77

0.-3

Nokomai Hydraulic Sluicing Company (J. Robertson,) Manager.—No. 1 Claim: Operations in this claim have been carried on throughout the year on the usual lines. Shortage of water has hitherto affected continuous working of this property. With a view to remedying this inefficiency, a dam was built about two years ago having an embankment 26 ft. high. Even this did not answer all requirements, and the dam-bank is being raised 10 ft. higher. At this height the water-area will be about 8 acres in extent. When the work is completed it is expected that a constant supply of water will be available. No. 2 Claim : The claim has continued to work during the season, but progress has been hampered considerably through the scarcity of water and the rough stony nature of the ground. The operations of the company were attended with success, enabling several dividends to be paid. Thirty-six men are employed on the works. Waikaia. Argyle Hydraulic Sluicing Company, Winding Creek (J. Stewart, Manager).—During the year the company's dredge, driven by water-power, was erected and dredging was commenced. The system of applying the motive power is an improvement on the practices in other districts. In O'Brien's application, small wooden pontoons are introduced to support the pipes and swivel connections. In the system adopted on the Argyle dredge these pontoons are discarded. The main pressure-line is 11 in. in diameter. At the 11 in. terminal a swivel joint is placed. Thence the water is conveyed through a span of 9 in. piping 66 ft. in length. Another swivel joint is placed at the end of this span, and underneath the swivel a wheel is placed which travels on a single rail curved to a 66 ft. radius. The water is filially conveyed on board the dredge in 9 in. piping. The main machinery is driven by a Pelton wheel 4 ft. in diameter (placed upon the deck), with belt connections. Water for the sluice-boxes is procured by means of an ordinary jet elevator, thus doing away with the wear-and-tear attached to centrifugal pumps. A 22 in. diameter Pelton drives the dynamo for the electric lights. This claim was worked for several years by hydraulic sluicing and elevating, but since dredging has been commenced the company is convinced that the present system is the better method, both with regard to cost and treatment of the ground. The method has since been applied to the Golden Beach dredge, Alexandra South, with success. Winding Creek Hydraulic Sluicing Claim,, Wendonside, Waikaia (John Ramsay, Manager).—This property is owned by the Round Hill Gold-mining Company, and sluicing operations have been carried on during the year. A large area of heavy ground was sluiced off to a depth of about 90 ft. Elevating was then commenced, and bottom was reached at a further depth of 40 ft. Owing to the poor watersupply preventing continuous working throughout the year, improvements are being effected to the head-races. At the time of inspection the water was being utilised to strip (by ground-sluicing) a large area of ground. The claim is lighted up at night by electricity. Six men are employed. For particulars of accident whereby David McKissock was accidentally killed, see list of accidents appended. Gow's Creek, Upper Waikaia. —There are the usual number of fossickers in this locality. ■ Ufper Waikaia and Whiteeombe Districts.— -With the exception of the introduction' of a small hydraulic sluicing plant by the Upper Waikaia Gold-mining Syndicate (composed of Roxburgh shareholders), there is nothing fresh to record from this district, which still affords employment to a few parties. Muddy Creek Terraces, Waikaia. —Sluicing with a poor water-supply has been carried on for some considerable time over these terraces, which are known to be payably auriferous. P. Gordon and party had a small sluicing plant at work, but the water-supply was too light for successful work. It is now proposed to convey sufficient water in a race from Dome Creek to enable these terraces to be properly worked. The cost of construction of the race is estimated at about £12,000. Dredging.— This form of mining has advanced rapidly in this district, and the field is now a pronounced success. Large weekly returns are still won by several of the dredges. The key to the success of the ventures in Waikaia is the fact that each property is systematically prospected by boiing, and dredging operations are conducted according to the data furnished by the test boreholes. There are thirteen dredges operating in the Waikaia Valley and in the tributary streams, and arrangements are well forward for the erection of at least four more machines. Gore. Dredging is still the only form of gold-mining in this district. There are two privately owned dredges on the Mataura River near Gore, one of which is at work. The total number of dredges in active operation in the Waikaka, field is twenty-eight. Two were closed down permanently during the year and one is being erected. Operations are conducted successfully on this field. Ibbotson's dredge continues at work on Chatton Mining Reserve when water is available. In the Charlton Valley five dredges have been at work throughout the greater part of the year. One has lately been abandoned owing to poor yield of gold. There are still five dredges operating in the Waimumu Valley, two of these being privately owned. Round Hill. Round Hill Gold-mining Company (A. Reynolds, General Manager ; F. Hart, Mine-manager). The paddock is now about 20 acres in extent, yielding an average value of £1,000 per acre. Both elevators are at work in the paddock, which affords ample dumping-ground for tailings. Plant and claim are maintained in good working-order. This mine has been free from serious accident during recent years. Ourawera Gold-mining Company (James Coulling, Mine-manager). — Present paddock about 2 acres in extent; depth of ground, 40 ft. to 70 ft. (averaging about 60 ft.); yielded 1,608 oz. of gold in twenty-seven months, value £6,400. Three seams of auriferous wash' occur, that on the bottom being the " Coffee Lead" of the old diggers, gold being dark-coloured on outside. Large boulders of diorite occur in the auriferous - quartz gravels, also a heavy