THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9327, 10 October 1893, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] Thames, Monday. Sharbmarket.— local market is very dull and quieb, and in consequence no list was issued by the brokers to-day.. Alboknia.—A further parcel of 40 pounds picked stone was obtained to-day when breaking down another portion of the hangingwall section of Dixon's reef in the No. 5 scope eastward of the winze. May Queen. —The cleaning-up and retorting today after a month's run with ten head of stampers resulted in the payable yield of 315 ounces melted gold, which is the product of '288 loads of general dirt and 60 pounds picked stone. Operations in the mine are proceeding as usual, and there is very little change to report. The extension of the eastern drive ab No. 3 level is being continuously pushed ahead, bub at present the reef is only about six inches in thickness, and is nob looking hardly as woll as ib did in the early part of last week. A change, however, may take place at any moment, as the drive is now fast approaching a point where ib is anticipated a second good run of gold may be met with. A rise has been started above the highest stope over this drive, just inside the junction of No. 4 and north-west lodes, with the object of connecting with No. 2 level, in order to secure a supply of mullock to fill in the stopes, and to obtain better ventilation for the works in progress. There now remains about 30 feet to rise to make the connection. Pakroa, Monday. Russell's battery ab Lourie's Find started this morning. A number of new leases havo been applied for at Waihi. The Crown Prince (Karangahakc) roof on being broken down showed an increase in size and much better prospects. Crown.— J. McConnell, manager of the New .Zealand Crown Mines Company (Limited), Karangahake, telegraphed the following return yesterday :—" The bullion recovered from the Crown, from 550 tons of ore crushed and treated during September, is valued at £2350."

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. Red Mercury (Kuaotunu).—The contractor for the east branch has driven 28 feet from the crosscut, and the reef will average over IS inches for the whole distance. I will have a trial crushing from this reef some time next week. The contractors driving south on the western branch have only driven five feet for the week. There is every probability of them giving up the contract. The north end on this branch has been extended nine feet for the week on wages, but the country has been exceptionally hard and mixed with quartz stringers, all carrying a little gold. I will break down the reef on Monday. The battery will start on quartz from the western branch on Monday, which should turn out quite as well as last.

Try Fluke (Kuaotunu).—During the past week the drive on the new leader at No. 2 level has been extended about eight feet. It has been from 12 to 15 inches thick, but is now split in two by means of a horse of mullock. It will, I have no doubt, junction when driven on further north, and will then most likely be of a better quality ore, as both portions of the lode carry a little gold at the present time. At the Carbine level we are taking along the leading stone. The reef varies in size from three to four feet thick, and a portion from the footwall of the reef is being sent to the mill for treatment. I expect to get a quantity of ore from this part of our mine. The stopes on the No. 1 and 2 reef are still producing a fair quantity of average ore. At No. ,'i level I have two shifts driving on the main lode. It is from one to two feet thick. Occasionally we get fairly good prospects from the footwall portion of the lode. I am at present driving this drive with wages men siuce the contractors gave it up, and so far they are making better headway. The reef in the leading stope is about two feet thick. The quality of the ore is not quite so good. I shall expect it to improve as the stopes are extended, as the prospects in tile drive further north are much otter. The battery and cyanide plant are both working well. We are putting a new filter bottom in No. 4 tank this week, consequently we shall not put through quite so much tailings this week. I have on hand up to date HOoz of amalgam from the plates.

Victoria.—Cleaniug-up and retorting took place on Saturday for a return of (560z retorted gold from 35 loads of general quartz and '20lb of picked stone. In the mine there is little fresh. The drive on the course of the main reef on the western side of the crosscut has been started, but so far no quartz has yet been broken down.

Norfolk. drive on the reef at the Missouri level has been extended a further distance of 20 feet for the pvist week, making the total distance driven on the reef '202 feet. The reef at present is very broken ; for the last few feet we have been meeting with a great deal of clay. There is also a very largo stream of water coming from*the face, and I hope soon to ace a change for the better.

Great Mercury (Kuaotuuu). — During the past week, the low level crosscut to the Red Mercury reef has been extended 13 feet, which makes a total of 503 feet from the startiug point. The country in the face is improving as the drive advances. There is a reef now touched the face, which I believe to be the western branch of the Red Mercury reef. There has been no quartz broken, as it will take two shifts to square up the face, in order to break down the reef. As reported in my last, there have been two wages men employed driving on the east reef, cutting through the blow of quartz mentioned, which has been penetrated, and fairly good country again met with on the hangingwall of the reef, which is 2£ feet in thickness, and gives fairly good mortar prospects. Tenders have now been called for the continuation of this drive 100 feet. No. 1 stope on this reef has been extended 9 feet. The rcet here is 2 feet in thickness. No, 2 stope has been extended 5 feet. The reef in this face is 14 feet in thickness. No. 3 stope has advanced 8 feet for the past week. The reef here is 1 foot in thickness, and fairly good mortar prospects arc also obtained from each stope. Mr. A. Smith, local director is now on the ground, inspecting the company's property.

St. Hippo.— crushing of 70 loads was finished on Friday, for the yield of 540z 9dwts ; 30 loads came from main reef, and yielded 13ozs; 40 loads from hangingwall branch yielded 41ozs 9dwts. This yield from hangingwall branch is payable, but main reef is not so far. but as we have seen dabs of gold in it, I think it advisable, as the stopes on the hangingwall reef ascend, to put in a hole about every 20 feet to see if the main reef improves upwards. Iu breaking down hangingwall reel on Saturday strong dabs of gold were seen. Hazelbank. —The drive on the reef at No. 3 level has only been extended a few feet this week, and as there is no improvement neither on the reef or country I deemed it advisable to stop it tor the present and have started the men that were working here to rise on the same reef over Walker's drive, at the point where this company commenced driving on it. There is a good thickness of quartz in this rise, some of which looks good enough for gold. The leading stope eastward on Darby's at the No. 2 intermediate level is being carried along. The lead has been from 12 to 15 inches in thickness. The quartz is still heavily mineralised, and by its appearance should be of a payable character, as a little gold has been seen in breaking it . out. The leading stope is also being carried forward over the western drive at this level. Colours of gold have been frequently seen in the quartz, but no picked stone has come to hand from here. The drive on this lead at No. 1 level has been extended a distance of 10 feet during the week. The lead has varied from three to eight inches, and beyond seeing colours of gold here, there is nothing new since my last. In the leading stope on the back of this drive the lead has been looking promising. A few pounds of picked stone were obtained from here in the beginning part of the week but nothing since. In the second stope the lead is a little split up, but the footvvall portion, which is about a foot in thickness, looks well, colours of gold having been freely seen in the quartz, and, as per letter to you, 20 pounds of picked stone came to hand from here yesterday. Two men are still employed, stopin/; on the croasreef over the No. 2 intermediate, but as no gold has been seen lately in the third stope, a fourth stope has been commenced from the winze. New Moanataiari.—There is little or no change to report from the workings on/ the Golden Age footwall lead at the Point Russell level. Gold is frequently / seen through the stone, but no picked stone has been forthcoming for the past week.. The cross-cut on the 150-feet level, which was connected with the drive from No. 1 level of the Caledonian shaft, has been cleared out and re-timbered into within a ieiv feet of the drive on No. 9 reef. There is cow a fair current of air passing along the drive and up through the old stopes. As I expected, the gas has been completely dispersed, so that a start will be made on Monday morning to sink down from the 80-feet level through the old stopes, and form a pass which wity act as an air course and travelling way. Sovne time during the coming week I hope to make a start to prospect the various leads cut in this crosscut. Some considerable difficulty has been experienced in repairing thia level, as the drive had been driven on the. course of No.

2 slide, which being soft had run down in places far a height of 40 feet. Mr. Coutts, manager of the Hazelbank, however, has been very obliging, and allowed me the use of the cages to haul the dirt, at considerable iuconwemence to himself. There have been crushed at the battery during the past week 48 tons of quartz and 203 tons of surface dirt for the respective returns of amalgam, GOoz and 19oz.

SOUTHERN MINING. . [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Blenheim, Monday. The Daily Times Havelock.correspondent writes:—" News has just come to hand that Dramante and party, who have for some time been working in good ground at Grumoiotty Hill, Wakamarina, have found it still further improved in richness, and a small rush has set in. All the ground abutting the Deep ing Company's boundary has been pegged off. The Homeward Bound claim at Dome Creek which it was reported got 2400z. from one day's washing, prior to tho late floods, has again set its boxes, and expects a heavy return this week.