THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8487, 11 February 1891, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Tuesday. Sharemarket. — Cambria, sellers 3s 3d; Golden Ago, 6d; Hazelbank, sellers Is 7d ; May Queen 4s 6d, sellers 4s 9d, buyers 4s 6d ; Moanataiari, sellers 10s 9d, buyers 10s 3d ; Orlando, sellers Is ; Sylvia, buyers 8s ; Trenton, sellers 3s 3d ; Victoria, sellers Is lid, buyers Is 9d. '' Victoria.— following tenders were received by Air. T. A. Dunlop for driving 200 feet in this company's mine: James Wilson, 12s lid per foot (accepted) ; A. McLoughlin, 16s ; G. Martin, 19s lid ; D. Conway, £1 ; Chas. Mc Williams, £1 5s ; A. A. Adams, £1 ss; and T. Dunn, £1 7s 6d. Lone Hand.—This company's crushing of 33 loads of general dirt from the stopes at the western end of the mine was completed to-day for 450z sdwt retorted gold, and six loads from tie eastern drive at the low level, broken out some weeks ago, yielded 2oz ISdwt. The gold was afterwards reduced on melting to 470z sdwt. Good progress is being made in extending the drive upon the break at the east end of the main drive at the low level. Since its intersection 14 feet have been driven, and splendid country has been penetrated.

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. Cambria.—No. 2 level: The rise on the small leader in the footwall of the main reef to connect with the rise on the main reef is up a height of 17 feet from the back of the drive. The leader so far looks very well; it is about 6 inches in thickness, and showed nice colours of gold when last breaking down. Intermediate below No. 2 level: Gold isseen reely ii\ the leader (mentioned in my last report) cut in the drive on the mineral leader: it will average about 9 inches in thickness, and looks very promising. The leading stope on the mineral leader is along 7 feet; the leader at present is small, but shows some nice colours of gold. The second stope on the leader -.it right angles to the cross leader is along IS feet ; the leader still shows gold freely, and during the past week a few pounds of picked stone were saved. Gold is also seen pretty freely in the drive on the cross leader; I his leader here will average from 4 to 5 inches in thickness. No. 3 level: A little gold has been seen during the week in the quartz in the second stope on No: 7 footwall branch. The t#o leaders in the second stope on No. 5 western branch still continue to show gold ; they will average about one foot of crushing dirt. No. 4 level: During the past week gold was seen pretty freely in the quartz in the stope on No. 7 leader, and two or three pounds of picked stone were also"saved. Trkntox.—No. 5 level: The western drive has been advanced six feet on new lode during the past week ; it is about 15 inches wide, and it carries a large percentage of minerals, some of which are of an excellent character for gold. You will be pleased to learn that colours have l>ecn seen in it since my last. The eastern drive at the same level has been extended eight feet since last reported on. The lode here is 12 inches wide, the prospects for gold having improved within the past week. No. 4 level: The crosscut has been driven 10 feet since we commenced it. The country is very tight, but it is good for gold, nice looking stringers arc being intersected. No. 3 level : The crosscut, which is 12 feet into the footwall, is passing through a firm settled sandstone. After having driven eight feet quartz stringers were met with, but before driving on their course east I think it advisable to continue the crosscut a few feet further, until we get through the lodes tone formation. Stopes above No. 3 level : There are two stopes in hand, namely, Nos. 2 and 3. The former has been taken along 20 feet, the latter having been just started. The lode at each point varies from 12 to fifteen inches in width. Most of the nicked stone, concerning which I advised you by wire, came from the third' stope. Here the gold is making eastward at present. We have 1901b of picked stone on hand. We shall retort on Wednesday, when I expect a very satisfactory yield. Lose Hand.—The drive on the Manchester reef eastward was extended 3 feet during the former part of the week before cutting the break, which makes a total distance from crosscut of 623 feet. On Tuesday morning last we discovered the break, and commenced to drive back on it to intersect the leaders worked so successfully on the level above. Since Tuesday last we have extended the crosscut on the break a distance of 14 feet from the main drive, which is penetrating a splendid class of sandstone country for goldbearing reefs. There are some nice little veins crossing the break. There is a little water draining through the break and also through the country on the south-west side of our crosscut, but I do not expect to drain off the main body of water from the Moa level until we cut through some of the leaders. The break which we are driving on is a welldefined break, but it is not a very open one to emit much flow of water as vet. Ninth stope west of the winze on the Manchester reef is along SI feet. The reef in the face of this stope is about seven inches thick. There is good mineral through the quartz. Tenth stope west of the wiuze is along GO feet. The reef in the face of this stope is about ten inches thick. There is good mineral seen through the quartz when breaking down the reef. Eleventh stope west of the winze is along 43 feet. The reef in the face of this stope is about six inches thick. There is good mineral through the quartz, and colours of gold are seen when breaking down the reef. Intermediate drive east of the Manchester winze has been extended five feet during the past week, making a total distance of 13 feet from the winze. The reef in this drive will average about four inches in thickness. We saw some nice colours of gold here when breaking down the reef. The mine manager wired yesterday : — " 33 loads quartz for ioozs Sdwts, and (J loads from low level for 2ozs lSdwts retorted gold." May Queen. —The crosscut is now in a distance of 16 feet from No. 4 lode. The country in the face of the crosscut is still hard blue rock. The drive at the bottom of the winze is now clear of gas. It will take about two shifts to bale out the water that has accumulated in the drive during the stoppage. There is no hole through yet. The drive is still filled up to the top with mullock. There is some old timber in the face, so that it must be near the turn to the City of London shaft.

Consols. —I have to report fair progress with the contract for erecting the machinery, etc., on the Consols. The contractor is putting on more hands as opportunity offers for them being profitably employed. ' I have taken over the steam engine from Mr. Judd as complete. The boiler being built at Messrs. A. and (J. Price's is in a forward state.

Talisman (Karangahake).—The manager of the Talisman, a section of 30 acres, situated in the line of the Woodstock and Kenilworth reefs, in which a very promising reef has been opened, reports : —'2o feet more have been driven on the line of reef with very good results. The reef is improving in value as we advance into the hill, and the gold is getting coarser and better as we go on. lam driving only on the hangin"wall of the reef, the lode being too large to take it all in a face at present; but I will come back and take it down after driving another 20 feet. I have pegged out and lodged an application in the Warden's office for 30 acres on the south of the Talisman, on the same line of reef as the Talisman. Kenilworth, and Woodstock, and will call the new-venture the lionanza.

Prosperity.—We have been penetrating a hard bar of blue rock for the last 10 feet, but seeing no indications of a change, I shifted the men to-day back from the face to where the. reef should have been met with, for the purpose of opening out in the footwall of the break on some small veins ot quartz, as it is possible the reef may have split into veins as it met the break on the footwall. Prospecting lias been carried on during 'the week on the Good Templar leader, which has been driven on 17 feet, showing dish prospects at each breaking down also colours of gold to be seen in the stone. The leader is from three to five inches in thickness, running in a soft sandstone country. Dives.—The reef in the stopes above No. 2 level has been broken down, and the country and mineral indications continue of a very favourable nature. In the back stope 17 feet in length have been broken clown, and 2.31!) of fair picked stone selected from the general dirt. The reef here is composed of two distinct parts, divided by a horse of mullock; the hangingwall portion is about three inches, and the footwall portion two inches, and gold is seen in • both, in the stope below 21 feet of the lode have been bioken down, with the result that 51b of picked stone were • secured, and gold seen very freely through ■, the quartz, which is four inches in thickness. There are about five loads of general dirt and 301bof picked stone on hand.

Puiiirimi Prospector's Company.— level has been advanced 15 feet one shift in the past fortnight.' That body of quartz previously reported still holds on the face which makes its slow in driving. Sinking winze on No. 3 reef: I have only been able to work .in the winze one week during the past fortnight owing to bad air. I have had to make air boxes to lead air in a distance of 1 ;"0 feet to free the winze of gas which it has done, and sinking was resumed on Thursday last. The' depth of winze is now 50 feet, country still Keeps good, and is all that could be desired for carrying the lode down. Oriental. —The country is still broken and the leader very much split up, and there is no change in the country so far.

Otama.— stopcs continue to look well, and the dirt coming to hand is of a better quality than has been broken since the last crushing. Success.Good progress has been made with the tunnel, 25 feet having been completed. during the past week. There is no change to report, still continuing in a good class of sandstone country. Victoria.—The contractors McDermott and party have almost completed their contract for 100 feet. In the early part of the week another hard bar 10 feet in thickness came across the face of the drive, but I am pleased to say that we arc again in sandstone country, several small quartz veins carrying a favourable class of minerals. Tenders have been invited for extending crosscut a further distance of 200 feet. Owera (Whangapoua).—There will be no more delay or trouble with light air in the winze. It is down 42 feet. The reef is about two feet wide, and prospects show no falling off. The low level crosscut was started on Wednesday evening as the quartz in the main drive showed no improvement. No quartz has yet been found. Five tons of ore await shipment by , the Kauri Company s cutter Vakii. Occidental,. —In breaking down the reef in No. 3 stope, the quartz showed gold freely, and several pounds of picked stone _ were secured. No. 4 stope shows a reef 9 inches thick, well mineralised. No. 7 stope lias been brought along, and the reef has shown gold i throughout. No. S stope will now be brought j along. Rising for the ninth stope L now in ! progress, and it will be at this point where f the connection will be made with the upper I level. Two shifts are now engaged in the I winze, which is now down a depth of 19 feet, I' The reef here will average a foot thick, and lias shown gold throughout, with picked stone occasionally. In the upper level a large flinty has been met with, which we are foli lowing. The contractors are making fair | headway, and this work should soon be completed.