INTERCOLONIAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1488, 22 May 1880, Page 11

INTERCOLONIAL ITEMS.

Mines are creeping into the very heart of the city of Ballarat, The latest mining site is in the back yard of the premises of Mr Sleep, jeweller, in Lydiard street. Phil Saunders, the well-known Northern prospector, Bayß that Port Darwin alluvial is worked out, and that the reefs are not what they should be. Ten out of twelve machines have been idle for two years. M'Leod has been prospeoting without success.

A reef opened up by Messrs Beer and Youngman, on the right branch of Growler's Creek, Bright, has given the excellent return of 60oz retorted gold from 17 tons crushed, or a little over 3oz per ton.

Charley Rodgers, one of the original prospectors of Woolgar, says that the field is not a rich one, though experienced Queensland miners should do fairly on it. The majority of men are doing nothing ; scores are leaving ; nobody has got payable gold while prospecting around , and water is scarce. Eations are reasonable and brandy is 14g per bottle. Some of the finest specimens ever taken from a quartz reef were taken out of the Queen's Birthday Co.'s mine, Dunolly, on 26th April. They were obtained from, the reef in the cross,.

cut at Na 5 level. The stone was completely studiled with gold, and also gold was found right through the solid quartz. In Victoria there are now 37,558 miners— 22,769 alluvial and 14,784 quartz. There are 19 shifts considerably over 1000 feet deep. The Magd-.la, Stawell, was at latest dates 2273 feet ; the NewiDgton, 1910; the Prince Patrick, 1730 ; Prince Alfred, Stawell, 1544 } and Lansell's No. 180, Sandbnrst, 1476. Messrs Bannerman and Co , tributers on the Providence, Yea, have washed up, and got 450z smelted gold, the result of three weeks' work for four men, and had 420z last crushing, three weekg ago, for the same period. This party since commencing operations about four months ago, have, in addition to paying the owners of mines a very large percentage, been making about £10 per week per man, thus showing what experienced men oan do. One or two more parties, tributers on the same claim, are working on paying leads, and soon ezpeot to have stone ready for the mill.