101

a—3

specting rise drive, 20 ft. west, meets fairly good stone at 130 ft. above the main-level face. The upper levels have been stoped out to the surface so far as they have been driven. The stone being taken out and crushed is got from the 200 ft. level, and occurs somewhat irregularly, branching into shoots varying from 3 in. to 12 in. in width. The quartz is dropped down a shoot, at the bottom of which the trucks are filled and run out on a good road to the aerial-rope tramway. There is plenty of unworked ground to the westward, rising on the ridge. The reef in that direction has been well proved, and is fairly payable, averaging 14 dwt. The stone is carried from the mouth of the main level to the battery by a travelling aerial rope-way, a quarter of a mile in length. Ten buckets, each capable of holding 2 cwt., are spaced along the rope, which is worked by gravitation. The battery-house contains a rock-breaker, 5 ft. grinding-pan, Challenge ore-feeder, and a 3 ft. Huntingdon mill, the whole driven by a 6 ft. Pelton wheel under 100 ft. head of pressure. Water, which is in short supply in summer, is stored in a dam averaging 8 ft. in depth, and having an area of about 1 acre. No rules posted. No magazine on surface ; case of dynamite simply laid under a ledge of overhanging rock up the gully. Fifty plugs of dynamite in an ordinary box in a drive underground; no door on the place or other measures taken to indicate its being a magazine. Air good, and a sufficiency of good timber used where required. I drew the manager's attention to the necessity for providing better storage for explosives, also as to posting of rules, and he promised to comply with requirements forthwith. Total of ten men employed. Mount Highlay Company, Hyde (C. Nunn). —(1/3/1900): Work stopped for aweek; cam-shaft broken. Reef cropping out on the surface 8 ft. wide, lying at an angle of about 45°, dip north. Incline shaft down about 100 ft., from bottom of which levels are driven on each side. Stone being blocked out from levels to the surface. Plenty of good timber used underground, and a large supply on top. No proper place below for explosives ; a box on the roadside, evidently used by the miners as a seat, contained fifty plugs of dynamite, half a box of caps, and some fuse. The tramway to the battery should be kept in a better state of repair, considering the risk of accident owing to the steepness of the sideling below. I wrote the manager requiring him to provide better storage arrangements for explosives. W. and G. Donaldson, Golden Point, Deepdell Creek, Macrae's. —(l/3/1900) : Blow of qua.rtz and scheelite on the point being worked opencast along the outcrop. Where the stone is taken out a well-defined reef can be seen, Bft. between the walls, dipping north, and laminated in the country-rock (schist). The stone is conveyed from the mine to the battery on a stationary rope-way 300 yards in length; the loaded box brings up the empty one. A flexible-wire rope is passed round a pulley at the head of the rope-way, and the ends are attached to the boxes. The battery plant (previously described) is capable of treating 60 tons weekly. A considerable percentage of high-grade scheelite is obtained, and, as there is a good demand for that mineral at present, the claim is highly remunerative. H. V. Mills and Sons, Macrae's. —(2/3/1900): This mine, like Donaldson's, is a blow of quartz on "the Mount Highlay line of reef, and is worked opencast on the outcrop. The stone is carted about half a mile to the battery. On the occasion of my visit the water-supply had given out, and all hands were occupied deepening the dam and increasing the height of the embankment. The battery, five heads, is served by a James ore-feeder, and is driven by a 7-horse-power portable Marshall engine. A Tangye pump, 5 in. by 5 in. by 2 in. delivery, is used for raising water from the dam to the battery-house. About 60 tons per week is put through when water is available. Gympie Beef, Adam's Gully, Garrick Bange (Lawrence Brothers). — (10/3/1900) : Prospectingtunnel in 40 ft.; shaft sunk 16 ft. on the reef. Taking out a small block of stone for trial crushing. Three men. Garrick Bange (Lawrence Brothers). —(10/3/1900): Cleaning out old workings on the Heart of Oak and Star of East reefs. Taking out any stone left by former owners, and also the filling, occasionally striking good patches. The work may be described as surface-work and fossicking, employing two men. Day Dawn, Garrick Bange (Lawrence Brothers). —(10/3/1900): Extensive work on good stone has been done on this reef in the past. Messrs. Lawrence have recently sunk a shaft 85 ft. on to the reef, and stoped out all the payable stone available. Intend prospecting further at an early date. Two men employed. Go-bye Claim, Garrick Bange (J. B. Holliday). —(10/3/1900): Prospecting-tunnel in 440 ft., but standing in the meantime waiting for timber. Expect to cut the reef almost any day. A prospectingrshaft is being sunk on a reef which is here dipping south, contrary to the usual northerly dip. Two men at work. Alluvial and Hydraulic Mining. Arrow Falls Sluicing Company (J. A. Miller, manager).—(27/11/99): A centre wall is carried from the tunnel up stream, and the water can be turned at pleasure into the tail-races on either side of the wall. 60 ft. of boxes on each side save the gold. This claim may be expected to improve in the near future. Some very heavy work has been done : one stone alone 40 ft. in length has been broken up and removed. The ground ahead is much lighter, and the claims widen out. Eight men are employed. Bakery Flat Sluicing Company, Upper Waipori (J. Johnston, manager).—(l 3/12/99) : Water is brought in from the eastern slopes of the Lammerlaw Ranges. The races are thirty-nine miles in length ; five heads of water at the claim, under 300 ft. of pressure, work one elevator and two directors. Face, 12 ft. Eight men are employed on this claim. O'Brien and Party, Golden Point, Upper Waipori. —(l3/12/99) : Small sluicing claim, half a mile above Bakery Flat. Not visited.