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Sharpe Bros., Harris, and Wetherston.—Prospecting and mining operations were carried out at the Gorge Mine in a heavv faulted section of the reof. Prospecting drives failed to locate solid payable reef. All the ore m sight was stoped reef was closed down! In the spring three drives totalling 150 ft. were driven, but only crushed pus reef was located in this very heavy country. Operations are now temporarily suspended Groves Mine, owned and operated by J. It. Tripp and situated on the left-hand terrace of the Bonnie Jean, has been opened up by sinking and driving. A third connection to the surface has been made from the foot of the dip. Stopmg operations have been carried out to right and left of main dip, and the mine has been a steady producer. Bonnie Jean Grossing Reef.— Driving operations were continued intermittently in the Batteiy Gully reef exposure, and intennitten sluicing and driving operations carried out near the southern end of the exposed reef line. Eureka Reef near the Glenorchy Terminus of the. Bucklerburn Aerial Ropeway Ground sluicing, trenching, and driving operations were carried out at the north and south sections of this reef exposure. The Valpy Bucklerburn River Alluvial Mine has been in operation during the working-season, but only low-grade grAVe T\7uercuUs S or A ßoss Mine, on the right-hand terrace of the Bucklerburn near the terminus of the Mount Mcintosh Long Gully, has been operated steadily. Several hundred feet of development driving and rising were earned out, also stopfng operations below the top level as the extension of the low level drained the seepage water from this stope Thompson's Reef, on the Southern Slope of Mount Mcintosh.-A section of the reef outcrop m the creek has been stripped,^ continued t0 s i u ice a crushed section of reef on the slope of Mount Mcintosh midway between Th °To a n7o£ Slip near the Head of Long Gully.-Sluicing operations were continued intermittently when water was available, and good use has been made of flush-water periods in order to remove a large mass of slip de V Mine (Hall and Ross Reef-line), on the South Side of the Mountain.—Driving, stopmg, and sinking operations were carried out during the working season. ~ .j r tm. Ip v p P c,ir Black Peak and Precipice Creek Reefs.— Mining operations have been carried out on the south side of Black I eak and a ° ™"VP° T A shdcing plant was installed and an area of reef-bearing country tested, but no payable reef was located. A reef-Une outcropping on the right-hand side of the lower Precipice Creek Gorge was also tested by h ave opened up a section of reef on the left-hand terrace of the Rees Valley about one mile north of the Precipice Creek Gorge. The reef-line was stripped by sluicing methods. Trenching, sinking, driving and stoping work was carried out and good ore won. A small treatment plant has been erected at the mine. Muddy Terrace, Upper Rees Valley.—Trenching and gravel-sluicing operations were carried out during the season «. •»" Mr!' B"*'8"*' «ar» Mr Ts r*JSs River districts, and none by the Mount Aurum Syndicate at Currie's Reef, Dynamo Hat, and Skippers Creek of shortage of labour due to war conditions. Vincent County Scott and Wells Mine, Kawarau Gorge—Further prospecting failed to locate any payable auriferous gravels, and Cairmuir. —Sluicing and mining operations have been carried out steadily whenever Wat< Shine 'Again Gold-mining Co., Upper Bendigo Greek.—No work was done at this mine during the year. Nevis The Williamson Alluvial Mine operated during the working season on the Upper Nevis deep lead near the stone huts. The McLean Bros.' Alluvial Mine at the upper end of the old township workings Mid-Nevis, operated steadily during the working season. Sluicing operations were carried on intermittently at Matakanui and Gorge Creek. Dredging Vincent County On account of war conditions, the Nevis Crossing Dredge did not operate in the Lower Nevis Austral New Zealand Mining, Ltd.—The large electrically operated dredge continued to work on the Athenaeum Reserve between Cromwell and Lowburn and dug 3,482,000 cubic yards of alluvial material during the year. During rhe LnuaTperiod ending 2nd October, 1943, the dredge worked 5,887 hours, dredging an area of 42 acres aml A Ltd.—The electrically operated river dredge ceased operations on the Kawarau River at SccSaiids Point on the sth March, and is now tied up in a stretch of river between the Bell Hooper and Bell Kilgonr Min Cl£Xr Gold-dredging Co., Ltd.-The work of refitting as a paddock dredge has been retarded by the shortage of skilled labour, and was not concluded at the end of the year. Southland Rainbow Dredging Go., Maitland, Waikaka Valley, Southland—This small Diesel-operated dredge was tied up during the year on account of shortage of labour due to war conditions. Accidents There were no fatal accidents at the mines in the Southern District during the year. On 20th July, there was one serious accident whereby two men were injured at the Paradise State Scheelite-mine through an explosion of gelignite during drilling operations. J. H. Thomson sustained injuries to his right eye, together with numerous wounds, abrasions, and burns on face, arms, and body ; J. M. Wright suffered numerous wounds, abrasions, and burns on face, arms, and body. Stone-quarries Accidents During the year there were two fatal accidents at the stone-quarries in the Southern District, resulting in the loss 0f th Onthe e 3rd Mav Edward Charles Tippett, a shotfirer, was fatally injured at the Limehills Lime-quarry, Southland, fbrniiirh an exnlosion of gelignite in a shotfirer's canister he was carrying. , , . , On the 15th November. Allan Mcintosh, quarry faceman, employed by the Oamaru Harbour Board, and Frederick Tohn Mavnard electrical inspector, employed by the Waitaki Power Board, were fatally injured, through being hit by falling pieces of rock which had been blown into the air when a tunnel blast was exploded at the Harbour Board Quarry, Cape Wanbrow.

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