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MINING GENERALLY.—QUAETZ WORKINGS. COEOMANDEL DISTEICT. This field is looking better than it has done for some years. A large amount of English capital has been expended in working and opening out the mines belonging to the Kapanga and Coromandel companies, and a fair amount of success has attended their labour. It will be remembered, the Kapanga Mine has been worked by English companies for over sixteen years, and, although rich patches of gold were found in the lodes, it could never be made to pay working-expenses until the present company took possession and effected alterations and improvements in the mining machinery, and also opened out the mine more fully. At the time the present company purchased the mine, about three years ago, the shaft was 420 ft. deep, and the Kapanga and Scotty's Lodes were supposed to be worked out to that depth. Since the present company have commenced operations the shaft has been sunk to a depth of 500 ft., and a level opened out at this depth, cutting the Kapanga Lode, which has been driven on for some distance; but, so far, the company have not been successful in finding the lode payable for working at this level. The reef is greatly broken up, but the character of the stone gives indication that a payable shot of gold-bearing quartz is not far distant. Levels were also opened out at 420 ft. and 340 ft., and from these levels working has been carried on both on the Kapanga and Scotty's Lodes. After the company commenced operations they prospected the 300 ft. level on Scotty's Lode, and discovered a rich shot of gold, which the manager at one time thought would run up to the surface ; but after carrying up five stopes they broke into old workings. The length of this shot of gold was 80ft. At the 340 ft. and 420 ft. levels, where workings are now carried on, the Kapanga Lode averages about 18in. in width, and Scotty's Lode 2ft. in width. Arrangements are now being made to continue the sinking of the shaft to test the lode at a greater depth. There is a good opportunity for doing this here, as the quantity of water to contend with is very light when compared with the deep levels of the Thames. There are two 12in. plungers and a 9in. draw-lift fixed in the shaft, one below the other, the draw-lift being at the bottom: these, working with a 6ft. stroke, making three strokes and three-quarters per minute, easily keep the water down at the present time. While on the subject of sinking to test the deep levels it may be of interest to state that the whole of the quartz workings in the colony are merely on the surface when compared with the workings in the mines in Sandhurst, Victoria. The deepest shaft there is 2,400 ft., or about 1,400 ft. below sea-level. This refers to Mr. Landsell's No. 180. Auriferous quartz, in saddle-lodes, was traced from near the surface to a depth of 750 ft. —not in one continuous lode, but in a succession of saddle-lodes one below the other ; but at this depth the quartz pinched out, and in sinking down the shaft to a depth of 1,500 ft. no further trace of a lode could be discovered until this depth was reached, when another saddle-lode was found, which continued to go down to a depth of 1,875 ft. Eecently the shaft has been sunk down to a depth of 2,400 ft., and another gold-bearing lode has been struck. In October last a commencement was made to open out on this lode to prove it. This is merely quoted to show that auriferous lodes have been found payable at great depths in Victoria, which holds out an inducement to mining companies to test the deep levels in this colony. Since the Kapanga Company commenced operations they have crushed 3,000 tons of quartz, which has yielded 7,2230z. of gold, representing a value of £21,239, thus averaging 2oz. Bdwt. of gold per ton. During the twelve months ending on the 24th November last 2,291 tons of quartz was crushed, which yielded 5,4220z. of gold. This return is exclusive of about 401b. of specimenstone sent to the Melbourne Exhibition, and now being exhibited at Paris, which was valued by the Bank of New Zealand at Auckland at £400, but on which the manager places a value of £600. If the latter value can be realised it would show that there is about soz. 9dwt. of gold in every pound of stone. The specimens were by far the richest exhibited at the Exhibition. The balancesheet published by this company for the year ending the 7th July, 1888, shows that up to that date 2,163 tons of quartz had been crushed, yielding 4,3810z. of gold, which represented a value of £12,733. The expenditure on the mine and plant during this period was £9,137 ; thus leaving a net profit on the working of the mine of £3,596. This result must be very encouraging to the shareholders, and reflects credit on the management of the company, inasmuch as the stone is not so rich as it was in former years, when the late company could not make it pay working-expenses ; but the recent result is entirely due to a better and more systematic mode of conducting the operations. Any one who, having visited the mine in former years, now revisits it can see the marked improvement. Instead of the machinery working like a rattletrap, as formerly, it now works very smoothly; and the underground workings are more systematically opened out. Coromandel Company.- —This company purchased the Union Beach Company's mine and plant for £40,000, of which amount they paid £7,500 in cash and the balance in paid-up shares. They commenced operations in February, 1887, to get the water pumped out of the mine so as to see its condition. Since then they have sunk a new shaft on the side of the hill facing the sea, which is now down to a depth of 276 ft. below sea-level. This new shaft is intended for a working-shaft, while the old Union Beach shaft is to be used as a main pump-shaft. The latter shaft is 180 ft. in depth, in which is fixed a 12in.-plunger lift; and the water from the Palmerston shaft, which is about 360 ft. distant, is conveyed in boxes placed in the adit connecting the two shafts at the 180 ft. level. A 40in.-cylinder Cornish beam-engine, having 10ft. stroke, has recently been erected as a pumping-engine. It was purchased second-hand in England ; but the cylinder has been newly bored out and new piston fitted, with all the joints and wearing-parts so thoroughly overhauled that it is now equal to a new engine. This class of pumping-engine requires very solid foundations as well as strong framing. The latter in most cases is built of solid masonry, but in this instance the engine5—C. 2.

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