133

0.—3

a considerable quantity of surface stone was put through with favourable results. It is understood that the battery is now for sale. Mr. Mills has done a good deal of prospecting in the locality, the results of which are not announced. There is plenty of good stone on private property adjacent to the battery. Donaldson's Golden Point Mine (W. H. Lidston, manager).—(l 3/8/1902) : After the surface stone had been obtained a drive was commenced, and this is in a distance of 300 ft. The sloping was carried out to the open face, and mining is now being carried on in more solid country. At the time of my visit two men were in the face, and expected to break through for air in about 10 ft. The main drive was in good order, but required constant attention owing to the crush from the stoped-out area. I found gelignite and detonators lying in the mouth of the drive, and drew the manager's attention to this, writing to him on the 25th instant to provide proper storage. A tunnel, 6 ft. by 4 ft., is being driven to meet the main workings—in about 90 ft. Air in the mine was heavy after shot-firing, owing to there not being a free vent through the stoped-out ground. Messrs. Donaldson Bros, intend to put their stampers in crushing repair and discard the Huntingdon mill. Four men employed in the mine. On a later visit four men under Mr. J. Pascoe were laying bare the reef at a point on the line preparatory to mining it from that point. The reef is here very wide and carries a considerable amount of scheelite. The work is being conducted in a safe and workmanlike manner. In anticipation of a large body of payable stone being opened up, a new ten-head stamper-battery has recently been erected. This is to replace the Huntingdon mill so long in use and from which good results have been obtained. The 15-horse-power oil-engine, which has supplied the motive power for the mill, has been superseded by a Marshall 10-horse-power engine and 14-horse-power boiler, lately belonging to the Inchhohne Golddredging Company. Mr. W. Donaldson recently visited England in connection with the scheelite industry, and brought back with him a new Wqodbury shaking-table, which has been installed in place of the Frue vanner formerly in use. The sample of scheelite which comes off this table is of very fair quality, and with slight improvements Messrs. Donaldson expect to obtain good results from it. One advantage is that a larger quantity of material can be treated. The value of the concentrates is also very fair. Having plenty of power available, an additional ten head of stampers may be erected in the near future. Ounce Beef, Macrae's (Spiers and Ross, owners). —(13/8/1902) : As a flood had carried away the storage-dam for the battery, water operations have been discontinued at the mine, and Mr. Boss, a shareholder, gave me to understand that the mine will be let on tribute, as the restoration of the dam will be too large an undertaking for present shareholders. The mine has since been let on tribute for several months. Before starting in the mine the tributers continued the race some distance on to strike the creek higher up. (This was dead-work for them.) From 60 to 70 tons of stone was then taken out of the mine and crushed, but the returns were not encouraging after the outlay previously incurred. The stone had to be carted a distance of a mile to the battery, and this added considerably to the cost of getting the quartz. Lidstone and Sinclair are prospecting along the line of reef, taking out stone at various points. Golden Bar Gold-mining Company, Macrae's (D. Eeddie, manager). —(13/8/1902) : This property is held by a syndicate of working shareholders. All the surface stone having been mined, a level is driven 105 ft., and a rise put up 40 ft. on the reef, which averages 5 ft. wide. A further 40 ft. was driven from the rise for air, and completed. Before stoping the level will be driven on further to test the continuance of the reef. The walls are well defined, the country hard, and no timber has been required in the drive. A good deal of surface prospecting has proved the reef on the surface to be regular, although the value of the stone is not uniform. Seven men were in the mine. The battery is working sixteen hours a day, and four men are employed. A box for explosives was lying on the surface, and I informed the manager that safer storage should be provided, and wrote to him on the 22nd instant to the same effect. There is plenty of water available for crushing purposes at present. More recent information is to the effect that in the adit, which is driven for over 180 ft., a splendid block of stone has been opened on for the last 70 ft. Uprises for 50 ft. are through a strong body of quartz 4 ft. to 5 ft. in width, between strong walls. The average value of the stone is satisfactory, although blocks of barren stone are frequently met with. Unlike the Golden Point Mine (where the scheelite has gold and silver associated with it), in this mine where scheelite occurs the quartz becomes poor. Stoping is carried on vigorously, and the battery is kept running full time. Five men are employed in the mine, which, under the management of Mr. D. Peddie, is in good order. Filling for the worked-out stopes is sent in from the surface, and where it is not put in a plentiful supply of timber is used. Ventilation good throughout the mine. The quartz is carted by contract about half a mile to the battery. Crushing plant until lately consisted of a ten-head battery. The portable engine and boiler formerly in use has been discarded, and an 8-horse-power portable Marshall engine and boiler, working up to 801b. pressure, had been recently pat in. The power was not sufficient for ten head of stampers, and five were cut off. From 60 to 70 tons of quartz is now put through per week. The efficiency of the crushing plant is increased by the addition of a Challenge ore-feeder. The gold-saving appliances are the ordinary silvered plates. The explosives are kept in a secure magazine, and only sufficient for the day's requirements is taken into the mine. Alfred G. Davies, Dunback Hill, Stoneburn. —(ls/8/1902): Davies has lately acquired some freehold property, and is now prospecting an outcrop of quartz thereon. The width is about 3 ft., and is dipping slowly. A flood carried away both his storage-dams, and he now intends to procure an oil or steam engine to provide power for his five-head battery, which was formerly driven by an overshot water-wheel. Davies has since been mining a considerable amount of surface quartz from various points over his freehold property on Dunback Hill. The stone is carted some distance to the battery. This season Mr. Davies has installed a Ransome portable engine and