THE THAMES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1476, 28 February 1880, Page 22

THE THAMES.

The yield for the week ending 7th inafc. was 1436 3hvfc, ?md of this the Albumia yielded 575'>z lOdwb; the Moauataiari, 4350z lOilwt} the Ku:anui, 130oz lOdwt; and the New North Djvod, 123 iz 3dwt. The re-matnd(-r was made up in am juuts averaging from l^oz to 40oz. At the Waiotahi, during ihe last month, 188 tons general stuff bava been crushed for tho good return of 2510z Sdwfc indfeed golf?. In the KuranuJ, Coatea aad p-.rty who aro tributing in this mine, have crushed ab-;ut 17 tons of general stuff for th« excellent return of 50oz 12<2wt meltc d gold. In the Golden Crown claim, Cameron and party, tributers in this mine, finished a crashing of about 70 loads of general stuff for fin return of 115oz sdwi> of retorted gold. The rich and valuable deposits of gold which have been dißcovercd in the lodes running through the hills at the head of tho Moanataiari and Waiotahi Creeks, known as the Pnnga Flat diotricfc, have attracted cons'derable attention lately (says tha Auclt land Weekly Herald), and the opinion has been expreteed that this will prove to be one of the most permanent gold-producing districts on the. field. Iv the early d?,ys of tho field the claims in this neighbourhood wero famous for their largs yields of gold, and eince these claims have been formed into companies rich deposits of gold have been discovered from time to time. Hitherto all the operations have been confined to what is called scratching on the surface. Even ia the Alburni* and Whau mines very little h«B been done at any c?epth below the surface levels. The time has come, however, when directors 3nd shareholders should devisa Borne pcheme for opening up this district from deep levels, and havinz the l<ides thoroughly prospected. No pottion of fcfcc field ia batter situated for opening up tbeso deep levels &t comparatively little cost. For ir stance, the unit level could easily be opened up from what in now known as Dixoa's lower levd, iv tho A)burcia miv< J . On this level the oVir.mpioa lode of the dis tn'ct (tho Sons of Freedom rfef) is olreurly in hand, aad by pushing on the drives east and west- on the lode, good blocks of s/roun i would bo opened up In the Albuni'V. JXorth Devon, Whau, and other mines. Simuita neoualy with this work the Sona of Freedom tunnel level Bhould bo exi^nded. This level jb nearly 3CO feet deeper than Djxod's Io • er level, and at present, a single pasa o mtKC'arg the two is the only oatleo from tbe lattr.r By extending these two hvela at thfs same time, and connecting them with rmioejoaa winzes and passee, the Sana of Fret-dcm Jode would be prospected to a conwderaWlo extent, and good *nd. sufficient ventilation

would !>o provided for d?iving cross cuts in nil direvtionu, and thoroughly prospecting tho numerous reofs ami lenders v/bich are known to be running through the ground ; but the scbemo should not end here.^ Ib should also include the extension of the Moanataiari tunnel, and the opening up of freeh levels from ifc. Of course, this need not be taken into immediate consideration ; but it would bo well if the two first levels were undertaken at oiic<.».