64

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on with more regularity. The Frue vanner is used to save scheelite and concentrates. The mine is now being opened up on a more extensive scale than hitherto. Three men are at present employed. Prospecting, Macrae's District.— Owing to the high price ruling for scheelite and the success attendant on several of the mines in this district as gold-producing properties, an increased amount of prospecting has been engaged in during the past summer. Nenthorn. An area held under license by Hugh Adam, of Dunedin, over Section 3, Block XII, and Section 10, Block XI, is the only evidence that any attention is being devoted to this field. Barewood. Barewood Quartz-mine, Barewood (H. S. Mollineaux, Mine-manager).—23/3/05 : Stoping operations are being carried out on the rise of the 180 ft. level west, and development-work is being pushed on in the No. 1 level.' The mine-workings are in good order throughout. Timber well used. Explosives properly stored and well handled. The shaft and surface plant is in good order. The new five-head battery is working satisfactorily, power being supplied by a Campbell 13 brake horse-power oil-engine. The battery-sands are being saved, and a cyanide plant is in course of erection in order to extract their values. 20/12/05 : Above No. 1 level west, stone is being taken out which was regarded as of low value when the rich shoot was previously worked. The increased crushing-power now enables this stone to be profitably worked. It is now proposed to sink the shaft a further 50 ft. As the mine makes from thirty to forty thousand gallons of water per day (and this is raised from the mine by tanks), substantial log dams are being built in the levels to conserve the drainage while sinking operations are in progress. The travelling-passes to the surface have been renewed, and the mine is in good order. Heavy manuka timber is used throughout the workings. Ventilation good. Privy accommodation for the use of the miners has been erected on the surface. Crib is partaken of on the surface, and the mineworkings are kept clear of refuse. A Wilfley concentrating, table has been added to the plant. All sands are saved, and two cyanide plants have been installed —one to work in connection with the new battery, and one to treat 3,000 tons of tailings from the old battery. An assay office and all necessary appliances have been erected. Twenty-one men are employed. Matarae. Matarae Quartz-mine, Matarae (S. Stevens, Manager).—2s/10/05 : This mine is situated on Mount Ross Station. Arrangements have now been completed to develop this property, on which past operations have been of a prospecting nature only. Four men are now employed driving an adit level, the present length of which is 400 ft. Only about 40 ft. of backs will be obtainable from this level, so that a shaft will be required to develop the mine thoroughly. The country rock forming the walls of the reef is hard, and very little timber is required. I pointed out that a suitable magazine for storage of explosives should be provided. There is a ten-head stamper-battery on the property awaiting erection. Power is to be obtained at the Taieri River and transmitted by wire-rope a distance of 17 chains to the battery. Southland. Merrivale. W. R. Aicken and party have been prospecting for a quartz reef over an area of 50 acres at Orawia. The search was being conducted by ground-sluicing, but at the end of the year no stone had been discovered.

ACCIDENTS. Quartz-mines (Non-fatal). 21/2/05 : W. H. Lidstone, miner, Dunce Quartz-mine, Macrae's, had his right leg broken by a fall of stone while stoping. 21/4/05 : A. Hood, miner, Mount Aurum Quartz-mine, Bullendale : Bruised back by fall of clay from side of drive. . . 12/10/05 : John Padgett, miner, Robertson and party's quartz-mine, Alexandra, sustained injuries to chest and back through being struck by a falling beam while engaged erecting battery.

OTHER MINERALS. Cinnabar. Waitahuna Cinnabar Company.— -Nothing further has been done in connection with this property throughout the year, although efforts are still being made to raise the necessary capital to further develop the mine. . . This mineral also occurs in the Upper Nevis in fairly large quantities, and is associated with gold in alluvial deposits. Platinum. 14 oz. 6 dwt. 12 gr. are returned as having been recovered in conjunction with the gold won from the Round Hill Gold-mining Company's Sluicing Claim at Round Hill, Southland. Platinum is found in small quantities associated with gold in the black-sand beaches of the south and south-west coasts of Otago. Tin. The search for this mineral is confined to the Pegasus district, Stewart Island. Prospecting operations have not proved successful, but are being continued,