TEE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8775, 15 January 1892, Page 6

TEE GOLDFIELDS.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Thames, Thursday. Pride of Karaka. —A body of quartz, which is believed to be what is known as the Gorman lode, was intersected in this company's low level this afternoon. . As yet only a very small bit of quartz has been broken from it, so that little is yet known regarding its size and quality. Its course, however, is almost at right angles, with the reef which is being operated upon. Calliope. — This company's operations are confined to pushing ahead the main drive aud to driving and sloping upon Nos. 1 and '2 hangingwall leaders. 'Since resuming the extension of the main drive just before the holidays a distance of 30 faet has been driven, and the reef ha.i been cut down from about five feet in thickness to one foot, and the country generally has improved in quality. It is interlaced, however, with numerous quartz veins, which makes it somewhat difficult to shoot out,and consequently prevents very speedy progress. A little gold is seen in the hangingwall portion of the reef, so that the manager is selecting out the best of the quartz and saving it for a trial crushing to see what it is worth. No. 1 hangingwall leader is now opened up for a length of about 50 feet, which brings the face to within about four feet of the Alburnia boundary. Two stopes are also in progress, and a rise is now being put up for the third stope. The leader yields throughout from three to six inches of crushing dirt, with an occasional pound or two of picked stone, but the country encasing it is rather tight, aud consequently prevents rapid advancement of the different faces. No. '2 Wader is opened up for a length of 45 feet, and a leading stope carried along 15 feet, and there still remains about 30 feet further to drive to the boundary. This leader averages about six inches of crushing dirt, and also shows gold very freely ; but, as in the case of No. 1 leader, is surrounded with tight sandstone. The manager purposes forwarding the quartz on band to a battery for treatment next week, as by that time he expects to have about '20 loads available, and he already has about 301b of picked stone on hand. Alhtknia. —Since the main break was met with at the YVhau level, a distance of about 100 feet on its course has beeu driven in a southerly direction, and about 40 feet in a northerly direction. At a distance of SO feet in the former drive the leader reported just before the holidays was intersected, but until a few days ago nothing was done upon tho leader except to cut through it in order to continue the drive ahead on the course of the break, tho face of which is now some '20 feet further advanced. A few days aco, however, driving eastward upon the leader was commenced, since which a length of about 10 feet has been stripped, and a portion of it broken down. This portion proved to bo of a rubbly character, and ranged from S inches to a foot in thickness, and strong dabs aud colours of gold were seen in the quartz, which also carried a good deal of silica, but no picked stone was obtained. As the drive advances away from the break the country is becoming more settled, and the leader more vertical, which change it is thought will have a beneficial effect upon the quality of the qnartz. There is a little gold now showing at a point where a small bit of quartz has been knocked away by a shot, consequently it is hoped that the next breaking down will give a few pounds of picked stone. Should this leader turn out to be a remunerative one, which it now has every appearance of doing, the company will have a long length to drive upon its course to their eastern boundary, which is some GOO feet away, whilst the ground overhead is intact, as there is nothing on the plan to show that it has ever been worked in the upper levels. The drive south on the break is still being continued, the country on its eastern side being an excellent sandstone, and full of mineral, and another 50 or 60 feet of driving is expected to bring the Success reef to hand, after which the Star of the South reef will be next in order. The distance which s.ili remains to be driven in this direction before the Orlando boundary is met with is about '200 feet. The north drive is at a standstill for a few days. In this the country has been rather tight, but a better and easier class of sandstone is now showing in the face. Moanataiari—Operationson behalf of this company are again in full swing both in the mine and at the battery, the latter having received a general overhaul during tho stoppage for the holidays. Thirty head of the stampers are now employed upon the company's output of quartz, and ten head upon quartz upon the Hazeibank mine. The company's quartz, however, is of rather a moderate grade, none of the reefs operated upon being very rich with the precious metal at present, and picked stone is somewhat a tare commodity. The general prospects throughout the whole of the present workings, however, are of an encouraging character, and offer sufficient, inducement to keep on " pegging away" with the hope of shortly meeting with something better than is now being obtained. So far the work done upon the Golden Age reef at the 100 ft and Point Russell levels has not turned out so satisfactorily as it was first thought it would, but nevertheless a fair class of quartz has occasionally been dropped across, and this leads to the belief that eventually it will turn out all right. Both the eastern and western drives upon this lode are still being continued, but. latterly no gold has been seen, the reef generally having been too solid and devoid of the mineral veins which generally makes the gold. In the stopes overhead, eastward of the winze which was sunk from the Point Russell level, some strong dabs of gold have been seen during the past two or three days, so that the quartz from that point should crush fairly well. At the Point Russell level a nice looking leader was met with on the hang ingwall side of the lode some few weeks back, consequently it hassince been followed, and a considerable length opened up upon it. In its de velopement it has been found that its underlie is quite the opposite to the main body of quartz, which fact inclines Mr. Clark to believe that it will turn out to be what is known as the Dawn of Hope reef. It averages nearly a foot in thickness, and so far has shown colours of gold pretty freely, consequently a leading stope lias been started upon it with the object of opening up a block as quickly as possible. At this level a small footwall leader is also being driven upon, some distance back from the face of the drjve. Colours of gold are often seen, but as the leader is small tho supply of quartz won from it is limited. Two stopes are in progress upon the main footwall reef below the Point Russell level, and one stope upon the cross lode and a small leader which runs across the narrow neck of country which separates the footwall and cross lodes. A little gold is seen in the leader, but none lias been seen recently in the larger bodies. Below the 100 feet level stoping is proceeding as usual upon the flat lode, which shows a little gold, and stoping is also being carried on upon the Reuben Parr reef above the western drive at the intermediate level The quartz coming to hand from both points, however, is of moderate grade, but a chango for the better is dally expected. [jjy TKLEGKAI'H.—OWN CGKRKSI'ON'DKNT.] Thames, Thursday. Gold Returns.—The total returns of gold and silver bullion from the Hauraki district during the December quarter of last year are, so far as can be ascertained, as follows:— Oz. Dwts. Thames County ... ... 11,841 ' 19 Ohinemuri County 5,331 II '.I hames Borough 5,143 18 Coromandel County ... 5,'282 3 Piako County 220 17 Total 27,826 8 Included in the returns for the Thames and Ohinemuri Counties is the bullion won respectively from the Sylvia and Waihi Gold and Silver Company's mines. .The total returns from the several districts for the year ending December 31, 1891, less the quantity of bullion won from the Waihi Company's mine during the first six months are as follows : — Oz. Dwts. Thames County 05,196 11 Thames Borough 16,031 11 Ohinemuri County 13,178 9 Coromandel County ... 11,854 15 Piako County 70S 12 Total 06,969 18 MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. New Fkarnoih;ut. — The crosscut has been extended a further distance of 6 feet. The country through we are driving is

improving in appearance, and as a little water is now percolating from the face, there is a probability of intersecting another leader before the main reef is struck. The drive at present is passing through sandstone of excellent quality kindly for' auriferous reefs. New Alburnia.—The drive south on the course of the break, since passing through the leader, continues to penetrate an excellent class of sandstone, interlaced with bright mineral seams and other indications, which should have a good effect on any leader cut in this drive. This drive having been extended a sufficient distance to allow of work being commenced on the new leader, ft start was made to shoot away the country or footwall, to make the necessary room, which has now been completed, and driving commenced on the leader. A good firm sandstone encases the leader on both walls ; a portion of which was shot down in which strong colours of gold were seen. _ The leader also carries large quantities of silica, which are very favourable indications for gold in this locality. Saxon.—Work in the mine during the past week has been confined to the stopes on the No. 1 reef east of the No. 2 break, also the No. 1 main reef between No. 1 and No. 2 breaks and the stopes on the now reef, all over No. 6 level. From all these reefs a good supply of payable quartz is coming to hand. At No. 3 level a start was made in the early part of the week to clean up and repair this level and crosscut with the object of pushing on the drive along the course of the new reef and to open up a block over No. 3 level as early as possible, and to contieet with No. 4 by means of a winze on this reef. This will ventilate this portion of the mine, and likewise open up two new blocks. The battery has been fully employed all the week. The general quartz is shaping similar to previous crushings, although picked stone lias not been so plentiful. Amalgam on hand '2"230z, picked stone 101b. VK'TORIA. —The contractors for driving along the. course of the No. 3 reef at No. 6 level, resumed work on the Sth Inst, and since that date have driven a distance of 10 feet, of which distance the reef was taken down yesterday, and to-day I am pleased to say that gold was freely seen. The reef has again split up into two leaders, averaging about 9 inches each in thickness, with '2 feet of sandstone between them. This is full of small mineral veins, and some ot these veins carrying fair gold. The ventilation in the drive is very troublesome owing to the sultry weather.

Pride ok Karaka. —The mine manager telegraphed yesterday Cut German lode in low level."