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being unusually happy and a long way above the average.'l'he toasts and speeches were in- terspersed with excellent and appropriate music, instrumental and vocal, supplied by the Band of the King's Own Regiment, and songs by Bros. G. P. Lammert, Ward, Berger, Bottenheim, Cumming, P. G. Davies, and last, but not least. Bro. J. McKie. At mid-night the Brethren brought the proceedings to a close by singing Auld Lang Syne" in excellent style, each verse being sung 88 a solo by different brethren.
This gathering was one that will always be remembered by every one who was fortunate to be present. It may be remarked here that Masonry (English and Scotch) is undoubtedly increasing in Hongkong in a very satisfactory degree, last year having been & record year
in the colony as regards the number of new members, in not one, but in all lodges. This fact must be very gratifying to the R.W. the District Grand Master, and to all who cherish the welfare of the craft. The advent of so. eutbusiastic and eminent a masou as H.E Sir Henry Blake, G.C.M.G., our new Governor has proved himselt to be, is confidently looked forward to as the means of giving the craft a still further impetus.
THE GREAT EASTERN AND CALI- DUNIAN GULD MINING CO., LIMIT. D.
The following report has been received by Messrs Lutgens. Eiustmann & Co., the general agents, from the manager at the mines-
Since my last report of the 3d instant I have put on a few more men, so as to push the work ahead as fast as possible, for our battery is bearing completion, and although we have suf- ficient quartz at the various shafts for a good start, yet the development work must be kept going and the more of this is done before the commencement of the crushings the easier it is afterwards to keep the battery going.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Great Eastern Mine.-The contractors have carried the rise up to 15 feet, which shows over 3 feet of fine quartz. There are in this mine two kinds of ore, the one a whitish quartz as in the upper level, worth about ounce perion, and
• dark blue stone, which came in at the lower level, and which is considerably richer, fine gold showing on the face of the quartz freely. I have also started three shafts each side to beat out the leading stope. In the north the stope has been carried along 8 feet with the reef sbowing 4 feet in the face, and the south stope has been put in 5 feet with a reef of about three feet in the face, the ore in both cases looking well. The drives on this reef both north and south should be continued, as well as a connect. ing winze, mentioned in my last, from the upper level be sunk simultaneously, but I cannot do this yet. We have about 200 tons at grass.
Zulu Mine. The drive south has been put in 48 feet and at present the reef is only a few inches wide, but of its usual richness. The leading stope has been carried in 12 feet with the reef at present only 6 inches in the face, but the width varies almost daily and to morrow it may be 18 inches again. In the north I have stopped the men from driving at present, as the chute is getting poor there, possibly one of those blanks which always occur at the end of a chute. The drive has been put in 52 feet. the reef in the face being about one foot wide. We shall resume this drive later on. At
pre-
sent I have put the men on to put in the leading stope and started in 16 feet with the reef in the face showing about 2 feet. As soon as possible I shall continue the shaft, which is badly wanted.
-4
Rise and Shine-This is now just like the Zḍlu, small and eratic, but good. We have about 40 tons on top here As mentioned in my, last, I had started the men to drive in the upper level, immediately below the old workings to get at the true course of the reef, as the slide met with in the lower part of the shaft had anocked the ground about so much. We have now resumed our lower drive after having driven 18 feet under the old workings, and shall soon know more about it,
Bank of England. I have let a contract here to stope out the big reef. On the rich leader north we have driven 13 feet. It is 8 inches
wide, but much larger over head, and rich, the stone showing nice gold. I shall also let a contract here (ou fast now) for driving next week.
Battery. This is getting on fast now. The engine foundations are in course of construc- tion, the boilers are in position. also four of the six paus, the shed framing is finished, and the iron will be put on next week, but owing to the unfortunate delays explained in my last, I am sorry to say we shall not be able to start crush- ing before the end of December. With about 4.0 tous of quartz at grass at the Bank, our present quantity of ore raised will not fall much short of 800 tons.
OLIVES FREEHOLD MINES, LIMITED.
We have received the following report from the General Managers of work done at the mines :-
Eureka "A Shaft. The distances driven on November 13th were as follows:-
level North
150 feet
150
20-*
198 feet
J
200
13
Intermediate
34
19
feet
19
JE
South North 182 South 100 North 88 South 58 North Sonth
70
•
14
*
300
148 300
95 The October clean up yieldin. 286 ounces from 660 tons tone crushed. Most of the stone now being taken out is from the 150 feet level north and intermediate levels below 200 feet level. The ore at the 150 feet level north is improving. The reef in the drive at 300 feet level is showing signs of changing again, getting smaller and more mineralized, but not mach gold as yet.
Eureka "B" Shaft is down 136 feet, corres- ponding with the 150 feet level "A" Shaft. It is about 100 feet to the westward of the old Woolomoloo workings and driving eastwards has been commenced in order to pick up that reef, which was very rich near the surface.
RAUB.
'The Manager's Report for the five weeks follows:- ending on the th December, 1898, is AB
Raub Hole. The only work being done in drive and stoping on the ore chute. this section 8 the driving of the prospecting
distance of 80 ft. from the level. The country Prospecting Drive-This is now in a total
and sandstone, and is almost dry. As this is a gone through is very hard, close black slate purely prospecting drive in unexplored country it is impossible to say what might be met with. outcrop of quartz to the east. There are old native workings and a strong
Ore Chute. We are stoping this up from the 220 feet level. The chute ofre is about 30 Very fair gold can be seen in breaking the feet long by an average width of 24 inches, tone, 12 feet of the ore chute has been taken
[December 24 1898.
No. 1 Level South.—This end is now in over 1,000 ft. from the crosscut. In the face the lode is a series of leaders and bunches of quartz. We are taking this drive in about 8 ft. wide, most of the stuff going to the mill for crushing. In the Leading Stope over the back of the level we are taking 12 ft. wide of orushing stuff, in which very fair gold can be seen.
|
The Stopes above this are from 5 ft. to 14 ft. wide, and all looked very well.
No. 2 Level.-In the end going North the lode is 10 ft. wide, and shows real good gold for the whole width. In fact this end never looked better than at present, and as there is good gold in the level above for a long way ahead of this, it looks well for the future prospects of the Company, articularly as the backs between this and the No. 1 Level are untouched.
No. Level South end does not look so well as it did at the date of my last report. There is a foot to eighteen inches of stone on the foot- wall side of the lode all the rest being mullock, but there may be ore further East. This I cannot say until I put in a crosscnt to 888. This level is now about 850 feet from face to face. At present the water is very heavy in this mine owing to the heavy rains during the past three weeks.
No. 1 South Engine Shaft.-I am now put- ting up Poppet Heads and preparing founda- tions for Pumping and Winding Machinery..
Bukit Jellis.-The work being done in this saction is driving crosscnts east and west at 350 feet level.
The crosscut going East is now in 230 ft. from the shaft. I expected to cut the lode in data to go on at this level it is hard to say how this crosscut before this, but as I bave so little
that will depend on the underlie of the lode. far we may have to drive before we cut it, as
In the crosscut going West the drive has been in quartz leaders all the way. It is now iu 42 ft. from the shaft. About 20 ft. of the
leaders near the shaft carry gold, some of them being very good. About 20 ft. of this will eventually, when we start driving on it, be sent to the mill for crushing. This I think the same body of ore as we cut in sinking the shaft at 310 ft. carrying first class gold. The face of the drive at 350 ft. is now in broken country full of leaders. There is not a great deal of water at this level.
Weather. The monsoon has now fairly set in, and we can expect heavy rains for the next two or three months. This is giving the pumps in the different mines much heavier work.
Battery. The usual rough clean up for the for a yield of 3,689 ounces of amalgam from month of November took place on Monday lust
1,461 tons of ore crushed; this is fully up to the late average. The mill started crushing again
on the same afternoon.
Electric Installation, Sempam section.- Owing to the heavy rains and floods little progress has been made with the different works on this section. At the Dam some loss bas occurred by the floods carrying away material is difficult to avoid, owing to the nature used in the construction of the works. This
of the rock bound gorge in which the dam out to date.
is being constructed. Owing to the great fall Bukit Hitam.-Driving both no-th and south | in the river, floods come down with tremendous on the course of the lode has proceeded steadily, | force, sweeping everything loose before them. heavy rush of water.. Going North the drive is far as completed, although the rush of water with the exception of four days, owing to a
No damage has been done to the work so in 52 feet. For the last 5 feet the country is
was some feet over the top of it. Owing to a more regular, and about 5 inches of nice mine- combination of circumstances this work has ralized stone has made in the face. Going
been delayed, or it would have been completed South about 14 feet has been driven. We have before the wet set in I am afraid we shall not now got a well defined lode 18 inches wide in the be able to do much at this work until the fine- face of drive, and showing first rate gold, equal weather sets in. to fully 2 ounces per ton. It appears to im prove in size and quality as we drive on it. 'his end is very hard and wet, and bad air is also causing trouble. I am putting up a new ove hopper and laying down a short tramway so as to load the stuff direct into the railway trucks, as I expect to be crashing from this mine directly.
develop very well, particularly in the North Bukit Koman.-This section' continues to Drive, No. 2 Level. In the No. 1 Level North barst of water and stuff into the level. I do we have not been able to do any work since the at think it advisable to do anything during the present very wet weather, as the water is very heavy. As soon as the weather clears up I will resume work here,
:
Flume. Most of the timber for this is laid. on the track all ready to put together. A start will be made to put it together from the Pipe
head Reservoir end.
Pipe head Reservoir.-This is all ready to receive the pipe-head and flume.
Pipe Track 3,000 feet long is almost completed to power station. We can start laying the pipes at
any time.
except the drains for carrying water from Power Station.-Retaining wall and all work,
put up the building for power house at once. Pelton Wheels, are finished. We shall start to
Cable Track-74 miles. This has been cleared for 100 feet on each side of the cable, aud all timber likely to fall on the cables has
been felled,