THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8582, 2 June 1891, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[BY T£LEGBAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] . , Thames, Monday. Shakemarkjst.—Consols,, sellers Is 4d; May Queen, sellers 6s; Moanataiari, sellers 7s 6d; Alburnia, eellers .Is 9d; Saxon, sellers 3s 6d; Victoria, buyers Is. Orlando.—A crushing for this company is proceeding at the Cambria battery, and will occupy all the week, as there is a large tonnage to treat. Moanataiari.—This company's monthly cleaning up and retorting will take place to-morrow morning. The picked etono accumulated during the past month was crushed to-day. Victoria.— A nice looking reef 15 inches thick has been cut" in the drive at No. 3 level. No gold has been seen so far, but the mineral indications are very encouraging, ,and the country is all that can be. desired. ■

May Queen.—lt is intended to keep on stripping the reef at No. 2 level for a day or two longer, in order to have a good stretch on the reef at the next breaking down. The water in the shaft is now draining away very slowly, having gone down only about 6 inches for the last two or three days. It is now down 23$ feet below the chamber of No. 1 level.

Saxon.—The water has drained away sufficiently from No. C level to allow, of operations being resumed in that part of the mine at once. To-day men were at work raising theroad a few inches between the junctions of Nos. 2 and 3 reefs, and the shaft where most of tho water now lies, but it is expected no further difficulty will now arise on this score, espeoially as the country east of No. 2 break is fast becoming drained.

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. Trenton.—No. 4 level: The drive on the new lode ha 3 been extended 13 feet during the week, making 25 feet east from the rise. The lode_ averages about 9 inches in width for the distance driven. VVe have not seen any gold for the last breaking down or two, but tho promising indications still exist, one of which is that of silica permeating the lode throughout, and the sandstone is very favour? able to. its existence- We have laid -iron rails here, and have got up the truck, which will be in use to-day. The stopes on No. 1 haugingwall branch are being pushed ahead. The stone maintains its kindly appearance for gold, a little having been seen when breaking down. Workings above No. 3 level: One of the stopes we had in hand last week has been taken along eastward as far as I thought necessary in the meantime, and have commenced to rise for another. The lode, which is about 9 inches wide, continues to look very promising for tho production' of specimen stone. A pound or two of picked stone has been : secured from here during the week.

May Queen.—/ When breaking clown the lode in the eastern drive at No. 2 level yesterday morning, strong colours of gold were seen through the quartz, and the lode is about 12 inches in thickness; but, when breaking it down nearer the face of the drive iu the afternoon, 21b of picked stone were obtained from the 12-inch lode, and a strong body of quartz came in from the footwail side of the drive near the face of the drive. The 12-inch lode will, I believe, prove to be the continuation of the lode that was driven on up to the break, and the lode coming in from the footwall or left-hand side of the drive will be the No. 4 lode. The two lodes will junction a few feet further ahead. lam now having the mullock between the two lodes broken down before driving any further ahead. Colours of gold were seen when breaking down No. 4 lode iu the winze, No. 1 level yesterday. Water in the shaft is. down 23 feet 3 inches. [The 12-inch leader stripped and broken down at No. 2 level last Friday was found to be by a junction east, not the main lode.. : A few feet, stripping of the sandstone behind the 12-inch leader revealed' the main reef., The stripping of the latter, will "be completed by Friday morning next, and the main lode will then,: bo broken; down. ■ Both lqdes will then be'clear to the junction of the two and the uuitetl lode will then be clriven.upon eastward.) A crushing of all the quartz on hand will be commenced a.week hence,, .when, there will be 40 to SO loads to put through. The winze on the main,lode above is down 24 feet,, and daily yielding its qaota';.of- quartz iu which gold is-seen.- Two specimen pieces from;'the 12-in,ch leader" at. at..tho company's office. The; water draining ironi. the reef, arid; the.shaft is a oontiiuipue streanyj.'but does not in any inconvenience the operations. The"shaft is' down 24; feet 6 inche_s, -and dajlyi .buj; will take longer, on account "of being .150. ifeetdiataht,frotii.'the>No. idriveyl '■■■'■ :■; .":.-;■ New Fearnought.—The approach to the tunnel from the road and the outside works, which htvd been obliterated by landslips, ana everything in connection with Mr. Glasgow's operations are a credit. The tunnel is clear for a very considerable distance, and no great time will elapse before the spot desired is reached.

Hazelbank.— Driving has been resumed on the reef at No. 1 level. It was small just inside of the cross leader, but it has now opened out to two feet in thickness; iubreakiing ifc down gold wae seen iti several places through the.quartz. The reef in the second stope is about 18 inches in thickness. It is carrying nice mineral here, also gold ia seen freely through the quartz in breaking it ont. SiXKPLtrs (Kuaotunu):—There is a great improvement this week. Sinking on No. 4 reef: Small blotches of,gold are seen each breaking down, proving the gold to bo going down. I also made an important find.on Thursday. What is supposed to bo outcrop of the No. 4 reef resembled the stone in the upper level and wiuzo that I determined, to prospeec it, with the result that the third stone I broke out' showed a good, blotch'.of gold. Not wishing to break up the road I went below the road 10 feet, and opened out, with the result that I got fully twenty stone with blotches of gold, some very coarse, proving what I believe to be a fresh run of .gold. I am now opening out 30 feet below the road, and expect to get the reef in a few feet, when I shall drive on it, and when I hope to report something good next week. This drive will give 30 feet 'of backs below upper level, and will be 40 feet above low level, and requires no crosscut.

Carbine (Kuaotunu). —The drive on the branch in N0,.2 level is, still beinjj carried forward, the vein- continuing to give occasional encouraging prospects. Stopjng opera-tions-in the block between the winze and the junction have been attended with satisfactory results, some of the ore from the neigh bourhood of the main lode being of superior quality. In No. 3 tunnel the reef is somewhat smaller than it has been for some time past, but the gold-bearing parb of it maintains its former size, and the prospects during the week have slightly improved. Orlando.—The mine is looking very well although there is not so much picked stone coming to hand. Great Mekcckv Proprietary (Kuaotunu).—No. 2 Fluke,reef winze level: The. drive has been extended 22 feet for the week, •making a total of"120 feet. The reef has been smaller.'than usual, but it is now opening again. The prospects, are very much the ■same as previously reported. A small leader has come in from the footvvall, which carries a little g6ld. No. 8 (Red Mercury reef): The drive has beau driven a total distance of 100 feet. The country is rather harder than last we.ek. and the reef is smaller (about one foot wide), but it still prospects Very good. No. 9 and No. 12 have been discontinued forthe present, and a winze has been started on No. 8 (Red Mercury reef) to connect the old level with the present level, which is now sunk 11 feet. The contract tor lining winze and forming pass is finished, and will be ready for work next week. The battery is almost finished, and will bo ready for work on Monday, the Bth instant. Waiuoa (Kuaotunu).—The drive on reef in low level is now in 47 feet, a distance of seven feet having boon driven this week. Better Iprogress is now being made; the country in lace is good sandstone, and is a little easier.to work. The reef is four feet wide, and stone from footwall portion, when pounded in mortar, gives a better prospect now than at any former time. From indications in face, I think I ought soon to be underneath the point where such good prospects were got on surface. Maoki Drkam (Kuaotunu). —We have driven both ways on the No. 1 reef, the one to the right hand side (north) is in about 24 feet, and that to the left 30 feet. Pride, or>\ the Hrrxs (Kuaocunu).—The wiuze is now down a distance of IS feet. The country is rather tight. Tho reef still maintains its size, being about two feet through but the prospoets have not improved. In tho stope going south the reef varies from 18 inches to two feet, and prospects fairly well, and strong colours of gold were seen in some of tho stone in breaking down. In the stone going north the reef is about two feet six inches through, but does not prospect ho well as in the isouth stope, although fair prospects ton be obtained from the footwall portion of tno reef.

TRY Fluke (Kuaotunu),~Tlic total distance driven on tho Try Fluke Kmiotiinu reef is 157 feet. The two branches have como together, and aro now both boing taken in one drive. Tho ore in the eaul of the drive continues to give fairly good prospects. Tho °i"-• 111, or 1 e crushei ' thieweok has been from this lode. Iho rise is now up about 30 feet and second and third stores north and south are betnn pushed on. The winze is now down over 100 feet. I have discontinued sinking, and intend rising through from tho bottom level. This will do awtvy with lifting tho ore with the windlass. We aro driving north and

south on the main reef at thVbbttom or No. 3-level. The north end is-in about Bfeet; the south end ie about 15 feet. So far we are only taking about 5 feet of the hangingwall portion of the reef in the drives, but ahall now bring on the other portion of the reef and timber up as we go. We have filled GO bags of ore (not selected) taken from both ends, and •vyill send them by lona to"day. I am starting to drive north on the main reef at the No. 2 level, with a view of working this portion of the mine, as.-there' has been no work done oii the reef at this level north of the crosscut. I am also of opinion that we shall discover the Carbine specimen leader on the footwall of the main reef. The tram road from the low level to the battery will be finished on Monday next. We have crushed for the fortnight 212 tons of ore for a yield of 1290z 15dwt of retorted gold. Mariposa (Kuaotunu).—ln the hangingwall of No. 2 level 17 feet have now been driven, but as yet there is no appearance of the hangingwall portion of the reef. Nkmesis (Kuaotunu). —I havepacked down a trial parcel of five tons quartz to Curtis' battery, and will start crushing on Tuesdav. Ceres (Kuaotunu). —I have passed through the reef. Where met vyith it was somewhat disturbed, tile cap having beeu thrown over to the eastward. The body of quartz is fully two feet thick, and looks very promising. Red Mercury (Kuaotunu). — The drive '. south on the reef has been extended seven feet for the week, where the reef is larger , than it was in the beginning of the week, it being now three feet of very fair crushing dirt. Of course it will be impossible to say how long it will continue that size. It may be down to 18 inches in another two or three shifts. Drive north has been extended six feet for the week. As mentioned in my last, the two sections of the reef were coming together, but they have not yet functioned, but have every appearance of doing so soon. Another small reef has come in from s the footwall side, which makes three reefs in tho northern face just now, which are all carry ing a little gold, and are all being crushed. The drive in the north is seven feet wide, in consequence of tho three reefs which we are trying to hold. No. 2 stope north from winze was started in the beginning oJ: the week, has been extended nine feet; reef stripped, but not yet broken down; the whole of the quartz broken out is being sent to the battery, nothing being selected or thrown over the tip. Fifty-six tons had been put through the battery up to the time of cleaning out tho boxes (Monday night,23th ult.) from which was obtained 216 oz (hot water) amalgam, for tho result, as wired up, 650z; the 2160z were from the plates aud boxes roughly cleaned out, the pans were not touched. Am still crushing with ten head, and intend to continue as long as 1 have quartz and the roads are passable. John Bull (Kuaotunu). —I have broken ! out 10 tons of the largo reef-(Try. Fluke), and havo • this'day .forwarded to ] George Fraser and 1 Sons, Auckland,- 5 tons per 9.5. lona. and 5 tons to the Kuaotunu/ battery (Cook's). I may state that the quartz is as nearly equal in value an it is possible to get it. I reckon, from constant mortar tests, the ore should be worth from 15 to 20 dwts per ton. If it yields the lowest figure you have many years'work of ore that will pay handsomely. The reef is certainly improving downwards both in size and quality, and when properly opened up there is every reason to believe good runs of )?old will be met with. Kavai (Kuaotunn.)—The reef in the north end is about eight feet wide, and is certainly improving.every foot we drive on it. There are about two feet on the footwall side, which i are giving to-day prospects of loose gold equal to over four ouuees to the ton. About two feet from here, towards_ the hangingwall, there is a vein about nine inches wide which is showing gold plainly to the naked eye in solid stone. Invicta (Kuaotunu). —We have carried the stope south eight feet. The lode is from 12 to 18 inches, and prospects very well. ' Otama" (Kuaotunu).—The reef is improving every foot driven on, and is carrying a little looae gold.

PUHIPUHI. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT , ].

Whangarki, Monday. The result of the first 10 ton crushing is said to be quite good enough, but scrip has, strange to say, not gone up. Some say the ! stono is not being pubshrough fast enough. It has now become a recognised fae&'that the machinery will save the silver, but an accident happened through some iron Ibolts going through aloDg with the quartz, which kept them back; This caused the stone to be only half crushed, aod itks said fchab the 10 tons should have- gone Btlnref 60ozs than 400z3. Accidents will happen, bub the field is going ahead. Most of the claims are manned, and you will see a lot. of strange, faces, wherever they come from. It would seem that, although the Kawa kawa people take comparatively little interest in the field, the peopte farther North are keenly alive to its possibilities ; in fact, they take almost as much interest in it as those in Whangarei. The air line is getting bad. Three horses can hardly take half-a-ton in. The Bay County Council have called tenders for keeping their portion of the road in repair for three months. Two men for each county are omployed on it at present. The prospects of the field are improving every day. The No. 3 lode in the Prospectors' claim is now 10 feeb wide, and getting richer a? they go deeper, A number of the other claims are also on good atone, in fact nearly all that are working. Prospecting, too, is getting moro lively, but ib wants moro people. It wants youuj.* fellows to scramble about the gullies. The country is horribly rough. • Mr. D. C. Wilson and party have beon exploring and cutting a grade line leading from the Comstock Hotel down towards Parsons, to connect with No. 3 contract.It will have to be narrow owing to the shortness of funds. This track is expected to be finished aboub the end of July. No. 2 contract will also bo finished aboub then, and the road open for horsemen right through from Kawaknwa to Whangarei. Wfinb of roads has been keeping the field back very much. Strangers geb .halfkilled coming into the field, and most of them go away and never come back. Ib is nob much wonder, for the counbry is a perfect terror to travel through. The/ hillr sides are noarly uprighb all over the reefing country. This is all in favour of finding minerals, bub n man wants to be young if he travels much in Puhipuhi at present.