9

C—3b

are the best-burning in the pit. A portion of the coal near the floor is not good, and, consequently, is allowed to remain there. 33. White's Mine. —(lß/12/93) : The stripping is from 6ft. to 7ft., and is kept well in advance of the coal face, which is about 20ft. The coal floor is level and hard. The dray-road to the pitbottom is made on an easy gradient, and is kept in good order. 34. Turnbull's Border Pit. —(lß/12/93): This pit is situated on Ida Valley Flat, near the flourmill, close to the roadside and Ida Stream, and 18ft. below the bed of same. The drainage is pumped this height by a small water-wheel of 3fft. in diameter. The stripping is loose gravel, of from sft. to 7ft. deep, and the thickness of coal is about 17ft. The bed of the Ida Valley Stream here is all coal. 35. Dunsmuir's Black Stone Hill. — (16/12/93) : There was no one at work at the time of my visit, but there was evidence of coal having lately been taken away from the pit. The stripping is not heavy, and the thickness of coal continues about the same as last year. 36. Jones's Cambrians' Mine. —(ls/12/93) : The pit-drain has been deepened considerably since my last year's visit, but the water has still to be lifted 7ft. by horse-power. The coal is from 30ft. to 35ft. thick, lying on sft. of kerosene shale, which yields a very high percentage of kerosene per ton. The seam dips about 1 in 3 to north-west, under a terrace, consequently the depth of stripping is increasing quickly, and is now 18ft. I spoke to Jones about giving the stripped face a greater slope, in order to be perfectly safe for the men in the pit-bottom. 37. Dunge's Cambrians' Pit. —(ls/12/93) : The depth of stripping and the thickness of coal are much the same as they were last year. The stripping is nearly all hard-packed gravel, and consequently stands well all round the face of the pit. The coal from this pit is very good of its kind, and has a large sale in the district. 38. Alexandra Mine.— (2s/5/93) : Immediately on reaching the working-faces I found fault with the sluggish state of the air. Mr. Thomson, the owner, who was with me, said he could not understand why the air was so bad, because it was generally too strong a current for the Chinamen working in the mine, who always complained of the " cold wind." On our return to the surface we visited the top of the upcast shaft, which is flush with the surface, and found carefully placed thereon a quantity of timber, with a particularly close covering of sugar-bags, and stones placed thereon to keep the wind from blowing them away— evidently the work of the Chinamen. On removing some of the bags the upcast current at once became very strong and unpleasant. Mr. Thomson promised to speak to his men about it, and at the same time keep an eye on the shaft. The workings are all in good order, and the working-places nicely laid out. The main heading from the shaft going west has reached soft coal, and the roof has caved and run up to some height, which is quite a new feature in this mine. This soft discovery will most likely prove to be a fault. The output from this mine during the past year was very good. 39. Lett's Macaueenville Mine. —(2s/5/93): The output has increased considerably lately in consequence of the consumption by many new dredges lately started between Alexandra and Clyde. The mine is in good order, and the air is good in all the workings. There is a splendid roof in every place, and the pillars are very solid. 40. Waikerikeri Mine. —(19/3/93): The mine has been flooded for some little time past, consequently the coal trade has been diverted to the Alexandra pits for a time. Mr. Holt, the owner of this mine, is, however, fully employed with his teams carting coal from Alexandra to Clyde and one or more dredges. Holt alleged that T. C. Main, the owner of the adjoining mine, had turned water from a race into his own mine and flooded his (Holt's) mine. I made a careful examination of the race and the surface where it was possible to do the damage complained of, but could see nothing to justify the statement. Holt was on the ground with me, but did not attempt to show where the water was turned into the mine. I then took the levels of the water in Holt's shaft and the head of Main's tail-race, and lower end of box in same, which, to my mind, after other observations, clearly show there is no connection between the two waters. The mine was again visited on the 21st December, but no one was there, and there were no indications of work having been lately done at the shaft. I then visited the new low-level adit started some months ago, and found it had been driven 189 ft., all in rock, but it was very clear that this work also had stopped. I learned in the township that the work was suspended for a time only, pending some new arrangements with the mortgagee, who intends to push on the work in the adit with all possible speed at an early date. 41. C. T. Marie's Dairy Creek Mine. —(l 9/3/93): This mine is said to have been on fire for the past three years. On going down the dip-drive to the edge of the coal, the atmosphere was found to be hot and unpleasant. I therefore did not think it wise to go any further into the mine. Main appears anxious to get coal, and did get out some quite lately, but the fire freshening up at the time prevented him getting any more for the time being. I urged him to open the pit in another place, which could be done at a small outlay. He then promised to do all necessary work to get out coal at an early date. The mine was again visited on the 21st December, and found in much the same state as it was on my previous visit. There did not appear to be any preparations made to open the mine away from where the fire is said to be. There was no new work, neither was any one there. 42. Excelsior Mine, Bannockburn. —(ls/3/93) : The first dip-drive into this mine has been altered and redriven at a steeper angle to reach the coal at a lower level. The seam (which stands nearly vertical) has been driven on the low level to the west a short distance to where soft and useless coal was met with, consequently that side was abandoned, and the east side is now being opened. The extent of coal on this side is not known yet. The water and coal are hauled up by a horse. 43. Gairnmuir Mine, Bannockburn. —(ls/3/93) : A long tunnel has been driven into the terrace, and on a level with the bed of tailings in the Bannockburn Creek. The material driven through is fairly dry, and laminated in many places, if not all the way, to the coal, and is fairly good 2—C. 3b.