100

C—3.

Collingwood. Golden Bidge (Taitapu Gold Estates), (James Carrol, mine-manager). —The various developments recently extended on the Ridge and Ant-hill sections of the property are now assuming important dimensions, while the gold-value raised shows a very creditable result. The property is nicely kept in all details and well ventilated. There are forty men employed. Golden Blocks (Taitapu). —The principal developments recently carried out on this property have been confined to sinking and driving on the southern outcrops, conjointly with the ore-body now being worked on No. 2 level. Stone for milling purposes is taken from the stopes on Nos. 2 and 3 levels, rising and driving being kept in progressive order to insure output of stone, while timbering and ventilation are strictly attended to. Milling and other plant are working satisfactorily. There are twenty-seven men employed. Westpobt. Bed Queen, Mokihinui. —This mine, situated at an altitude of 1,600 ft., is working a leader varying in width from 6in. to 9in., located in hard ground. A two-stamp battery driven by water-power constitutes the milling plant. Lady Agnes. —Peter Carlson is further prospecting this claim. Britannia. —Attention has been lately directed to further developing the reefs on No. 2 and creek levels. Stone on the creek level is small, but a nice body 2 ft. 6 in. in width was recently cut in No. 2. Scarcity of water for motive power has been a continued source of trouble, but efforts to remedy the defect are now being made. Stony Creek. —This company, after carrying out considerable development in prospecting and overhauling the milling plant and water-races, shut down all operations quite unexpectedly. Lyell. Alpine Extended. —The varied operations in connection with the ordinary working and future development of the mine have, during the past year, been carried on continuously. The milled tonnage, 2,369 tons, yielding a gold-value of £5,218, was chiefly stoped from No. 11 south, but unfortunately these stopes are now practically exhausted. No. 10 south has been further extended 91 ft. without meeting any values of importance other than a 6 in. vein of quartz near to the roof of drive; also, so far as prospecting has proved the ground in No. 7, values on that level are likewise practically nil. Probably the most important development on which the future prosperity of the mine depends is the values which deeper sinking will disclose below the main adit. Sinking is now proceeding satisfactorily to a further depth of 100 ft., but an additional 50 ft. will be completed before chambers are constructed, and crosscutting commenced therefrom. The results of this sinking will be anxiously awaited, it being the first deep sinking in the Lyell district. The workings are in good order, securely timbered, and well ventilated. Reports to date. Tyrconnel (Kelly and party; four men). —The workings are now confined to the Italy section of the property, whilst the No. 1 and low-level tunnels have recently undergone a thorough overhaul, and have been retimbered where required. Ventilation is maintained by an effective water-blast placed in the low level. Boatman's. Kirwan's Beward. —The ore won for milling purposes on this property is quarried from openface cuttings, varying in thickness from 30 ft. to 40 ft. Preparatory to milling, this peculiarly intermixed formation is carefully sorted and picked, but, notwithstanding the vigilant care taken in the removal of foreign and earthy impurities, the large percentages of useless matter unnecessarily crushed tends very materially to reduce the average gold-yield as compared with the tonnage milled. Recently the mill was augmented by the installation of five additional stamps. With this additional milling-power (now fifteen stamps), coupled with the proportionately increased carrying-capacity of the aerial tramway, there should be no difficulty experienced in maintaining increased dividends, compared with the former earnings of the ten stamps, from which a goldvalue of £10,267 was won from 3,423 tons of crushed stone during the year. In the commencement of the working season serious delays were experienced owing to several faces being covered up by numerous slides of debris brought down by the continuous heavy rain and snow-falls. The opening-out of these faces retarded operations, and work was not resumed until the 14th October, Lady of the Lake. —A. McKenzie, having secured a prospecting right over this area, is now driving a tunnel with the object of picking up some quartz supposed to have been left many years ago. The tunnel is securely timbered. Welcome. —Crushing was resumed on the 12th February, and has since been steadily continuous, milling the quartz as mined. By covering a lot of ground in the mine 1,781 tons of quartz was stoped, the average stoping-width being absurdly small. However, the stone produced was of good value, as the 1,776 tons crushed yielded bullion to the value of £3,492 19s. Bd., and the 1,324 tons of sands cyanided yielded bullion to the value of £1,109 17s. At the end of the year the stopes were looking very indifferent, and a continued yield of mill rock cannot be relied on. Reefton. Wealth of Nations. —Owing to the impossibility of extending the workings to greater depth with the present unsatisfactory system of hoisting by water-wheel power, there is practically no change to note at the bottom of the mine as compared with the corresponding period of last year, with the exception that a winze, now being sunk from the bottom (800 ft.) level, has attained a depth of 50 ft. A crosscut has also been driven from this level to connect with the site of the new shaft. These works constitute the total developments carried on for the year. Stoping was carried on generally between the 350 ft. level and the 800 ft. or bottom level, producing 11,566 tons