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C—3

Shamrock Claim. —Considerable improvements in the appliances for working this claim have been effected during the past year, and an additional six heads of water have been obtained. Eight men are employed. General Exploration Company. —This company has been engaged in developing the Fairdown Terrace, to the northward of the Buller River, and the Bendigo Terrace, to the southward. The high-level cement areas at Four-mile are also to receive attention, while extensive prospecting operations have been carried on throughout the company's properties. It is intended to further enlarge the water-supply for the Fairdown Claim, and surveys have also been completed for an additional water-supply for Bendigo and Addison's Flat. To date the company has constructed 25,014 ft. of water-races and 10,857 ft. of tunnelling. The average number of men employed has been 218. Addison's Flat Golden Sand Company. —This Auckland company employs twelve men, and has. a ten-head battery, and an incline tramway on which the cement is brought to the mill, the motivepower being supplied by a 12 ft. water-wheel. Venture Claim has a twelve-stamp battery, driven by a 30 ft. diameter water-wheel, which is employed in crushing the cement, which is brought to the mill by means of a horse-tramway. Eight men are employed. Milligan and Party's Claim (Area, 50 acres). —Eleven men are employed. A ten-head stamper battery, driven by a 6 ft. Pelton wheel, is in use. Charleston. Dublin City Claim (Area, 9 acres). —An eight-head battery, driven by a water-wheel 36 ft. in diameter, is being worked by the four shareholders. Morning Star Claim. —A four-stamp battery, driven by a water-wheel 35 ft. in diameter, crushing about sixteen loads of cement a day, is at work. Four men are employed. Dee Creek Gold-sluicing Company (Area, 99 acres). —A water-race has been constructed three miles in length, and a dam has been erected. A tunnel is being driven to enable the tailings to be discharged into Dee Creek. It is anticipated that sluicing will be commenced in June. Thirty men are employed. At White's Point a scheme for the diversion of the Buller Eiver is contemplated, and two special claims have been applied for, which will be drained should the diversion be successfully carried out. At Maruia Mr. George Walker has two special claims and a licensed holding, comprising some 70 acres of alluvial ground, and water is now being brought in for use in ground-sluicing. Inangahua District. A 1 Sluicing Claim. —A subsidised prospecting tunnel in this claim has been put in a further distance of 728 ft., and is now in 1,317 ft. It is anticipated that the alluvial flat near Boatman's will be opened up on the completion of this drive. Grey District. Barry town No. 1 Claim (Area, 92 acres). —Twenty men have been employed in development operations during the year. The water-races are in a forward state, and it is anticipated that elevating appliances will be completed at an early date. Barrytown No. 2 Claim. —The construction of a water-race one mile in length has been energetically carried on. The wash in this claim is to be worked on the elevating principle, and, as the area is 100 acres, there is a large quantity of material to be operated on. Waiwera Special Claim. —Fifty men are employed on this property in the construction of waterraces. The beaches between Greymouth and Barrytown furnish payable employment for a number of men. Ahaura District. There are a large number of individual miners working in this district, at Callaghan's Creek, Nelson's Creek, and their tributaries. In German Gully development-works are being carried out by a Christchurch syndicate preparatory to starting hydraulic sluicing. Orwell Creek and Pennyweight Flat. —A considerable number of individual miners are engaged here, and if the water-supply were more regular their returns would be greater. Grey Valley. —The work of constructing water-races at Sulky Gully is being pushed on, and 185 chains between the rocky tunnel and head-race has been cut. The Montgomery Terrace Company intend to bring in water from Blackball Creek, a distance of some four miles. Half-ounce, Duffer's, Granville, and Noble's Greeks. —Only a few miners are employed on these creeks, in consequence of want of water. Bell Hill. —A few parties of miners are still working at Bell Hill, and water has been brought in by a Christchurch company to work their licensed holding. Taipo. —The Taipo Sluicing Company have been carrying on operations with a fair amount of success. No Town and Red Jack's. —A number of Chinese are working the beds of these creeks, and sluicing operations are being extensively carried on. Roaring Meg Sluicing Claim, Upper Blackball (Area, 50 acres). —Mr. G. Perotti, of Greymouth, gives the following account of the works : — " Last year the company bore the name of Eoaring Meg Water-race and Gold-mining Company, in co-operation. In September, 1897, the company was reorganized, under the appellation of the Roaring Meg Sluicing and Hydraulic-power Company (Limited). The first company, after spending £8,000 or £9,000 in development of the property, were unable to produce the further capital required to bring the claim to an effective working-point, and in order to succeed the old shareholders had to