THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8535, 8 April 1891, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Tuesday. Sharemarket. —Caledonian (old issue), sellers Is 6d; Consols, Is 4d, sellers Is 5d ; Hazelbank (2s paid up), buyers Is 6d ; Lone Hand, sellers 2s Id i Moanataiari, sellers 9s ; Trenton, sellers 2s Id. Magnolia.—Driving billward at the low level upon the last body of quartz intersected is being pushed ahead as rapidly as possible, with the view of effecting a speedy connection with the winze coming down from the upper level. ' According to the sound there can now be no very great distance between the two points, and the connection is expected to be completed in a day or two.

May Queen.The contractors for driving up to the main break at the new level made excellent progress last week, driving no less than 38 feet through an excellent class of sandstone. Just now, however, the ground has become a little tighter. At No. 1 level the contractors in the hangingwall of No. 4 reef drove nine feet, but tho country still remains very tight. A fair start has been made with the winze upon No. 4 tootwall leader, but so far operations have been confined to stripping.

Lone Hand.—The sinking of tho winze in the upper level of the Lone Hand section upon No. 1 "leader is now well in hand, a depth of about five feeb having been attained. From the quartz broken so far about two pounds of picked stone have been saved. The leader was about nine inches in thickness in the floor of the drive, but near the bottom of the winze it has narrowed in considerably, although it is thought it will widen out again. An improvement in this respect, however, will probably take place as sinking progresses.

Saxon.—No. 1 reef in the western drive at No. 6 level is now showing a thickness of about three feet, and during yesterday a few pounds of stone showing strong blotches of gold were obtained. Going eastward the reef is about four feet thick, but is rather split up at present, and is nob looking so well as could be wished for. The third stope east and west of the winze has just been started, so that it will bo seen that it is being rapidly developed.

Victoria.—The manager has arrived ab the conclusion that the formation he has lately been driving in at No. 3 level is nothing more than a large slide, and that instead of driving across ib the drive has been following along on its course, consequently he has ordered the contractors to square up the face at onco with the view or suspending further driving at this point, and instead will bring them back about 70 feet, and start them to drive upon a 3-feeb reef which leads up to the Waiotahi boundary, which latter point is about 120 feet distant. When the boundary is reached a crosscut will then be started parallel with it for the purpose of intersecting the continuation of the Waiotahi reefs.

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. Trenton. —No. 5 level : The rise has been advanced seven feet in the past week. The country is tight blasting sandstone rock. The lode will average about nine inches in width most of which is being saved. No. 4 level — No. 1 hangingwall branch: A leading stope has been taken along 55 feet, and the branch, which averages eight inches in width, carries some of the best indications for gold. A start has just been made to put in the necessary timbers. Two men are driving east on the same branch and at the same level. Twenty feet have been driven east of crosscut. The leader is from four to nine inches wide. The stone carries a large percentage of minerals, some of which are favourable for gold. Footwall leader at same (No. 4) level : We have driven a few feet -further east during the week in order to prove its value and to lengthen the stope. The lead is small, but it looks promising for the production of picked stone. No. 3 level: The ninth stope is being taken along. _ The lode is from six: to fifteen inches wide for about 25 feet in length, and gold is occasionally seen when breaking it. The eastern drive at this level is being timbered up as fast a3 circumstances will allow. The back of the ninth stope is 50 feet above No. 3 level. The pass on the boundary is open from our present workings up, I think, to the Saxon No. 2 level. Ido not think it is more than about 16 feet above us. We cannot make the headway I would like with the No. 3 drive east. We have had a good deal of stuff to shift, which fell away through' the country being so moist, and it is very slow work getting up the timbers from No. 5 level.

New Moanataiari.—On the 200 feet level the north drive on the course of the break and cross reef has been extended a total distance of 45 feet. As the hanging wall branch of the reef for which this drive was started has not been met with, I have removed the men for the present, and started them to drive on the lead where it branches off from the main lode in the rise about 35 feet above the level. By driving on the lead here I will be able to determine its course, and ascertain its true position on the level. The first and second stopes on the main reef have been beat out home to the face of the western drive, No gold has been seen here, but the quartz looks fairly well; and I have _no doubt, when the ground gets a little easier, that picked stone will be met with. Early last week an intermediate drive eastward from the rise was started. This drive is now in some 16 feet, and has gone through firstrate country, and, so far as the appearance of the quartz goes, should make gold any day. Once thelbreak is passed through and the reef picked up on the other side, a winze will be put down, and the drive from the chamber pushed ahead to connect with it. 100 Feet Level: The same favourable class of country is being passed through in the south drive; but, as there is only one shift employed, not much headway is being made. The stopes here on the flat lead and No. 2 footwall, or vertical lead, are being manned as usual. Gold is seen in each every breaking down, but little or no picked stone is coming to hand. The pastern drive on the main reef has again been resumed. The lode here is of large size, carrying some splendidlooking quartz, but the gold is rather thinly distributed through it. The usual number of stopes are in hand on both reefs here, which continue to keep up the main supply of quartz; latterly, however, lam sorry to say it has not been shaping so well at the battery.

Pride op Karaka.— my last the drive has been extended a further distance of seven feet, making a total of 361 feet. During the past week the ground has been extra hard, but on ."Saturday we met with a slight change for the better, being much easier for boring. The Class of country that has made its appearance in the face in the latter part of the week is something similar to that which we drove through before meeting with the hard bar. Should this continue, we should soon get clear of the hard ground. According to instructions received, I stopped work on Saturday. Little Nell. —Since last communication the drive at the new upper level has been extended eight feet, through tight country, jtyiere are three leaders in the end of the drive —one on each wall, and one in the centre, The quartz shows nice silvery mineral ; no gold, however, has been seen in them. According to instructions, I have suspended operations. ■ <* ' ' Prosperity.—l have extended the drive on the break, which "is now in a total distance of 40 feet, and have cut a hard bar of blue rock, which has heaved the reef off its course, causing it to junction at a long angle with the break. It is now running on the same course as the break. As the reef did not strike the break at right angles as I expected it has not had a good effect.. This bar is identical with the one met with in Savage's level, which no doubt has had the same effect on the namely, throwing the reef and break into one. After the reef has accompanied the break for a short distance it was run out into clay and become part of the break. This explains why the reef has not been cut in Savage's level. During the past week I have been driving on the reef and football leader 80 feet west, or footwall of the break. These lodes are running parallel, from four to five feet apart, which enabled me to carry both in the drive. The leader is four to six inches in thickness, and the reef averages eighteen inches in thickness. This drive has been extended 13 feet, and the lodes broken down. They are both carrying favourable minerals, also penetrating a good class of sandstone country, with iron veins and mineral seams striking through it. 1 received your instructions to suspend operations on the fourth, which I have done. Adeline.l have been timbering up and getting more timber in the bush—that is, props and slabs. Mining timber ic very scarce here ; I have a few sets on hand iow and a fair quantity, of slabs. Nothing fresh to report from tributers. New Manukau.—The Crown leaner in the stopes between the slide and Waiotahi boundary is still rather broken, but carries good minerals for gold; so far no gold has been seen. The leader is more defined, ana looks well enough to report gold any day. Magnolia.— the week I : drove feet on the No. 2 leader. It averages from nine inches to one foot in thickness, and we saw good dabs and colours of gold light through. There is at present a great deal of antimony in the face, and I have no doubt we are not far away from better gold.

Junction. —The crosscut is now in a distance of 293 feet; fair progress has been made during the last week. - The Little-aud-Good reef should be met with in about 50 feet of driving from the present face. The No. 9 should be to hand in about 150 feet of driving from the face.

Calliope.—l have commenced driving today on the remaining 29 feet in the Orlando Company's ground., The country is vety hard in the face at present, but I expect to see a change for the better come in before driving far. Hongkong.— On Thursday afternoon we came upon a small mineral seam not thicker nor longer than the' blade of a knife, and where it hit the leader I got .nice dabs of coarse gold, but it unfortunately ran out. I am very pleased to see gold in this level, as it shows the gold goes down. Souvenir. —We have carried the No. 2 stope up to the break. During the week the quartz coming to hand from the stope has shown a little gold, and we are still saving about one foot of the hangingwall portion for the mill. No. 3 stope has been beaten along about eight feet for the week. The hangingingwall portion of the reef saved here will average about nine inches, and shows colours of sold when broken down. _ The country in j the hangingwall of the reef in both stopes is everything that can be looked —being a first-class sandstone, well traversed with black mineral veins. ■ Crackshot.—Excellent progress is making with the development of the mine. We are in now about 30 feet within our own boundary, and the more we advance into the spur the more promising becomes the outlook for the future of the mine. _ The rock formation is all that could be desired for carrrying a good fissure, and the lode is widening with solid quartz, containing abundance ot iron sulphides. When breaking down this day nice colours of gold were seen. Whenever the blend appears in the reef we can always rely upon seeing gold. Mountain Flower.— east on the White Rose reef has been continued a further distance of five feet, the ground being rather tight ; a portion of the reef was broken down on Saturday, and a few colours of gold were seen ; the reef is rather larger, being about eight inches wide, and carrying good mineral indications. The drive on the specimen leader has also been extended three feet, and the quartz broken down, a few colours of gold being seen. I stopped this drive on Tuesday, in order to start a leading stope from the winze, and in breaking the reef down on Thursday about 51b of picked stone were obtained from the footwall leader, as I informed you by wire. The handingwall portion is about eight inches • wide, which will be broken down to-day, the quartz is of a very good description, being well mineralised. Freedom.The intermediate level: The winze being sunk from this level for the purpose of opening up an extensive block of ground 167 feet in depth has now obtained a depth of 41 feet. For the whole of this distance the lode will average 12 inches in width, and has shown some strong dabs and colours of gold at every breaking down since sinking has been commenced here. Eighty feet level : The drive on the course of the lode has been advanced 9 feet for the week, making the total distance from rise 19 feet. Progress here is rather slow, principally owing to the large dimensions of the lode, it being fully 2 feet 6 inches wide, and difficult to break, but it is now showing signs of making smaller; if so, better progress may be expected. Orlando. —Scoping operations are still being continued on the hangingwall reef. No. 1 or leading stone has been carried eastward to within 20 feet of the present face of the drive. I do not intend to carry the stopes any further than this point at present, until the drive is advanced further ahead. The reef in No. 1 stope varies from nine to 15 inches in width. Gold has been seen frequently through the quartz when breaking it down." The reef in No. 2 stope is about two feet wide, composed of small stringers of quartz, intermixed with country. Colours of gold have been seen in several of the veins when shooting it down. The reef in No. 3 and 4 stopes is much smaller, being about eight inches thick. The country surrounding it has become more firm and solid. Still the quartz coming to hand from these stopes is of fair quality. Several stones showing good blotches of gold were selected from here during the week. The reef in No. 5 stope is about six inches thick, of nice kindly-looking quartz, carrying a large percentage of ruby silver and zinc blend. The gold seen in this stope is much coarser than it is in the other stopes. The length of stopes now opened up on this reef is about 220 feet, with passes and shoots all in good working order. The ventilation is now first-class, a continuous current of fresh air travelling in the drive and reef through the stopes, the air pass being connected with them. There are about 20 loads of quartz to hand. I expect to be able to, crush in a fortnight's time. • Puhipuhi Prospectors.—No. 1 level, No. 3 reef northward: I have been breaking down a portion of this reef—about 40 feet has been broken down ; it shows a well defined reef about 3 feet 6 inches in thickness, with splendid looking stone when broken up. I am continuing the leading stope northwards, but am afraid 1 will have to stop breaking down the lode in the level for want of room to store quartz. The winze between the low level and No. 1 level is full of quartz ready to go to the battery. Machinery : Mr. Marks is making good progress with the erection of machinery, all the pans, Pelton wheel and shafting being now in position, and the pulveriser is ; also well on to completion, and they are now getting on with the water pipes up the hill to connect with fluming. Kilns: The contractors for the kilns have finished. The tramway formation is almost completed and ready for the rails ; sleepers are split ready, and we shall soon be able to complete this work. The shoot and paddock will be next gone on with. The dam is also approaching completion.