a-3.

Kildare Hill Deep Claim, St. Bathan's (John Ewing). —(11/6/1901): No work has been done here for some time. Eagle and Gray's, St. Bathan's. —Ground-sluicing. (11/6/1901): Not working on the occasion of present visit. Water is brought in seven miles from Mount St. Bathan's. Four heads are available. United M. and E. Company, St. Bathan's (P. T. O'Eegan, manager). —(11/6/1901): Water is brought on to the claim by three races: (1.) The Eocks Gorge Eace, twelve miles long, carrying eight heads ; this is the old Enterprise race. (2.) A race from Mountain Creek, ten miles, carrying ten heads. (3.) The Blue Duck Eace from Dunstan Creek, five miles long, carrying six heads of water. After the top material is ground-sluiced away the rest is elevated 82 ft. in two lifts. Pressure available, 380 ft. vertical. Seven men employed. Vinegar Hill Claim, St. Bathan's (John Ewing).—(6/2/1901) : Not working. Nothing has been done for some time past in the Deep Claim, but the plant is in position. (10/6/1901) : The Deep Claim under Vinegar Hill is now in operation, having recently been restarted. Eight to twelve men employed. Cambrian's. Shepherd's Flat Claim, Cambrian's (John Ewing). —(6/2/1901) : The Vinegar Hill Claim wa.ter is being used, and one elevator is being kept working constantly. . The ground being treated is very stony, entailing much labour in raising aud stacking, but the claim is worked in a safe manner. (10/6/1901) : Work on the flat has been confined to a narrow strip, following a good run of gold up one side. The stone transit is not in use now. Mr. Ewing also has a plant erected further down the flat for testing the ground, but very little has been done. Morgan and Hughes, Shepherd's Flat, Cambrian s. —(6/2/1901) : Ground-sluicing. The face is high, and not sufficient batter kept on it for safe working. The material treated is stony, and a large amount of hand-labour is required to dispose of the blocks met with in the claim. Fordham and Gay's Hydraulic Sluicing Claim, Cambrian's. —(10/6/1901): The ground is about 20 ft. deep. 8 ft. is first sluiced off, and the rest elevated. Water is brought from Shepherd's Flat Creek, the supply being somewhat variable. Pressure, 127 ft. Length of pressure-pipes, 600 ft.; elevating, 20 ft. Three men employed. Matakanui. Ewing and McGonochie's Sluicing Claim, Tinker's (J. Naylor, manager).—(B/6/1901): The water-right consists of eight heads brought in from Thomson's Gorge; pressure, 500 ft.; elevating, 27 ft. 20 ft. of the top material, being non-auriferous, is sluiced off, and the remaining 25 ft. is elevated and passed over 48 ft. of iron boxes provided with angle-iron ripples and matting. The top material is very rough, but the lower layers are free from large stones. A nozzle is always in position to blow away the accumulated tailings at the end of the boxes. The water-supply varies with the season, and for that reason the number of hands employed is not; regular. Four men employed at present. Undaunted Gold-mining Company (Limited) (T. C. Donnelley, manager). —(8/6/1901) : Four races are brought in, giving an average of twelve heads of water. The race from Chatto Creek is twenty miles in length, and three races are brought in from Thomson's Creek. The first water-right from Thomson's Creek gives 400 ft. head of pressure in the claim, and is used for elevating the material to a height of 48 ft. The ground being worked, it is understood, is paying very well. Sugar-pot Elevating and Sluicing Company (C. Huddlestone, manager).—(B/6/1901): Eace four miles from Thomson's Gorge, carrying four heads of water, the supply, however, being variable and inadequate for the work in hand. Elevating, 27 ft.; but, as only a 5 in. throat can be used, a great deal of sorting and picking stones is necessary ; the stones being trucked away from the elevator. For last year the material treated averaged 2s. 2d. per cubic yard in value. Five men employed. /. Symes and Son's Sluicing Claim. — (8/6/1901) : Eight to eight heads of water from several gullies along the Dunstan Eange. 1,000 ft. of pressure-pipes, reduced from 13 in. to 7 in. diameter, are in use, a vertical pressure of 200 ft. being available. At present work consists of sluicing material away to make room for conveying the pipe-line to better ground. Two men employed. Owing to the free nature of the quartz drift this party has been unable to open up a paddock in their present position. Matakanui Gold-mining Company (G. Sutherland, manager).—(B/6/1901) : Ten heads of water are brought in fourteen miles from Lauder Creek; pressure, 200 ft.; lift, 20 ft. ; depth of ground, 20ft. ; pressure-pipes, 15 in-, 11 in., and 7 in. diameter. The company has recently taken up this claim, and is opening out the first paddock on a flat spur in the middle of the claim. Six men employed. Drybread Diggings, near Matakanui. —(B/6/1901) : Two parties (H. Glassford and Wilson) are engaged ground-sluicing. The former has a small water-right from the Lauder Creek. Devonshire Diggings, near Matakanui. —(B/6/1901) : Nothing doing at present. Spbingvalb. Springvale Sluicing Claim, Springvale (J. Gartley, manager).—(7/6/1901) : Ground-sluicing. Eace, sixteen miles, brought in from intermediate gullies in the Leaning Eock district. Fourteen heads of water available, with a pressure of 100 ft. vertical at the claim. 40 chains of pressurepipes are in use, reduced from 13 in. to 11 in. to 9 in. in diameter. A channel is being brought up from the river to work deep terrace ground. Alexandra. Tucker Hill Sluicing Company, Alexandra (J. Gartley, manager). — (6/6/1901): Area of claim, 12 acres. Operations are being carried on by ground-sluicing. Six heads of water are

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