive passes through it, and to-day the men were employed in working out both the bodies where they cross each other. The flat lode itself comprises about a foot of solid quartz, but on either wall there are numerous veins and stringers interlacing the sandstone, all of which carry a little gold, consequently the most of the dirt taken out of the stope is saved for crushing purposes. The vertical leader is a little smaller, but composed chieliy of solid quartz, and strong dabs of gold are freely seen in all the quartz broken from it. Both the eastern and western drives upon the footwall reef are still idle, but in the eastern end the drive into the hangingwall country, which is following a network of quartz stringers, has been advanced about 12 feet, and another 10 feet or so should see the first of the tributera'

leadors to hand. In this direction ■ tho ground is rather tight, but a good deal or water is draining from it. The stopes upon the foobwall reef are continually manned, and are yielding a large quantity of crushing dirt, from which an occasional pound or two of picked stone is saved. At the point where the junction takes place with what'is believed to be tho flat lode, the atopes are worked to a considerable width, and most of the' dirt broken is saved for the battery. Some very nice golden stone is also frequently obtained from this particular place. The winze being brought down from the Point Russell level, tor the purpose of connecting with the western stopes.upon the footwall reef, has attained a depth of between 25 and 30 feet, so that it , will be soon good progress is being made. Now that a connection has been effected between the winze upon the footwall reef below the TOO feeb level and the rise above the 200 feet level, the manager purposes at once taking the necessary steps for iden tifying the various quartz bodies at the latter level. In order to do this without endangering the safety of the chamber at the 200 feet level, his intentions now are bo start an intermediate drive some 30 feet up the rise upon what ho believes to be the footwall reef, starting from the eastern end. After driving a few feet a winze will be sunk upon the reef down to the 200 feet level, which will give him the exact point to drive for from the chamber

in order to intersect the reef at that level, and at the same time help him to identify the various other quartz bodies—namely, the Golden Age reef, Reuben Parr reef, and cross leader of. which are in close proximity to each other at this particular point. He also intends driving from the eastern end at the point where the rise connected with the winze, for according to appearances the underlie of the junction of the Reuben Parr and footwall reefs seems to come in at this particular point, and by driving in a few feet it will then be ascertained whether or not this is the case. The carrying out of these last-named works'will help to more quickly identify each particular body at the 200 feet level, and will also ensure the safety of the ground around about the chamber, which is necessary to provide for on account of the passes and travelling way leading down to the main tunnel, through which all the quartz is • passed en route to the battery. Twenty-five head of stampers are engagod sixteen hours out of the twenty-four upon company's dirt, but as there is not so much picked stone coining to hand at present as has been the case for some little time back, the return of amalgam is consequently smaller. Nevertheless, the dirt is more than payable, and the company's prospects are very fair indeed for a prosperous future.

[BY TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Thursday. Siiaremarket.—Cambria, sellers 3s 4d, buyers 3s; Manukau, sellers 7d; May Queen, sellers 4s 9d, buyers 4s 2d ; Moanataiari, lis Gd, sellers 12s ; Orlando, sellers Is 9d; Saxon, ss, sellers ss; Trenton, sellors 3s.

Waiotaiii.—The usual monthly returns for this company took place to-day, and resulted in the good return of 3300z lOdwt melted gold, the product of 225 tons quartz obtained from all parts of the mine. Gold Purchases.—The gold purchased by the Bank of New Zealand from the various districts during the month of January was as follows : — Thames County, 14500z lldwt; Thames Borough, 5330z 2dwt; Ohinemuri County, 530z lOclwt; Coromandel County, 6oz sdwt : Total, 20430z Sdwt.

Cambria Battery.At a meeting of the Borough Council to-night the General Purposes Committee reported that the Council had no power to grant the application of the Cambria Gold Mining Company to extend their battery building a few feet within the boundary of Pollen-street. Deep-level Prospecting.— At the last meeting of the Borough Council a resolution was passed, offering to grant a rebate of the gold duty won from gold obtained below the 640-feet level. At to-night's meeting a letter was received from Mr. 1). G. MacDonnell, stating that he would place the matter before the several companies of which he is manager at the earliest possible date.

Leopold.The first general meeting of the Leopold Gold Mining Company was held at noon yesterday in the Insurance Buildings, Mr. S. T. George presiding. The business was of a formal character. The old directors, Messrs. 8. T. George, C. C. McMillan, W. S. Wilson, J. Dickey, and R. Spratt, were re elected. Alfred.—Mr. S. T. George presided at the first general meeting of the Alfred Gold Mining Company, held at noon yesterday in the Insurance Buildings. Messrs. S. T. George, C. C. McMillan, J. McFarlane, J. Dickey, and A. Kidd were re-elected directors. Tho proceedings were of a routine nature.

MIME MANAGERS' REPORTS. Crackshot.—We are making fairly good work pushing forward the drive. The country is all that could be desired, but rather firm.

Pinfire,— good progress is made with the extension of the main drive. A change has come in. A break crossed the lace, and westward of this break a splendid firm sandstone now appears, with black seams permeating through the rock. With the change of country came a corresponding change in the nature of the quartz lode—the stone has now become of a dark compact nature with plenty ot minerals. Should a flinty now cross the lode, then we may hope to meet with gold. Mariposa.—Prospecting in the top level in the north end I got some very good shows of gold, better than I have ever had in the mine, so I shifted the men to shoot it down to prove what it was, and am now getting what ought to be payable ore. Victoria.—The crosscut from the No. 3 level of the New Prince Imperial shaft is still in a good class of sandstone country, and several small quartz veins with fair mineral indications in them are also in- the country. A distance of 30 feet has been finished during the fortnight. Success.The contractors have made fair progress with the tunnel during the past fortnight, having completed 47 feet. The country the tunnel is at present passing through is a tightish sandstone, with several small flinty veins crossing the face.