C—6

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Crushings were taken out, 370 tons yielding 3720z. of gold. The company is now prospecting at 280 ft. level. No. 2 South Keep It Dark. —Stone has been followed on the 280 ft. level a distance of 50ft. The stone is about 3ft. wide and of good quality. Preparations are now being made to take out a crushing. Venus. —The reef was struck in No. 3 Level after driving a distance of 850 ft. The reef was then driven on for 110 ft., and at 100 ft. an uprise was started to connect with the winze, the intersection taking place 124 ft. from the floor of No. 3 Level. The stone is of good quality, being estimated at an ounce per ton, and as it averages 2ft. in width, and there will be about 225 ft. of backs on this level, the company should have continuous crushings with ten heads for a considerable time with profitable results. Crushing will commence in a fortnight. Energy. —This is the old Energetic claim and was purchased by Mr. E. J. Tonks, of Greymouth, who has let the mine on tribute to a party of miners. It was the intention of the tributers to prospect for a rich body of stone, known as the " little reef," which was lost by the company, before starting on this work, however, they took out a crushing of 260 tons of quartz left by the old company as not payable. This has proved remunerative to the tributers, and they are now taking out another crushing of 200 tons from the same block. Inglewood. —The low-level tunnel, taken in at a level with the battery, has been completed after driving 1,400 ft., at a cost of £2,500. This will give 238 ft. of perpendicular backs up to Phcenix and Inglewood joint level. The reef underlies to the west at an angle of 45°, thus giving about 357 ft. of backs on the reef. The reef has recently been cut, and, at date, has been driven on 14ft., showing 3ft. of stone, estimated by the manager equal to an ounce per ton. In the upperlevel a parallel reef existed 6ft. away from the reef now struck. This second reef is also shown as making in the lower-level. The mine requires ventilation by an uprise on the reef to the level above. This work will shortly be started, and, when completed, will enable the mine to be stoped. In the interval there will be small crushings. Boatman's. Welcome.— The sinking of the main-shaft to a depth of 156 ft. was completed early in June last. A cross-cut was then put in from the shaft to cut the line of reef. This cross-cut was driven 260 ft. in length, at which point an uprise of 40ft. was constructed in order to connect with the winze, which had been sunk on stone 130 ft. below No. 8 Level. Driving on the stone north and south was then commenced. The reef has been driven on south 120 ft., the stone proving somewhat broken (averaging about 18in. in width), but it is of good quality. To the north the drive has been extended 80ft. on stone 2ft. wide, which is estimated will yield 2oz. to the ton. A second winze has been sunk from No. 8 Level 100 ft. north of the winze previously mentioned. This winze has now been sunk, following stone, 60ft., and will be connected with the level now being extended north from the old winze, which will increase the ventilation and open up more ground on the reef. There are twelve faces of stone now being worked, and the mine is in good working order, and crushing will very shortly be recommenced. The prospects of the mine are much brighter at the present than they have been for a long time. Specimen Hill. —A fair amount of work has been clone in this claim during the year, but the crushings have not been very good, 298 tons of stone yielding only 1990z. of gold. Eureka Company. —This company has done an enormous amount of work, and have spent on the mine and machinery £18,000. The incline tunnel has been driven 1,800 ft., from the end of which a main level has been extended 660 ft., making the total length of the tunnel 2,460 ft. During the year the company has been vigorously at work endeavouring to pick up the underlie of the Welcome reef. Near the end of the tunnel a winze was sunk to a depth of 242 ft., or to a total depth of 775 ft. from the surface. A cross-cut was then put in, but without finding payable stone. A cross-cut was then driven about 300 ft. from the foot of the incline, and from the end of this crosscut an uprise has been constructed. The uprise is now up 46ft. Homeivard Bound. —This company is now sinking a main shaft from the Little Boatman's Creek Low-level Tunnel Company's tunnel, which has been driven 2000 ft. Here the windingmachinery has been erected, the motive power for driving being compressed air. The machinsry for supplying the compressed air is placed at the mouth of the tunnel. This machinery consists of engine and boiler and a National air-compresser. The shaft has now been sunk 300 ft., and it is proposed to continue sinking until a depth of 600 ft. is attained before opening a level on the line of the Welcome reef. Fiery Cross. —The crushings were not so large or continuous as it was thought they would have been, some blank country being met with. Passing through this blank a reef was recently struck on the 450 ft. level. The find is a most important one. Opinions vary as to this reef, some being of the opinion that it is the northern extension of the blocks in the Walhalla and Just in Time mines; others, again, believe it to be a continuation of the old El Dorado reef. There is an abundance of stone visible at both north and south ends of the mine. The newly-found stone is of good payable quality, and is, I believe, about 6ft. wide. The prospects of the company have not looked brighter for some time past. Just in Time. —This company has been and still is employed opening up the south end of the mine. An intermediate level has been opened up 113 ft. from the bottom of the main-shaft, and on the extension of this level two runs of stone were met with which are distinguished as the East and West reefs. The company, to work these bodies of stone from the bottom level, is now engaged driving the necessary tunnels, &c. Dividends to the extent of £2,100 have been paid during the year. Hopeful Extended. —This mine has been idle for some time, owing to a dispute amongst the shareholders as to the best way of working the claim. It would seem that the reef now being