THE THAMES GOLD FIELD.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3249, 12 July 1871, Page 3

THE THAMES GOLD FIELD.

[From the New Zealand Hkbald, July 6.] The Caledonian is looking much better, good gold being got from some small leaders high up in the stopes, ■while the main run shows gold more freely than for some days past. The lode is now being stripped, and tonight a quantity of good specimens will be taken out.

The Caledonian have lodged to-day 504 ounces, making the total in bank 3543 ounces.

The Poverty and Charleston have finished crushing, after about 100 tons having passed through. Already they have 750 ounces hard amalgam in hand. There is more to come, and the yield is expected to be about 2£ ounces per ton.

The Vulcan machine started to-day in the presence of many visitors. Considering the state of the weather, everything passed off well, the machine working admirably. The mine was then inspected, and the guests returned, well pleased with the prospects they saw. Upwards of two hundred tons of stone are in paddock.

The Providence tributers have taken out some splendid stone from old level, and have 150 lbs in hand.

The Vale of Avoca have crushed 30 tons from No 2 reef, and obtained the fine yield of 62 ounces.

The Nonpareil mine is still keeping up the high character which it has sustained for several months past. The new leader, upon which they have opened out some sixty feet in a northeast and south-west direction from the cross-cut, gives out daily good specimens, the run of gold being chiefly confined over and under the main tunnel. A rise has been put up on either side of the tunnel, and the stone from this locality is very rich, while further away the stone is first-rate crushing dirt. On the main lode driving and stoping is being carried on with energy, and the weight of specimen stone obtained so far for the month is about equal to the same period for last. The general stuff, upon which ten heads are employed at the Criterion machine, is much better than last week, the battery manager reporting a decided improvement, so that taking all these into consideration there is every probability that the forthcoming yield will be such as to allow the directors to give about the same dividend as was declared last month.

Five heads of the Whau machine are employed upon stuff from the City of Glasgow i>eef. The Whau's employes are driving upon it, in order to get into their own ground from the Glasgow low tunnel. When the arrangement was enured into between the two companies fomthe joint use of this tunnel, it was ajSed by the Whau to crush for the Gnfogow people some thirty feet or so of the reef (which is, I think, the Flying Cloud), at a very low figure, that distance having to be taken down before this company entered within their pegs, and after doing bo a very short distance will bring them up to their own {i.e., Dixon's) celebrated reef. As in the Alburnia with the Stonewall Jackson tunnel from Tinker's G-ully, so in this company's mine, with regard to the City of Glasgow tunnel, this mode of working will prove an inestimable boon to the company, as it will give them well on to 200 feet of backs the entire length of the claim, below the present low level, exclusive of thoroughly draining it, which latter item has been a most

expensive one in the monthly accounts. Another great advantage of this tunnel, and which cannot be overlooked, is that it will enable the manager, once communication is effected with the upper levels, to send the whole of the stone direct into the mill by the truck that will receive the stone from the various passes that will be made. The remaining ten heads of the machine are employed upon the company's stuff from the various levels, which is showing up for the average latterly current. The low level drive, going towards Dixon's, is really looking well ; and if the mill were wholly engaged upon the stuff there would be a splendid yield.