THE GOLD FIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8726, 17 November 1891, Page 6

THE GOLD FIELDS.

' [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Monday. Sharemarket.—Cambria, sellers 2s ; Consols, sellers Is ; Dives, sellers 8d ; Manukau, sellers 6d ; May Queen, buyers 3s 4d ; Moanataiari, sellers 5s ; Alburnia, sellers Is Sd ; Sylvia, sellers 9s ; Trenton, buyers fid ; Pride of Karaka, sellers Is ; Occidental, sellers Is. May Queen. —A strong body of quartz was met with in the eastern drive at No. '2 level this afternoon, coming in from the left hand wall. This will probably prove to be the eastern continuation of No. 4 reef, but it is intended to strip a few feet of ib before breaking down any of the quartz. GOLD DISCOVERY. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Woodville, Monday. A settler named Gregory, at Kumeroa, found gold in a newly opened block. A thorough search of the locality is to be made for the reef. MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. May Queen. —Tha leader in the drive at No. 2 level was broken down to-day. There is some nice mineral through the leader, also silica. The leader is now about 2i inches in thickness. The country is of a good description for gold. 1 have started with two men to cat away the side of the drive on No. 4 lode west of the drive on the small leader, to make room to start sinking the new winze on the No. 4 lode below Iso. 2 level. The air being light in the winze on the No. 4 footwall branch lode between Nos. 1 and *2 levels, I had to mit in air boxes, and now the ventilation is all that could be desired.

Trenton.No. 5 level: The rise lias been put up a further distance of ] 1 feet in the week past, the total height being 55 feet above the level. The ground here has been a little better for progress than it was ; otherwise no material change noticeable has taken place to mention. The quartz, however, has shown a little gold since my last. The drive cast on the new lode has been advanced only about nine feet during the last few days, as other work demanded I am expecting to hole through into No. 4 drive within a fortnight. When communication is effected we will invite tenders at once for the extension of the eastern drive towards the May Queen break with three shifts. The winze is down 14 feet below the level. The lode, which is from two to ten inches wide, looks well for gold. I hope we shall soOu get picked stone from one point or the other. Consols. —Driving on No. 1 lode at No. 3 level is being proceeded with. An excellent class of country continues on each wall. A splice has formed across from the hangingwall side, and the lode is nine inches iu width. It, however, shows signs of opening out. The intermediate drive from the winze has been extended 17 feet, and a stope carried over the drive a distance of 12 feet; the leader is from four to seven inches in width, and the quartz broken from the drive and stone shows gold freely, and five pounds of picked stone have come to hand from the general quartz during the week. Any further work from the intermediate drive cannot be carried on to advantage. The men, about Tuesday next, will be moved to No. 3 level, and the drives on No. 1 lode seawards and the specimen leader hill wards pushed ahead to open up a block of ground from the winze at this level. This accomplished, quartz can be got much quicker. There are on hand about ten loads of quartz, two more loads will complete the parcel towards a crushing, and can be got from No. 3 level in a short time.

Mariposa (Kuaotunu). — The winze is down about 18 feet on the footwall portion of the reef. About two feet of payable ore is being saved for crushing. Pride of Karaica.—Since my last the drive has only been extended a distance of 10 feet, but I am pleased to note a decided improvement in the quartz, it having opened out to fully 20 inches in thickness, and in breaking down some nice colours of gold were seen distributed through it, the quartz itself being verv heavily mineralised. During the week we have crushed eight loads of quartz for the satisfactory return of 14oz ISdwt of retorted gold. Red Mercury (Ivuaotuuu). — completed a crushing of 132 tons for a return of 1930z of retorted gold. I started crushing with ten head of stamps on Friday, the 13th inst., and will run two shifts as long as I can, or until some other party takes five head, aud then I will keep on with live head. There is a change of ground coming in from the hangingwall in the western branch, which. I believe, will prove to be the junction of the two branches; a few feet further will prove it. The reef in the main drive south has been a great deal larger than usual for the last 10 or 12 feet, ana not quite so good as the. average, still it did fairly well at the battery. The quartz from this face was all crushed at Curtis's battery. The result from Curtis's battery was 6Soz from 52 tons. The quartz coming from the stopes are much the same as usual.

Try Fluke (Kuaotunu). — During the week the work carried on at the I«fo. 3 level consists of extending the drive south on the eastern branch with one shift. The reef here continues to be somewhat broken, but the prospects are a little better, and we are nowsending this ore to the mill for treatment. The stopes north and south from the main winze have been pushed on, and are still producing the usual supply of ore. The north drive has also advanced a few feet this week. I intend letting a contract next week for about 50 feet of driving north on the main reef. No. '2 level: The drive on the Kuaotunu reef has been pushed on with one shift. The reef is about five feet, and portions of it continue to give fair prospects. Che leading stope is now along about 55 feet, and the second stone about 25 feet, and rising is commenced for the third stope. The reef in those stopes varies from three to seven feet through, and the selected ore is showing for a payable return at the battery. The ore crushed this week is showing up for about the same quantity as that crushed last fortnight. I have on hand for the week's run 218oz of amalgam from the plates. Otama (Kuaotunu). —The leader in stopes look well. In breaking down yesterday 1 obtained about seven pounds ofveiy rich specimens.

Souvenir.— the week we have extended the western drive a further distance of five feet, and on Wednesday last we broke down the "new leader," it continues the same size, viz., one foot, and showed a little gold when taken down. We have also blasted a hole in main reef, and the quartz broken from here looks kindly, and showed some pood mineral, but no gold was seen. During the week we found it necessary to put in a couple of sets of timber back along in the drive on account of "winding" of ground, the getting of these sets and placing of them in position will account for the short distance driven this week.

Carbine (Kuaotunu). —There has not been much change underground during the week, the works in hand being the same as at last report. In blocking out the main reef over No. 1 level fair crushing stuff has been met with. The reef there has not yet increased much in size, its present width being from two to three feet. The best stone is found on the hangiugwall, and although gold is not visible in it the prospects it gives by pounding leave no doubt about its being payable. From the block above No. 2 level some ore of middling grade has been got, but the quantity has not been in proportion to the width

of the reef, which in parts is fully 10 feet. owins to the way in which the gold is distributed it is necessary to turn over the whole, and progress is therefore not very rapid. The contractor for the extension of the drive northward on the reef in No. 3 level will commence work on.Monday. A start will also be made early next week on the contract for carting quartz to the battery. Calliope.— Driving on the new hangingwall leader has been carried on during the week, and about six feet of the leader stripped, which was broken down on Saturday, and averages from three to six inches wide, the quartz being of a very promising description, and containing excellent minerals, while good colours of gold were seen. The country is a tight, blocky sandstone, intersected with fine mineral seams striking into the leader, and which may make a patch of stone at any time. There is nothing fresh to report from the stopes on the hangingwall leader. Good colours of gold are frequently seen, and a little picked stone occasionally saved. There are about 21 loads of quartz in the paddock, and about 20lb of picked stone on hand. Istarted to send down on Saturday, and crushing was started this morning. New Moanataiari.— and retotting for the fortnight, which took place to-day, produced the payable return of 1770z retorted gold, which on being melted was reduced to 1740z 2dwt. For this yield there were 454 tons of quartz and 401b of picked stone crushed. In the mine work is proceeding as usual, and the various points of operation are looking much about the same. The eastern drive on the Golden Age reef is, however, looking better, as is also the same reef in the stopes eastward of the cross reef. Heretofore but little gold. was seen in this direction, but this week it has been very freely seen all through the solid stone. In the battery 30 head of stamps were cmployed on the company's quartz, and 10 head for the Hazelbank. Irene (Kuaotunu).—-The leading stone has been extended eight feet for last week. The reef is fully 4i feet thick, 3-i feet of which is going to the battery. No. 2 stope has been extended 24 feet. In the INbrth end it is IS inches of solid stone, all of which is being sent to the battery. In the South it is still divided by a horse of mullock, the footwall portion of about 15 inches being good payable stuff. Crushing at Curtis' battery is now going on with 10 stampers, and the 100 ton lot ought to be completed at the end of this week. • !

Hazels —The reef in the drive at the intermediate level going west is a foot in thickness. It is carrying a fair amount of mineral favourable for gold, but there has not been much of the precious metal seen here for the week. The leading stope west of the winze has advanced four feet, the reef being still split up. . There is also another leader striking.back eastward which appears to correspond with that seen in the footwall of the winze in sinking. It is six inches thick, and abont four feet of it have been broken down, in which colours of gold have been freely seen. The second stope west of the winze has advanced uine feet. The reef is slightly broken, but the quartz appears to be coming more together in the back of the stope. Gold, has been frequently seen in the hangingwall portion, but very little stone worth picking out. Six men are employed in breaking out quartz above this level eastward, but beyond seeing a little • gold in the stone occasionally nothing of any importance has been discovered, although this is immediately under the place where fair gold was got in the level above. Stoping is being continued as usual above No. 1 level. In the sixth stope there is a thickness of three feet of crushing dirt. The quartz hero is now more solid and is carrying excellent mineral for gold. In the fifth stopo the reef is eighteen inches in thickness, there being a slight improvement here lately. Colours of gold nave been seen occasionally in the quartz while breaking it out. Crushing is proceeding as usual at the Moanataiari battery, but I am sorry to say it has not been shaping very well this week. If it does not improve in a day or two the quartz will have to be more carefully selected, even if the ten head of stampers should not be kept going. There are 1220z 13dwts amalgam on hand up to date.