THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8585, 5 June 1891, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[from ouk own coukkspondent.} Thames, Thursday. Moanataiari.—The winze which has lately been under way upon the footwall reef below the 100-feeb level having acquired the requisite depth to connect with the intermediate level, further sinking has been suspended for the present, and a start was made yesterday (Wednesday) to open out westward} with the view of tracing the. reef back to the intermediate level, where all efforts so far made to pick it up on the eastern side of the main break have been futile. In sinking the winze, however, a strong body of quartz has been carried down in which gold has been freely seen, but since fcho start was made to drive westward from the bottom the reef has become a little split up, owing no doubt to the tightness of the sandstone existing at this point. It is not expected,,however, that any difficulty will be experienced in tracing the reef westward, although it is quite possible the tight country will have the effect of giving a stronger underlie to ib, in which case the non-success , of picking ife up at the intermediate drive from No. 1 winze would be accounted for; The latter work has? been suspended for the .present it* order, to see whether the above- theory is correct. , In ■ the stopes upon the main reef above the intermediate, level, westward of the break, a large quantity of quartz is coining to hand, the reef being from three to four feet thick in places, and a little gold is seen. On its footwall side a nice looking leader has lately been met with, in which a good bit of gold has been seen, but ae.it is lying very flab, it will have to be worked by itself later on. The eastern drive upon the footwall reef ab the 101) feet level is now over GO feet in past the point where the connection was made with the tributers old " water winze." The reef still continues of large dimensions, and is composed of low grade quartz, but still the indications are such as to induce the drive being kept going. In the stopes above the reef maintains its usual appearance and quality, a little gold being seen and an occasional pound or two of picked stone obtained, bub nothing very bigl A good grade of quartz is coming to hand from the stopes upon the vertical or No. 2 foobwall leader. This body will average about 12 inches of crushing dirt, and ol : late has shown gold freely, besides giving several pounds of picked stone. Stoping is proceeding,.as usual above the south drire upon what has recently been found to be tjie Golden Age reef, but which tor • some time was thought; to be the continuation of the flat lode. At this point the reef is being worked for a width of about 15 feet, and of late tho prospects have been so encouraging that Mr. Clark purposes soon to start driving both east and west upon the reef from the south drive. Ab the 200 feet level, preparations are sfcill in course of progress for setting the company's rock-drill at work to drive in on tibe eastern side of the main break, to pick up the foobwall reef. So far only two men have been employed in shaping the drive and getting in clear of the main pass, and as they have been cutting through a large body of quartz (thought to be the Golden Ago reef), they have consequently not made very rapid progress. The pipes, which are to convey water to the drill, are now beint , ; taken up to the level from the main tunnel, so that the drill will probably be at work in a few days.-

[by TKLKGKAVH.— own CORRESPONDENTS.] : . v Thames, Thursday. • Siiaiiemarket.—Consols, sellers Is 4d ; Freedom, sellers id ; Hazelbank (Is 6d paid up), ' sellers 3s ; Moanatairi, buyers 7s 3d ; Orlando, buyers Is 3d ; Saxon, sellers 4s 6d ; buyers Is. VicroiUA. —Another reef about 15 inches in .thickness was intersected in the crosscut at No. .3 level : this afternoon. v The quartz carries nice bright mineral indications, but showed no gold. Saxon.—No. 1 reef continues *to look well in tho winze which is being sunk east of No. 2 break sib No. 5 level and to-day a little picked stone was again obtained and colours of gold seen freely in the general dirt. This augurs well for the block which will- eventually be opened up by the ad vancemenb of the ? drive at' No. : 6 level, which work is now being proceeded with.

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. New Moanataiaki. — Cleaning up and retorting for the month took place yesterday for tho return of 3220z retorted gold, which was reduced on melting to 318oz. For this yield there were 720 tons of quartz and 1201b of picked stone reduced. r l his return is barely payable, but I consider it very satisfactory, as there is no selection of the quartz, the whole being sent to the mill as broken out, and as the workings on the different lodes are now of considerable extent, a run of picked stone may be come on any day. In the winze on tho iootwall below tho 100-feet level the lode is somewhat split up,, but there is no apparent change in the nature of the country. Driving westward was started to-day, and in the meantime operations in tho intermediate drive will bo suspended till the course of the lode is properly defined going westward from the bottom of the winze. Bonanza.—Tho manager reports that he has holed through the Arizana level, and will now be in h fair way of getting out a parcel of quartz. Gold can be seen every breaking down, and the loose prospects are first-class, some of the small stones being very rich. Judging by tho class of ore coming to hand, it Ought to shape well when treated at the battery! North Star.—Mr. Adams, Mining Engineer, Thames, under date May 27, furnishes the directors of the above company with the following report: -According to the instructions ot your mine manager I have the honour to forward the following short report

on the reefs in the North Stat property, giving a rough idea of the work already done: of the amount of them still intact; and''of the quantity of backs obtainable from your present levels. My remarks are illustrated by the show plan I have prepared for your property on a scale of 30 feet to the inch. The mam reefs in tho ground, viz., the North' Star and the Lord Nelson have already been worked on to some considerable extent and with very good results. They strike through the ground from end to end, and should they continue on their present course will effect a junction towards the nortK-east corner of your property. The low level at present being driven will give a matter of 90 feet of backs from the No. 3 level on the North Star reef. This reef has been stoped from the No. 3 level right up to the surface for a length of about 600 feet, and continued highly gold bearing, even when. split in leaders in the hard bar at the face of the No. 3 level, so much so that tributers have been and are now working the leaders in the hard bar with payable results. The Lord Nelson was a reef of high repute m the earlier days of the field, having yielded some very good returns. It is dipping towards the North Star workings, and a cross-cut from the intermediate level under the old Captain Cook" shaft would meet it in driving with about 180 feetf of backs. If, however, a very necessary work is undertaken, and that is the driving ahead of the intermediate level on the North Star reef, every foot driven diminishes the distance to crosscut for the Lord Nelson. The length on the lines of the North Star and Lord Nelson reefs in your property is, roughly, 1500 feet flie former aud 1200 feet on tlie latter. lam of opinion that the North Star reef is identical with the Occidental reef. Between the North Star and Lord Nelson there exists, I believe, the Loyalty reef. This reef has not been traced through the Hague Smith crosslode to my knowledge, but there is no reason to suppose it has been cut off by that body of stone, and I am satisfied that in crosscutting for the Lord Nelson that it will be met with. The Hague Smith or Onehunga crosslode exists in your property from the intermediate level upwards. It has had in many placee the eflect of making large patches of rich stone in reefs crossing it. On the plan may be seen the workings on the Occidental reef, on the Loyalty or May Moon reef, aud on the Duke's or Prince of Wales reef. The latter I consider identical with the Lord Nelson reef. From the contour of the surface in the Te Papa Gully, low levels such as the No. 3 and the present low level entail a great amount of dead work, ihis will be obviated to a great extent when backs on the North Star reef will be again required, as the No. 4 or Una tunnel level may then be utilised. The face is 400 feet from the North Star reef at the boundary, and will give backs for a great number of years. There are three most important works requisite to develop the property, viz. (1) the low level as at present being carried on; (2) the continuation, of the intermediate level on the North Star reef; (3) the development of the Lord Nelson reef which, as far as can be seen, exists in a.' grand channel of country. For this, last work you have the choice of two ways, viz.,, the carrying on of a crosscut through the; heart of the property from the present face of the intermediate level. Or by waiting for some time until the work on the North Scar reef at the intermediate level has been carried ahead, which, as the Lord Nelson and North Star reefs are approaching one another, will considerably diminish the amount of dead work to be done. May Queex.— Last Friday what was supposed to the main reef was knocked down at No. 2 level. It turned out' to be the leader found at No. 1 level near its junction east with the main lode. The mullock between the leader and the reef have been stripped since then, and the latter will be shot down this morning up to the junction; and the eastern face will then be the point at which the reef bifurcated, and forma the entire lode. The result of the breaking down is expected by wire in the afternoon. Mr. Burns, assayer of the Bank of New Zealand, has tested a piece of stone from the Brothers claim, Whangapoua, for Mr. Barrou, and obtained from it two small buttons, one of gold; theother of silver, representing a yield per ton of 49ozs gold and 1790zs 12dwts of silver. Mr. JBarron informs us that j a few sacks of ore from the same place are now on their way to Auckland, so as a more substantial and larger test at Fraser and Sons' reduction works.