MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XIII, Issue 3684, 20 August 1880, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Aibubnia.—The manager reports as follows:—" Sons of Freedom tunnel: As mentioned in my last I started a drive at the slide in tho hanging-wall. _ After driving about 20 feet we met with the reef, which is a strong body of quartz, but I cannot as yet speak as to its quality, as we were obliged to start at once to timber up the drive, which was of a very loose and broken nature. This we are still engaged at, and cannot say very muoh more about the reef for a few days. 160foet level, easts Tho drive has now reached the Pew North Devon boundary, and stpping has been carried on, above where we havo a reef 5 feet wide, giving a large supply of good crushing dirt with colours of gold showing-occasionally, but giving no picked stone or specimens. 160-fcet level, west: Stoping is still being carried on near Whau boundary, with some satisfactory results as last reported. Dixon's low level: This level was put in some considerable time previous to my taking charge of your mine. It was driven a long distanoe on a small reef, and I have called tho attention of the directors to it on the occasion of their visiting the mine. In starting the cross cut within the last few days we wore compelled to break down some of this leader, which showed some nice colours of gold, sj that 1 purpose, as soon as the cross-out is pushed on a sufficient distanoe, and connection made with the tramway,'to start a leading stope on this leader, and if it should turn out as well as the portion already broken down there is no doubt it will prove of great value to the company, Owing to the great traffic in this portion of tho mine I have only been able to koop two men omployed in this cross-out, which is now in a distance of 12 feet, and I purpose lotting the remainder of the drive by contract. Intermediate: As mentioned in my last the western stopes were finished, and the eastern nearly so. There isstill a block below the eastern intermediate level to stope out, whioh I hope will provo payable. Hanging' Well loader: Driving and Btoping still going on hero with some satisfactory results, and stoping the Sons of Freedom reef oast, where wo havo secured some picked stone during the last few days. Stoping is still being carried on in old stopes over 70-feet level, west, where we havo secured 3owt of picked stono, and about 301bs of spocimens. Should theso stopes oontinue as at present, they will help the return for the month, and from the quantity of quartz hore standing we may expect to have plenty of crushing dirt for several months to come. Dixon's winze is now down a distance of 58 feet. Within the last few feet the reef has become pinched and mullocky not showing any gold. This reef bas_ now taken a great uuderlay, and if it continues its present course will necessitate the driving of the cross cut much further than at first anticipated. Battery: The general dirt from the mine has been shaping for a payable return, and I have this day retorted 12640zs of amalgam for the return of 3940za 15dwts of gold.— Thomas Badfoed.—l7th August, 1880." —Since the above report was written, the lode at the Sons of Freedom level has been broken into, and proved to be about 2 feet in thickness. The quartz contains excellent mineral indications, but does not show any gold as yet. Reuben Pabb,—A start was made yesterday afternoon to send down to the Herald battery another trial crushing of quartz taken from the lode upon which the contractors are driving at the low level. The quartz has much the same appearance as that sent down for the previous trial crushing, and it is expected to yield t about the same.' The low level is now in a distanoe of about 300 feet, ond another 100 feet of driving will bring it underneath whora payable gold was obtained in the same lode in the upper workings. i New Golden CsowN.-The crosscut at

the battery level is now in a distance of over 10 feet, and will be pushed abend until Nob 1 and 2 reefs aro cut, so as to do away with the round.about road vrhioh now exists. At the intermediate level tho manager lias men employed in stoping back upon Herival'B leader for tho purposo of acertaining whether it will improve in quality away from tho point it has been met at. If an improvement takes placo the manager will have a drive formed in tho old stopes for tho purpose of working' it, Good progress is being made with tho repairs to the battery. Pinafobe Claw.—This is tbo namo given to a pieoe of ground lately taken up in the Waiotahi (Jreok by Hickey and party botween tho Moanataiari Company's ground and the Little Sissy olaim. The proprietors are working a mass of stringers, and a trial crushing of 20 loads taken from them yielded tho payable return of 9azßlßdwts melted gold. Kuranci Hill.—A now loador has been discovered in tho loft hand sido of tho drive at tho 360 feet level near tho point whoro the specimen leader was cut off by tho slide, but very little is known as yet of its value. Driving on No. 1 lode is being continued without much clmtigo lo notice. Yesterday Hid 'amalgam which was obtainod from tho quartz eomiiiß from tho Oddfellows' seclion of tho mine waa'rotortod for u yiold of 200ozs of, gold. About 100 tons of. quartz wore treated. Gordon and party, tributors, obtained 9ozs 18dwts gold from 6 tons of general dirt. All the tributors' quartz has now been crushed, therefore the stampers ate hung up, but the bordans (which aro worked with a small' donkey ongine) aro kept at work grinding tailings for the company. Moanataiabi, — lloid and party, tributersj crushed 30 tons of quartz at, tho Kuranui Hill battery for the, poor return of 6ozs gold. '