THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8580, 30 May 1891, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

m \ • , "• . ,**-,, r , [KEMHff OUB- OftSC iCOBBBaKMHIiEWr.] Thames, Friday. fioAKMCUABi.-—The crosscut at the intermediate drive below the 100 feet level has ■.'"■'- not yet reached the footrwall lode, bub it is • expected that it will now soon be to hand. r Daring the past week a nice-looking flinty 1 has been followed through an excellent class

of sandstone country, and as a little water is now soaking through the sandstone, it is thought) to be a sign that the lode is not far : '■''■ away. The winze-which is being sunk ; upon the lode from the 100 feet level is down a depth of about 44 feet, and by 3 the end of the-present week it is anticipated that it - 'willbe deep enough to .permit of driving 7 being started from its ■ western I with tne view of following the lode back towards the point where the crosscut will intersect the reef at the intermediate drive. To • effect a connection at this point about 60 feet of driving will have to be done, but by keeping the two faces constantly manned it. will nob take such a great length of time to carry ib out. ' ■ ■ Once ib >. is accomplished there will be ;no further necessity for .baling the water out :of < the winze and hauling the dirt broken up to the . 100 feet level, >-' as -' at - present, as all the traffic can then be diverted through the ! intermediate drive. During the last 6or 7 ' feet of sinking in the" winze very little of j * the lode has been' broken, attention having been chiefly confined to sinking the " dig" as quickly as possible, in order to get down the required depth. The country in the ** dig", is a rather tight but ;good class of sandstone, and gold has been seen pretty freely in- several quartz vveins passing * through it. ; The water, however, has been very troublesome of late, and this, together ' with the tightness of the country, makes ' sinking operations rather difficult and slow.} As soon as a connection is effected with the ■intermediate'drive, Mr. Clark purposes : continuing i sinking down upon the lode to .'.the' 300 feet level, with the view of opening up the lode at that point also. Preparations are -now. in; progress at the 200 feet level at the southern end of ; the main pass for putting in an "opening; out" set of timbers previous to starting the rock drill to drive in to cut the lode, but it is not likely the drill will be started before the winze is commenced from the intermediate. Three stopes are in progress upon the Reuben Parr reef above the intermediate drive, two east of, the Kb. 1 winze, and one westward. The reef averages over two feet •in thickness in these stopes, and has shown ,'a-little*gold at every breaking down, but in

,-the-eastern sbopes several pounds of , picked stone have lately, come to hand. from a ■ 'hangmgwall leader., ;Ab the 100-feeb level tie drive eastward upon the foobwall lode • is still' being pushed ahead with one shift, bub there 13 yob no material improvement in ■ the' character of the lode, which is a a -strong and compact body of quartz. In the . stopes there is no change to ; mention, the , supply and grade of quartz being much as usual. The vertical leader in its stopes, however, has;shown an improvement of late, the general dirt having showed gold more freely, and given a little picked stone. ' ' Ibaverages.; nearly a foot in thickness, but runs through shooting sandstone, which :?■■'■■■■-% rather limits 'the supply. In the stopes Over the south drive the manager is now inclined to believe that instead of working on a portion of the flat lode, as has been thought. all along, it has really been the footwall portion . of the Golden Age reef. This conclusion has been.arrived at T from the fact that the branch worked upon , joins with the hangingwall portion of the big reef at the northern end of the stopes, and in cuttings through this portion some good.dabs of gold have been seen during the week, and a pound or two of picked; Btone saved. This is '.rather an important' feature, and may possibly lead bo a large and remunerative block, being, yet opened; up upon the big reef. At the battery this " -: week 30 head of stampers are ■, running full: time upon the company's quartz. . Ib is intended to crush the picked stone on hand and clean'up. the amalgam on Monday next, in order to prepare for the usual monthly retorting which will probably take place on Tuesday. [BY telegraph.—own correspondent.] Thames, Friday. >■; SharEmarket.— sellers Is 4d; . Hazelbank (2s paid up), sellers 3s 6d—ditto . (Is 6d paid up), sellers 3s ; May Queen, 6s, buyers 5s 9d; Magnolia, buyers 33 6d; Moanataiairi, sellers 7s;6d ; Alburnia, sellers Is 9d; Orlando, sellers Is sd; Victoria, < Is Id,, buyers Is. Dives.A crushing of 23 loads quartz and 101b picked stone obtained from the; hangingwall leader in the sbopes above No.; 2 level was completed today for a return of ; 360z lidwb melted gold. Alburnia.— bender of T. Scanlon and party has been accepted for extending .the main crosscut at the battery level to ! intersect Dixon's reef, and they have menced'operations. ' May Queen.—Operations at No. 2 level •were to-day confined to breaking down the j stripped portion of the lode intersected on 1 Saturday evening last. .Altogether, about*! 11 feet in length of the reef was broken down, .its-.thickness averaging -about' 12 j inches. "'1 Strong colours of gold were seenj throughout, and late in the ; afternoon ■ 2lbs ! ' of 'picked stone were secured. In the pre- j sent face' of the drive a strong body of | quartz has just made its appearance on the j footwall side of the reef operated upon today,- and, according to , appearances, the two should junction a few feet ahead.

THE TE AROHA MINES.

[BY TELEGBAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] . . . Te Aboha, Friday. The new discovery made last week is the Diamond Gaily portion of the New ' Find mine has been further opened up, and; atrial' parcel taken out for treatment at; the battery, which is now engaged upon it.'!. The result will probably be known on; Saturday. Several miners visited t the ground this week, and pronounced it the best and most kindly-looking stone seen onthe hillfor some time past. The stone, in appearance is much the same as that broken out in the main reef in the New Find mine.; Gold can be* freely seen in most of the stone broken down this week. Should the ■■,' show continue, we expect \ a small . mining revival once more. : ■ i-,. The contractors on : the Champion ; Gold : and Silver Mining Company's,,Tui, are now' in a distance of 330 feet, and-have met with a nice little reef containing gold and silver. They still expect to have to drive i ■"■■■; 60 feet more before cutting the main reef, - Mr. Napier, of Waiorongomai,'is going\ to experiment on two tons of concentrates '■■:■■' from the Sylvia mine, Thames. Should he succeed as well as he expects, large quanti- '. ties will be forwarded to him for treat- I ■.;:■ ■. ment. ■ ■■■ ■■■.■:■■■■■- ■ .■ ■■

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. Kapai (Kuaotunu).—-The mine manager telegraphed yesterday:—" Good show in. i breaking down. Very coarse gold." Owera (Whangapoua).—-I have driven IMo. 2 new face 7 a distance of 23 feet from the boundary line. The prospects in this face are still as good as ever, with a strong reef from four to five feet. I have broken through in the other drive at a point where the reef had been formerly tapped and left intact. The winze from No. 2 to connect with the next level is sunk 20 feet. The reef here is very -large, and \ sinking has been, very troublesome on account of the water, in consequence of which I have discontinued sinking for a time, and made, a start with our next level—2 So. 3. _ This level will give 103 feet on the perpendicular, which means something like 115 feet of backs. This level will also drain reef, and give a much better show for (Prospecting the mine than by sinking. I have also two shifts ; driving ahead on l«lo. 2 main face. The prospects here are very good, but the reel has. been a bit Si; knocked about ;■ for the. last few days, immef -' diately under the : gully east of the upper ' workings, but looks 'much better again to day. • ■