C.—3

100

Quartz-mining. Cromwell Proprietary Gold-mining Company, Bendigo (J. A. Dobson). —(21/11/99) : Work suspended temporarily pending new arrangements with tributers, who are on the claim ready to start work. It is expected that development-work will be resumed shortly. A prospecting-shaft was being sunk up the hill on the )ine of reef, but operations are suspended in the meantime. Work recently done mainly on the 150 ft. level in the whim-shaft, the stone from which paid fairly well. Glenrock Consolidated (Limited) : Premier Mine, Maoetown (W. Patton, manager).—(27/11/99) : Stone in sight is limited in. quantity, but a new lead of quartz, which it is hoped will make and carry for some distance, appears in Nos. 21 and 22 rises. At the end of the main level (1,500 ft.) an electric motor is used for hauling out of the dip, and also for driving an air-fan. Air is forced from the fan to the face (1,200 ft.) in 4 in. pipes, and, as may be expected, the air in the working-faces is rather dull. Mr. Patton proposes to bring over and use a larger fan now lying at the Westralia Mine, which is idle at present. The reef being worked " bottoms," and the main dip is being driven on the " cut-out," which dips at an inclination of about lin 4. Substantial timber is used, and kept well up to the face where required. Eight men are employed. Tipperary Mine, Macetown. —(27/11/99): Mine and battery standing; nothing doing. Mr. Millard, late foreman, is now working in the Premier Mine. Achilles Goldfields (Limited), Bullendale (James Edwards, manager ; J. S. Cherry, superintendent). —(30/11/99) : No 6 level being opened out on both sides of the incline shaft. On the western side stone appears in the bottom, and, being irregular in run, a crosscut is being put in to prove it. These levels are being driven with continuous shifts, and will doubtless prove the ground rapidly. The crosscut in No. 6, besides prospecting for the lode which is supposed to be in there, is also trying to locate an old level known as Plumb's winze, and which may contain a body of water. The winze was packed, but to what extent is not known, as there are no plans of the work available, but some of the old hands know of the existence of this winze. The face and sides of the crosscut indicate proximity to water, and boreholes are being regularly kept going. (I wrote Mr. Edwards on the 25th December, 1899, drawing his attention to general rule 40, section 206 of " The Mining Act, 1898," and asked him to comply with same in regard to the crosscuts being driven to locate Plumb's winze.) Except in No. 6 level, the air is good throughout the mine. Ladders, timbering, and appliances are in excellent order. During the inspection by Mr. Hayes and myself we found that the men in No. 6 level were very careless in their handling of dynamite. We observed five plugs of dynamite in the nail-box on the roadside, and a box of caps on a ledge just above the box ; further in two plugs were lying on a small ledge on the roadside. I gave Mr. Cherry notice to prosecute, and two men named Jones and Buckham were fined ss. each, and ordered to pay £1 9s. costs of Court, and 10s. 6d. professional fee. Bella Beef, Lammerlaw, Waipori (Stewart and party; R. Kruger, manager).—(l 3/12/99): Work has been going on intermittently for some years. After being idle for a considerable time, a small company was recently formed to work the mine. The stone is poor, and the locality is somewhat inaccessible. Work has to be suspended during winter owing to frost. The level has been driven 500 ft. on the line of reef, and the stone stoped out overhead. There is a good deal of water dropping from the roof. The timber in places is showing signs of deterioration. At the face the stringers of quartz are split by mullock. A thin vein of quartz left on the hanging-wall by the former manager is being taken off. The men in charge apparently have no conception of the Mining Act, and in consequence have failed to comply with its requirements in toto. On my return to Dunedin I wrote the manager pointing out that he would have to comply with the requirements of the Act, notwithstanding the fact that the mine was being worked on a small scale. Cox's Beef, Lammerlaw Bange, Waipori. —A small battery of five heads of stamps erected at the mine. The crosscut drive is in 300 ft. Mr. Knight anticipates that another 200 ft. will cut the reef, which is expected to be a good one. A fresh start is to be made at an early date. Not visited. O.P.Q. (Waipori) Gold-mines (Limited), Waipori (A. E. Inder, general manager ; G. M. Steadman, mine-manager). —(14/12/99): Air slack at face of 270 ft. level (No. 3). Water-blast used for driving air in, but, the pipes being only 3 in. diameter and 320 ft. in length, friction is rapidly overcoming efficiency. Timber excellent throughout the mine. A good deal of opening-out and developing work has been done, and there should be a steady output of stone for some time after stoping begins. The stone is patchy, and in places distributed in thin veins throughout the mullock. Having plenty of battery-power, everything—mullock and stone—is being put through in the meantime, which saves a large amount of picking. Winding plant and appliances generally in good order. Number of men employed—Underground, 20 ; above, 11: total, 31. Harris's Saddle Hill Gold-mining Syndicate (Adam Harris, manager).—(l 9/12/99) : Mr. Harris worked on this reef some years ago, and is now prospecting for some scheelite which he then knew to exist. The tunnel, which is in 250 ft., has cut two small shoots, and is now running along a flat leader carrying pug and barren quartz. White's Beef, Old Man Bange (R. T. Symes, manager). —(10/1/1900) : Putting in prospecting low-level tunnel to cut reef at 100 ft. below old workings. Mr. Symes is trying to get below and beyond the old workings, and is sanguine that some rich stone will be struck. Timber good and air excellent. Five-head battery driven by turbine. Six men are employed. Gabriel's Gully Quartz. —(6/2/1900): Mine abandoned. Fallen in. Bonanza Gold-mining Syndicate, Macrae's (Beal and Peterson, owners; C. Rillstone, manager). —(28/2/1900): Strike of reef east and west, dip north. Main low level cuts the reef at 500 ft., and is continued for 1,000 ft. on the line of reef, at which point the stone is lost, the reef being split into several confusing shoots of mullock carrying thin veins of barren quartz. A pro-