THE TAIRUA GOLDFIELD.

Thames Advertiser, Volume IX, Issue 2326, 8 April 1876, Page 3

THE TAIRUA GOLDFIELD.

(feom oue own cobbespondent.)

IfEVESViLirE, Thursday. The Ajax Company succeeded in . getting the rise (from the tunnel to the surface) through on Tuesday, which gives them splendid air communication, Resides affording ample means of getting any . amount of crushing stuff when required. The manager is now getting it timbered up, which, when finished, will be used as a pass 'for conveying the stuff from the upper level to the battery.: The rise (which was carried up on the reef) shows a fine body of stone throughout. -The main drive, going ..south, is • carrying a large lode from eight to ten feet wide, the stone of which looks '.'first-class.. I believe it is intended to continue this drive a long distance (probably to the boundary), and at certain intervals , communicate with the upper level, : by which means the ground will be thoroughly opene'd up and prospected. The drive bearing north,• towards the.Crown boundary, is .being pushed ahead, and shows a well-defined lode fully ten feet wide, the stone looking quite as well as in the south end. The manager anticipates being able to keep the present battery supplied .from the main drives alone, should the reef main-, tain its present proportions.. The battery so far has,given great satisfaction, but in consequence of the late spell of dry 'weather the'present water supply has become greatly diminished, so muoh so, that the battery is unable to work more, than sixteen hours per day. They are now making a large tank to catoh the tail water, which they intend pumping back again, l and this will materially assist them, besides ■ which I believe' it is intended to bring iu a further supply from the Measlestown fireok with as little delay as possible. The manager informs me that up to the present , time about eighty tons of stuff haß been reduced,' which has produced (from the plates and berdans) l'Oozs of hard-squeezed amalgam, which is calculated to yield aboutonethird gold. One removing one of the gratings a very nice show of amalgam was also seen in the stamper-box. H early half of the amalgam in hand was obtained from the berdans—the stone being heavily charged with mineral will doubtless account for: this. The stuff appears to fun very regular, there being scarcely any difference perceptible in each day's cleaning up. I believe the company .intend cleaning up after a fortnight s run, and, judging from ; present appearances, I think they .may congratulate themselves on having a good payable yield. ; The Golden Arrow Company are still sinking in the big face, and are now down 22 feet, the stuff being very similar in appearance to that got in the cutting. Good prospects are obtainable through the whole of. it. The ground becoming softer downwards, tho manager_has commenced timbering up. There is a large quantity of stuff stacked for, the. battery, which should yield good returns. They are making good progress with the sleigh track to the battery, and expect to get it;finished in a. fortnight, after which crushing will be resumed at the Tairua battery. I understand the new proprietors of the Crown claim; being, fully convinced they have, what promises to be a very valuable property (seeing that the Ajax workings north are only 130 feet from their boundary), purpose forming a company and starting a drive to intersect the reef with the greatest possible dispatch. Mr Fraser. (contractor for the Tairua Company's revolving wire tramway), accompanied by Messrs Graham and Jackson, arrived this morning for the purpose of making a trial start of tho tramway prior to banding it over to the company. It has been found necessary to make a few alterations, and I will tell you how it works in my next. Mr Gallagher has started to get up the machinery, and a cutter has been sent from Tairua harbour to take the stamper boxes from Puriri. Men are still employed breaking out stuff from the big face close to_ the tramway, and the prospects still continue good. A start was made to crush-a parcel from, this place to-day, but 1 think the stone; will prove to hard for the light stampers. Operations will be commenced in the shaft to-morrow, and a . single wire will be stretched to the tramway for sending the stuff down. • Mr Carthew has been sent up here by Captain Goldsmith to examine and report on the' various olaims atj present unworked. I believe it is the intention of the Mining Inspector to take. immediate steps towards making companies comply with the goldfields regulations'or abide the consequence.