MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XIII, Issue 3569, 23 March 1880, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Moanatautci,-— I Thore appears to be an improved change in the quality of the reef in tho creek level Point liussell section, as yesterday the dirt coming from that part of the initio was shaping better than it has been doing of ialo. ihere is no change in any of the other workings. The managet's weekly report, dated March 30th, is as follows" Point liussell section : In driving creek level east wo have had a hard well-defined lode, 2 feet thick, containing a mixture of minerals with a little copper, but there is no improvement in quality of stuff. The Moanataiari creek is been diverted and flumed for a length of four chains to make room for a mullock tip. This work will bo completed in a day or two. Tunnel level s 'J here is no change in driving east on big reef, and little progress is being made in extension ofNonpariel cross-cut. The rock is now more jointy, and I am daily expecting to got through this bar. There is 120 feet more to drive in Morning Star section.—Bo-feet level: Nothing has yet been met with in driving on No. 1 reef west of No, slide. Three stopes are being worked on JNo. 3 reef abovo this level. The stuff here shows colours of gold, and is payable. Intermediate level: The drive east on hanging" wall branch has' been looking well during the past week, and 80 pounds specimens wero obtained. This leader, though much split up, yields nice pockets of golden stone. Tho foot-wall branch in drive east on tunnel level is much split up and looks poor. Our stopes are still looking very woll, and the general crushing is showing up for a good payable return. Pumping Association: Pumping was resumed on the sth instant, since which 50 feet of water has been forked, including stoppages for changing buckets and repairing the set off from one of tho 12-inch pumps. Everything is now working very well,— Robrrt Combe."

New Whau.—The final retorting from the specimens and picked stone crushed at the Moanataiari battery last week took place yesterday, when an additional 9ozs of gold wc-i'o obtained. This makes the total yield from the parcel crushed 8440zs retorted gold, which is a very satisfactory one. The gold will not be melted until the end of the month, before which time there will probably be another crusliiug sent to the battery. At the mine good progress is being made in putting down the winze. A shot put into the hanging wall yesterday, noon, near the eastern end broke down a portion of the reef from which between 40 and 50 pounds of specimens wort) obtained—revealing a nice band of gold coming into the lode from the Alburnia end. The quartz is heavily charged with good gold-bearing minerals, and the general dirt when crushed is likely to give a handsome return. The Eemli yesterday contains tltf following relative to this mine: — lhe retorting of lOcwt of specimens and" 6ctvt picked stuff 1 , was completed this afternoon, and yielded.B3sozs retorted gold, with 20 or 30ozs more to oome. The amalgam placed on the fite was 16990z3, which gave the above amount of gold, showing that the precious metal is coarse and This yield is the result of eight days' sinking in tho winze, and had the general dirt, now in the hoppers been crushed along with it, the yield would have been, at tho very least, lOOOozs, There are only 13 feet in depth of the reef broken out, and such a yield from so small a space, experts state, is unprecedented in any. run of gold discovered ou the Alburnia lino of reef. This winze will open out a block of ground 250 feet in length, by 90 feet in depth, and tho yield speaks well for the' prospects of the ground to be developed' by this winze, as the run of gold is,, apparently, dipping westward. The; bottom of the winze to-dny locks exceedingly well, gold showing freely, and a strong lender has come in from the hanging wall side, about 6 inches thick, full of minerals, and showing good dibs of gold. This now leade'r.will junction with tho main reef, 8 to 10 feet below the present bottom of the winze, In stripping tho reef to-day, there are indications that tho break down on Monday,'raid-day, will bo a satisfactory one. The Alburina has commenced an underhand stope in the botiom of their 70 feet level, to take out the gold discovered by the Whau in their winze. The Whau winze is boxed up, and' a man left in charge over Sunday, liuEANtJi Tbibutes.—James and party crushed tons of genoral dirt at the company's battery, for the good payable yield of 46ozs 19dwts melted gold. Schofield and party obtained 4ozs 9dwta from 5 tons,

Quesn of Beauty x>atteby.--™T1)o following parties are at present putting through crushing® at this buttery: — Teasdale and party, Imperial Crown, 14 loads; Gilmour and party, Bed Queen, 6 , loads; Clarkson and party, Manukau, 6 loads,

Waitekiubi,—s'inee the return of Mr Corbett, the mine manager, from Sydney, tlio company's battery has been started crushing for the various tributes in the districts. Hollis and party, tributers in the W ailekauri mino, are putting through a parcel of about 40 tons of good stone, which, it is anticipated will givo a return ot something liko 2ozs per ton. The other trilmto parties in the same mine have also got considerable parcels of quarts on hand ready i'or putting through. Welcome Kxtjskded, ■—Halph and party, who huro the Young New Zealand soriioa of iho mine cm tribute, have juat

finished crushing a parcel of 10 tons of general stuff for the payable return of loozs lGdwts of melted gold, ileitman and party, who have tho Welcome section ot tho mine on tribute, havo about 50 tons ot general stuff on hand, which they will be crushing shortly. This parcel promises to be very good stone, and a large return is expected. Heitman's party have been fortunate lately, and have had several good crushingg.