THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9257, 20 July 1893, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN* CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Wednesday. Siiaremarket. —Cambria, Fellers 2s ; Calliope, sellers 5d ; Hazelbank, sellers 2s lOd, buyers 2s 6d • May Queen, sales 4s 2d, sellers 4s 3d, buyers, 4s ; Norfolk, sellers 3d ; St. Hippo, sellers lOd. Victoria. — Crushing was commenced for this company at the Cambria battery today. May Quern. —The measurement of the water at No. 3 levol this morning showed that it had fallen off 3J inches since yesterday morning. Bta Pump.— Phillips to-day received instructions to keep the water in the pumping shaft drained to a depth of 30 feet only below the 400 feet level, and it is anticipated that this will be sufficient to drain the May Queen mine, consequently the speed of the pump has now been reduced to 5.1 strokes per minute. A stoppage of several hours took place to-day, in order to change the bucket, and the lower set of plunger valves at the 200-feet level.

Hazeldank. — The results attending the operations being carried on upon Darby's leader, in tho block of stopes abovo No. 1 intermediate drive, still continue of a highly remunerative character, and the present prospects for a continuation of the same are very good. The block is now not quite so long as it formerly was, owing to that portion directly underneath the drive put in upon the leader at No. 1 level being nearly exhausted, but a length of about 140 feet still remains, which is intact above No. 1 level, and this will gradually increase in length asthestopes are worked upward. Four stopes are at present in progress, the lowest one being No. 4, which is now nearly carried along to the flab lode; whilst the highest one is No. 7, and this corresponds exactly with tho drive brought in upon the leader at No. 1 level, consequently Mr. Coutts intends timbering this slope, and thus form the continuation of the drive. The leader

throughout; runs from 8 to 10 inches in thickness, and is generally a compact body of quartz, in which gold is as a rule pretty freely scon, and frequent small parcels of picked stone are obtained. Tho work of opening up a new block upon this leader at the No. 2 intermediate is proceeding satis-

fuctorily, and so fur encouraging propects have been met with. A length of between 40 and 50 feet is now opened up eastward of the winze, and over '20 feet westward. The best results, however, have been met with in tho oastern end, nice colours of gold Laving been seen in the quart/, broken, and a few pounds of picked atone seer red. Tho leader averages nearly a foot in thickness, and carries a very good class of mineral. Scoping upon the cross reef at the intermediate upon that body is proceeding as usual, but the quartz won is only of moderate grade. An improvement is noticeable in the drive upon tho Caledonian No. 1 reef at No. '.i level, that body being now a nice, compact reef, about 18 inches thick, carrying very fair mineral indications, and running through a good class of country, but no gold has yet been seen. Tho work done so far upon Kelly's leader at No. 1 level, which is being carried out conjointly with the Moanatuari Company, has reveale I nothing of importance as yet, and from 15 to'2o feet further driving should reach the hitter's boundary. .MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. Cai.i.iov::.— drive west of the winze has been extended about 10 feet; the country in the dig being a very good class of sandstone, and a little easier for working. The water was rather heavy at the beginning of the week, but it. lias now slackened oil' a little. The quartz stripped during the week will probably be taken down to-morrow. The contract on the Bendigo reef have extended the drive 10 feet for the week, making a total distance of (ili feet. The ground is now much tighter, there being scarcely any dig. The country on both sides still continues of the same description, with no change in the appearance of the reef.

Orlando. — During tin; past week we cleaned out and repaired '20 feet of the main drive at the Goldfinch low level. This makes now a distance of 250 feet from the crosscut. At this point, we reached the end of the drive, and there is now in the drive a welldefined reef. But I found out that we had passed the winze, as it is about III) feet back from the end; it was missed owing to the drive having been re-timbered and small sets of timber put in the place of opening sets. We have now removed the small sets and replaced them with larger ones. We have also fixed the windlass and cleaned out I'2 feet of the winze. 1 think, as far as 1 can see, that the rumour of gold being here is true, because so far as we have gone one end of the winze is worked out, but 1 do not know how far down this will go or how deep the winze is sunk. We have a little water to contend with, and which throws away a little time in the morning after being idle freight hours, but 1 intend to put the two men from the bottom level here to have the winze manned the whole time. By doing this tile water will be easily kept under, and as soon as I can 1 will have a survey made. I have had two men working at the low level, ami we have taken an underhand stope along the drive for 40 feet in length, the quartz being much of the same description as last reported ; but I will have to discontinue working here at present as I want the men for the winze as previously stated, but should you wish to sink at any time where we have been working it can be done, as there is not any water to cause much trouble.