(From Our Own Correspondent.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2801, 20 November 1907, Page 26

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

AUCKLAND November 14. At No. 12 level of the Talisman mine the main oro body (Marie reef) in the south section has now been driven upon for over 500 ft, and a strong body of stone, giving high values, Has been carried along for practically the full length of the drive. • Aa a considerable proportion of the bullion figuring in the recent return came from quartz won from this drive and the No. 12 uprise, it woul4 appear that the company has an extensive block of high-grade ore available for stoping between the rob. 12 and 11 levels in the present face. The eastern branch has again diverged from the main reef, and both sections of the lode are yielding dirt of lower grade, thus pointing to the probability that the end of the rich chute has been reached. The drifts are being pushed on to tho Dubbo cliute, which is some distance further south, and other rich veins of ore may be met with in this direction. At the lowest workings (No. 13 level) the full width of the drift is m rich ore, and as there

are solid blocks between "the deepest workingarea and No. 12 level, with a vertical height of 200 ft, it will be seen that extensive ore reserves are in sight. Crown Mines — A. development at No. 5 level of the Crown Mine, which will be fol-* lowed with interest, is the extension of th« south-east crosscut from the drift on ths main lode, with the object of picking up the ore body generally designated by the management as the " new lode." Another 2Soft oJ driving should intersect the reef, which has proved one of the main sources of ore supply in the upper workings, and gave the company an extensive block of pay dirt at the Waita.wheta level, some 500 ft above the No S level. Operations elsewhere have shown that the ore values in the Crown mine improve going down, and there is reasonable ground to look forward to good results being met with in the exploring crosscut now being projected. The quartz coming to band from the main lode over the back ot No. 5 level continues of high grade. Waihi mine.— The Waihi Company's No. 5 shaft ha 3 now reached a depth of 1020 ft. This completes the sinking of the shaft for opening up the 1000 ft level. A considerable amount of labour will be entailed in putting in a plunger on B pump, and when this is installed, in taking out the C pump drawlift at No. 8 level. Other work prior to intersecting the Royal lode at the 1000 ft level includes the construction of a dam by which the flow of water resulting from tapping the r«-ef may be regulated.