THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10100, 8 April 1896, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

VISIT UP ANOTHER MINING EXPERT.

fraou OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Thames, Tuesday. Victoria.— eastern drive ab No. 1 level has connected with an old drive brought in upon the same reef from the Mariner workings eastward of the shaft. What length of ground is opened up by this drive is nob known, bub very little work has apparently been done upon the reef apart from driving upon it, with the exception of a bit of stoping, some 50 feet ahead of where the connection was made. The reef in the back of this old drive is about 18 inches in thickness and looks very well; in fact a pound or two of picked stone has already been obtained from a small portion of the reef thab was taken down a day or two ago, in order to see what the quartz was like. A leading stope has now been commenced from the eastern end of the winze that was sunk some time ago from the surface adib level. A second stope has also been started from the rise on the western side of tho crosscut and the quartz coming to hand therefrom it of a good payable character. Good progress continues to bo made with the sinking of the winze below No. 1 lovel. Latterly the reef has been split into two or three veins, but these are now coming together again, and are looking very well, with colours of gold showing In the quartz coming to hand. At No. 2 level, driving westward on what is supposod to be the same roef is now in progress. As yet no quartz has been broken, bub the country being penetrated is of a good class. A start has been made to cart the quartz on hand to the battery, but crushing will not be commenced for a day or two.

Sheridan* (Tapu).— tenders, ranging from £2 18s per foot to £1 19s, were received for extending the low lovel a further distance of 11)0 feed, and that of Nolan and party, at the latter price, has been accepted. The contractors commenced operations to-day. Cardigan.—The prospecting crosscut at No, 4 level has been extended a diatnuce of 57 feet since driving operations were resumed nine days ago. No other quartz body has been intersected since passing through the one reported last weok, but the country romaius of a favourable character.

Paeroa, Tuesday. Hercules.—Operations havo just been commenced on this property, which comprises 200 acres, and is tisuated north of the at Karangahake. The work being undertaken at present is of an initiatory character—namely, tho stripping of a large lodo from which I was informed goldbearing stone has been obtained. More permanent operations will be commenced shortly to prove this lode, as well as another which it is stated runs through the ground. Ivanhoe,— tramway in the Shotover section has now been laid down, and a start is to be made forthwith in driving upon the hangingwall of the western reef, from which some very encouraging prospects have been obtained. The country being penetrated in the Ivanhoe section has very much improved, and is not nearly so hard as it was, consequently bettor progress is now being made in the extension of the crosscut. The distance driven here is 275 feet. As the lode was expected to havo been met with within a length of 300 feet from the starting point the ore body should soon be to hand.

Talisman*.—A start was made to-day to fill the kilns, and as it will take nine or ten days to prepare the ore for the mill crushing will be commenced within a fortnight from now. In tho mine stoping operations are still in progress above the Nos. 3 and 4 levels, while a resumption of work in the face of No. 4 level has taken place, the lode being about two feet wide, and composed of kindly-looking quartz. It is intended that other works will be undertaken for the development of this fine property at no distant date, so that work should soon be carried on here as vigorously as ever. Imperial,— low level on the United section is now in about 300 feet. This level, it may be mentioned, was put in on the Treasure reef, but some distance back from the face a break came in and heaved the reef to the westward. The manager, however, kept the adit going ahead with the view to picking up the No. 1 reef worked successfully in the upper workings, which lode should be to hand in 80 feet more driving. The drive, however, has recovered the footwall of the Treasure reef, and it is expected that in a few feet further ahead the whole reef will be carried along in the drive again.

THE UNION-WAIHI MINE. IMPORTANT DISCOVERY. In one of the surface drives a few days since a leader was cut in the above mine showing gold freely. A fair general sample of ore was taken from the lode, which upon being assayed gave an average value of £18 of bullion to the ton. The discovery is of importance, as it is in what is known as the Amaranth reef, but sufficient work has not yet been done to demonstrate the full value of the discovery. It may lead to most important results. It will be remembered that the Waihi Company hold 100, shares in the Union mine, which was floated off some time since to provide capital for developing the property.

The Financial News, of February 21, thus refers to the proposed visit of Mr. C. J. Alford to this colony, on behalf of English capitalists. It will be remembered that our London correspondent mentioned the matter as one of great importance in his last letter: —"Mr. C. J. Alford, who has lately returned from Rhodesia, has become managing direct-: of the Brenda Exploration Syndicate, ,d proceeds next week to New Zealand .nd Australia with the object of furthering its interests. -Mr. Alford has relinquished all bis late engagements, and will devote all his time to the interests of this syndicate."

MAORI LAND. FLOATED IN LONDON. Mr. Sydney W. Philips (of Messrs. Philips and Pike, Wellington), who arrived in London last week, has cabled to Messrs. Cook and Gray that he lus completed the sale of tho Maoriland Gold Mining Company's property, the company to bo floated by the 30th June. This is a very prompt completion, seeing that Mr. Philips only arrived in London on the Ist inst. The terms of sale are Company to be formed, with a capital of £100,000, a working capital of £20,000 to be provided; present shareholders to get 375 shares, fully paid up to £1 for every 1000 now held. Mr. Philips advised also that arrangements for other properties in his hands were approaching completion.

THE LONDON MARKET,

A private cable received yesterday from Mr. Sydney W. Philips is interesting as showing the state of the London market. The cablegram was as follows Can find capital for working and development thoroughly good properties; as many as you cat) get; there must be no delay; going concerns preferred."

GENERAL MINING ITEMS.

Mr. A. Gordon French, who is in charge of the works at the Monowai, and the Australasian expert of the Home financial syndicate in negotiation for the property, returned to town yesterday from the mine. The expert (Mr. Williams) left in the evening for Sydney. It is understood lie is satisfied with the prospects of the property. An extraordinary meeting of the Byron Bay Gold Mining Company is to be held at half-past two p.m. to-day. At least twothirds of the shares should be represented.

THE SOUTH AFRICAN SYNDICATE; | [by telegraph.—own correspondent.] j Wellington, Tuesday. i As the telegraph offiee was only open last > night from seven p.m. to eight p.m., and the I lonic did not arrive alongside the wharf ' until past five o'clock, I had no time within j the few minutes available to send you a I detailed account of the mission of Mr. | Leo Myers as the representative of the j wealthy syndicate which propose to invest largely in New Zealand mines. The title of the syndicate is the African Austral Company, and their purpose is to develop and open for investment payable sold mining properties in this colony and Australia. For this venture the new syndicate has the command of almost unlimited capital, It is composed of three Johannesburg firms, T. Neumann and Co,, G. L. Alba, and Freeman Cohens' Consolidated Com- ; pany. These three firms are described as i " Millionaire firms" of South Africa, Mr, ( Myers informed me that they are in a posi- . tion to find the capital ro any amount neces-1 sary to be invested in «out mines which are j of a payable character, or even prospectively , I valuable, Mr. Myers i? a New Zealauder. j

Ho was educated at Wellington College, and it may be worth knowing that until Mr. Ziman left South Africa for New Zealand, Mr. Myers was his manager and confidential agent. It is to be remembered that investment will be made rtltly in payable concerns, and for the purpose of ascertaining the values of properties offered for investment, Mr. Myers will be joined shortly in Auckland by Mr. Pascoe, late manager of the Mayer and Charlton gold mine, Johannesburg. Mr. Pascoe has already left the Cape bv the Kaikoura, bound for New Zealand, lie is described as one of the ablest and most practical mining experts on the South African goldfields. It will be his duty to inspect and report upon all properties offered to the syndicate. Mr. Myers told me himself, during my interview with him, that if this enterprise should in its earlier stages prore'successful and answer expectation, capital will not be wanting, either from Africa or the European Continent. Mr. Myers was a resident for many years in Auckland. He proposes to visit with Mr. l'ascoe the Northern goldfields first. It our readers will probably desire to know something more particularly of Mr. Myers himself. He is a nephew of Mr. Louis Ehrenfried, the well-known brewer, whose assistant he was for some time, after which he went to London. He left London for Johannesburg three or four years ago. He leaves here for Auckland on Friday. Mr. Myers took an active part in the recent South African trouble. He was a sergeant in the Australian Mounted Volunteers. Two thousand five hundred volunteers were under arms, and if arms were to be had 10,00'J more would have come forward. The scare became so great that 20,000 people left for the coast in 15 days. When the Reformers heard of Dr. Jameson's arrest thev were told that Jameson and his men and officers would be shot, and to prevent such a tragedy they surrendered their arms. There was no cowardice in the matter.

MINE MANAGER'S KEPORTS. Hauiuki No. 2 (Coromandel, April 4). — Machinery is working Tory satisfactorily. The ground has become much firmer ami most congenial (or gold. Alpha (ffaitekauri, April f>). —Employed clearing tbe battery cite during the past week. Central (Waitekauri, April fi) —North end of Central lixteniled reef is men-asm? in thickness anil the stone is of a better-looking quality. WELCOME Find (Coromandel, April 3).—A series of very kindly-loo.ing stringers mot with. The country here is of a good description for gold. No. 2 l"de: We hare broken down the lode during the week, it averages about eighteen inches in width, and looks well for gold, so does the country in which it is encased. 'Try Fluke (Kuaotunu, April Drive north on the main reef at No. 3 level: Country showing signs of improving The lode, when last broken down, was from 12 to IS inches thick. There aro now about five feet of the lode stripped. In the rise and (topes above this drive there is little or no change. Occasionally fair prospects cm be got near the footwall. In Mariposa, section the whole is being sent to the mill. In Venus section I have two stopes on the fluke lode, which is about 15 inches crushing ore. IMoz amalgam on hand. Jcpitkii (Kuaoiunn, April 4).—The drive in the Nonpareil section : The country is getting butter. The drive near the Kapai-Veimont: The country has a kindly appearance for gold. In the Golden City and Nonpareil sections hive discovered two small lodes; some of the stone has a very kindly appearance. Balfour (Kuaotunu, April 3).—Cut a lot of silica veins. Alduiima East (Thames, April 4).— work of renovating and clearing tho Mocking ISitd lovel is progressing satisfactorily. NEW WllAU(I'lllines, April 4).—Cross reef: There is an improvement again in the appearance of the reef. Magazine (Thames, April fi).-We are now past j the reef 15 feet, iu a splendid class of sandstone country. The country i- most favourable for gold. KING OF WaIHI (Waihi, April 4).-The quartz and the country are everything that could he desired, anil a trace of gold can be not by pounding. Fouii-in-Hand (Coromandel. April 3).—There has not been much quartz broken down. The leader continues to look well, ami in breaking it down in the rise about 31b of picked stone wore obtained, while in the drive good strong colours were seen. J UNO (Kuaotunu, April 2).— reef is rather smaller than usual, and does not prospect quite so well as last week. I think this is only a temporary change, as it shows si»ns of making a clean wall, and should improve therewith. Grace hauling(Waitekauri, April 3).N0. 2rise: Reef has continued of a uniform size throughout and very little change has taken place as regards quality. The upper level : The face is about three fe-jt six inches, and a nice kindly class of stone. The liangingwall portion gives good prospects of loose gold, and gol i can also be got by pounding. AJAX (Kuaotunu, April 3).-The only thing fresh is the tinding of another distinct reef by further researches It Is in thickness from 15 to IS inches, a solid and mineralised body of quartz, which has ail the appearance of being gold-bearing. Midas (Kuaotunu, April li.-Main crosscut is passing through an excellent class of sandstone. Zealandia (Coromandel, April 4) —Good progress has been mailt) with sinking the shaft. GOLDEN SPUIt (Waitekauri, April 4).-Fair progress is still beiti.' made. A second drive is also being put in through some iikely country in the western part of the ground. Veins of quartz have been met with, but not sufficiently strong to be worth following. New golconda (Coromandel, April 4).—V.verything below has been secured, and drives cleaned up of all sediment. ORLANDO (Thames, April 4).— Carpenter ree.. The reef still maintains its usual size and good I appearance, and when breaking down the quartz ! eastward from the rise strong dabs of coarse gold I were freely seen. We have fully 20 feet of teef in i hand westward of the slide, and it is entirely a dif- , ferent body of quartz to that met with underneath the slide. Poktsea (Waitekauri, April 3).— reef has opened out, and is now fully seven feet in width, Good dish prospects can be got, and gold was seen freely in some of the stone. St. Patrick (Karanjahake, April 4).—The reef should be to hand in about is feet more driving. GOLDEN Link (Kuaotunu, April 3).-No. 1 leader has bom driven through to the surface ; the stone lias shown colours of gold all the way, but the leader being small, it does not turn out much quartz. The west crosscut is passing through a splendid class of country. _ Occidental (Thames, April G).—Drive on the course of the So. I leader: The country penetrated is a good lirm class of sandstone intermixed with mineral and limestone seams. The leader in the present face is well defined, and is now about seven inches in thickness. The quartz coming to hand is not very heavily mineralised, hut continues to show colours of gold when broken down. Driving operations on the Hague-Smith reef: The drive at present is passing through a blow of quartz stringers, with bauds of sandstone between. Some of the quartz boars a promising appearance, and is carrying minerals of a very favourable character. Bell HOCK (Thames, April 0) -The drive on the Fault in No. 1 level: Am in six feet altogether; the last four feet is solid quartz; have not got the liangingwall yet. We still see a little gold distributed through the stone as far as we have gone, even in big stones. It is a splendid looking stone, well mixed with silica and blocky mineral. New reef: Splendid looking reef. Sterling. -The manager teleerapned yesterday : — " Cut six feet into reef. No sigu of footwall." ARGOSY (Puru).—No. 1 reef now shows about 15 inches of quartz divided by a horse of mullock into ; two part-, the liangingwall portion, which contains the most anil best minerals, being about nine and the footwall portion six inches in thickness, with the walls clean and well defined. In the ICxtended tlie countrv is still good for gold. The reef, which ! i-, still bearing into the hangingwall and is now runi ing almost parallel to the supposed course of the big reef, is about seven inches in thickness, and has ' been p.irtly broken down. It shows some nice mineral, and several mineral seams are crossing into it from the footwall side.