THE AUCKLAND GOLDFIELDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 463, 10 November 1869, Page 3

THE AUCKLAND GOLDFIELDS.

♦ The Bendigo Independent claim, at the head of the Moanatairi Creek, has of late been turning out very good stone, and tbey have sent down a parcel of 15 or 20 tons of it to Vickery's machine to be crushed. In many of the stones picked off the heap in the machine-house gold is plainly visible, and a good result is anticipated. In the Pretty Jane No. 1, situated atthe junction of the Collarbone and Karaka, a very good leader is now being worked upon above. It was discovered on the high ground at the face of the abrupt spur immediately above the creek, and it is now being followed down in a winze, and increasing the more it is sunk upon. _ Good specimens are daily met with. A first retorting of some of the amalgam obtained from the crushing now going on for the Dawn of Hope at the Victoria battery, took place yesterday, and yielded 180 ozs. of gold. There are two other retortings to take place before all the amalgam on hand is converted into gold. The stuff, we are informed, is expected to yield 2 ozs. to the ton throughout. The fifty tons of stone from the Golden Crown company's mine, crushed at tho battery of Messrs Brown, Campbell, and Company, Tararu, gave 523 ozs of melted gold, averaging 10} ozs to the ton. 'Ihe cleaning up on Saturday night, of the company's own battery, resulted in 380 oz3 of gold. In tbe Belfast Company's claim some very rich specimens were taken out yesterday, which were shown to rae by the manager, and they were certainly a credit to any claim. These stones were taken from a smail leader about a foot wide, the same found in Tookey's claim, which, at the place where these were taken from, strikes through the Young American Leader. A retorting for the Golden Crown — the second result from the . new battery — took place last evening, and yielded a little over 600 ozs of gold. This quantity was obtained from the stuff put through since Saturday last, on which date the last retorting took place, when the result was GB2 ozs, making a total of 1282 ozs of gold obtained since the start. In the Inverness claim, on the Kuranui Hill, the shaft is now down one hundred feet. At this level a drive has been put in one hundred and seventy feet to the north-west, and they have cut a leader about eighteen inches in thickness, supposed to be the Long Drive leader. From this some very good looking specimens were taken last week. Vickery's machine has lately been employed testing the leaders of the Wade claim, some of which turned out remarkably ricb, while others were rather poor. The last lot of seven tons, from the main leader, yielded an average of from four to five ounces to the ton. The total quantity crushed was 44 tons, and the yield was 40 ozs of gold. The Pride of Parnell Gold Mining Company is turning out good specimens every day. The only drawback is the want of machinery in the locality. A parcel of ninety tons is in process of crushing at the Una machine, for the Pride of Karaka, and, according to the quantity of amalgam already collected from the tables, a return of two and a half ounces to the ton may be expected. The late crushing from the Pride of the Karaka claim gave a return of 270 ounces of gold from 88 tons of quartz. It must he borne in mind that the amount received from the late crushing of specimens, 135 ounces of gold, must be added to the above amount to give tbe true average of gold per ton, which will be at tbe rate of 4.60 ounces of retorted gold per ton of stone. The Hape Gold Mining Company's machine has again started to work, with every prospect of continual employment. It is at present engaged on a sixty-ton lot from the New May Moon claim, which gives promise of a very rich return. This claim has long been known as a gold-producer, and has yielded several rich returns already. The averages vary from 7 ozs to 2°. ozs. to the ton. Since the workings of the Whau Claim have been renovated, the men have been employed taking out stone for crushing from a stope near Dixon's boundary, and have already sent down a parcel of it for crushing to their own machine. Yesterday, about a cwt. of very rich stone was taken out of this stope, and it is very evident that the beet of this fine reef is yet to come. Very little has been heard lately about the doings of the Success Gold Mining Company at the head of the Moanatairi. Late accounts concerning it that have reached us are, however, most satisfactory. There is no doubt tbat the- celebrated Dixon's lode has been struck in the long tunnel, and that much more of the lode is contained in the claim than the most sanguine of the shareholders dared to hope for. A number of very rich specimens have been taken out of the leader in tbe Pride of the Karaka claim during the past few days, and we were shown a sample of really excellent ones at the office of Mr C. E. Haughton, which were taken out during the previous night. The crushing which is now going on is shaping well, there being a decided improvement of late in the appearance of the stuff on the plates. There is every appearance of very good accounts to be obtained before long from some of the claims in the neighbourhood of Collarbone Spur, Karaka Creek. The Tarn O'Shanter claim struck a promising looking reef, nearly two feet wide, on Wednesday, and have since continued to take out a quantity of gold-bearing stone, which will shortly be put to the test. Gold is said to be visible throughout. The Peep o'Day shareholders have on hand at present about three hundred weight of good-looking specimen stone, and they therefore feel rather confident of the future should the general atone . not turn out something astonishing. A small yield, with the amount

of specimens daily found, will always keep the claim agoing ; and with the Peep o'Day reef to fall back upon, this claim is likely to give a good account of itself shortly. The Golden Bar Gold Mining Company's ground, situated on the spur between the Karaka and Waiotahi Creeks, is at present taking out some very good stone from different leaders in the claim. A trial of four tons of quartz from these leaders is being crushed at the Halcyon battery, and from the appearance on the plates there is every promise of a good result. One of these leaders, a mullocky one, has been tested before, and yielded at the rate of three ounces of gold per ton. We were shown a few specimens taken out of a small vein found in the 1 iverpool Boys claim last evening by Mr Sigley. They were composed of white crystal quartz, and the gold was of a rich colour, but leafy. The I vein, of course, is only useful as far as showing the presence of tbe precious metal, as this is evidently only a feeder from some larger reef or leader, which is expected to be met with shortly. The Una Company's machine finished up the crushing of 85 tons for the Pride of the Karaka claim, which yielded a total of 278 ozs. of gold, including the 75 ozs. obtained from a parcel of specimens crushed in the single-stamper battery, but exclusive of a parcel of 29 ozs. 18 dwts. obtained from specimens taken out of the same lot, and crushed lately at the Kuranui Co.'s battery. This gives a very satisfactory return of 3 ozs. 12 dwts. 11 gre. to the ton. Another very rich lot of specimens were yesterday taken out of the workings in the old creek of the Shotover claim, some of which, for size and richness, have seldom been excelled by any claim on the Thames goldfleld. One in particular, weighing 16 1 J ounces, is exceedingly rich, and i 3 so thickly impregnated with coarse gold that it is difficult to see any stone. Many other smaller ones tbat were taken out at the same time were equally rich in proportion. Hunt's Gold Mining Company, occupying forty eight men's ground, on the summit of the tall hill overhanging the Karaka Creek, has a nominal capital of £23,000, with 600 scrip of £5 each to a promoter's share. In this claim there are at the present moment ten or eleven miners employed. Seventy tons had been crushe 1 prior to the formation of the company, averaging 11 dwt. to 1 oz. per ton. One cwt. on a separate occasion produced 10 dwt. 9 gra. A very good reef has been lately opened. The Jupiter Gold Mining Company's ground is situated on thespur between the Te Papa and Hape creeks. A shaft has been sunk m the Te Papa side of the spur, over forty feet, and a drive put in from this level cut a very fine reef of close blue quartz, seven feet thick, from which some very good tests have been received. A small leader, from one foot to eighteen inches thick, runs parallel to this reef, from which all the rich specimens from this claim have been taken. The shareholders of the Edinburgh Cassle claim were fortunate enough to meet with another rich leader in their middle drive, and took out a parcel of good specimens from it yesterday morning. There were about 70 or BOlbs. weight of these taken out during the shift, and although they are not entirely so rich as thosj obtained from some of the Kuranui hill claims, they are sufficiently so to serve to give increased confidence to the shareholders of the claims, many of whom have stuck to it since it was first pegged out. There are a number of cl urns at the foot of the Waiokaraka Creek, better known as Blind Ma-i's Gully, at the back of Graham's paddock, which have been most industriously worked, and some of which have already turned out a fair proportion of the precious metal, but as they have never been remarkable either for rich specimens or extraordinary returns they have been suffered to drag along a quiet existence hitherto. The Queen of Sheba, the Tower of London, and Gunn's claims are all being worked with spirit, and exhibit encouraging prospects. We are informed that the shareholders of the Sheffield claim, Hape Creek, struck gold yesterday in their low level drive. The large lead from which the gold has been taken is supposed to be the main lode of the Tweedside, the compass bearings are exactly the same, and the dip of the leader corresponds. The Sheffield claim is next but one to the Tweedside, and no less than three gold-bear-ing leaders are known to traverse through the ground. Gold has been found in the upper levels, and crushings of small quantities have I taken place from time to time, but did not prove payable.