7

C—B

in height by an uprise for 140 ft. The reopening of the Woodstock section of the property is being rapidly advanced. In the shaft chamber, at drainage level, new winding and horizontal compound pumping-enginea have been installed, also rope-driven Cornish pumps 26 in. in diameter by 10 ft. stroke. Tt is proposed k> immediately deepen the Talisman and Woodstock shafts to the No. 14 level. New Zealand down Mines (Limited): This con ring undergone reconstruction and a change of management, development was resumed after the completion of the electric installation in April. 1910. For the period worked during tin- year bullion worth £13,301 was obtained from 6,66] tons treated. The future of this mine will depend largely upon operations below No. 5b level. From that level No. 2 winze was sunls 86 ft., but was abandoned in faulted country owing to the influx of water. No. '■'< level south of No. I winze (120 ft. below No. 5) was driven 371 ft. towards the aforementioned abandoned winze. The Crown reef was developed 158 ft. northward from the Waitewheta drainage level in low-grade ore. Upon ti owards the south end of No. 3 level, developments have been resumed for the augmentation of milling-ore. With the powerful electrically driven pumps now in commission, there is no reason to fear a recurrence of the water difficulty at this mine. Coromandel Goldfield. A considerable amount of satisfactory prospecting lias been carried out in several of the small mine-; on this goldfield, and in one case —viz.. Bremner's Freehold — a local syndicate who work< d the ground were rewa~ded by specimen ore under 1 ton in weight, which yielded £2,238. Tl nly raining of importance, Iμ ■■■■ i thai carried "tit by the Old Hauraki Goldmining Company, once a greal gold-producer. The development and subsequent stoping of the lode discovered during 1909 ai the tOO ft. level has been pushed ahead in the 400 ft.. 300 ft., and 220 ft. levels. During 1910. as th resuli of treating 704 tons of ore, bullion to the value of £13,058 was obtained, and dividends amounting to £2,625 were declared. From this company's property bullion to the aggregate value of £405,202 has been obtained, and £225,208 has been declared in dividends. Thames GoMfield. The result of mmm ions on this goldfield during the past year is somewhat disappointing, the value of the bullion exported from Thames County and Borough having declined from £288.905 during 1906 to £24,080 during the past year a decline of 92 per cent, in five years. No Thames mine paid a dividend in 1910. Although a considerable amount of work has been done without immediate profit at the Waiotahi, May Queen, Victoria, and Kuranui-Caledonian Mines, ii is in connection with the 1,000 ft. crosscut now in progress to connect the Queen of Beauty and Kuranui-Caledonian shafts that the greatest interest is taken, and upon which so much depends. This crosscut is now well in hand, and the results so far attained are moderate!; lory, but the small veins recently proved at that level are auriferous, which was not the case on the field generally at the 640 It. crosscut. A distance of 220 ft. has been driven, during which several small quartz leaders and veins have been intersected, in some of which gold was visible. There is reason to believe that this deep-level development will be remunerative, and that some of the many quartz veins which will be intersected will be payable. The ventilation of the deep-level crosscut is provided for by the recent installation of a Roots blower. West Coast Inspection District. Consolidated Goldfields of New Zealand (Limited).—Wealth of Nations Mine : A considerable amount of development between Nos. 6 and 11 levels has taken place. At levels Nos. 8 and 9 (1,485 ft. and 1.611 ft. respectively) small quantities of payable quartz were proved. At No. 10 (1,736 ft.) level, in the main south level, development was carried a further 9 I ft., almost entirely in payable ore about 6 ft. wide. At No. 11 (1,861 ft.) level, south, 103 ft. was driven, of which 82 ft. was in low-grade quartz. The reduction-works arc being increased by the addition of fifteen stamps, also Wilfley tables and cyanide-vats. From the treatment of 21.3(53 tons, bullion to the value of £36.385 was obtained during the year. Progress .Mines of New Zealand (Limited) : Improvements were effected underground for the purpose of facilitating the transport of ore, also for the provision of more adequate ventilation. At levels Nos. 9. 10, and 11 (respectively 1,116 ft.. 1,266 ft., and 1,416 ft.) extensive developments were carried out upon the Wharf and Pioneer lodes. An increase in the output of ore during 1911 is anticipated. The quartz treated by this company during 1910 amounted to 50,207 tons, from which £71.352 was obtained in bullion. Blackwater Mines (Limited) : A deeper level has , been driven at this mine from the tunnel connecting the battery level with the main shaft, at a depth of 615 ft. from the surface. A considerable length of payable ore was developed by crosscut from a point 65 ft. east of the main shaft, which is now being carried down a further 250 ft. — i.e., to the 865 ft. level. The No. 2 (307 ft.) level was carried into the Prohibition lease (under option to this company), but crosscuts east and west failed to prove anything of value, neither did extensive driving at the surface crosscut. The option has therefore not been exercised for the Blackwater Mine. As the result of treating 39,192 tons of ore, bullion to the value of £91.331 was obtained, and £37,500 declared as dividends during 1910. New Big River Gold-mining Company (Limited) : At the No. 10 (1,575 ft.) level, a block of ore was found by the main crosscut 580 ft. from the shaft. Upon this ore 90 ft. has been driven, the width varying up to 6 ft. At the No. 9 (1,375 ft.) level, from the eastern winze, at a depth of 112 ft., an intermediate level proved a reef varying in width up to 4 ft., which has since been stoped to the floor of No. 8 level. This company during the year obtained bullion to the value of £15,628 from 3,040 tons, and declared £5,400 as dividends.