MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13701, 18 March 1908, Page 5

MINING NEWS.

MDs'E MANAGERS* REPORTS.

Halcyon: We Lave extended the- funnel of In shooting out the reef colours of gold ale still seen. In the last 2ffc or 3ft the- lode lias narrowed down, but it continued to show colours up to the last breaking down. We have now splendid country in the face. The crosscut on the mineral lead is in 56ft, but so far no quartz has been seen. The country is making a little water. Bonanza: The drive is now in 483 ft. The country is still very promising for gold. About, sft back from the loco we cut through « small stringer 2in wide. A strong flow of water is still coming from the bottom of the level, and I think a larger body of quartz is near at hand. Waitnngi: The second crosscut through the. main reef is now in 12ft from the hangingwall. In thirf distance 9ft of fairly solid quartz was penetrated, the balance being country rock and quartz stringers The quartz looks very well, especially 2ft on the footwa.ll side, which contains a large percentage of zinc blende and gives a prospect of gold in the dish. Li the west drive abou; 2ft of the reef is being broken out. It continues to show good minerals, but no geld was seen during the week. In the footwall drive west 'of the main crosscut the reef for a width of 2ft 6iu i* being taken with the drive. The country' continues good The drive from the rise on No. 1 leader is in lift. A rib of quartz, 3ft wide, has crossed the face, and apparently cut the leader off. It lias shown colours and dabs of gold right up to this cross rib. We are preparing to continue the rise on the leader. New Waltekauri : Work has been confined to stoping off Baker's pass. The ore here still shows very , good prospects, and I think will yield very well. During the week I explored an old rise on the Point lode for 40ft, at which point a crosscut goes off into the hangingwall and ruts Butler's lode. Tins looks very well, and I intend sampling it next week. The battery has crushed 50 tons of ore of an average value of £5 9s 5d per ton, and ' have secured from the plate* 60oz of squeezed amalgam. New Una: The Duke reef in the drive cast has narrowed considerably of late. This admits of it being stripped to advantage on the footwall. The country is interspersed with mineral seams, an indication of improvement in the value of the ore. New Dart: In breaking the reef in the leading ttope dabs and colours of gold are seen through the* ore. The latter is heavily mineralised' and carries a lot of silica. The country is splendid, being lull of mineral seams and flinties. As far as can be seen the reef overhead from No. 2 up is intact to the surface, New Moanataiari: A change appears to be coming in the Cambria reef at the intermediate level in the face of the west drive. The band of mineral stone the lode was carrying near the hangingwall (about 14in wide) has gone, through to the footwall and appears to be increasing in size and making more minerals. Golden Belt: In No. 1 level south the reef formation is still small and of poor quality. Work in the face will be stopped for a while to allow the putting up of rises at intervals along the level to test the reef on its upward course. In the drive north we are passing through old workings, but. another few feet should see us into solid country again. On the new reef in the. south-west portion an old drive lias been previously opened up,, which is in 60ft. This in places is 10ft wide and no walls showing. Samples have been taken, which give very good dish prospects, but so far the assays have not given such good result*. I hope to start crushing almost immediately. Kuranui-Caledonian: The north crosscut at No. 1 level is in 609 ft. The country is much harder. The body of ore 7ft wide mentioned in my last is' a north and south • lode where it crosses the drive, so I think it advisable to stop. the crosscut for the present and drive north on. this ore body. If it keeps its present course it will act as 'a crosscut and prove the lctle at the same time. In the present face of the crosscut a mineralised stringer, 2\n or 3in thick, lias been cut, which should junction with the 7ft reef about 10ft north of the present starting point. The drive on Kelly's reef at No. 1 level is in 196 ft east of the crosscut. At this - point we holed through to the workings on Kelly's reef. This gives us splendid ventilation all through out. present workings at No. 1 level. It appears now that the reef we have been driving on is only a portion of Kelly's reef, as it junctions with the main body of ore about 30ft. ahead of where we have holed through. Some of the ore in the main portion looks very promising, and I intend testing some parts of the reef, as a large block' of it is standing intact over this level, which, if payable, could be worked to advantage from this drive. Rising .Sun : The drive north in the main level has been extended a further 6ft, and a crosscut has been started into, the western side. The ore is being carted to the battery, and we should be ready to start crushing in a. few days.