THE AUCKLAND GOLDFIELDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 540, 11 February 1870, Page 2

THE AUCKLAND GOLDFIELDS.

The following items are from the Auckland and Thames papers, from Feb. 2 to Feb. 5 inclusive:— Thames. The Long Drive have again taken out a parcel of rich specimens. Latterly the Mount Pleasant Claim has been producing some good stone from two leaders. The Sons of Freedom have finished a crushing of about thirty tons, and the result obtained is 520z lOJwt of melted gold. We are informed that a lot of very rich specimens were obtained from the reef of the Papakura Claim, Punga Flat. The Prosperity reef continues to look well in the winze that is being sunk on it, and gold is, we are informed, daily visible. A parcel of specimens from T«raru, but from which claim we have been unable to ascertain, were crushed at Bull's battery, and the result of 4oz of gold was obtained from 20ib of stone. The shareholders of the City of Dunedin have ten head of stampers constantly employed at Russell's battery, and the stone maintains the former {promising yield. Between 1100 and 1200 ounces of amalgam have accumulated. The Adelaide claim had a small but very rich lot of specimens crushed. The weight of the stone was about twenty pounds, and it gave a first-rate yield of 14oz Isdwt of very good-looking gold. A parcel of the richest specimens yet obtained from the Young American mine were brought to grass within the last few days from the Belfast side of the reef. They contain a large proportion of rich leafy gold, and will yield a rich return when crushed. The All Nations Company is at present cleaning up. About 70 tons of stuff, including specimens, has been put through, and the retorting is not yet complete ; but a parcel of gold (4210z 3dwt) has been lodged in the Union Bank, and another parcel will be sent in to-morrow. There have been only 211 tons of stone crushed at GoodalFa battery during the last month, and the result obtained from it is 4950z of retorted gold. The machine has been idle for a great part of the time, and I the principal portion of this crashing is from j the Inverness Claim. | The amount of gold turned out of the Golden Crown company's mine and battery during the month of January, up to Saturday last, is 22150z 1 7dwfc melted. The battery has not been in full work during the whole of that time, or the result, large as it is, would undoubtedly have been much greater. The Cure company, after two years' unceasing work, has at length been rewarded. In 25 feet of a T drive they had started on the reef, towards the Bed Queen, running almost due north, they have struck gold, and in two shifts between 60lb and 7olb of very rich specimens have been taken out. Only one battery of Souter's machine is at work jUBt now, that being engaged upon a parcel of eleven tons of quartz from the Prince Imperial Claim, in Campbell-street, Grahamstown. We are happy to say that the appearance of the tables is all in favour of a thoroughly payable yield— from loz to 2oz to the ton at least. A fortunate discovery was made in the Otago company's shaft on Tuesday afternoon, and is likely to lead to important results ; it supplies conclusive evidence of 'the existence of payable gold in the lateral branches of the Golden Crown lode. Sevtra! specimens were taken out, and look very, well, gold belog distributed through the Btone. The Long Drive, Company have a great deal of quartz to put through, all the paddocks being full to overflowing. The tables look as well as ever. As yet there are no symptoms of the much-talked-of decrease in the Long Drive yield. During the month ending the 31st January, 1183 tons of quartz were passed through the Kuranui battery to a total yield of 2809 oz 13dwt. A little claim of two men's ground, lying between the Lord Nelson, Trafalgar, and Britannia Companies' ground, has been

named the Lady Godiva. A leader, believed to be a continuation of the Una reef, has been opened in a surface cutting, and a crushing of five tons from it at Bull's battery, a short time since, yielded 4£oz of gold. The existence of this leader in the claim was known for a long time. A new leader of blue stone, lying right tinder and perpendicular to the rich specimen leader, was struck the other day in the Moanataiari Company's mine, its size being three and nine inches. A few specimens of good quality were taken out, and, when a ton or two of the quartz was added to a lot of indifferent stuff that was being put through the battery, the amalgam upon the tables increased in a remarkable manner. A quantity of very rich specimens lately taken from the Mount Pleasant claim were crushed yesterday, and from about 31 Jib weight of stone. 7l J ounces of gold were obtained. This gives a very good yield, and shows that the stone is as good as it was represented to be a few weeks ago, when it was at first struck. There is a large quantity of general stone of the claim to grass,, which will be crushed in a few days. The Wandering Star Company's claim has been worked since the 4th of November, 1860, and during the greater portion of that time has been returning good dividends to the shareholders. The crushings have given returns varying from four to one and a half ounces to the ton, bo that what on earth they mean by protecting on this pretext we cannot imagine. Except a few tons that were crushed last week, there have been no returns from the mine of late. The Mocking Bird has had put through two tons of stuff, which was being retorted when we called. After a little time it was weighed, and returned loz 10£dwt., which seemed to give pleasure to the manager of the miae and one or two more. It appears they had forty tons crushed last week at a machine .. up the creek, and it only returned a shade . over 7dwt to the ton, whereas this has given 15£dwt, and it is of the same lode, level, &c. Ten tons of stuff for the Prince Imperial ■company has gone through here during the past few days, and on cleaning up we find that it has yielded 7oz. 14dwt. retorted gold. We understand this company have got on some very good stone in their shaft, but are ■compelled, owing to the quantity of water it makes, to give up the working of that part for a time. Looking at the position in which this claim is situated, we should think they stand a *cry good show, and if any company on the field deserve success it is this. On the south of the Gibraltar, and situated between that claim and the Armstrong, is a claim which has been called the Young Gibraltar. This tunnel has been carried in 280 feet, and has taken a considerable length of time, as several very hard bars of rock have been cut through. This week they have been successful in cutting into a very promising reef. Gold has been seen in it, and some . fine specimens hove, we. are informed, been turned out of it. The thickness of this reef iB not yet known ; it has been cut into about three feet, but the back is not yet reached. The Clyde, a claim or company of ten men's ground, on the Earaka hill, employs eight men, who have entered a tunnel from the Good Hope ground, at a level of 70 feet under their old workings. This tunnel is now in 320 feet, and last week the reef for which they were driving was cut into. This is the same line of reef that is so profitably worked in the Pride of the Earaka and Loyalty. We are informed that, although gold is not visible in the stone, a small parcel that was pulverised in a mortar gave a very promising prospect and a parcel will shortly be sent to one of the machines. During the month ending 31st January, 1870, there have been 1183 tons lOcwfc. of stone crushed at the Euranui Company's battery, and the amount of gold turned out is 28090z. ISdwt. This yield does sot by any means represent the total product of the stuff put through, for, besides a week's crushing at the six-stamper battery for the All Nations, 30 head of stampers have been . crushing for a week for the Kuranui Company, and, as there has been no cleaning up for either, no part of the result is included in the gold returns, although the stuff crushed is included in the total quantity put through for the month. The small lode that was opened a short time ago in the Pride of - Earaka, still continues good, and a large portion of it has been sloped out from the No. 1 level. It is apparently an offshoot from the main reef. The first parcel from this leader was crushed a short time ago. at the Una Company's battery, and the result obtained was 113$oz of smelted gold from six tons of the stone. There is another very promising parcel to grass from it now. A shaft has been sunk to a depth of 50 feet, at which the main reef has been opened, and shows a fine strong reef from 18in to 2ft thick. It has been opened on for about 14ft, and shows well, but no . crushing has yet taken place from this level. k .. The Young May Moon, Earaka Hill, may f r be classed as foremost of those claims that have aseiete I in keeping up the character of the Earaka Hill. It has beeD profitably and industriously worked by the shareholders from November, .1868, and since then thousands of tons of stone have been crushed from it, with results varying from 7oz to 2oz to the ton. Greater or less, the results have always been profitable, and the shareholders, finding things working well with them, have (perhaps wisely, as things .go) never taken advantage of the Limited Liability Act, and the claim is still worked under the old system of miner's right. They have a strong, well-defined, and rich reef to work on, and can themselves take out large quantities of stone which pays well when crushed, and in the meantime they are opening up their ground, and will soon be ready for taking out the reef in large blocks. The reef opened in this ground is the continuation of the Pride of the Earaka reef, but. unlike the portion opened in that claim, there has never been a rich specimen taken out of the Young May Moon or the Head Centre.

The lode has from time to time varied in in thickness from one to three feet, and sometimes even more. The last crushing from this mine took place last week, and yielded an average of 2oz to the ton from the 24 tons put through. The portion of Ohinemuri to be immediately opened comprises several thousand acres on the banks of the Thames river, and it is stated by men who have been a long time up the river, that the country is auriferous. The Native Minister and the Superintendent have promised that the block would be thrown open as soon as possible. Surveyors are to be sent up to define the boundaries, and, in view of the country being proclaimed "a goldfield, it is proposed to open subscription lists at various places on the Thames, for the equipment of a well-organ-ised party of experienced miners, who will hold themselves in readiness to proceed up the river when required. We are not aware of the precise terms of the programme under which the prospectors are to work, but we think a well * organised party would do more towards proving the auriferous character of the land or otherwise than individual labour could accomplish. The project is one deserving of consideration from the business people and others who are suffering from the present depression in mining matters. We are not so sanguine of the Ohinemuri district proving the JBl Dorado some people are inclined to think it is; but the uncertainty which exists regarding its resources, and the expectations which have been raised by the various reports of gold having been found there, have had a great deal to do with the present state of matters in this district ; and any scheme which would tend to allay the excitement which has arisen, and give new life to mining enterprise on the Thames deserves encouragement. As a rule, the yield from the Karaka Hill have been steady and profitable, although not so remarkable for extraordinary richness as other parts of the field. In fact, some of the most profitable mines on the hill have never produced such a thing as a rich specimen, while others have turned out parcels of stone that have yielded upwards of 1| oz to the pound. On the bill, between the Earaka and the Hape, there are a group of mines that have been steadily and systematically worked to considerable advantage. First of these in importance is the Una Company's ground, both on account of its large gold produce, and the number of men to whom it affords profitable employment. During the past fortnight the machinery of this company has been undergoing repairs. Some new stamper boxes have been put .in, and other repairs executed, which kept tba battery idle for a couple of days, so that altogether it was only kept at work for about eight days out of the fortnight. The result obtained was somewhat less than usual, and only amounted to J2soz of melted gold. In the old Loyalty ground, the leader (the Pride of the Earaka) is being stoped out from the tunnel. There are no less than 13 faces at work at convenient distances from each other, and at the same time the tunnel is being pushed forward to keep pace with the works. In the Prince of Wales portion of the company's ground, the reef iB being stoped out, and one block of 70 feet in height is being carried along towards the Dayspring workings. Other workings are going on in several parts of the ground, some of which are at present unprofitable, but are necessary to the development of the mine. A sample of very handsome specimens was taken out of the Prince of Wales reef on Saturday last. This company at present affords employment to 70 working men, including the contractors and those employed at the battery. The mine has more than cleared itself, and the manager is now able to keep the whole force of the battery (25 stampers) constantly employed. COBOHANDEL. The Harbour View have had a very rich crushing from about 50lb. to 60lb. of stone, which gave the handsome yield of 440z. rej torted gold. It is reported that a very rich reef has been discovered at the Manaia, about nine miles from Coromandel, and several men have gone across to take up claims. Sixty pounds of stone have been put through for the Little and Good claim, and, though not as good as the Harbour View, we feel sure that the shareholders will feel grateful for the yield, which is 260z. 16dwt. retorted. The leader I mentioned in my last as having been struck in the Erin's Hope has been yielding well, and I was told by one of the shareholders that a considerable quantity of the stone has been already taken out. A parcel of specimens, weighing about thirty-five pounds, from a mine in the Coromandel district, is now being retorted, and the amount of hard-squeezed amalgam is 112 oz., which gave the handsome yield of 48oz. Some fine specimens of gold-bearing quartz were shown to us to-day, from the Queen of the. Tiki, next M'lsaac's, Coromandel. The claim comprises ten men's ground, and has only been fully worked for a short time. A good price has been offered for a share and refused, and we are informed that the shareholders intend to have a crushing of the specimens in hand, which they expect will yield, from one to two ounces of gold to the pound of stone. The Southern Cross of Feb. 2 has the following regarding the above district : — We are glad to learn from the Thames papers thht the miners at Coromandel have accepted the terms proposed to them by Mr Stovin, tlie repreaentative of certain English capitalists, for the erection of crushing machinery there. The great want felt at Coromandel was the absence of capital. Speculation at the Thames had locked up a great deal of the available capital of this province; and the re action which set in after the scrip mania made those who have the control of money exceedingly cautious of its investment in mining enterprise. And, moreover, Coroman<iel had a bad name. However, Mr Stovin has

satisfied himself that this field offers greater inducements for the expenditure of the capital which he represents- than the Thames, and accordingly he makes an offer, which is an adaptation of the co-oper-ative principle, so well understood, and this offer the mining community accept. We may, therefore, look forward to something like a gold return from Coromandel. It is notorious that there are eight or nine goldbearing claims opened on that field, but as yet the returns have been trifling, owing to the expense of working and difficulty of getting the stone crushed. We hope, under the3e circumstances, that the Government will not permit delay — when the money has been voted — in the construction of a suitable wharf at Coromandel. and approaches thereto. There is a likelihood of wire tramways being constructed through Mr Stovin's exertions, and this would relieve the Provincial Treasury very considerably. If the enterprise to which we have now referred succeeds, as it deserves to succeed, we believe it will be the means of inaugurating a new and healthier state of things on the goldfield generally. What Mr Stovin's proposal is will be learned by the following extract from his speech : — From quartz yielding under 2 ounces to the ton, one-half ; from 2 ounces to 4 ounces to the ton, onethird ; and from 4 ounces to 10 ounces, one-fourth. For quartz yielding anything over 10 ounces to the ton, no matter whether 100 or 1000 ounces, they would take no more than at the rate of 10 ounces. It was said that in Coromandel the leaders were small, but very rich, and he believed such was the caso ; and therefore he ought to make the modification he had mentioned. But they must remember that this very rich stone required much greater care in handling, and entailed more trouble to the machinists, Still he was willing to concede that it would be unfair to take one-fourth for crushing it. Again, all that could be expected of this rich stone would be but lewt or 2cwt at a time, and if he charged at the rate of 10 ounces to the ton, or 2£ ounces, the proportion to the company would be very small indeed. He agreed to this alteration, because he wished them to see that he was disposed to meet them liberally, and because he believed that those rich leaders were only veins running into larger leaders or reefs, and which, when opened up, would keep the machine continually going. But he would make them another offer if they were in a position to carry it out. If they would only guarantee him 50 tons of quartz per day, he would erect his machinery without a condition. But he believed that they were not able to do so, for there was no large body of stone from which that quantity could be obtained. Now, as he would have to run a considerable risk in erecting this machinery, it was not unreasonable that he should be paid in proportion. No rule was better recognised in mercantile matters than that the pay was in proportion to the risk. -With regard to crushing quartz, all he would say was. that so long as it paid the claims to send it so long would it pay the machine to crush. Ho came here because he believed, from all he had seen, that Coromandel offered a far better opening than anywhere else on the Thames. But, in addition to the erection of machinery, he proposed to do something more. He proposed to erect for them two miles of wire tramway, which would cost upwards of £1000. But to do this he must have the assistance of the miners. After it was once put up the company would work it, and the cost of bringing the quartz to the machine would not exceed Is per .ton. To all those who accepted his proposal, and gave in their adhesion at once, would be awarded the priority of crushing. Those who did not join at first— the outsiders, as he might call them — would have to take their chance of finding the machine idle, to have their quartz crushed, and still on the same terms. He then referred to the number of machines unworked at the Thames, and said he wanted to make an arrangement which would ensure him a constant supply of quartz to crush. He had proposed that up to lOoz he should take onefourth of the yield, but he was still determined to be liberal, and he would now tell them that if, as he believed, these leaders ran into reef, and any claim was able to supply him with 10 tons of quartz daily, he would sink the lOoz altogether, and charge them at the rate of 4oz.