157

C.—3

soon as the pug bottom was struck. After working for a few weeks on this run of wash they got off it, but succeeded in finding another run of good ground on the south side of the river, at the head of a beach above where they had been formerly working. According to the balance-sheet the value of the gold obtained for the six months was £2,202 os. 7d., and the expenditure, including wages, new plant, and the office expenses, was £1,549 Is. Bd.; and £525 was paid in dividends, being 6d. per share on 21,000 shares. Alexandra Dredge. —This dredge is working in the Buller River opposite Fern Flat. The first company who owned this dredge had it constructed too small, and in placing additional weight on the hull it became submerged to such an extent that it was not safe to be aboard in anything like a strong cuiTent. The hull was raised over the part where the boiler and engines were placed, but nevertheless the dredge was twice sunk in the river, and, as on the last occasion the company who owned it went into liquidation, a party bought the whole of the appliances, together with the submerged dredge, for a very trifling amount. They succeeded in raising it at very little expense, and since the dredging operations have been again resumed regular dividends have been paid. At the present time this dredge gives the largest return of gold of any yet on the West Coast, and the dredging operations, at the time of my recent visit, were being carried on very near the same place where she was dredging two years ago, thus showing that there must be a considerable quantity of gold in the bed of the Buller Eiver at Fern Flat. Matahitaki Dredge. —This dredge was not working at the time of my last visit to this locality. It was formerly working in the bed of the Matakitaki Eiver about five miles above Murchison. The ground it was formerly working has now been all dredged, and the company has shifted the dredge to another part of the river. No information, however, could be obtained as to the yield of gold when dredging operations were carried on further than that it was a payable venture. A large number of dredges have been construe bed at different times on the West Coast, principally on the ocean-beaches, where the gold is of an exceedingly fine scaly character ; but none of these machines have so far been successful in saving sufficient gold to pay the expenses of working. This was not due to the lifting-capacity of the dredges, but to the appliances with which they were fitted for gold-saving. When dredging first commenced, many persons, without any knowledge of gold-saving, became dredging experts; but it very soon became patent that even those who had a great deal of experience in beach-workings were at fault. The appliances for lifting the material was all that could be desired, but the quantity lifted could not be successfully treated. In concluding my remarks on dredging : This is a branch of the mining industry which is only yet in its infancy. When these machines were first applied to mining there was many difficulties met with, not only had they to lift the material, but special contrivances had to be made to save the gold, and also to deposit the tailings and stones behind them, so that they could always be kept afloat. The latter has during the past year been successfully arranged, and appliances have been fitted to the sterns of some dredges which enables the banks of the rivers to be worked and the dredged material stacked behind them ; but the gold-saving appliances are yet far from being as perfect as they ought to be. In dealing with gold in the ocean-beaches, it would be well for those having dredges employed in working this class of material to pay a visit to the ocean-beach north of Charleston, and examine the appliances in use there. Instead of baize and blanketing being used on the tables, nothing is now required but copper plates coated with quicksilver. The use of these on dredges would necessitate very complete machinery or appliances for separating the stones, shingle, and fine gravel from the sand, and if this were done the silvered plates ought to act as well for saving the gold on dredges as on the smaller tables used by the beach-combers at this place. The hull of the dredge would necessarily have to be large to admit of a sufficient number of tables to be used to treat the material in an efficient manner. Not less than 50ft. in width of these tables would be required to treat successfully the material lifted by one of these dredges. Wherever there is fairly coarse gold there is very little trouble in saving it, but none of this class is found on the ocean-beaches.

EXPLORATIONS IN THE UREWERA COUNTRY. For many years it has been reported that gold existed, and rich auriferous specimens of quartz were said to be obtained, in some portions of the Urewera country. At a meeting of the Natives, held in January last at Ruatoke, some of the chiefs brought this question of gold discovery before the Hon. the Minister of Mines, who attended the meeting at the invitation of the Natives, and Tutakanahau, the principal chief of Maungapohatu, wished the Hon. Mr. Cadman to go into the country and personally verify their statements, and to have the stone analysed to get a definite estimate as to its value for the information of the Natives. The Hon. Mr. Cadman stated that the time at his disposal would not admit of his going into the interior of the country, but he arranged with the Natives to allow Mr. A. McKay, the Mining Geologist, and myself to go and examine the country and bring away some stone to have analysed, the reports of such analyses to be forwarded to the Natives interested in the land from whence the stone came; and all arrangements were concluded with Tutakanahau that we should visit that portion of the country at once, and his son was to accompany us as guide; he was also to go with us, but was afterwards prevented from doing so by a sudden illness which laid him prostrate for over a week, during which time we were at Maungapohatu. The following is a description of the country we passed through, and a report on its geological formation : — In accordance with the instructions to visit and examine certain localities in the Urewera country to which the Natives would take us, to ascertain the existence of gold or other minerals, and to bring back specimens of the stones and ore so as to have them analysed, and the results of such analyses forwarded to the Natives, we have the honour to report as follows : —