MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 129, 8 March 1872, Page 3

MINING.

SIioTOVER. —A v’sit to this claim would well repay any one who is interested in the development of the low levels on this field, the. total depth of the shaft'being 386 feet; these are the deepest workings on the diggings. The change in tlie nature of the country which lias talc -n place at this depth is most marked from what it is in the intermediate, levels. At a d pth of 384 feet, they are opening out a drive to the west which will cut the main lode, at a point below where it crushed 12 dwts. to the ton at a higher level, and closcf to 'life "shaft they have come across wliat looks to be first-class ground. There is a great ileal of quartz iistributed through the mullock—all of which carries metal—and one distinct vein about 3 inches wide, which carries •verything that is wanted except gold itself. Any one visiting the shaft could not fail to be most favourably impressed with the appearance of it. That there is gold near is of course a matte/ of doubt, and they may have to sink deeper before getting on it, hut the prospects certainly seem encouraging enough to justify their going to the expense of getting down still deeper. The surrounding claims too •Jiould all and each bear a certain amount •«f the expense, as this shaft will prospect the whole of the ground in the neighbourhood. The Ktiranui, we understand, are naying a part of the money, but tbe Long Drive sits quietly by looking on, doing no work, and waiting for the ground below to be proved. This is not as it ought to

lie ; as in a work of this nature, where such large interests are at stake, it behoves all to be up and doing. The All Nations, too, we think, ought to assist, as i hey as well, will l>c affected by the value nf the low level ground in this part, of the field. At 9 feet from the bottom, a drive has been opened out in the direction of the Long Drive, or S.E. peg, and is now in some eighteen feel in good country. Two veins are in hand which, when first met, were mere seams of clay, about an inch thick, but they are now widening out and seem to be making into more so id stuff, and they look very well indeed. The wall in hand looks very well, is of a so t greasy nature, and well defined Two

nther drives are to b* opened out from

this level : one towards the N.E. or All Nations peg, r.t the corner of thu < 1 1 ini, and the other is going towards the N.W.,

nd will intersect the main lode at a dis-

tance of fifty feet from the shaft. The lode can then be proved in !)■ th directions. Everything is working nicely in the mine, ind the pumps are doing their work well, the billow of water not being very heavy. The Cure. —After driving along the

r-ef for some short distance into their ground, from the Manukau, the manager tamed and put a cross-cut. into the lode from tlie hanging wall—the stone looked so well that though he could not see gold lie determined to have a trial crushing. The stuff sent to the battery is making a first-rate show on the plates, and will turn out very well indeed. The ref itself looks very well—containing a very large piantity of metal, and shows plenty of Jiitimony nearly all through if. They have gone about eight feet into the load

:inl there is, as yet, no sign of tlie foot wall. The face wax very dirty when we visited if, but from what could lie seen it

ooks very likely, and the chanc- s are that they have got on to a nice lit le run of cold. Shares yesterday were in good lemand, and numbers changed hands at increased rates on their late value.

Albion (Kelly's) Tribute.—A crushing if forty tons of stone for the I rib' tors of tin's Company was finished yesterday at the Manukau battery, an I ga/e a return if 2Suz. 18 hvt. of melted gold.

Bliti) - 1 x - 11 a n n. —Tl l ey 1 1 ave com m- n cod io send stuff over to Vickery’s machine or a trial crushing, which will lie eomnenced this morn ng. About 15 or 20 tons will be put through altogether. Sum.' uore geld was talc u out yesterday mo:-u----;iig, and the reef seems to be gating more sol id and better defined as it gets towards the hill, the broken nature of the ground iiuler tin ll.it having no doubt disturbed I. There are about 2 feel of crushing liit to take down, but the lode is making larger in the floor of tho drive, and looks as if it would increase in size as it goes lo.vii.

Bright Smile. —A clean up and retorting took place yesterday for this Company at Vickery’s Battery, after about 70 tons had been put through. The result when molted was very satisfactory, being 117 oz. lOdwt., or at the rate of over loz. 13dwt. to the ton. Crushing will he suspended for a short period, and the manager is putting up a rioe, which will give him another block, about 70 feet, long between the upper and lower levels to work at, besides the one now in hand. The steady returns from this reef stamp it as a first-class lode, both in this mine and the Queen of Beauty. Caledonian. —The pumps are working steadily, at about twelve strokes per minute, and can keep the water down well below the main level, Jmt until Tookuy’s people continue their sinking, it will ho out of the question for the Caledonian manager to think of getting down any deeper. We understand that arrangements are now pending by which this can be carried out hy both companies. George Stevenson. —The winze going down on the lode is making good headway, and the stone looks well and shows gold freely. A parcel of about lllb. of firstrate specimens were broken out yesterday, and in a short time the shareholders will lie in a position to start crushing again. Central Italy. —The chamber at tbe 260 feet level was started yesterday, and and will probably be completed in about a week, when a drive will he entered to cut the reef. Sinking the shaft will be resumed in a few days from this. Another call of one shilling per share lias been made hy the Directors: and we trust that this is tho last we shall be called on to chronicle.