MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1888, 11 August 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Manukaa.—ln consequence of a stopiage of the Golden Crown windiugmgine pending new arrangements as to he terms upon which winding for the tlanukau mine is; to be carried on in uturc, there was a retorting of tho ;eneral amalgam resulting from the crusting yesterday. The yield was 9870zs of ;old, and there was no specimen stuff jut through, nor has the crushing expended to the full month, as was intended, [t is to be hoped in the interests of the shareholders of the Manukau and Cure Companies that no delay will arise in jompleting tho arrangements with tho Golden Crown for the use of their winding-engine, shaft, and level. I'he consequences would bo_ very serious; but wo aft) quite certain that arrangements will bo soon made upon a basis satisfactory to. all concerned, and that the operations that are now partially suspended will be quickly resumed. As regards the Manukau mine, its prospects yesterday were as rich as ever they have been, and in the hew level particularly tho show was very rich. toping has only been carried on to a trifling extent yet from the main level, but the whole mine is now in admirable order tor working, and the out-put of quartz can be increased to any extent that may be deemed desirable. CaowN Prince,—Yesterday afternoon tho contractors started driving on the 1 and 2 reefs in both directions from the main-level cross-cut, and in the course of a few days tho reefs will be so far opened up that stoping con be commenced. There lias been no work done yet 011 tho No. 1 since it was intersected, but the-distance to be driven to reach one of the winzes is not, very great, and communication will be readily effected. . A chamber has been excavated at the bottom level, and upon this work the men have been principally employed for the last few days. Crushing will bo commenced on Monday next, and will be continued permanently with a good force of stampers. CaXiEDonun.—The usual weekly retorting for the Caledonian Company took place yesterday, when, a yield bf 20ozs was obtained as tho result of 65 tons crushed. The stuff was taken as before, principally out of the old stopes. The progressive operations of the mine are maiuly confined to the driving of the east cross-cut, but a new work was started yesterday. The east cross-cut is still in very hard country, and no quartz has been met with in it since our last report, it is now iu a length of 128 feet from tho shaft, or 205 feet from the foot-wall of the' JNo. 2 reef, and the whole of this extent on the foot-wall side of the main lodes has proved blank at this level. But there is still a great distance to drive betore the boundary is reached, and something may be cut before the cross-cut is finished. The new work to which we have alluded, for which a contract was let yesterday, is to drive westward into the 1 hanging-wall side of the reefs, from the head of the No. 2 winze, No. 2 level, to the Albion boundary. This work will be carried out at the joint expense of both companies. It will prospect a large strip of the Caledoniau mine, and will enable the Albion Company to carry on their operations at this level by continuing the cross-cut through their own mine. Albion.—So far as regards .the drive through the Albion mine from the bottom level of the Caledonian very little progress has been made, during the past week. The ground is very hard, and the contractors discontinued operations, but a new contract will be let to-day. Nonpaiieil.—fhe prospects of this mine have improved for some days past and there is some foundation for the im proved feeling in regard to the resources of this mine. The principal interest o course attaches to the development o No. 1 reef, to the recovery of whicl beyond the slide we have alluded to. A 1 winze was commenced where the gold wai first struck, and it is now down six o: seven feet, a good show of gold con tinuing downwards through the lode which is improving in sppearance. Ii the bottom of the winze it is at presen about nine inches thick, and lies agains a clean foot-wall, but the hanging-wall,i not so well defined, and tliere are nutner ous stringers striking into this portion o the lode, .which serve to confirm th opinion that the whole of the reef is no in band at this point. Amongst the stul ( taken out of this winze yesterda, ' was about 201bs of picked stuff, includ j ing a few specimens, and the show of goli } was on the whole the best met with sine the new discovery was made. In th j drive towards the Italian the reef is beiu 3 carried, but it is mullocky in the fact This is hardly to be wondered at, for th 1 lode at the point where the gold wa 3 struck did not rise more than about 3 fee in the drive, and above that there wa 2 scarcely a trace of it. The discovery is ® however, likely to prove of great iinpoi I tance iu the lower levels, for so far as w I have been able to ascertain from men wh g have previously worked in the mine, an 1 from the working plans, no work of an 2 kind has been carried on for prospectin 1 or other purposes beyond this slide in an 1 of the low levels. There is therefore 2 large extent of ground to open up whic is now proved to contain at least or \ auriferous reef, and it may reasonably I f supposed that when this re' 2 re-forms itself after passing tl 9 broken country tho others will all 2 make. The only other work;going on 2 the sinking of a winze on ISFo. 2 leade •2 which is followed down about; 9 feet, ai '2 is a line looking lode a foot ; thick, at showing a little gold. The' manner ' 2 which the old workings have been secun ,f and, where necessary, opened up by A Hunter, the present manager, is extreme creditable to his judgment, and if t f g present prospects continue, he will so> make the claim a payable one. Rose and Shajibook Tribute.—'The tributers having now a large parcel stuff on hand, commenced crushing li 2 night, with' 20 head of stampers, at t Ballarat and Clunes battery, intending 72, keep this force' employed foi' a monl The stuff appears to be of a good payal j* character. ' Loyalty. — The' crushing for I Loyalty which was to have comment h, yesterday has been postponed. There w not enough water in the creek to sup] motive power for 10 head of stampe and it was not considered desirable 73 start the mill with only 5 head. Bright Smile.-Eetorting for I Bright rtmile Company at the Manuk 74 battery has been postponed until to-d Although there is no particular chai noticeable in the miuo nor any gold she ing in the reef, there was a most rema able improvement in the quality of crushing stuff at all the batteries < ployed by this company yesterday. Uld Whau.—The re3ultot'yesterdf >Ijg operations, when the portion of the i iijg which had been stripped during Frii and Saturday was broken down, o: I bitei a atillmore decided improvemen

Ie quality of the reef at the adit level, at only in its quality and richness, but ( i size also. It has opened out to a width i four feet of quartz, and appears to be -ill increasing, and there was a remark- , jly fine show of gold in the centre of the , sef and at the hanging-wall side. The , iiartz is rubbly and small, but it looks ell, and is in fine country, and there is ater now coming in fyom the face. The lanager thinks that the boundary now reached, and he will break own no more quartz until an exact irvey is made, but will continue the rive along the foot-wall into the coinany's own ground, for up to the present ie reef and drive have been in the lburnia ground. Hetorting for the ompany at the Moanataiari battery has eon postponed until the end of the week, 'hen a final cleaning up at that mill will ike place, and the 10 head now employed n the Whau crushing will be started to rork for the Black Angel, the Whau ommencing crushing operations at their wn mill again.