MINING NEWS.

Inangahua Times, Volume XI, Issue 1675, 8 March 1886, Page 2

MINING NEWS.

.#. [From our Mining R portbr] Saturday, 6. The following are Hie battery returns for the past week : — Venus— 407<>z amalgam. Keep • it - Dark- 2250za of amalgam. Inolbwood — 1720zs of amalgam. KEEPIT-DARK. The battery returns today are np to about the usual average, the ' first scraping in the month. The winze having been carried to a depth of about 100ft on the reef, sinking has been suspended for the time beiug. A splendid body of atone was carried all | the way down, the regularity of the 1 lode being iu fact quite phenomenal. j The depth to which the reef lias now | been proved places the future of the ! mine beyond doubt The siuking of i the main shaft is going on apace, but j according to th« bulk of the reef now •i being worked there is no great need for expedition in the matter of opening up the next level. VENUS. The first scraping from the plate* took place this afternoon, the total I quantity of amalgam obtained »o date j being 4070z5. Thit was retorted this eveumg and gave 1390zs 18H\vt of gold the product of 200 tons of stone. INGLE WOOD EXTENDED. The battery was set going on Monday last with a fair supply of water, but the flow gradually dwindled and at the present timt 1 it is barely sufficient for requirements. T ! ie returns for the ! week are. however, remarkably good, ; namely 1720zs of Amalgam from 70 tons of stone. This company has had a long up hill struggle but there seems every prospect of the shareholders ; reaping the henefit they have so well I earned. No. 2 SOUTH KEEPIT-DARK. Sinking is still being continued from the level, and a promising body of stone has been followed for some ; distance. The country is becoming I more regular and solid, and every foot : sunk seems to strengthen the prospect of a well formed reef making. WEALTH OF NATIONS. The sinking of the main shaft has been discontinued pending the erection of the required winding appliances. These are now in course of construction, and upou their comple tion sinking will be resnined. In the j meantime the six berdans are grinding | tailings, from which a fair profit is beiug derived. NIL DESPERANDUM. The winding plant being now out of the contractors handg, the work of baling the shaft will be the next work to be taken in hand. GOLDEN TREASURE. Prospecting operations are still being carried on from the B level, but so far, nothing of importance has been met with. INANGAHUA LOW LEVEL. A change in the character of the country being piorced occurred during the week, and a more favourable format iou is now being crossed. HOMEWARD BOUND. This company has been in negotiation with the Eureka Company, with the view of arranging to work from the Eureka incline tunnel. So far, however, no agreement has been arrived at, the terms offered being regarded as not sufficiently favourable. Under these ciicnmstances it seems unlikely that any thing will come of the proposal. EUREKA. Mr Walking, C.E., has been engaged to make a thorough survey of the underground working* of the Welcome Company, with a view of more accurately determining the coarse of the ref f in relation to the Eureka ground. Tl.e survey is now in progress. What promises to be a very valunb'e discovery was made by Heaphy and party during the week, on the main range between Boatman's ami fc!»e Left-haid Branch. They were rro«-

acting in the locality when they :ame across soni* very nice specimens. fhis led to a more careful extaii nation, md finally revelled a toleratily well lefined reef, from one to two feet thick, riiey traced the course of the stone for some distance, and were, sontisfi 'd that they applit d for a lease of the ground. Other parties have sine* visited the spot, and taken tip ground on the line, the latest being Grieve and party, who have secured a section north and adjoining the prospector?. A sample of ;he stone has been brought to town and shows remark* aMy coarse gold, and should the pro* pecting work of he. next few days go to more fully confirm the surface indications, thei c is no doubt that a very valuable addition has own male to our present reefing area. The locality is an entirely new one, being considerably «ou h of the Justin Time, on about the same line, and it is not unlikely that a continuation of the stone will be p eked up further south still.