139

C.—3

Island Block. Island Block Sluicing and Elevating Company (James Nicholsen, manager).—Owing to the great length of pipe-line and consequent loss of pressure through friction the elevating plant is incapable of treating sufficient material to make the work remunerative. The gravel requires to be elevated 60 ft. in order to get fall for tailings. The top 40 ft. contains little gold, the wash being in or upon the bottom, which is a hard schist and full of crevices. This company has bought the Metallic dredge, and will re-erect it to work portion of this claim. When the dredge gets to work it is probable that the pipes (sluicing area) will be let on tribute to a party of working miners. At a subsequent visit I found that the plant and water had been let on tribute to D. Jones and party. The tributers will confine their operations to the east side of the channel, and have re-erected the elevating plant. The company's dredge is working a cut extending over the greater width of the flat. Edie and Kirkpatrick's Claim, Tallaburn. —Currie's Flat is still the scene of extensive sluicing operations, carried on by this party. A large area of shallow ground is sluiced off through a tailrace into the fiver. The back run of deep ground is then elevated through a small elevator and discharged over a run of boxes provided with gold-saving appliances, finally passing through the tail-race to the river. At the lower end of the tail-race there is a considerable spread of goldsaving tables, which save a large percentage of the gold lost in the claim. With a pressure of 340 ft. available on the flat a large amount of dirt is quickly shifted. Perforated plates and cocoanut-matting form the principal gold-saving appliances. Seven men employed. Curtin and Whelan s Sluicing Claim, Curries Flat. —Three men find employment in this claim. The ground is shallow and the water-supply poor. The gold is coarse. Miller's Flat. Golden Bun Hydraulic - sluicing Company, Miller's Flat (P. McLoughlin, manager).— Operations are rapidly advancing up the flat, and consequently loss of pressure is becoming very apparent. The ground varies from 40 ft. to 45 ft. in depth. The material has to be elevated over 60ft. from bedrock, so that the available pressure of 225 ft. is far from adequate in a claim in which successful working depends on the quantity of material elevated. The tailings from this claim have all been discharged into the river. The company's dredge is beginning at the lower end of the flat to work up behind the hydraulic plant. From twelve to fourteen men are employed in and about the sluicing claim. When this claim was last inspected it was found that the sluicing plant had been permanently closed down. Successful and economical work could not be carried on under existing pressure, and the company decided to discontinue sluicing operations in favour of dredging. The company has a powerful dredge fully capable of dealing with the ground ahead of it. Roxburgh. Boxburgh Amalgamated Mining and Sluicing Company, Boxburgh (J. H. Waigth, manager).— Under careful and economical management, this claim has been working almost continuously throughout the year with satisfactory results. Forty-five heads of water are brought in from Teviot Creek. Vertical pressure, 550 ft. The working-pressure of the claim is 2001b. to the square inch. Gold to theamount of 1,168 oz. 9 dwt. 11 gr. was won during the year, equalling in value £4,582 lis. 3d. The amount disbursed in dividends amounted to £2,184 Bs. The average number of men employed was twenty-two. Hercules Sluicing Claim, Boxburgh. —This plant and claim have been idle during the whole of the year. Ladysmith Sluicing Claim, Boxburgh (W. Donnelley, manager). —This claim is situated on the east bank of the river. The present water-supply brings fourteen heads of water into a dam on Cemetery Hill. This allows twenty-six heads to be brought on to the claim during working-hours under a vertical pressure of 80 ft. Height of lift, 23 ft. ; size of elevator-jet, 6 in.; size of throat, lOin. ; dirt-pipes, 18 in. diameter. The run consists of 230 ft. of boxes 2 ft. 6in. wide, fitted with flat-iron ripples, and has 3 in. fall in 12 ft. The pressure-pipes vary from 22 in. diameter to 11 in. This plant does good work. Four men are employed. A new race (which is to be brought in three miles from Teviot Creek) will carry thirty heads of water on to Cemetery Hill. The available vertical head will be 150 ft., or about 651b. to the square inch at the claim. Twenty heads of water will be used by this company, and ten heads will be dropped into Coulter and party's race. Coulter and Party's Sluicing Claim, Commissioners' Flat. —This is a privately owned hydraulicsluicing plant. Height of lift, 17 ft.; size of jet, 5f in. ; size of throat, 10 in. ; dirt-pipes, 15 in. diameter. The run consists of 600 ft. of boxes 2Jft. wide, and has 4 in. fall in 12 ft. The vertical head is 75 ft., and the working-pressure at the claim is about 281b. to the square inch. The face is 40 ft. high, and consists of a layer of heavy, stony material overlying a body of fine gravel, all more or less auriferous. At present the Ladysmith water is being used on this claim. Four heads of water are brought from Teviot Creek into a dam, which holds sufficient sluicing-water for eight hours. Three men employed. Manuel Bros. Sluicing Claim, Goal Creek Flat. —Four heads of water are brought on under a pressure of 65 ft. vertical head, enabling the material to be lifted 12 ft. The ground is over 60 ft. deep, and consists of rough river-wash. Pleasant Valley Gold-mining Company, Goal Creek Flat (R. George, manager).—The material is being lifted 20 ft. through an elevator having a 2 in. jet. The mass of stones and boulders in the claim is enormous, and a crane is used to lift the stones out of the working-paddock. Tailings are discharged down a tail-race 1,000 ft. long, paved with stones and having 4 in. fall to the 12 ft. Five men are employed. The ground is becoming too deep and heavy for the water-supply. When this claim was last inspected it was found that the old working had been abandoned, and a new open-