MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1839, 13 June 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

01l Whatt.—Gold wa3 struck yesterday in; the main reef of the Old Whau

mine, in the now level. There was not a

great deal : of<gold showing, but taken in

connection with the splendid indications

to which we alluded in yesterday's issue,

there is good evidence of approaching

proximity to the main shot of gold, which

may now be to hand any shift. Beyond

this find there is no change to report

The Black Angel reef in the adit-level is

on the whole improved; in appearance) and tliecriuhing from it is showing well, but in regard to the hanging-wall reef the only item of importance is tho continued excellent appearance of the lode in the rise. There is now no work carried on on the branch vein between the two lodes, and these remain for working out when when the level is properly opened up.. | Grow PiMOE.T-lietqrting for. the Crown Prince took place at the Manukau battery yesterday after 75 tons of stone had been put through, and the yield obtained, amounting to 1430zs 16dw ts, considerably exceeds the highest expecla-. tations entertained regarding the probable result. Hitherto the crushings taken out above the main level have not on any occasion exceeded an average of more than 15dwts to the ton. _ The present crushing is chiefly from winzes sunk below the main level, and as will be seen, the result is little less than 2ozs to the ton, thus showing the improvement which may be looked forward to when still lower levels are opened up. We may remark that the new engine shaft is now down 62 feet below the main level, and when it reaches'7s feet a level will be opened out at 70 feet, leaving five feet of a well hole. A. short drive of about 20 feet from the bottom of the shaft well bring them on to No. 3 reef; 70 feet further will intersect the So. 2, and another 20 feet of driving will cut the No. 3, so that about 110 feet of a cross-cut will be sufficient to intersect all the lodes in tho mine in the new level. Lincoln Castle.—A trial crushing of 12 tons of stone from the lode which has been opened on the surface level near the Middle Star was completed yesterday at the Mauukau battery.' The yield was a a moderate one of sozs 15dwts melted gold, or noarly half an ounce to the ton, but under the circumstances the yield is not payable. However, the lode was well worth a trial, for it showed a little gold, and may perhaps prove payable if further, prospected and developed. Albios -Kelly's Tbibtji;e.—Retorting for Catran and party, tributers undor the Albion Company of Kelly's old mine, took place yesterday at tho Prince Alfred battery.'. There were in- all 60 tons of stuff crushed as a trial. It included a quantity of mullock used in filling up old stopes, and two lodes which were lying on either side of the stuff.- The crushing was taken out without much expense or difficulty, and the result, amounting to 38ozs 6dwts, is a good payable yield. When melted this return was roduoed to 37ozs 2dwts. Dauntless Tbibute.—The new tribute taken up by Cleave and' party in the Dauntless and Sink-to-Kise Company's ground, has produced a very handsome return. This; party'has only, lately commenced operations in a block which has always been looked on as valueless by tho former tributers and by the company, but on Wednesday they met with a fine patch of 50lbs of specimens, and yesterday a further lot of 71bs, ' not quite so rich, came to hand. These were crushed yesterday at Spencer and Hall's test battery, and produced a handsome return of 4<lozs sdwts retorted gold. Bed White and Blue Tbibute.-A parcel of 28 tons of stone has been crushed for Mr Skidmore, tributer of No. 1 section of the Bed White and Blue mine. It was finished yesterday, and the result after melting was 26ozs 7dwts 6 grains gold, a yield which answers expectations and gives a good profit. Blage ANaEL.-Orushing for the Black Angel was completed at the Manukau battery last evening, after 200 tons of stuff had been put through, but the amalgam will not be all cleaned up until this morning, when retorting will take place, but so far as. can be judged by the show on the plates, the return is likely to average an bunco to the ton. The whole of this stuff is from the brown reef above the 116-feefc level. It ha 3 beon rernirkably regular respecting tho quality of the stuff, as shown by the amalgam, from day to day; and a remarkable circumstance in connection with it is that there was no gold at all visible while it was being taken- out or during the crushing. An average of an ounce leaves a very handsome profit, for the reel is 5 feet wide, and cm bo advantageously worked.. The new block of the old hanging-wall reef-blue reefas.it is called-which has been recently opened at this level is likely to prove a profitable one. A nice parcel of 201bs of specimens came to hand yesterday, and there is a good body of general stuff in the block which is likely to crush well. In tho deep level yesterday the manager opened communication with the "Sons of Freedom ninety-feet level. The flumes for earring off the water of the Black Angel through this level will be hid to-day, after which pumping will cease, and ttio engine will thus be'relieved from a heavy strain and left available solely for winding purposes. Yesterday also men were started to work in the bottom level of this mine on behalf of Dixon's No. 1 Company to drive for the boundary to open up tlie new level of tlio Dixon's No. 1 mine, to which wo alluded a short time ago when referring to the arrangements between tho two companies for the use of tho Black Angel level and winze. Cirr op London.—There was further improvement' in tho No. 1 reef in the City of London mine yesterday, The reef has assumed a more defined appearance at both sides of tho oross-lodej bu.t ; eape.oia.lly on, tho aide^

Bei&ht Smile.—What may bo considered a most important discovory has been made in the Bright Smile mine. The slide which in the westward or seaward direction traverses the mine, has cut off the reefs in the levels above tho present one. In tho 218-feet level a few quartz stringers wero met with boyond the slide, but they were worthless, and led to no important results. In this now- level, however, the drive on the course of the No. 2 reef has been carried up to the slide. Here, as usual, the reef was cut clean off, not a trace of it remaining, but tho drive was.continued ahead, and after cutting through the cross-course tho lode was again picked up on tho seaward side. It had been hove a little to- the left, and now, at a distance of 15 feet beyond this slide, there is a strong lode 3 feet thick in the face ; but the most. important featuro is that it carries gold, and shows it freely in tho stone. Tho drive on No. 1 reef is also up to the slide, and has apparently got through it, and there are evident indications of i the reef making at tho opposite side, but there is nothing defiued yet. The slide at this depth is only about a foot wide, but it is as sharply defined as in any of the other levels. Of course, as, there, is a large extent of the company's mine to the seaward of this slide, it is highly important that, the reefs should bo found gold-bearing to the westward of it. The great depth which has now been reached has enabled the manager to drive to. seaward with greater confidence could have done in the higher levels, where thero was .always a danger of

breaking into drift, but the depth now acquired is surely sufficient to ca-ry them under the bed-rock, and the reefs will now probably be traced to a great. extent to seaward. . . ■