THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8970, 30 August 1892, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[bt telegraph.—own CORRESPONDENTS.] Thames, Monday.

Siiaßemajrkkt.Cambria, sellers, Is 10d ; Calliope, sellers, 5d ; Hazelbank, sales ss, 5s 3d, 4a 9d, 4s Bd, sellers 4s lOd, buyers 4s 8d ; May Queen, sales 4s, 3s lid, sellers 48 Id; Moanataiari, sales 7s Gd, 7s 9d, sellers Bs, buyers 7s 6d ; Alburnia, sales 5s 2d, buyers 5s : Orlando, sellers sd; Saxon, sales Is 9d, sellers Is 9d ; Waihi, sales 13s Cd ; Woodstock, sales 2a lOd.

Saxon.During the past few days the manager has had the blanket tables at the battery overhauled, and a cleaning-up underneath with the result) that several pounds of quicksilver have been obtained, and lOoz lOdwt gold got therefrom. Moanataiari.—The general dirt crushed during the past week has shown considerable improvement on the preceding week's crushing, a yield of 2560zs amalgam having been obtained. There are also 1401b picked stone on hand. Cleaning up and retorting will take place on Wednesday. May Queen. —The winding machinery just erected at the Queen of May shaft is working admirably, and good progress is being made in cleaning out the debris in the shaft. Two of the directors, Messrs. Ewen and Dixon, arrived here this evening to take over the plant from the contractor, but the latter left for Auckland thi# morning:, so that they will have to wait for his return.

Alburxia.—This company's crushing of 30 loads of quartz was completed to-day for the remunerative yield of 70oz melted gold. Excellent progress is being made with the cleaning out of the Sons of .freedom level. Ffteen hundred feet have already been overhauled and repaired, whilst the repair of the pass leading from the YVhau level to the 70 feet level has also been completed. The riso upon Dixon's roef above the Whau level is now up a height of over 30ft, and the ground still continues solid. MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. New Moanataiari —There has been for the past week 30-head of stamps employed on the company's quartz, which, I am pleased to say, has been of much better grade than the previous week. The principaloutput of ore from the mine at present is from the Golden Ago reef, on the Point Russell level, at the point ana eastward of where the cross-lode and break passes through it. The different ribs of stone here out he footwall of the main body are of a nice friable nature, aud look exceedingly well. The principal one, which contains the most gold, is from a foot to two feet in thickness, and there are now some 30 feet in length of it opened up, and for the whole of this distance picked stone has been obtained. To-day 401 b of good stone were secured from the face, which is over 25 feet eastward of the cross-lode. This body of stone is, apparently, carrying on in the footwall, and will not come out into the main drive (already driven) on the solid formation of the reef for some distance ahead yet. There has only been a small portion of the golden rib of stone taken out yet over the back of the drive, just enough to allow the timbers, which will form the level, being placed in position. As soon us the latter work is completed everything will be in readiness to commence stoping, the only difficulty being the obtaining mullock to fill up with. In this section of country, however, the Dawn of Hope lead will be met with dropping into the big reef, and, as it is a smaller body of stone, mullock will be obtained in working it out. There are two slopes in hand on the crosslead above this level, which continue to produce good payable quartz, as well as supplying occasionally a few pounds of picked stone. There are still much healthier indications being met with in the stopes both on the footwali lode and Reuben Parr reef; but, as these workings have now become so terribly hot, I will be compelled to withdraw the men for a time until communication is effected with the upper workings on the old Dauntless lead, which work will be proceeded with without delay. There are now on hand about 1401b of picked stone. Amalgam for the week, 2500z. Cleaning-up and retorting takes place on Wednesday. llazki.bank. —The drive on Darby's, at the intermediate level, is being pushed on fair progress having been made with it this week. The lead has been about 15 inches, thick, the quartz being of a promising appearance, containing a considerable quantity of mineral of a favourable description for the precious metal. What is termed the . first break was cut at this level yesterday. In the face there are a good many quartz veins running through the country and striking towards the lead in which gold is freely seen. The drive has still to be extended about '27 feet before it reaches under the point where the best of the gold was obtained in the No. 1 level. At the No. 2 intermediate the cross reef is 8 inches thick. It looks more encouraging, as it contains nice mineral. Also a little gold has been seen in the quartz. Stoping above No. 1 level. The second stope is nearly over the face of the drive. There is little new to report from here since my last. In the third stope the lead has been about 9 inches thick. Gold has been seen in the stone, but nothing to pick out. The fourth stope : A width of 5 feet has been taken out as it is a network of stringers, in most of which gold has been freely seen. Several pieces of picked stone came* to hand from the leader on the footwall side. It will be about other five days before this stope is up to the place where the gold was obtained in the stopea below. • Magnolia.—The drive on No. 2 reef eastward was extended this week 10 feet, making a total of 35 feet. lam still in the slide, and no sign of being through it. The reef is still showing, as there is one or two inches of stone heavy mineralised. I burned some of it, and it showed a fair prospect. The sandstone is getting a little harder, and is intermixed with flinty veins half-an-inch thick, and splendid blocky mineral. I shall continue this drive until the reef makes again. I have started a leading stope eastward on No. 2 reef, and it is advanced seven feet. No. 1 or upper level on No. 3 reef. The drive was extended six feet during the week. I said in my last that the slide was down two feet six inches from the roof of the drive, and now as the drive advanced we got the slide in the floor of the drive, when a body of stone one foot in thickness, running north-east, made its appearance on the eastern side of the drive, and we saw a few colours of in it. Mariposa (h.uaotunu).— I have been opening out in winze. The reef here is 5 feet wide, and is all being saved for crushing. Prospects are as good as ever were got in the mine. lam continuing the shoot to No. I level, so all ore from No. 1 will pass through to No. 2, and be trucked direct to hopper. New Mandkau.—l am pleased to say the winze leader in the stope is looking much better this week, showing a little gold when broken down, and I have got about lGlbs of picked stone during the week. Will clean up on Wednesday, and expect a good payable return.

Try Fluke (Kuaotunu).—There is nothing special to report from the mine this week. At No. 3 level (south block) we are scoping on the main reef. It varies in size from one to four feet through. The gold at present is mostly confined to the footwall portion of the lode. We are, however, sending a fair quantity of this ore to the mill, and it is showing up for a payable return. VVo, are also working the eastern branch in this block. At present it is about one foot through, and is all being sent to the mill. The stopes from the main winze, referred to last week, are still being pushed on. The lode maintains its size, and the ore from the foot and hangingwall portions of the reef prospects fairly well. Intermediate level: The drives north and south have each been further extended about 10 feet this week. The lode in the north end is not quite so large, and is a little split, but continues to prospect about the same. The lode in the south drive has opened out, and is from 18 inches to two feet through, and gives fair prospects. There are also a number of cross leads iu this drive, the whole of which are goldbearing and well worthy of driving on. I would recommend that a crosscut be driven east, as I am strongly of the opinion that there are other reefs and leaders east of the lodes we are now working. So far nothing has been done to prospect the country in the eastern part of our mine. The country formation is all that can be desired for Roldbearing lodes, and should we discover payable lodes in this part of our mine we should have backs of over 200 feet from our No. 3 level. The battery is working well. I have on hand from the plates, up to date, 4360z of amalgam, and' 260z of retorted gold from the tailings and blanket washings in the pans. Red Mercury (Ruaotunu),— mine throughout is much the same as when I last wrote. The reef in the intermediate level in both the main drive and stopes will average fully two feet, and gives good prospect. The contractors for the east branch low level are making fair headway, and the reef is getting more compact as we are getting away from the junction. The south main drive still maintains its usual size, about 18 inches, in fact it has not altered much for the last hundred feet. The stopes are all turning out a good supply of quartz to keep the battery fully employed; in fact, the only drawback we have is the state of our roads, and it is a disgrace to see horses working on them. Everything at the battery is working smoothly and giving every satisfaction. Amalgam on hand 3SBoz, from 134 tons crushed. i

Great Mercury (Kuaofcuau).—During the week the drive south on the Try Fluke reef

has been extended six feet; the formation is eight feet wide, three of which is carrying good gold ; the other five feet is broken up a little with small quartz veins running through it; these veins prospect well. The winze is sunk six ieet for the week. The reef is looking very well, and prospects about loz in gold. The stones in this drive are turning out a fair supply of ore to the battery. Intermediate level: Drive north eight feet for the week; the "reef -is four feet wide and prospects very well in gold. Red Mercury reef, western branch: The drive north has been extended six feet for the week. The quartz at present face is one inch wide. The country is very hard; I expect the reef will widen when we get a change of country. The stones in the eastern branch are looking very well in places. The reef is three feet wide. Battery : The battery has been kept going full time during the week. There are 4500z of hot-water amalgam from the plates and pans from 125 tons of quartz crushed.

[by telegraph.—press association.] Dunedis, Monday.

The following mining returns are to hand: Six-mile Beach Co., 60oz 2dwt amalgam ; Jutland Flat, 370z ldwb gold; Sandhills Co., lOoz 13dwta gold; Sew Hoy Co., 158oz 15dwb 21 gr gold.