THE AUCKLAND GOLDFIELDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1242, 18 September 1875, Page 16

THE AUCKLAND GOLDFIELDS.

Mining news from the northern Goldfields is, on the whole, satisfactory, and very distinctly indicates that the threatened collapse of the Auckland mines has been staved off for an indefinite period. Not only are the old Thames workings contributing a large quantity of gold, but the new field at Tairua is promising beyond expectations, the prospects obtained there being of the most substantial and encouraging character. The Tairua Company (the prospectors) have rich ground in hand, trial cruahinga having given as high as nine ounces to the ton. A four-stamp battery has been erected on this claim, and will be at work this month • and so well assured is the Company of the value of its claim that it has partly completed arrangements for the erection of a 30-stamper crushing mill So far, the richer stuff has been found near the surface. The Gem and Britannia have also struck paying ground, and several other companies have obtained encouraging prospects. In its summary for the month of August the New Zealand Herald describes the character of ► the Tairua district country, as being different from- those of the Thames and Coromandel fields. Besides quartz, sandstone, cement, and conglomerate abound there, and contain more or less gold The Coromandel district has, for the present, retired its claims to be regarded as a wining centre, and the land thrown' open there is'being applied to the purposes of agriculture, for I Which tf is eminently suitably Toughing £h» ■

progress b'f^"mining at^ theT old" JPhitmes field, we find, that the United^ Pumping Association's shaft „ has been sunk, to a depth of 575 feet, and has , entered a strata of country of sandstone formation never before struck in the district The predictions hazarded by the probability, of another run of paying mineral ground being found at a great depth stand fairly for verification. Leading mines at the Thames continueto yield well. The yield of the Bright Smile during the month of August was 5300z. 10dw,ts., whilst the adjoining Queen of Beauty more than doubled that, the fortnight return .amounting to 7370z. 15dwts., giving a dividend of £203 per seventh share. The tributes of the 'old Kuranui mine obtained 1330z. of gold for their month's work, whilst the Point Russel mineproduced stuff worth over loz. the ton. The Cure is still on playing grouud, as was proved by the yield of 5830z5. for the month, whilst the Alburnia realised only 181ozs. during the same period. The large area held by this Company has been further increased by the absorption by purchase of the once celebrated Sons of freedom mine, the chief value of which to the Alburnia Company is the splendid low-level adit it contains, and which will enable the Albumia to be prospected hundreds 1 of • feet below the old levels. The Long Drive mine holds outW remarkably well, the last crushing of 160 tons having produced 4040z5. of gold. The Moanataian Company has been out of luck lately, but looks forward to better returns from the section of the main reef recently opened. Deeplevel working is being prosecuted in the Golden Calf with fair hopes of ultimata success. Those ofour readers who recollect the Central Italy mine and its beautiful, steam winding gear will be interested in learning that the gear and engine have been disposed of and that the proceeds are being devoted to the prospecting ofr the mine from the Moanataiari creek adit level. The only part of the field where the. deeper ground appears to be paying is the Waika-Ka-raka district, and there the Bright Smile and Queen of Beauty are working at and below the 350 feet levels. The Manukau is opening another level below the one that paid so "Well, and the old Caledonian is opening out a new section of the mine upon the lodes traced into itfrom the adjoining Cure/ Good returns, continue to reward the enterprise, of the City of London Company, 3280z5. having been ob tamed from the last crushing.