WEST COAST NOTES

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11190, 3 February 1902, Page 3

WEST COAST NOTES

(special to "the press.") GREY3IOUTH. February 3. The Tesulte of the week"s dredging have been disappointing, inasmuch as on Thursday everything pointed to a record yield, but the actual returns have not borne out eu.cn anticipations. The Greenstone Three Mile Company .after many troubles and misfortunes, got a, return of 60os for 404 hours, or three weeks' work. During thie time a deal of dead work h*d to be got through, and the yield ie a Rood deal better than it reads. The dredge is mow in pood order, and although it wiil be for some time liable to stoppage by flooda. with ordinary luck should average 3Soz a week.

The Greenstone Junction Company's return of Sloz 12dwt for 130 honra* work 1* not up to what, was expected, but there was ratter a. poor wash on "Wednesday and Thursday, -which aeeounte for the falling off. Apoearancea indicate better yields thia week.

The Al Company, with. Sioz. seaia prores thai the claim is one oi most consistent on the Coast.

It is impossible to gauge the wish in the Leviathan Company's claim, as it is so uneven. The -270z Sd'wt for 118 hours, in the face of the quantity of pug the dredge had to manipulate, is evidence of the value of the claim. It was thought that the pug was thinning, but it is of a peculiar formation, thinning and then thickening in tb» next few yards.

The North Boar.h Company's return of 270z dies not represent the value of the which is won-h 4tK;z per week. week the dred.ee bad a lot ci sinpping, which reduced the yield. This week she has a clean run with the lead widening.

The Grey River Company's dredsre unexpectedly shf.wfd up with 260z for 12" hours. She never once so' on the bottom, and had the usuai troub.e with timber. The talk about frettins a powerful dredsre to take the river on a 'ecp. and to a depth of 60 feet, may yet take defined form, for the feei'.n? that bear- gold is at the bottom is gaining- ground. The Premier (Buller) Company's dredgo only worked 93 hours, thp fined interfering. Her return of ?Qcz with flooded waters and silt to contend with augurs well for the future of the c^sitn.

The Reeves's Proprietary Comapnv's dredge finds it difficult to tr<*at the rough wash w>t being- met with. Last week she only worked 86 hours for 19oz.

The Holntika River Company's dredse had a trying time of it last week owing to a flood, the dredge bein? all but carried away. She is now working close on to the bank, close up to where the old dredge was working, and where rich wash exists. Last week's return of 12oz 16dwt for 103 hours represents but a few hours of actual treatment of wash, the remainder being merely recovery ground. The Buller Junction Company gave lloi for 70 hours. The major portion of the time she was dredging under the flood, and dredging flood silt and deH-is. The Red Jacks Company's only worked 59 hours far a return of soz Udwt, which is marvellous for the dirt treated. The machine ca-me across a perfect network of submerged timber. The wash tried anywhere is rich. The Pactolus Company's return of 590z for 126 hours 'is fnnhw confirmation of the varying quality of the wash away from what is regarded as the rich run. and it seems Ho indicate that like the Kelson Creek her returns will vary according to tho position of the dredge upon the claim, and that the averag* of the claim is about 7002 per week. The No-Town Company's dredge washed up. Trat the directors refused to give any information. The gold export for laet month was 40970z 2dwt lgr, valued at £16,388 8s 2d. The dredgemaster of the Greenstone Creek Company reports to the local director:—"Getting a good face opened; dredge working eplendicfly." The deck of the Ah aura dredge is now "jrxsi awash with the river. It ie expected to pmnp her out and refloat her in two or three days.