114

C—3

Long Tunnel Claim, (Area, 60 acres; owners, Kumara Long Tunnel Gold-mining Company, Limited ; manager, Theodore Hahn). —This claim sluices into No. 4 channel, the water being chiefly obtained from the company's own race ; and, when necessary, this supply is supplemented from the Government water-race. About 142,800 yards of gravel was operated on during the year, which produced for the owners 238 oz. 3 dwt. 12 gr. of gold, valued at £928 13s. 9d.; this amount only being 40 per cent, of value received, the tributers receiving 60 per cent., out of which they paid all working-expenses and maintenance. The water-race is two miles in length (with a capacity of thirty heads), and connected with it is a quarter of a mile of 11 in. and 10 chains of 13 in. pipes. The value of water-race and plant is £4,000. The length of boxes is 3,000 ft., with a 6 in. grade. Seven men were employed. Neam and Netherway sluice into No. 3 channel, and obtained gold to the value of £583 16s. Arnerich and party, who have a private tail-race, got 141 oz. 7 dwt. 15 gr. of gold, valued at £550, which gave employment to four men. O'Connell and party, who own a private tail-race, sluiced about half an acre, and received a return of 295 oz., value £1,135 7s. 6d. Five men were employed. Bowden and party, of Nardoo Flat, obtained 155 oz. of gold, valued at £614 10s., and employed four men. Byan and Party's Claim (Area, 60,000 ft.; owner, D. Byan).—The principal work on this claim for this year was the putting-in of a drive some 400 ft., and getting the claim into workingorder. The value of the plant is £30. Three men were employed. As the drive put in by Mr. Byan is for the purpose of prospecting some of the deep leads, a subsidy has been granted for extending it another 200 ft. Warren and Party (Area, 2 acres; owner, William Warren). —This claim is worked from a drive, the length of which is 200 ft. The washdirt is 8 ft. in thickness, and 720 cubic yards was treated, for a yield of 45 oz. of gold, valued at £175 10s. Two men were employed. This claim is on one of the deep leads near Byan's tunnel. Channel Terrace Prospecting Claim (Area, 2 acres ; owners, H. Hoist and W. Beid). —This claim is worked by a drive, which is in 200 ft. About 1,320 cubic yards of material was operated on, yielding 50 oz., valued at £195. Value of plant, £20. Two men were employed. This is one of the deep-lead claims in the vicinity of Webster's and Byan's. Light and Party's Claim (Area, 3 acres; owners, Light and party). —The gold obtained was 250 oz., valued at £975. The length of pipes is 480 ft. (13 in.), and valued at £150. Five men were employed. Boberts and Party (Area, 3 acres; owners, Boberts and party).—There are 2$ chains of 18in. pipes, and the total pressure used is 70 ft. Three men were employed. Harris and Party's Claim (Owners, George and party). —The original area of this claim (4 acres) has, with the exception of half an acre, been worked out. From half an acre operated on during the year 162 oz. of gold was obtained, valued at £631 16s. There are 9 chains of 13 in. pipes, which, together with plant, is valued at £200. Four men were employed. Gullen and Party's Claim (Area, 12 acres ; owners, Cullen and party).—The water-race is half a mile in length, with a capacity of seven heads, with 19 chains of 15 in. pipes and 11 chains of 13 in. pipes, the value of which is £350. Six men were employed. Marshall and Party's Claim, Nardoo Flat. —The area of this claim (6 acres) is all but worked out, there only being one-eighth of an acre left to operate on. The quantity of gold obtained for the year was 120 oz., valued at £468. The water-race is 10 chains long, with a capacity of ten heads, and the length of pipes 17 chains of 15 in., valued at £250. Four men were employed. Carlsson's Claim, Mignonette Flat (Area, 20 acres; owner, C. P. Carlsson). — This claim yielded 125 oz. of gold, valued at £487 10s. The length of water-race is 1,568 ft., twelve Government heads, with 1,208 ft. of piping and 360 ft. fluming, valued at £400. The claim is shut down at present, it not being sufficiently payable to pay the full price charged for Government water, and it would require an outlay of about £600 to drive a new tail-race. Carlsson's Extended Claim, Dunedin Flat (Area, 3 acres; owner, C. P. Carlsson). —About an acre was operated on during the year, yielding 320 oz., valued at £1,248. The water-race is 950 ft. in length, ten Government heads, with 156 ft. of 22 in. and 540 ft. of 15 in. pipes. The value of pipes and nozzles is £150. Six men were employed. Shroder and Party's Claim (Owner, George Shroder). —There is only 1 out of 6 acres m this claim to be worked, 1-J- acres being worked during the year, from which 158 0z., valued at £616 45., was obtained. There is 18 chains of 18 in. pipes. The plant is valued at £250. Four men were employed. Throughout the district about the same number of men have been employed as was the case during the last year. The yield of gold was considerably lessened on account of the stoppage for some months of all work in No. 4 channel. It appears that the trustees who manage this channel had let the work of maintenance on contract, and the contractor had paid more attention to the boxes running freely than watching that the sides and roof of the tunnel were properly supported, and that the timbers were in good condition. Consequently gravel from the sides and roof was allowed to fall into the tunnel, but, as this was swept away along with the tailings, very little attention was directed to the places from, which the gravel fell. A continuation of this falling of gravel must have left large vacancies about the timbers, and the roof had caved to a considerable height; a bed of pug lying above the gravel must also have been undermined, with the result that an immense mass of this pug or soft clay fell down, completely obstructing the channel and breaking down and damaging the timbers. The trustees applied to the Government for assistance in clearing and repairing the channel, and this was granted to the extent of £134. A period of some months, however, elapsed after the breakage before sluicing was again commenced through this tunnel.