T A I B U A,

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2081, 28 June 1875, Page 3

T A I B U A,

(PEOlt OUE OWK REPORTED.) Nevesvime, Friday. The' brilliant prospects in the Tairua Company's (or prospectors') shaft which Imentioncdyesterday, continued throughout the remainder of tho day, and if anything tho stone sent to the surface was superior to any yet scon in the mine. Several largo specimens therefrom were perfect gems, unique in their beauty, with the faces of coarse rough gold, and the remainder thickly impregnated with fine gold—specimens the like of which is rarely seen on tho Thames. I do not mean that the richness is not rarely seen with you, but that tho nature both of the gold and stone is so different that I think if some of them were exhibited they would be greatly admired at tho "Corner," not ouly for their intrinsic value, but also for the peculiar'constitution of the stone. Tho best of tho stone lies to the western sido of the shaft, in a lead about 12 inches wide, tho hangiugwall of- which is beyond. What the exact size of the lode is no one knows, as tho upper hanging-wall is out of tho shaft, loaving in about 4 feet of quartz; but the whole of the stone that is broken is reserved for tho mill. Even tho large boulders of stone or granito that lie against tho lode yield fino gold. . Exactly two tons of stone were sent away yesterday with eleven pack-horses, who made two trips to Jackson's lower store, and ■now it is on the way to the head of tho navigation in charge of a man detailed off by Mr 13ceche, Tho rich stone that has beeu grassed since tho resumption of Work on Monday, is not includod in that sent to the Thames, inasmuch as the whole was carefully weighed and sown up before this gold was taken out, Another ton would have been sent down which could have included this last haul of good stuff, but that it would havo delayed the horses fully a day, so that the cuttor could not probably have got to the Thames quick enough to givo time for the reduction of the stuff before tho general meeting of shareholders next week. Howover, it may be gratifying to. tho shareholders to know that the stone about to be crushed will be eclipsed by stone that now lies in tho company's office and paddock.

The Independent Claim, or that known as Berlin's, is situated on the south side of the prospectors' shaft, and comes within 190 feet of it. Theyexpect to have over 500 feet of the reef, should it keep its present course, whioh appears to be within a point or so of N. and S. To work tho mine, they intend to commence tunnelling at a distance of 50 feet from the bouudary of tho prospectors. Where tho tunnel commences the'face of the cliffs is almost vertical, so that they are enabled to get any depth of backs they desire. The position of the new tunnel is such, that, with about 200 feet of driving, they will obtain considerably 6ver 100 feet of backs upon the lode. As the tools, &c, arrived yesterday, wo may expect to soe the first shot fired about Monday, as the interim will bo required in fitting up blacksmith's shop, and preparing charcoal, and olhor little things. . . "Tho Gem is the name of the' piece of ground that has been taken from the Prospectors by Messrs Wickham, Macdoiuld, and party. It is situated on tho northern side of the Prospectors' shaft, and lies between the Prospectors' and tho Ajax ground. Mr Lessong laid it off yesterday, and from the Prospectors' IN\W. peg ho measured towards the S.W. 380 feet. Tho end line then .goes right across the Prospectors for a distance of over 700 feet, or within 80 feet of tho Prospectors' E. liuo. This shows that, should the reef travel tho ground at all, they should have a good slice of it, provided it does run to the N.E. There i* great diversity of opinion regarding the courso of tho lode, the greater portion of the people contending that it "will eventually bo proved to run N.N.E and S.S.W,; and this view tho Prospectors hold, inasmuch as thero is a strong lodo carrying good gold near the N.K. peg; On tho other hand, Bergiu, Wickham, &c, have marked out their ground as if 'tho lodo would run N.W. andS.E.: a course rarely seen on tho Thames. This is a most important. point, but can only bo solved by lime.

More jumping is reported this morning by parties who live and earn a livelihood by such transactions. As there is a probability of some compromise being made I refrain from naming the claim. Messrs Sully and Gillctfc quoto Tairua shares at £2 15s, and bought at that figure. Saturday. In consequence of the contrary winds, the cutter is unable to got out of Tairua harbour, and tho mauagor of tho Tairua Company, or prospectors' claim, has decided to forward another ton, which will, be sent off on Monday, so that the trial lot will, consist of three tons of stono in place of two, as originally intended. The latter ton, I believo, will prove richer than tho previous two, from the fact that it not cftly contains a large percentage of looso gold, but that coarse gold is distributed well through a portion of tho solid stone. Tho brilliant show of gold that I mentioned in my last two letters, as seen in the bottom of the shaft, still continues, and there is no deterioration whatever in tho quality of the stono. I was in tho bottom of the shaft a few hours ago, and not a piece of stono could bo broken without a show of gold in it. The constitulion of tho lode I havo on many occasions commonted upon, and yet I am as much puzzled with its naturc.-as at the first. With the exception of the quartz, lead, averaging from C to 12 inches wide, the remaining portion of tho lode, over three feet wide, is a problem to all up here, its nature is so entirely different to what wo have been accustomed. ■ The nearest approach to its solution is that set forward by a well-known mining surveyor, who statos that it i 3 a quarlzite dyke, which aro often' met with in Victoria, and which prove unusually large and very rich. This atouo is very solid, and tolerably hard, of a blue or grey nature, wilh whito aud piuk spots, and is iu no wise inferior' in quality to tho quartz lead. The hang-, ing-wall portion of tho lode is going well out of the sltaft, thus showing unmistakably that tho uudcrlio is westward. Tho tunnel has recently changed a little for tho better, aud it was thought with four or fivo feet of driving the undcrlio might bo reached, but soring that it has rather moro underlio than supposed, a foot or two moro will havo to bo driven, There is a quartz vein or bunch two or thrco feot back from, tho face, and although it has no connection with tho main lode, yet it prospects well. No time will be lost in tho construction of a small buttery, and to this end tho contractors for the limber will commence sawing on Monday, all tho tools, Ac, having arrived at the pit. The manager of tho Golden Gate claim

was in camp this morning, and reports that tho No. 3 drivo has at length encountered what ho supposes to be tho main lode of the spur. I twill bo remembered that numerous leads have been uncovered in tho face of the spur, each of which yielded well when tried at the Thames, but it was surmised that these wero nothing more than tho offshoots o( a larger body of stone. To ascertain this < tho No. 3 drive was started, and at length struck what appears to bo,a largo, reef. It has not been uncovered, but froni.the drillings there has been several prospocts tried, which have not only proved tho lode to be auriferous, but eminently satisfactory. They are about to send a ton of stone to tho Thames by the same channel ao tho Prospectors aro doing. The Mo Britannia lease arc breaking a ton of stone from the large black reef, to be forwarded by the cutter to the Thames.

The richness of tho Prospectors' claim has at length brought up a few speculators, several of whom arrived to-day, amongst them the manager of the Thames Gold Mining Company. Word was brought into Ncvcsvillo last night that a Maori woman, from tho Golden Gate camp, was missing. It appears that several gum-diggers and Maori wives resido in tho locality, and have done so for sonio time, and among those one of tho name of llotena, from tho Tauranga district. For several days past she has been very eccentric in her conduct, labouring under the delusion that tho advent of tho pakehas was to close her earthly career. On Wednesday'she stated that the pakehas were coming that day to kill her, but not much notice was taken of these remarks, beyond her white husband reasoning with and showing her the folly of such thoughts. Shortly afterwards, she went but" grinning," as she was wont to do, and up to the present she has not been seen,, or heard of ainco leaving the camp. Thursday and Friday she was sought after by a large party thoroughly acquainted with the bush, and to-day tho half-castes and Maoris from tho The Brothers' claim and tho New Zealand start out on their errand of mercy.