THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8960, 18 August 1892, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[»T TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENTS. , Thames, Wednesday. Sharemarkkt. — Albornia, sales 4s 6d, buyers 4s 4d; Cambria, sellers Is lOd, buyers Is 7d ; Calliope, sellers 6d; Hazelbank, sales is, 3s lid, sellers 4s Id, buyers 3« lOd; May Queen, * sales 3s 9d, sellers 4«; Magnolia, sellers 7d; Moanataiari, sales 7«, 7s Id, sellers 7s, buyers 6« 6d ; Saxon, sellers Is 7d, buyers Is 3d Victoria, sellers Is Id. t . Consols. —The tributers completed their first crushing to-day of 45 loads quartz for a return of 4loz sdwt retorted gold, made up as follows: 18 loads, broken from the stopes upon No. 1 reef between Nos. 2 and 3 levels, yielded 2402 15dwt; 13 loads, from the specimen leader in the stopes between Nos.' 2 and 3 levels, lOoz lOdwt; and 14 loads, from No. 2 reef in the eastern drive at No. 2 level, 6oz. The melted return was 40oz 6dwt.

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. Owera (Wbangapoua).Since my last report, stoping lias been continued at Ho. 1, No. 2, and intermediate levels. At No. 1 level I am stoping up a short block of ground, and carrying up a permanent pass to the surface, for the purpose of getting filling-in material to fill in the stopes between Nos. 1 and 2 levels. This work is also opening up a large quantity of good crushing ore, as there are three parallel lodes, and the country between them is a mass of veins and pockets of good grade ore. I have no doubt we are now opening a block of ground that will produce a large quantity of good payable ore. Ineermediate level: The stopes to this level are producing good payable ore. No. '2 level: I have commenced stoping at this level, and am pleased to say the ore prospects well, and the reef looks first-class. .During the week 58 tons of quartz have been crushed, producing 181oz sdwt of amalgam, making the total amount of amalgam on hand from plates, scrimmings, berdans, and lip of boxes, 3160z. All the machinery is in fair working order. Norfolk.For the past week the eastern drive has been extended a further distance of 8 feet. The reef in the face is 3 feet, and is heavily mineralised, and gives fair prospects. The repairs in the battery are not quite finished. It will take another few days before everything Is completed. I have had about 30 loads of quartz carted to the battery. There is also about the same amount stacked at the mine.

Hazelbank. — Several pieces of picked stone have been obtained from the cross reef at the No. 2 intermediate level, also colours of gold were seen yesterday in breaking down Darby's lead at the intermediate; and as per wire to you, 301b of picked stone were obtained from No. 3etope above No. 1 level. Intend to break down here to-day again. The stuff that is going through the battery is shaping as good as last crushing. It will not be all through the battery before Saturday, if it is completed then. ■ New Alburnia.—Driving west has been continued, the reef still carrying a large seam of heavily mineralised stone with colours of gold, the reef being well defined. Stoping has also been carried on alter this drive, and here as well as in the drive the reef is heavily charged with minerals, which makes it very difficult to see the gold, and as there is a large waste of time in selecting the dirt and not much advantage gained, I have decided to break it down and send it all to the battery. lam classifying the dirt and shall crush the hangingwall portions of the reef separate from the footwall portion so as to know that I am not sending down any quartz that will not pay. We have crushed from the stopes and drive 14 loads of quartz, which gave a return of 104oz 17dwt of melted gold. This with the return from the stone which was treated at the School of Mines makes it 1230z 9dwt from the 14 loads, which I think is very good dirt, and the reef in the stopes and drives looks well. I have been obliged to fix air boxes in the west drive, and as it will take all the air I can get to work with here I shall be obliged to leave the east drive stand for a little while until we get ventilation. There is no change in the battery level crosscut. I have started ten men at various places to open up for the new level.

Saxon*.—No. 3 level : Operations have been carried on as usual on the new lead, east of No. 2 break, a toping above and below the level, and the quartz coming to band continues to maintain the same favourable appearance. The winze on the same level west of No. 2 break is now down 22 feet, and gold is seen every breaking down. In order to put the winze through as speedily as possible, I -have to-day put on two more hands, and am now sinking with three shifts. Battery : Crushing is still proceeding with one shift, and the show on the plates continues very regular. I expect to have finished by the end of the week, when I anticipate a payable return of about loz to the load. The total amount of quartz to be put through is about 100 loac's. Cambria.—Stoping on the main reef above No. 2 level is proceeding as. usual. The ninth stope is still being carried along, and the quartz coming to hand looks very well, but we have not seen any gold in it lately. About 10 or 12 feet more will bring this stope along to where gold was got in the eighth stope. ' No. 3 level: A few pounds of very good picked stone came to hand during the week from the cross leader on the fourth stope. The leader till averages about seven inches in thickness. No. 6 leader in the leading stope continues to show gold pretty freely, and also yields a little picked stone. Very little of the main reef in the third stope going towards the old rise was broken down during the week, work being more confined to the veins and leaders on the haugingwall. To enable these to be taken the stope has to be taken out for a width of about 15 to 20 feet; in some of these veins gold is seen pretty freely, and good picked stone is frequently obtained. toping- on the main reef and Dew leader is proceeding as usual without change. The western branch of No. 7 leader continues to show gold pretty freely, and occasionally a little picked stone is saved from it. The rise on the leader in the footwall of the western branch of No. 7 leader has holed to the drive upon it from the stope on the mass of stringers: the leader is at present about 12 inches in thickness, heavily mineralised, and looks very promising. Stoping will be commenced upon this leader in a day or two. There is nothing fresh to report from No. 7 leader above No. 4 level; stoping on it is proceeding as usual. The company's crushing of 144 loads of general quartz and 45 pounds of picked stone was finished on Friday last for the return of 2050z 16dwt melted gold. Crushing for the company is still proceeding. May Qdeen.—On Saturday I knocked off all hands from the May Queen shaft, believing everything to be in readiness to start hauling at the Queen of May shaft. This has been delayed by the accident. I expect to bo in full swing by the end of the week. Lonk Hand.—Stoping operations above the low level upon the junction of the Moa and Manchester reefs are now being proceeded with as usual. The third stope has now been carried along a distance of 25 feet east of the junction. There is not much change in the nature of the country, it still being a firm class of sandstone similar to that which we had when taking along the second stope. The leader in this Btope, which at present is about six inches in thickness, still carries favourable minerals, and a little gold is seen when breaking down. The rise for the fourth stope has now been completed, and stoping operations both east and west of the junction will now be proceeded with. The nature of the country still continues to be about the same as formerly. The leader in the back of the rise is about nine inches in thickness, in which some good minerals and colours of gold have been seen during the past week.