MINING NOTES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume 27, Issue 950, 27 June 1883, Page 6

MINING NOTES.

Nkw Zealand. Tho Tipperaiy Company, Macetown, declared in dividends for the past. year 7s per share. The Welcome battery, Roef ton, crushed the usual quantity of 90 tons of quarts during last week, .and obtained therefrom 3090zi. amalgam. The total returns from this mine, for the last five weeks, amount to no less than 6350z«. 13dwts. of melted gold.—'* Herald.!' So fac as, can be gathered, no new discovery has been reported from. Scotchman's Terrace, and some old miners who have returned from the rush seem to be very lukewarm over it. Generally speaking, such- excitement as was at first occasioned) has subsided very much, if not altogether. — "Inangahu* Herald." 18th June, . !

Te Aroha is coming to the front at last, remarks the " Waikato Times. " We learn that a trial crushing of one ton of quartz from the Welcome licensed holding (Te Aroha) adjoining the Werahiko Gold Mining Company, gave the splendid return of 76ozs« sdwts. melted gold, the value of which was £3 6s 7d per ounce. . A Press Association [telegram of Tuesday's- date says has been - received in Christchurch by Mr E. Wickes, of the Western Mining .Exchange, that a payable goldfield hati been discovered in Canterbury by three prospectors, who brought in a sample of the washdirt, in which fine gold was plainly* perceptible. The prospectors have, stated their intention of not making; the locality public until a guarantee, of £500 is forthcoming from, the public, In the event of the Government giving * bonus for the discovery), they intend paying half the sum so given to the subscribers .to the guarantee. A sample' has been submitted to Mr Skey, who states that the wash will, average loz 14dwt 3gr to the ton. - ,

Referring to the Lamplough rush,* the f'Kumara Times" of the 19th instant says :—": — " There is very little toadd to the substance' of a paragraph' we gave yesterday in reference, to the small rush towards the Lamplough, save that the distance is about 4£ instead of 3£ miles, or so,, from Kumara, and about 1000 yards sooth side of the Lamplough . track when., that distance' has been reached. The shaft which has been sunk is situated on a terrace, and the Binking is through good, nice-looking solid ground. We were informed that in the absence of the prospectors .some men vent down the shaft and washed a dishful of dirt, finding a few colours, and that this is how the news has spread, There were about 60 men on- the ground this morning — some from Kumara, and others from Waimea and Stafford ; and about 40 claimß have been marked - out, • .averaging four men's ground." The following particulars of the Ohinemuri.goldfieilds will doubtless be read with interest : — The latest and what is generally pronounced the richest discovery made up to the present time ; in the Karangahake district, was disclosed to view in the Ivanhoe claim during the week. just past. ' The reef in which the discovery was made has a general north, and jouth course, with an easterly underlie, and will average about four feet in thipkness. It is partly .composed of solid stone, and of friable quarts, fin both of which gold is plainly visible. In order to arrive at anything like a correct estimate of its value, however, It is necessary to have recourse to the. crushing process, and then the results obtainable are simply astounding. The Ivanhoe is situated on the Taukaneto hill, which forms the delta at the confluence of the Ohinemuri and Waitawhete Rivers. It was marked off so as. to embrace the northern continuation of the principal reefs that are, being worked on the' southern bank of the last mentioned stream It covers an area of 23 acres, and is located within a few chains of the Hauraki Company's battery, with which it can be connected at a comparatively trifling coat. ; Victokia. . ..

A most important mining discovery has been made at the claim of the Ironstone Junction Gold Mining Company, Malinesbury, nearKyneton. . Ah, immense amount of money has been spent in prospecting the. company's ground, of which there is a large area, the main drive having been extended '677 feet from the shaft. ' At this . distance a bore was; pull Up, and at 37 feet over the drivft strong wash was struck,, carrying an excellent prospect of gold. > The wash appear* to be dipping away very fast, at the, rate, of 11 feet in ,20. The company have purchased the large 'engine formerly used by theIronstone Leads Company. . The Cabinet have not yat come to a daoision in .regard ; to the whole of the amended terms upon, whih it is proposed in future tftle.nd,tne Government diamond drills to mining companies'. Since a .large, . number of (thefie 'machines were, returned to the* Mining department, and, have been lying .Urtused for ; some months, it has become/imperative. for the Government to hasten -a- decision on this matter. No doubt exists about the usefulness of the drills )i or prospecting purposes, and the, whole point, involved is to reduce their cost to> mining companies. The mining iinipeetOWf throughout the colony have been requestedifcofurrtiahany information in. their possession ,as to the most advantageous- terms upon which diamond drills will be employed either in prospecting known ,auriferouß country, from the surfacetor fender ground, or /in developing maiden/! ground.' A modification, of the terms hitherto exacted, from mining comp&nies has already been agreed to, but as it is ptfSp'tfsßdtO'fix upon.' more than one i(fcaleof<£har.ges : in order to meet different sets of applications, the amended scheme will not . be , published until it, is completed. ;'.,j _ ,; _/ : ' :

The "Castlemaine Leader" gives the following description of anew patent which is likely to prove of some value to the mining community :—": — " Mr Scott, the inventor of the combined engine and battery, was. general manager and engineer of the celebrated Coltness Ironworks in Scotland until his health necessitated a visit to a milder climate. The patent consists of a special combination of the battery und engine, by which the latter is carried on the iron cap of the battery horse, and the whole has been designed to be as light as is consistent with rigidity and strength. The engine is a sin cylinder, lOin stroke, calculated to work at 200 revolution! and at a pressure of 80 ; and the horses are made of iron, but in pieces bolted together for convenience of carriage and ease in erection. The engine shaft carries the fly-wheel and pinion, working in a cam shaf twheel of 4 feet diameter. The gear is shrouded and turned, the shanks are 3in screwed, and the discs Walt's patent. The stamper-box has self-fastening liners to all necessary parts that can be removed and replaced without bolts in a few minutes. The heads are the ordinary 9in diameter shoes and heads. The cheeks carrying the guides are of Oregon pine and are also bolted to the iron, horses. The boxeß are clamped to the wood cheeks, and thus avoid some of the vibration that is sometimes urged against horses and cheeks wholly made of iron. The engine is fitted with governors, and made to work ai economically as possible. Each battery is complete in itself. It seems as if a long felt want has been supplied, in » semi-portable battery of the full power of ■ an ordinary five heads, that will alike suit ; for a twenty-head plant or a prospecting party.