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/. Symes and Son's Sluicing Claim. —This party has acquired the ground lately prospected and abandoned by the Klondyke Gold-dredging Company, and are now engaged bringing their water on to it. The ground averages 12 ft. in depth, and according to prospects should pay well for sluicing, especially since the overlying clay can be. run off before the bottom is touched. The line of pressure-pipes has now been laid on to the Klondyke Claim, and sluicing operations are in full swing. The flat averages 12 ft. in depth, but sluicing is confined to some shallow ground at present. Three men are employed. Matakanui Gold-mining Company (H. Norman, manager).—The ground being worked at time of last report proved too difficult for the water-supply, and a start has now been made in ground adjoining the Undaunted Company. The top stuff was sluiced off preparatory to putting in a lift. Ground 60 ft. deep is now being elevated. The bulk of the overburden is auriferous, the best gold lying on the bottom. Pressure-pipes, a double line of 15 in., tapering off to 9 in. and 7 in. Under a pressure of 200 ft. the material is elevated 38 ft., and discharged over 18 ft. of boxes. Eight men are generally employed. Dry bread Diggings. H. Glassford and G. Johnston. —Ground-sluicing, with small water-rights. C. Wilson. —Ground-sluicing. B. Jones and Morgan. —Ground-sluicing on the Lauder. G. Jones and Son. —Ground-sluicing at Cambrian's. Devonshire Diggings. Nothing doing at present. Springvale. Springvale Sluicing Claim, Springvale, near Alexandra South (J. Gartley, manager).—When the claim at Springvale was worked out the plant was shifted to Long Gully, where groundsluicing operations are now being carried on. Three men employed. Alexandra. Alexandra Bonanza Gold-dredging and Sluicing Company, Galloway Flat (H. Martin, manager). —The race, eighteen miles in length, brought in from Manorburn Creek, Greenland Swamp, is 8 ft. wide in the bottom, and has from 12 ft. to 16 ft. fall to the mile. The race is carrying sixteen heads of water, but will carry thirty-five heads in the springtime. A full supply of water was not available at time of inspection, much of it being locked up by frost. The dam also was unfinished. Three shifts of two men each are employed, and three extra men are required on the race for maintenance. The material operated on stands in the back face to a height of 60 ft., and is of a very free nature, having few large stones and overlying a soft sandy bottom. Groundsluicing is the method adopted, and the material is sluiced away through a run of boxes 3 ft. wide and 450 ft. in length. The run has a fall of 5 in. to the 12 ft. Owing to the little fall in the bottom of the claim the material does not travel freely, but requires to be driven. At present there is a good dump for the tailings. From the penstock the water is brought on to the claim by a pipe-line 1,500 ft. in length, the pipes ranging in diameter from 24 in. to 9 in. Pipes of a larger diameter would be more serviceable as a paddock plant in this claim, the sluicing-nozzle having only a3f in. tip. The pressure available on the claim is 90 ft. vertical. The boxes are fitted with angle-iron ripples, flat-bar ripples, and cocoanut-matting. A small spread of side tables receives the fine material from a short undercurrent. The sample of gold obtained is of a very fine nature, but weighs well. At a subsequent inspection the newly appointed manager, W. Hansen, was widening the boxes and endeavouring to gain more fall by cutting the tail-race deeper. A small elevator, capable of lifting about 12 ft., may be put in. This is rendered necessary by the flatness of the reef in the bottom of the claim. Tucker Hill Sluicing Company, Alexandra (Rivers and Gartley, owners). —Operations are still confined to sluicing shallow alluvial deposits lying on hard rock bottom on the foothill slopes of the Raggedy Ridges. With a fair water-supply and a good dump for tailings into the Manuherikia River gorge, a large area can be quickly gone over. The dam is being enlarged and the breastwork heightened. Five men usually employed. Coolgardie Diggings, Tucker Hill. —Some parties driving out the wash struck small patches of payable alluvial, which were soon worked. This field gave employment to about ten men for a short time. Galloway Diggings, Galloway. —A number of claims were pegged out at the Galloway rush. The ground was of a payable nature, but the area is restricted, and the total absence of sluicingwater prevented the field from being tested. Appleton and party and Thomson and party are driving out the wash and carting it to water. Kane and Son, Blackman's Creek. —Ground-sluicing. Two men employed. F. McCarthy, Blackman's Creek. —Two men employed ground-sluicing in Field's old claim. Doctor's Point Sluicing Claim, Alexandra Gorge. —This was the claim formerly held and worked by Nicholas Andersen and party, and from which a large amount of gold was taken. Work is to be resumed this summer by G. Baker and party. A small water-supply is brought in from Shanty Creek and stored in a dam. The claim will be a difficult one to work successfully with the totally inadequate water-supply. Clyde. Anderson and Keleher, Sluicing Claim, Clyde. —Ground-sluicing at the head of the Waikerikeri Creek, with water from Leaning Rock Creek. Buckley and Joe. —Ground-sluicing on the terrace above Shepherd's Flat, Fraser River. Hookey and McGonnell. —Working the bed of the Fraser River below Shepherd's Flat.

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