WEST COAST NOTES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11562, 20 April 1903, Page 3

WEST COAST NOTES.

(special to "the press.") GREY-MOUTH, April 10. Tho returns for iast -week ore fewer thin usual, and the Lours of working aro less. Tlio Prince of Wales Company did not wash up. having only worked a couple of days. The Commissioner's Flat dredge will resume wcrk on Monday under now management. The machinery has had a thorough overhaul. Tho machine starts on golden wash, and, I think, will pay well, but tbe extent of tlio ground 13 doubtful. "Work at the Montezuma Company's dredge is woll advanced. The Pactolus Company got 89oz Sdwt from both dredges, of which tho No. 1 dredge trot s~oz l-"dwr. The No. 2 dredgo ran into relher houldery ground. The Mokoia Company got 82oz 2dwt, which is a record return for one dredge. This jrrourd, which has been steadily improving, and stems uniform for some little distance, like nil West Coast dredging areas, it will vary considerably as the dredgo -.vorks off and on the main run of gold. The Aldinga Company get 270z I3dwt for 130 hours' work. .The machine is working in broken ground, and will continue to do so for six or seven weeks yet. The ShellbttcK Company got 15oz Sdwt for 80 hours' work. Tlio machine broke down sev-eTal times. For the quantity of material got over, the claim is one of the best on tho Coast, but the dredge is not of sufficient power lo deal with it The Greenstone Three Mile Company cot 20oz for sixty hours' work. The dredge was stopped a portion of the time. The (>reen*tono Junction Company's dredgo is taldnij a narrow shallow cut through the silt to get at the golden wash. Tlie Lenathan Company got 9oz for the week. Thi3 dredge turns over a very large <_ue.»t»fy of material, but it is mostly pug, in whirh there is littlo or no gold. The Blackwatcr River Company got 230z indwt for 123 hours' work. A lot of corner work caused the return to bo smaller than ii should have been. From this onwards the returns shott'd bo better, as the dredgemaster will have a good wide face, and treat more stuff. The Kohinoor Comnanv got 260z 12dw*. REEFTON, April 19. Tho nanager of the Big River Company's mine reports for the week:—"The uprise has been put up lift, making 80ft from the back of '.he dam. Tho stone in "the west end of tha rise has been cut out. At present there are .in of stone in the east end. The country is very herd. Tho east drive has been driven 4 ft, nuking a. distance on the line of reef 146 ft. There is a little broken stone in -the face. I have hauled up 25 tons of stone that had been stacked at No. 7 level for this year." Tbe Mokoia Company's dredge is working a face 200 ft; in width, and <be depth of tbe wash is lift. Tho wash at present is light and hard. The Buller Junction Company's dredge is working cm the top of the Bullpup fall. The depth of wash is 20ft, and the dredge is on fair gold. The Premier- Bulier Company's dredge has not been dcing too well. At present they are unable to bottom, hence the small returns. It is expected that bottom will be got a little farther ahead. The Feddersen's Company's dredge has been 'aid up mhlang alterations to the tables. Tne depth of wash before stopping was about 16f", and the width of the face about 150 ft. The party working the Old Diggings dredge is reported to be doing very well, and. operating on splendid wash dirt* hut, unfortunately, have been unsble to bottom. The Rockiands Beach Company's dredge is at present working a second out, and is said to W on payable ground. It is reported that a good find of alluvial gr>ld has been struck in a terrace above Arnold's Hotel. So far no particulars are to hand.