C—B

142

Joe Leys and Party, Main Gully. —This party have taken up a claim to work ground partly " Maori bottom " and partly blocks of original surface. These claims in the " Maori bottom " are now just about paying wages. There is about 26 ft. of overburden to shift before the auriferous seam is reached, and this combined with a poor watersupply and little fall for discharge of tailings reduce the value very considerably. /. Brown, Upper Kyeburn. —Claim at the head of School Flat. Ground-sluicing. Phillip Beer and Party, Upper Kyeburn. —Claim situated in Red Gully. Four heads of water are brought in five miles from Timber Creek, and four heads from Main Creek. Elevating claim. Three men. William McLelland, Bip and Tear Terrace, Upper Kyeburn. —Ground-sluicing. Water from Main Gully. Three men. Stewart and So?is, Upper Kyeburn. —-Ground-sluicing with water from German Creek. Sun Tye and Party. —No. 1 Claim: Ground-sluicing at Dinah's Creek. No. 2 Claim: Ground-sluicing at Monk's Terrace. Four men employed. Hamilton's. These diggings are now practically deserted. About seven heads of water from the Pigburn Creek are available on this field. The water is used for ground-sluicing by Roberts and Son, and also by Roberts and party. Patearoa. Patearoa Hydraulic-sluicing Claim, Patearoa. —This is a privately owned hydraulic-sluicing claim. There is deep ground in the claim, and at the time of inspection some terrace-ground was being sluiced away. Seven heads of water are brought in from the Sowburn Creek. Height of lift, 20 ft. Lusher and Party. —This party are working on the Sowburn, and Hambly Bros, on the Taieri River above Patearoa Station. Upper Taieri River. Fortification Hydraulic-sluicing Company, Bed Swamp, Lammerlaw Banges. —The prospecting paddock was sunk to a total depth of 52 ft. in the middle of the flat. Rough stony material was met with to a depth of 30 ft., carrying a little gold. A further 22 ft. was sunk through. This consisted of a compact schistose grit, but non-auriferous. At this depth the limit of the power was reached, and the flat was not bottomed. While awaiting the arrival and erection of the elevating plant, Swede's Gully and other shallow ground is being sluiced out. The race is four and a half miles long, and is to be recut 4 ft. wide to enable it to carry thirty heads of water. A pressure of 700 ft. is available, and with plenty of power the elevator will have a 10 in. throat-piece and 15 in. dirt-pipes. The above information was furnished by Mr. J. T. Johnston, manager of the Bakery Flat Sluicing Claim. Canadian Flat Hydraulic Sluicing and Elevating Company, Upper Taieri. —This company was formed to work a claim on Canadian Flat by hydraulic sluicing, and, in addition, to generate electricity at the Taieri Falls and transmit the power to wherever required. A considerable amount of money was expended in the partial construction of a race to bring water on to the claim. Before the race was completed the company went into liquidation. At the time of inspection the plant was not on the claim, but was lying at the Outram Railway-station. Idaburn. Wheeler and Party's Sluicing Claim, Idaburn. —Ground-sluicing. Two men. Blackstone Hill. William Wade and Son, Blackstone Hill. —Ground-sluicing. McLennan and Mate, Blackstone Hill. —Still ground-sluicing at Sam-the-German's Gully. Bobert Johnson, Hill's Creek. —Ground-sluicing with a poor supply of water. Two men generally at work. C. Bose, Hill's Creek. —Still ground-sluicing at Pennyweight Flat. This piece of ground is becoming more difficult to work owing to increasing depth. William Hickey. —Doing a little sluicing at Hill's Creek. Turnbull and Hayes. — Ground-sluicing on a face of the Rough Ridge. McAdie Bros. —Ground-sluicing on German Hill, in Ida Valley. D. Nicoll. —Fossicking at Garibaldi. J. Wilkinson and F. Cavendower. —Fossicking on the Gimmerburn Creek. St. Bathan's. Shamrock Gold-mining Company, Hawkdon Station, St. Bathan's (J. Mooney, manager).— Twelve heads of water are brought in from the Manuherikia River. The ground averages 12 ft. in depth, and is very rough. The bottom is so disjointed and broken that it is difficult to clean up. Eight men are usually employed. Garty and Gallagher's Claim, Surface Hill, St. Bathan's. —Early in the year the party was working as steadily as an insufficient water-supply would allow. The water was being bought from the Scandinavian Gold-mining Company, and at the end of the year this company had acquired possession of the claim. Scandinavian Gold-mining Company, St. Bathan's (Neil Nicholsen, manager). — The Otago Race having broken away, only one elevator was at work at the date of inspection. The water