THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8541, 15 April 1891, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Tuesday. Sharemarket. — Consols, sellers Is 8d ; Hazelbank (2s paid-up), 2s 9d ; Moanatairi, sellers Ss 6d; Orlando, lOd, sellers Is; Trenton, sellers 2s 2d.

Hazelbank. —Twenty pounds more picked stone were obtained to-day from the cross reef in the winze below No. 1 level. This makes 80 pounds of stone obtained since sinking was started. Trenton.—Colours of gold were seen for the first time to-day in the rise upon the now reef above No. 5 level, near the Saxon boundary. The rise is now up GO odd feet, with the reef about"- 12 inches thick and encased with excellent sandstone country. Lone Hand.—The winze lately started from the Moa level upon No. 1 leader is down 16 feet, with the leader showing a thickness of about two inches, and colours of gold have been seen so far at every breaking down. The country is a favourable class, and is somewhat improved upon what it was a little higher up. Saxon.—The regular fortnightly retorting to-day resulted in the return of 200oz lldwts melted gold, for which 311 loads general dirt and 351b picked, stone were crushed. Colours of gold were seen to-day in the quartz broken from No. 2 reef at No. 6 level in the drive started yesterday on the western side of tho shaft. The reef is about 15 inches thick, and looks

promising. May Queen. —The eastern drive at No. 2 level towards the main break is now in a distance of about 126 feet, and another 30 feet or so should see the break to hand. A splendid class of sandstone country is being penetrated, and the reef is about 9 inches thick, and looking very well. The winze upon the footwal leader below No. 1 level is down 6 feet in tight but favourable sandstone. A portion of the leader was broken down yesterday, when colours of gold were seen, and its size was about three inches. The crosscut into the hangwall of No. 4 reef has been suspended for the present after driving a distance of 8G feet through hard blue rock.

Owera.— parcel of 30 tons of quartz from the Owera Company's mine, Whangapoua, has been forwarded by cutter to Auckland for treatment at Messrs. G. Eraser and Sons' reduction works, Stanleystreet. The ore is said to be a fair sample of the reef in the low level of the mine, and should it meet expectations the result will serve to estrblish on a solid basis the payable character of the reef.

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. Trenton. —The rise, No. 5 level, has attained the height of 62 feet. The country continues to be tight, but the lode is much stronger and more defined than it has been for the last 30 feet of rising. It is from nine 'co fifteen inches wide, and the most likely of it is being saved. We tested about 70lb from here, and the amalgam obtained was sufficient to warrant a larger trial lot being put through, which will be done when we next crush. No. 4 level, No. 1 hangingwall branch : We have driven on its course east 90 feet from the boundary. _ It is from four to twelve inches in width, and the stone looks well, it being interspersed with a good deal of silica and iron pyrites. Strong dabs and colours were seen in the latter when we put in the drive. We shall have finished timbering here in a day or two. Rising for stopes will then be commenced. Driving is being continued east on same branch and at same (No. 4) level. It will be seen from plan that by advancing this drive about thirty feet the junction of the hangingwall branch with footwall lode will be reached, the same as at No. 5 level. We shall then be in a position to further prove the footwall lode showing in the present face of drive, and thus save repairing for a considerable. length the old drive which has collapsed. We should then have 120 feet in length on the hangingwall branch, and about 70 feet of backs. When we consider the amount of gold obtained from this branch at and above No. 3 level, and from No. 5 level and above it, we cannot but expect that this block will prove to be a valuable one. Footwall leader, No. 4 level: In breaking down the leader in stope on Thursday last strong blotches of gold were seen, but the leader is pinched, it not being more than two inches thick at present, and the country is very tight. Workings above No. 3 level: The stope (No. 10) has been taken along 30 feet from the boundary. Here tlie lode made stronger, especially in tlie eastern face, where gold was seen in the clay and gritty portion of the lode pretty freely. We have,_ therefore, commenced an intermediate drive, which will be continued as long as we can find anything payable. The lode will average about 10 inches in width for a distance of 35 feet. The country here is more settled, not so much broken as it was lower down.

Consols. —The engineer in charge reports fair progress in the erection of the pumping and winding plant. The boiler, _ steam engine and winding machinery are in position, and need but a few pipe connections to be complete. Preparations for baling by tanks, so as to facilitate fixing_ the pipe columns, are well in hand, and will, I hope, be ready for operations by the end of the coming week. Barring unforeseen delay, steam will be got up by that time. Red Mercury (Kpaotunu).—The following wire was received yesterday : Obtained 1001b picked stone from the north drive yesterday ; still good show. Eminence.The tunnel has been extended a further distance of thirteen feet. We expect to cut the reef during next week, and as the country in the face is of excellent quality for gold, anticipate that something good will bo met with. Water_ is at present issuing from the face, which indicates that the reef is close at hand. . We still find it necessary to timber the drive.

1 Victoria. —Driving along the course of one of the reefs recently cut in the crosscut from the Prince Imperial, was commenced on the Bth instant, and the drive has since been driven a distance of 8 feet on its course. There is fully 4 feet of quartz being carried with the drive on the footwall side. This quartz is heavily mineralised, but at present the mineral is rather dark, with occasionally a little bright mineral met with lying on the footwall side. I intend to crush a few loads of this quartz to test the value of the reef.

Success. —The drives along the course of the No. 1 reef have been pushed forward during the week both on the east and west sides of crosscut. In the latter the reef has now opened out to three feet in thickness. Although no gold has been met with here, still the indications are good. In the eastern drive the reef is at present somewhat split up, but the country it is traversing continues good. A start was made to-day to forward a trial crushing to the Moanataiari battery, and arrangements have been made to have the tailings all put through Mr. Eraser's pan.

• Souvenir. —No. 3 stope has been advanced eight feet. The hangingwall portion of the lode saved for the mill is about the same size (nine inches), but it lias not shown gold quite as freely as at former breakings. During the week we have risen for another stope (No. 4) and beaten it along about five feet._ Here the hangingwall portion of the reef is about one foot big, and the quartz is of a similar description to that of the No. 3 stope. During the breaking-down we have seen a few colours of gold. The quantity of quartz broken for the week is about four loads, making a total in paddock of fifteen loads.

Junction. —The crosscut is now in a distance of '298 feet. The country has been of a better description during the last few days, and I believe a change will soon be met with. MARiPOSA*(Kiuw>tunu).— Immediately steps are to be taken to connect this mine with the county road by tramway, so that ore may be conveyed to the battery at a small cost. While this is being done the mine work will be vigorously prosecuted with a view to large and regular crushinga. Just-in-Time (Kuaotunu).The south of flat-sheet has gone six feet, and the reef averages eighteen inches, and prospects very fairly. The ground is very tight, so progress is slow. ' The stope going north has gone four feet, and the reef averages about two feet. The ground in this stope. is easier, and the reef prospects very well. There are 100 truck loads in the hopper, and from 50 to CO more ready to put down the shoot. Waitaia. —The drive on No. 2 reef is in 30 feet. There is no change in the ground. No. 3 reef : The drive on this reef has been extended seven feet during the last fortnight, good strong dabs of gold showing in the quartz each breaking down. Fair crushing dirt has been coming to hand from the stope on this leader. I am now taking out the fifth and last stope, and expect to nave the block (which averaged 50 feet in length by 35 feet in height) stoped to the surface next week. Prospecting on the surface on Thursday last I cut a small leader, varying from half an inch to three inches in width, showing strong colours of gold in the stone, for a distance of 15 feet along the cap of the leader, which is running nearly east and west and underlaying to the north. This leader should be intersected in the drive on; No. 3 reef, between the present face and the winze, where the trial crushing was obtained from. - ■ Hongkong.—We are still driving on the leader; the country is good and the quartz looks well. There has been nothing crossing in the shape of flinties or mineral seams although I expect to cut them every shift.

Freedom.lntermediate level: Sinking is proceeding as usual below this level. The country is still of a. favourable discription for gold. The lode iB not quite so large this week, it being now about six inches wide in the bottom of the winze. ; The ore is of . a kindly appearance, and has shown colours of "old when breaking down. Eighty feet" level : The drive on the course of the lode has been advanced 10 feet. Mountain Flower.—The drive going east on the White Rose reef has been extended ' five feet, the ground still continuing tight, although of a favourable description, 'it being intersected with mineral veins. The reef was broken down to the face of drive to-day, and a few colours seen. It is rather larger now, being about nine inches to a foot wide. The leading stope has been extended about 15 feet from the winze, and the reef taken down. Colours of gold have been seen the whole distance, but no picked stone obtained this week. The reef is about four inches wide, and carrying good minerals. Alfred.—The intermediate level going east 011 the reef has been extended a further distance of 20 feet. The country is still slightly disturbed, but the leader is in a compact form, nine inches thick, and on breaking it down on Saturday last good colours and dabs of gold were seen through the whole of the quartz broken, but nothing that could be called picked _ stone. The reel in the leading stope is showing twelve inches of quartz, and is along 61 feet. The second stope is along 45 feet. The reef is showing fifteen inches of quartz, and colours of gold are seen in the quartz when breaking down, The third stope is along twelve _ feet, the reef here being eighteen inches thick, and a little picked stone is selected occasionally when breaking down. New Manukau.The mine is looking a little better. The trial crushing from the Crown leader in the stopes under slide is now going through the battery. Though no gold was seen when breaking the dirt out, il is shaping for three-quarter ounces to the ton. A small leader was also met with in the stope in the footwall showing a little gold, so I am now driving on it to take out a small trial. Hazelbank.— per wires 101b picked stone were obtained on Saturday and 501b to-day from the winze. The reef in the bottom of the winze shows about a foot in thickness, but I think there is more quarta in the footwall yet. The most of the picked stone that came to hand these two days was from the eastern end. A few stones were got; on the western end, and also colours of gold were seen in different places in the quartz across the winze. On the whole the reef looks very encouraging indeed. [The manager wires : " Twenty pounds picked stone from winze cross reef."]