THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8529, 1 April 1891, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[BY TJiLEORAfU.— CORRESPONDENTS.] [i . ; ;.'•:-,-\ Thames, Tuesday.

Sharemarket. ■-— Caledonian (old issue), sellers Is 6d; Consols, Is Id; Lone Hand, sellers 2a 6d; May Queen, 5a 9d; Moanataiari, buyers, 9s ; Alburnia, sellers, 3s 3d ; Trenton, buyers 2s; Victoria, sellers, Is 7d. Alfred. —A crushing of 17 loads of general dirt, and 451b of picked stone, gave 460z 12dwb of melted gold. Occidental. —This company's crushing was to-day finished for the return of 1650z of gold, for which 63 loads of general dirt and 601b of picked stone were treated. Saxon. —The fortnightly retorting took place to-day, with the result that 1450z ldwb of melted gold were obtained. For this return, 352 loads general dirt and 201b picked stone were crushed: • y Lone Hand.—As operations in the easb end of the mine aft- the low level have nob turned out so satisfactorily as was hoped, it has been decided to discontinue work at that point for the. present, and to make an effort instead to sink a winze from the upper level upon the No. 1 leader, at the point where good gold was got when the leader was first intersected. Consequently the upper level has been cleaned out, and the manager has built up a. dam to keep back the water which flowed over the drive where the winze is to be sunk. Before sinking can be started, however, it will be necessary to cut out a chamber and put in two or throe sets of timber to secure the ground. This will occupy a day or two, but when completed, sinking will at once be started.

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. May Queen. —The contractors are making good progress with the drive east from the bottom of the winze at No. 2 level on No. 4 lode, having driven 17 feet since they started, making the total distance from the bottom of the winze 60 feet. The lode in the face of the drive is about eight inches, and is of a mullocky character, with quartz through it. There is some nice mineral through the lode, and there are also splendid mineral veins striking through the country on both walls of the lode. The contractors have extended the crosscut at No. 1 level six feet during the week, making the total distance 70 feet from the hangingwall of the No. 4 iode. This crosscut is still going through hard blue rock with numerous silica veins through it. The winding-engine and gear are in good working order. [The mine manager wired yesterday : —" A little water showing in the drive from the face of low level."]

Adeline.The distance driven since my last report is only four feet, being over-anxi-ous to forge ahead, and the class of country I am going through being dynamite ground, it never occurred to me that it would require timbering, but on Tuesday morning last about ton feet of the footwall side of the drive came away bodily. The mass of stuff that came away was three feet thick. I had to use dynamite to break it up. The cause of this break away is a soapy seam: The ground sounded all right, but the body of stuff being so thick caused it to sound until it gave away without any warning or showing any signs of weakness. lam now timbering up.

Otama (Kuaotumi). —The drive on No. 1 at No. 2 level has been extended 10 feet for the week. The reef is about two feet, and carrying a little gold. I am saving a small portion of it for crushing. The winze on the specimen leader is down 25 feet. Very little gold has been seen the last few feet, but this reef is very patchy, as is proved in -tho level, and may make good at any time, and I believe will. I have taken out the small block that was left on the surface, and some splendid dirt came out of it. I have started to drive a crosscut on the eastern fall of the hill to cut the No. 1 reef, about halfway between our present workings and the Orient boundary. We should cut the reef in about 80 feet of driving, and it will give us about 50 feet of backs. This reef has never been cut in the Otama ground to the south of our present workings, and there are about 500 feet from our present face to the boundary. The ground is very good for driving, and we may cut something good in this reef. Silvekton (Waihi).— Work in the tributes' section of the mine is still confined to the winze, which is now down about .20 feet, and stone showing gold freely is being grassed every shift. During the past ten days about 56 pounds of very rich picked stone have been secured, and there are also to hand from the same source about three tons of first-class general ore throughout which the precious metal is pretty freely diffused. At the time of my visit to-day I made a thorough examination of the bottom of the winze, where the ore body is being broken out to a width of four feet, without any sign of the footwall of the lode, and the prospects of a rich ore deposit being close at nana are most promising.

Woodstock United (Karangahake). — White and party, tributers, have been driven out of their lower workings by a very . heavy inflow of water, which they expect will subside in a few days' time, when they will again resume operations at that point. Meantime they are about to open out on the lode about half-way up their winze, where some very high assay results were obtained from several ore samples, and where they expect to meet with a rich deposit of the precious metals. In the low level crosscut the drive going southwards on tho No. 3 lode is now in a distance of 13 feet, and the lode has been somewhat broken during the last three feet of driving, but signs of improvement are not wanting. On the same lode going northwards the level has been advanced a distance of about 5 feet, and good prospects of gold are obtainable from any part of it.

New Moanataiarl— the 200-foot level the north drive on the course of the break and cross reef is now in 25 feet from the chamber. No quartz has as yet been met with, although we are now just about the point where the hangiugwall, or Reuben Parr, branch of the lead should be got. The country here is of a very favourable nature for working, and is not at all a bad description for gold. On the main or footwall lode westward the timbers have been placed in position, and the pass put in at the bottom of the rise, so that everything is now in readiness for starting the intermediate drive east and the stopes westward. 100-foot level : But little work in the extension of the different drives has been done here during the past week ; there being a good deal of extra work to do in filling in the stopes and repairing the main passes. In the south drive there is much nicer country making its appearance, so that if any quartz is met with there will be a much better chance of getting gold. The flat lead in the stopes over this drive continues still to be much broken up, and but little gold has been seen lately, but in the vertical or No. 2 footwall lead good strong blotches of gold have been met with, but nothing good enough to select as picked stone. The stopes on the main or footwall lode are looking much the same, and are producing a good supply of quartz, but lately it has been shaping rather poor at the battery. Picked stone for the week, 201b; amalgam, cold water, liar d squeezed, loOoz. Hazelkank.The drive on the cross reef has been extended a distance of 14 feet this week. The reef in the face is about two feet iu thickness, but it is not quite as solid as it was further back, being composed of ribs of quartz and mullock. It still carries very. nice mineral, and in breaking it down yesterday a little gold was seen in the hangingwall portion of it; also a few pounds of picked stone were obtained in the beginning part of the week, as mentioned in a letter of the 24th iust. The crosscut drive has only been driven 10 feet this week. The country has been extremely hard, but it seems as if it has only been a hard blue boulder, as the drive appears to be through it on the western side. Try Fluke (Kuaotunu) .—The winze at the No. 2 level is now down about 24 feet. The reef in the north end of the winze is about 6 feet through, and in the south end over 4 feet through. The whole of the ore from here is sent to the mill, and is shaping for a payable return. The footwall portion of the reef continues to give good prospects, and we can occasionally see a little gold in the stone. The drive on the Kuaotumi reef is in about 53 feet. The reef is still divided by the I sandstone horse mentioned in my last report, I and they are now from 5 to 6 feet apart. We '■ are still taking both portions of the reef in the drive, which has made progress rather alow; I this week. The eastern portion of the reef is from six to nine inches through, and continues to. give good prospects. The western portion of the lode is from 12 to 18 inches through, and also gives fairly good prospects. The stope above No. 1 level is still progressing, andthe reef here is from three to. five feet through, the whole of which is being sent to the mill. The stopes south from the main winze are being pushed on, and are providing fairly good ore. The low level is now in 476 feet; the country is a little tougher this week; we have gone through several small leaders varying in size from two to six inches through ; the last one that we cut showed a little gold by crushing and washing. This, I consider, looks very encouraging for our low levels. The crushing at the mill is shaping for a payable return. We have on hand 2400z. of amalgam, [The mine manager telegraphed, yesterday Cut reef in bottom level ; good prospects in the stone."] _ - . , _, Pride of the Hills (Kuaotunu).—The drive on the reef is progressing favourably. •The reef in the end of the drive is about 15 inches through and is well defined, though the country is still tight and requires blastj ing. The reef for the last week has not been

prospecting so well, though still carrying a little gold. Until within these last few days the country on the hangingwall side has been somewhat broken and disturbed, but „we are now well into the hill, and the country on both sides '.hrfs become settled, and the reel solid and compact, and by the appearance of both, I should'expect an improvement at any time. ■■- - ■■' , ■■■;,- . , ■„■ >

Red Mercury (Kuaotiinu). — Finished crushing 50 tons quartz at the public battery, for 63ozs 12dwts retorted gold. Two shifts are now driving north on the reef, which is between 1 foot 6 inches and 2 feet of nice solid stone. Gold can be seen freely at each breaking down. We are in a much better class of country for working, and the gold seems to be more evenly distributed through the reef than before. Have finished breaking down quartz from the rise, and have now commenced stoping north from the winze, where the reef is about 2 feet wide, also showing gold in the stone. The mine is looking first-class at present, better in fact than ever it did. lam in hopes of getting picked stone in stopes. As soon as the tram is finished, will start getting quartz down for another crushing. Opal (Kuaotunu). The drive is now in 75 feet. No more quartz has been met with during the week. The ground this last week has changed greatly, : and I do not like its appearance for gold, it being a very dark sandstone. Ido not believe the No. 3 reef will

live in this country. I intend to drive on the Mo. 1 next week, and see if it-will improve as it is better country outside. Bonanzia (Kuaotunu). — have sunk the winze on the line of No. 2 reef seven feet total depth of winze, 14 feet. Also, extended the bottom level from the Arizona boundary eight feet. There i 3 no change in the drive since my last report. Keystone (Kuaotunu). —In this mine I have driven on the course of the No. 1 reef 18 feet total distance from the surface, 178 feet. The formation of the lode is about 10 inches thick, and shows fair prospects of gold. I have fully 20 tons of quartz on hand, and should say it will go about one ounce to the ton. Arizona (Kuaotunu), —During the' past week I have extended the drive south on the

line of the new reef eight feet. The country is very much harder, and has pinched the reef, which is about 10 inches wide. Perseverance (Kuaotunu). — have extended the crosscut west seven feet. It is a nice sandstone country, and expect to cut this leader in 15 .feet more driving. Wahroa . (Kuaotunu). —During the: early part: of the week the reef driving south in the low level has been much the same as described in my last report. In the last few feet a change has come in. The hangingwall portion of the reef is solid kindly quartz, one foot wide, and the footwall is composed of a i.,ixture of mullock and quart/,, one foot six inches wide. Altogether there is an improvement in v.he quality of the reef. _ I am now paddockiug the quartz which is being broken out.

Surplus (Kuaotumi). —The contractor for No. 4 reef low level started with four men on Thursday morning, an.l is making good progress. No quartz has been broken down. Work will also bo started on No. 2 on Monday to take out quartz ready for battery. There are seven tons out, and it is my intention to take a few more tons out. The whole of this reef prospects more or less, and I think it is the same as the Irene is working on.

Kapai (Kuaotunu). — my last report I have had one shift working in the south face of drive, where the reef is fully four feet wide, and small prospects are obtainable by pounding the stone. Progress has been slow in the north face this week, the country being hard, but now a change has set in for the better in ground and reef is widening; the quartz is beginning to look very good, and prospects very well. I have started to save it for crushing. Mariposa.—The mine manager telegraphed on Saturday: " Crushing showing for2oz."