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that a great disturbance had at one time taken place, or that there had been an immense slip, car ing a portion of the range with it. The quartz lode here indicates the same thing; it is grea crushed and broken up, it being more like a stratum of quartz drift than a lode. However, ■ ore was of a payable character for working. The upper level was constructed on such a serpent course that it seemed to any one acquainted with mining that those who had charge of the w< at that time had no idea where the lode was to be found. A new adit-level, about 130 ft. below 1 present workings, is now being constructed, and gold-bearing quartz has been cut. On driving this for some distance it shows gold freely. The leader is from 6in to lft. in thickness, of the sa: crushed sugary appearance it had on the upper levels; but in this level it lies at a much 1 inclination from the horizon than it did near the surface. During the last year 105 tons of qua was crushed for a return of 630z. gold. Excelsior Beef.— -This was formerly worked by Messrs. Grossan and Gray, but during the li year Mr. Crossan sold his interest to his partner for, it is said, £250, and has now left the d trict. The lode is still being worked near the surface, but the yield of gold obtained last ye has not been so rich as formerly. An adit-level has been constructed from the face of the range : a distance of 280 ft. along the track of the lode, and will come under the old workings, so as to give fair height of backs. The country-rock where this adit goes through is very broken, somewt similar to that in which White's reef is found, and to all appearance is a part of a large slip from t range. Sluicing operations are sometimes carried on here, washing away an old slip on the east si of the lode, where the range is very steep, which consists of clay and loose blocks of schistose ro mixed with quartz which contains gold. During the last year 58 tons of stone was crushed, whi yielded 118oz. gold. Garrick Bange. Eich auriferous lodes were worked here in the early days, and a number of claims were taken v One of the companies who owned the Eoyal Oak Mine is said to have paid £14,000 in dividend but after going down some 70ft. on the lode the shot of gold in the stone seemed to cut out, or, least, the" quaTtz became of too low grade to pay for working at that time, and the ground Is abandoned for several years. Another company was formed about twelve years ago, who took \ this ground and constructed a low-level adit from the face of the hill near the head of Smith's Gul for a distance of about 1,100 ft., but were not successful in finding any lode of a payable charact for working, and they suspended operations. At the same time this low-level adit was being co structed, the Star of the Bast Company also drove an adit-level for a distance of 500 ft. on anoth line of reef, but this company did not meet with success. Several other parties of miners have do a considerable amount of prospecting here with the view of picking up the rich shot of gold-bearii stone found in the Eoyal Oak Mine, without being remunerated for their labours. For many yea these mines have been abandoned, or, at least, all mining operations have been suspended. Day Dawn. —This is a mine taken up on the Carrick Range by Lawrance Brothers, who a: working on a lode about 14in. in thickness, on what is known as the middle level. The lode w; average the width stated for about a distance of 280 ft. along the adit-level, and is enclosed betwee well-defined solid walls. In connection with this mine they have a small crushing-battery coj sisting of four heads of stamps, which is driven by a Pelton water-wheel, 4ft. diameter, under a hes of 250 ft., and about half a sluice-head is available at this elevation, which is equal to about IOJ-hors power. They have therefore plenty of power to drive the crushing-battery. With this small plai they will be able to crush between 20 and 30 tons of ore a week if working continuously, ar. from the battery returns forwarded from this plant it shows the average yield to be 13'31dwt. i gold per ton, as during the past year 350 tons of quartz were crushed, which yielded 2300z. goli while only three men are employed. It will be of interest to watch the result of working this mini as it may be the means of other claims being taken up and prospecting operations carried on. New Bendigo. The only mine at work here is the Cromwell Company. This was one of the richest quarts mines in Otago, and from which more gold has been obtained than any other. It is the onl quartz-mine from which a large sum has been paid in dividends to the shareholders, some of whoi are said to have received as much as £40,000 for the interest they held, while the total amour of dividends paid is said to have been over £400,000. The first company who were successful i paying dividends from the mining operations worked the lode down to a distance of about 420 ft the lode varying greatly in size, but enclosed between two highly-defined walls, and cutting throug the country-rock. It is a true fissure-lode, and likely to run for a considerable distance along th range. No doubt breaks and dislocations will occur, but there is a great possibility of it bein picked up again. The course of the lode is west by north, having a steep underlie to the north wards. On the easterly end of the workings, a large dislocation has taken place, and apparentl thrown the lode down the range for some distance. It has never been picked up here, but on th western end of the lode the defined walls continue, but the quartz at this point is said to be of grade. The workings have been continued for about I,oooft. along the lode, which in some of the uppe levels was, in places, 6ft. in width. There is a considerable body of ore here and there in the lod> above the 420 ft. level, which was, in the early days, considered of too low grade to take out During my visit to this mine the upper levels were being worked from the 150 ft. level by a party o ten tributers, who pay the company 15 per cent, of the gross yield of the gold they obtain, but thei have the use of the crushing-battery, and it was said that these men were making about £18 a montl after paying all expenses. The battery returns from this mine last year show that 542 tons o quartz was crushed, which yielded 4510z. gold. This would represent a value of about £1,759 Deducting the 15 percent, tribute, it would leave an average of about £148 10s. per man per annum 13—C. 3.

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