THE GOLD DREDGING INDUSTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2371, 10 August 1899, Page 20

THE GOLD DREDGING INDUSTRY.

IN ITS PRACTICAL, ECONOMIC, AND GENERAL ASPECTS.

(By Ottr Special Commissioner.)

XVTL- -MILLER'S FLAT.

Thb Golden Gate Dbedging Company. xiegistered m March, 1895, with a -'apical of £2500, no paid-up shares being given t& anyone, this company up to May 4 last :übtained : übtained £10,588 worth of gold,}, out which, in round numbers, £5000 has been paid away in dividends, the exact amount being £2 2s per share, and as the claim is calculated to last from 15 to 20 years *t the same Tate ; it is not a oad record. In this connection it may be mentioned that mining superstitions attach good luck and bad luck to certain names. Golden Gate, Caledonian, Keep-it-Dark, are some of the lucky ones ; Independent and other* similarly named are the unlucky ones. The pontoons of the Golden Gate dredge, which were built by Knewstubb Bros., are ' 90ft long, with a beam of 27ft, which affords a comfortable amount of deck room. The "buckets have a capacity of three cubic feet, and the belt travels at a speed to de55vjr 13 buckets per minute. In this claixn no grabs are used, large stones being ■sonspicuous by fcheir absence. Messrs Morgan and Cable are the makers of the engine trhich is ot 14 horse-power, and also made tho boiler, which is on the Cornish tubular aystein, and is of a corresponding capacity, both being ox excellent workmanship. Mr D. Ballantyne the dredgemaster, and a shareholder in the company, told me that • u he inspector of machinery had stated it as his opinion that the engine was equal to any imported one, Marshall tnd Sons "dot excluded. As for the boiler, Mr Ballsmlynu. who is also a. Wakatipu man, st»ica that it was praise enough to say that it had dont all the work required with «we on six bags oi lignite per shift, aid that" ■■*• was the most economical boiler foi ita size. «nd capacity on the river. He also pointed out that hi« iredge was a well balanced boat, as engine and boiler were placed upon one pontoon. Altogefchei Mr Ballantyne is veiy proud of his dredge, ad takes i great interest in his work. The gold-saving apparatus consist of , box *Cft long ,nd 3ft wide. It is fitted vi+} perforated plates, expanded metal up</n ocoanut matting, etc.", and answers the purposr of gold-saving very well. 'Che tiedjß' wa? Jniilt jhjree xears ajjg -£

M'Cunn's beaoh, was shifted to her -presenfl. position in August last year, since "When sha has paid £1060 in dividends. About six or seven weeks ago she gob 161oz for one week, and for one month paid a 10s dividend, wlich means 50 per cent, per month on her capital. This is the record dredging dividend. a« proof of the splendid work put into the dredge, and the careful management undei which she is, it may be mentioned that since August last she has run without a single hitch and has never been stopped j day tor repairs, having given, regular re* turns ever since. It is generally the case with success that whilst it is turned on everything goes well. Do what you will< everything pans out right. The dredge was designed by Mr B« Robert* and cost £3500. Certain alteravions *re contemplated. These comprise a revolving screen in place of the sluice boxcar, elevator to enable tho dredge to go into tho banks, and a new set of buckets to hold 3| cubic feet of gravel. Thus equipped, the dredge being enabled to attack the banks of the river and rework, some of the old ground, wiU~-have its lease' ox life prolonged, by a 'good few years. ± Mr Ballantyne, who has hacf 20 years.* j experience upon the Mdlyneux and its banks, expressed himself perfectly oon.-; vinced that the .gold runs in streaks, crossing the river diagonally, and enters • tha' banks. The dividing walls between the' j*reaks of gold are also payably Auriferous,* paying at least always the expense of: dredging through them. The best gold ia found on a clay bottom, and as a rule is. richest where the bottom is of a uniform level, without sudden rises and dips. Tha depth of the bottom seldom exceeds 30ft, being generally about 25ft deep — #hat is, I at tho present water level. [ This dredge also has a history. It was ! ♦riginally intended for the company's claim j at M'Cunn's Beach,, where she was built, some little distance down the rivei from hei present position. It may be msntio.nea that the Golden Gate claim lies between the Otago Company's ground and! Pringle and party's claim. When the dredge began work at M'Cunn's Beach, the g ound did not come up to the expectai tions of the shareholders. At that time ! Bennett and party — Messrs Bennett, Nailer, j and Henderson — owned a piece of ground between the Golden Gate and the Otago Companies. Bennett and party were working their ground with a current wheel dredge, known as the Excelsior, but coultk not make any headway with her. About a vcar ago .negotiations for the sale of Bertj nett and party's ground and dredge to the j " Gate " were initiated, and ultimately coni eluded, at a price of £1000. The "Gate" [ dredge was shifted on to Bennett and I parly's ground, and met with the success J above recorded, paying off the £1000 purj chase money and declaring 16s dividend ipw £1 share since August last This little' I episode illustrates in a striking manner tha I advance dredge-building has made, "and, afc' the same time, the 'difference there is between a deficient- and a competent dredge. PniNGLE ani, Parti-. In this venture we meet one. more a ! private party of foui working men, of '. whom Mr John Pringle is the chief. He, j with Messrs Geo. M'Lay, John Mackenzie, I and W. Dewar form the band of men ■' still to the fore, who saw dredging pasa from its infancy to its present state. Unfortunately I did not meet Mj Pringle, and so lose what no doubt would have proved an instructive chat. In his absence, Mr D. Jones the engineer kindly showed mo over the dredge. The pontoons, built by the owners, two ot whom are ship carpenters- are 97ft long, with a total beam of about 26ft, the well being sift wide. From the top tumbler shaft to the bottom tumbler shaft, the ladder measures 60ffe» being able to dredge to a depth of 38ft f the buckets being $hree cubic feet capacity.' Messrs Anderson, of Christchurch, furnished the engine, boiler, and other machinery on board, all of which is of excellent workmanship, and gives every satisfaction. The boiler is a Cornish tubular one. Steam winches of approved pattern are provided for the working of .the boat. The gold-saving apparatus, consists .of a." sluice box 40ft long and about 3ft wide.; There are also side runs and perforated plates, and Venetian blind ripples, with theusual cocoanut matting and plush, to save : the gold from the gravel as it is brought up, at the rate of 12 buckets per minute. Mr Jones holds that the dredge is th« best kept on the river, and as he is * duly qualified engineer of considerable ex« perience, his opinion should go for something. Whenever any part of the machinery requires to be replaced, or any improvements can be suggested, the owners ar6 never afraid of the expense, but the thing is done at once, .and in no halfhearted manner. This principle is pretty apparent in the appearance of the boat, and everything on board has an orderly and up-to-date look about it. The dredge has been at work between four and five years, running often six months without stopping a single day for repairs. The ground is generally fairly good working ground, though sometimes pretty rough, and hard wash is met with near the bottom. There being a good large boiler and everything being well fitted, the consumption of coal is very low averaging about fiva bags- of lignite per shift of eight hours. In this boat, too, tho friction geai being placed near the ladder, one ■man can manage both at the same time. For the above information I am indebted to Mi Jones, the engineer and what follows I have collected from various sources, to which ex* pedient I was driven by the secrecy ob«" served by the party with regard to the value of their claim. v The ground comprised iv jPringfe -and party' 3 <:laim has been worked off and on, by spoon, current-wheel, and steam dredged, for about 20 years. The ground from, which, the party at the present moment obtains very good Teturns — never, it ia said, falling below 38oz, and sometimes running up to 80oz and over, per weelc— was worked previously. The ground i« about 25ft deep, the gold running about; 180 ft to 200 ft wide. Payable gold haau been traced up to the banks- of the -'iver,. but not mucE baxond, the water-; edra

ffhe party is credited with having done jexceptionally well ; in fact, I hay& heard %heir condition described as "'"rolling in jwealtlr," and I can only add that '*# Serves them right." £hb Golden Rtjn Dredging Company. The Golden Run claim joins the Island {Block property at its upper boundary. Thft ■jßun registered as a dredging company :n: n (June, 1891, with a capital Of £9000. o? (which. £7798 was actually paid up Tht, "amount of gold won up to May 4 last ■,-was £20,794 worth, of which £5194 Tas .divided amongst the shareholders. This company rose, Phoenix-like, out. of %he ashes of the liquidated Island Block Extended Company ; that is to say if - liquidated concern leaves any ashct behind 4or anything tc rise out of. Originally aeluicing and dredging concern, the Gulden owners tried tc work their ground with '.he dredge now owned by the Bengerburn Company. The dredge got a large quantity of gold out of the river but finding that the gold went into the bank, the dredge siot being provided with an elevator, and Ibeing otherwise deficient, was sold to her present owners, the Bengerburn Company. The Golden Run has now reconstructed, with the object of placing a powerful and tip-to-date boat npon the river, the special feature of which will be stacking tailings iiigher than any dredge has yet attempted. There are good prospects before the company of a long and prosperous " Golden Bun." The SxmiiiGHT Gold Dredging Company. -In the Sunlight dredge we have agam one of those dredges which have changed "names with their change of owners Upon boarding the dredge., which was effected by a long boat passage, I found that the dredgemaster, Mr N.. O. Kloogh^ -was absent at Beaumont on business connected ■with the dredge, which, at the time, was underging some repairs. The crossbar from which the ladder is raised and lowered had to be replaced, the old one being very mui:b •worn. In the absence of the dredgemaster, Ma R. Jope Gibb. who is a duly qualified engineer, and fills that position on board, kindly furnished me with the following information regarding the boat and he? machinery. Messrs Morgan and Cable furnished the boiler, which is on the locomotive tubuiai plan, the feed pipe of which passes through the combustion chamber, thus heating the water before it enters the boiler, which, as wel) as the steam pipe, as asbestos covered Every other advantage is taken to economist fuel and ensure efficiency to machinery The engine tvhich is a one bilge and boss-pressed one is a marvel of compactness, simplicity, and smoothness of action. For these qualities there is none upon the river to compare ■with it. In olden times it was the practice, when a clevei man had produced some especially remarkable piece of mechanism,to gouge out his eyes. In the present case the name of the builder of the engine has been most carefully chiselled off so that its origin may remain a secret. However, it is well known that the engine came from Gwynne, London. No engine could be better suited for a dredge, as it takes up no more room than a toile i table vet answers all requirements. The bucket ladder also is of ingenious construction. The sides of the ladder, or its frame, consists of X shaped crosses of six-inch plates three-eighths of an inch thick, strengthened here and there bj steel plates. This arrangement gives great lightaiess, a desideratum in a dredge ladder On this boat the winches are pl.iced midshipt, so as to allow the winchman to have -i. free look out upon the shore and guj r s. and *t the same time to give him the opportunity of seeing how the buckets do their work, jvhich is, of course, a great advantage. The length of the pontoons, which are by Knewstubb Bros., is 96ft, with a beam of 20ft. Morgan and Cable furnished rhe other gear on board. The length of the ladder is 60ft, and is capable of going to a depth of 40ft, the greatest depth, howevei, to which the buckets had to go was 37ft. The buckets hnve a oapar-ity of three cubic feet. Kaitangata coal is used, of which I from four to live bags suffice for a shift of eight hours. This low consumption is due to the precaution!: taken with the feed irater and conservation ot the steam. At this stage of the interview, I was Landed over to a shareholder in the boat, who had been working on hoard for some considerable time, and who kindly fur- I nished me with items regarding the work- | ing and doings of the dredge. "Until about three months ago the dredge had been working two miles above the falls, with varvins success, which, howevei. did not reach the sensation point. The dredge was then shifted to her present position and . most precarious voyage she had in getting over the falls, which o<»ii<i«t of a number of narrow channels winding and twisting about m a mo&t confuted manner through the rock, which is exposed in bumps and islands. Since the dredge has been an hei present position a great deai of prospecting has oeen done The river has been tested for a width of 600ft — thai is to say. from rmnk to bank. — and, tui the published returns have shown, payable gold was met with for the greater part of the width. At this site the river is rock-bound, and consequently the runs of gold are found to run with the current _of the river, as could not be otheiwise! The gold is of a good body -vrtb. small pieces the size of split peas." The Sunlight dredge is really <loin fe pro. jpecting work There is no dredge nearp- «ip stream than Pringle's about six mi]"*- >rf and there is none down stream The present site of operations is abou' four mdes above Beaumont. The ground 5s stoney, but not excessively so uid no grabs are used, in the belt M KJoogi? having succeeded in proving tlu presencof the gold, will, no doubt." er> s»u» jet into the' way of working it. fho trouble ~ Las been the shifting of the dredge ovei che worst bit of river there is between Crom•welT and Beaumont,, excepting oht Uis o Doctor's Point. To this must be idded some. necessary repairs to the dredge that it would not be wise to put off All these untoward circumstances mean delay. But jiheu delays are unavoidable ia dred^m?.

A RESUME. Thfc above account comprises a aescription of all the dredges upon tht. Kawarau Molyneux, and Manuherikia, as -well as some reference to every claim at work and also a passing reference to the most promising specs to be placed upon the market. In addition, an attempt was made to con vey a general idea of how dredging work is conducted, pointing out the dangers that beset it, and the causes from which delay in the progress of its work arises It hot* remains to take a comprehensive retrospect, condensing -what has been said tnd supplementing it bei'f au^ v-here by ? few brief annotations*. Dredging opeiations. more than any othei mining work that has been carried on in the watershed of the Molyneux pro«e ttto be the great golden vein that sets agoing the industrial and commercial puke j of Otago Compared with the present rush j —foi rush, it is to all intents and purposes | - what was the first great excitement 38 ] ox 39 years ago? A sudden increase of population composed oi the hardy *d^en turers. the free and independent, who came with their swags upon their backs and who left again in the same way upon the first news of some other new rush — the few only j remaining. They laid the foundation of the ' colony's greatness, and pointed out the way j to the present, the second, and the greater j rush, it is true ; but they did not found • a new industry — following merely the lines and practice of an old one. The first rush began and ended as a mere scramble for j lucre : it led unavoidably to the increase of : population and production, and expanded [ the colony's commercial relations. i A certain degree of prosperity re- ! suited, and things forged ahead I in the ordinary groove, as they j did in the sister colonies. But : with the present rush things are totally ' different. There is no laboriously treading ' the interior wastes of Otago, no hardship nor privation to lace in prospecting i\w | country. You cheerily trip up to the broker's office, name your choice, and the thing is done. It is simplicity itself. The simile may be carried further, but there is \ no need for any extension of the subject. j Looking upon the Molyneux, -with its ramraification of branches, it may be asked : " What are any of the Vicrorian or New South Wales deep lends compared with the j Molyneux?" The majority of deep leads j fizzled out, after a. run of ten — a, few near ' 20 — miles. Here we have an unbroken fro d j of 130 miles, measuring in the Kawarau, j with numerous branches, such as the Lin- j dis Cardrona, Clutha. Nevis Manuhen J kia besides other independent, river sy J teim and by far th.3 greatei par* of Sou*Ji I land's plains and '-iver watersheds Aa to richness? Otago rivers anc tacs fully hold their own. Taken foot foi foot ' in cross section it may be questioned j whethei even the richest leads, barring ' nuggets, in Victoria — and they were + -he | richest the world has known — can come, up to the Molyneux or Kawarau. And all, this wonderful wealth i» made 1™ <^ f-'ny grains 'ike dust. ! Howeve , to comu «\ ehe point and the I conclusion, svith a homely, comfortable | moial. F»-om the description given, in the ] foregoing Articles it will be seen that rich . and patchy ground is synonymous ; that i such ground is found in the gorges of the Kawarau and the Molyneux ; that in -Mie j basins formed by the widening of the i Molyneux. as at Alexandra, Moa : Ander- ; son's, and Miller's Flats, the gold is 1 evenly distributed for the 50 or 60 miles ! of tbeii combined length, by a width ' measured by two. four, five, ond, in ons case, six miles. In these basins no phe- . nomenal finds o 400oz or 600oz pei week ! need be expected, but returns of more i modest proportions will be regular The Vincent. Unity, and Matau, just oelovi Clyde, and the Clyde Oomnanj ,Moa i dredge), just below Alexandra," mark the j transition staees. from gorge to basil in j tte formei and from basin to gorge » sfo latter case. ! There ire unmistakable sign., that- in <ie- j scendin^ the river the wash gets lighter | and easid to work, and that th© gold de- j cren.se? in quantity not however in such 1 proportions as to affect the icturns. the ground being easier worked the quantity ' treated in a given time makes up for de- ! I crease in quality As a consequence, I claims lowei down the river will, perhaps, not last so long as those in the upper i reaches of the Molyneux — that is, of course, i I undei corresponding conditions, .such as j the height of bank claims above water level. j All this shows that OLago hay not only revolutionised gold mining in respect of the manner of mining the gold, but has entered upon an era of prosperity totally different from that flowing from gold- ' mining 'in the ordinary sense. Manufac- ' ture in foundry and in workshop is stim.'-- ' lat-cd ; money finds a legitimate and profitable outlet; commerce flows in healthy ! channels ; production finds a ready mar- ] ket ; and. the most cheering prospect of | all this plethora of good things, is that there is a promise of peimanence about it that justifies the prediction that the j generation now coining into th world - : ll ; not see the end of it. Never did any country o- colom i*:itei so suddenly upon a new lease of prosperous life as did Otago since gold dredging dawDed upon her, witb its aetna) perform anre and promiw •y* wi bfitt©: in :b r figure. XVfil -rUAPSKA. Pni!» ilntf abou- 38 years ago th cry of Golr Gold ! ' went forth from the hills »it tuapeka, ringing up the curtain on a ■jpw act of New Zealand's history ; and the •:ch« now comes back a note or two deeper perhaps, but still its ring is "Gold! -Gold 1 ' and another act begins. When in the winter ot 1861, Gabriel Read »ne day fossicked out lOoz of gold, an<* felt onvinced that he had discovered ■ ne" goldfield, he "certainlj did not dream eh. t his discovery would lead to a revolution m gold mining that would not only completely alter the manner of winning the gold, but that should also abolish and supersede the verv_ tools ef his trade. In

dredging, the modern way of gold-getting, fit pick and the shovel are as completely superseded as the cradle and the Long Tnm. The dull, monotonous rock, '•oek of she cradle is now drowned in the puffing and | snorting of ponderous machinery, to 'vhich the shriel- of the <*teajr whistle -dd« Tuapeku; ~ the widest of Otago's gold ! fields has had, like every other mining digj trict. ample time to lament over departed ! glories of the ' good old times.' looking upon hej deserted gullies and desolate tailing heaps with a sore heart. If not as suddenly as 3P years ago, yet as surely, another change and a change foi the belter has come. The deserted gullies and despised tailing heaps hare suddenly become of valu<^. Once more there is a rush and pcsggiug out is the order of {he day. Excitement and expectation, if more quiet and modest than of yore, will be less subject to disappointment. The gold has been found , it is there, and the way to make it. pay has been found. As in so many other instances, so at Tuapeka, the dredging industry originated as a private enterprise, and some of the most successful ventures in this linp are still held by private working parties, who started their undertaking with their own money. In 1895 the first dredging claim at Tuapeka was marked out by Mr Thomas William Lee. about six miles below Lawrence, and is still held and worked by the same party. However, although the* first claim marked out., it was not the first to start actual work. The credit of having placed the first dredge upon the field and started actual work belongs to Uren and parly, of whom Mr J. Philip Uren and Mr Henry M'Nicoll .are the only members who have stuck to their flag. The present shareholders are, besides the two just mentioned, Messrs C. M'Nicoll. J. Harris, C. Mafhev/s, and Taylor and Tymbell, the two latter having recently joined the party. Mr J. R. Robinson, now dredgemaster of the Tuapeka Company's dredge, was one of the members "who formed the original Tuapeka Flat party, but he sold out some time ago. The Tuapeka Flat Company. j The Tuapeka Flat Company's dredge, ' situated a little better than a' mile below Lawrence: started work about three years ago, being the first dredge set going near Lawrence, no other boat being put on the river until Uren and party scored a success. The dredge belonged formerly to Mr J Perry now of the Waikaka. Uren and party's venture was a success from the beginning, and, so fai as things have gone the party are perfectly satisfied with their earnings. However, it was not all plain sailing with them. The original engine was not powerful enough to cope with the work, and the party decided to send to England foi a. new engine. What with correspondence and other delays, a ' twelvemonth passed by before the engine ! arrived, since when things have gone , smoothly The party estimate that, with cost of dredge, new engine, and loss of time in waiting for it, they were out about ! £3000. This outlay has "now been made l good, and satisfactory returns have been obtained to amply recoup the party for their plucky enterprise, and they certainly deserve that their names should be recorded as the pioneers of the dredging industry near Lawrence. The dimensions of the dredgw aye -is follows : — The pontoons are 70ft long by 24ft wide. They are built of kauri planks and hardwood framing. The ladder is 46£t long, and the buckets are of 2£ft capacity. The engine js, a semi-portable one, by Avelin and Porter It is of 12 horse-power, and answers its purpose well. The pontooiv were built by J. Reunert of Dunedin. The steam winches were furnished by the New Zealand Electric and Engineering Company (Stevenson and Poole). who also furnished the dredge with other gear. There are still about 60 acres of the claim to work, some of which is old ground that has been turned over and over again, first by Europeans and then by Chinamen. The average 'depth of the ground is 14ft, and a face of 10 chains wide is taken out abreast On account of the great width of the claim it extends not. much more than half a mile up and down the rive*. The ground is all payable for the whole width of 600 ft. The best gold is found upon the bottom. When a solid block is met with in the old gr.oimd it generally tells upon the returns in a favourable ■"■ay. No day m any quantity to interfere with the work or the yold-saving apparatus is found, nearly the. whole face being gravel. , The gold-saving apparatus consists of a ' box 70ft long, 3ft 6in wide, with steel ripples, and perforated plates raised over cocoanut matting. The gold being fine but shotty. in easily saved, and the owners of . the dredge are satisfied that they secure as ' much of it as it is possible to save with present appliances. Mr J. P. Uren is the acknowledged leader of the party and Mr H. M'Nicoll, who has had considerable experience amongst machinery acls= is engineer. A feature in this dredge is a provision for breaking up the wash, consisting of three steel arms acting as picks upon the wash. These picks are attached to the bottom tumbler shaft, which, for that purpose, projects several inches beyond the bearings. That these picks break up the ground efficiently and aid the buckets in filling regularly cannot be denied ; but it must also be admitted, that in stirring up the ground they are a cause of losing some, and perhaps the heaviest, of the gold. Tt is an accepted axiom in mining that rJie less the wash is stirred in removing it the more successfully is the gold cleaned up. The Ttjai'eka Goli Dredgtxp Company. This is a. registered company, ana has been in operation for about one year, during which time about 4500z have been ob tamed. Of the claim, .which was originally 70 acres in extent, 60 still remain unwcrked. The depth of the ground is from I 10ft to 12ft, and a streak of perhaps half ' a chain wide, following the original bed of tlie creek, has been worked, and generally I pret^ well cleaned u». However,, a fw»

varying from 400 ft to 600 ft wide is worked, everything, good, bad, and indifferent being taken. Mr J. R. Robinson is cT« dredgemaster, and Mr A. M. Wakefield the engineer, - the latter gentleman also acting in the same capacity on board the dredge run by the Evans Flat Gold Dredging Company, it Munro's Gully, which ir \ sister boat to the Tuapeka Company* dredge, for which reason the preserr description will answer for both boats. The pontoons are 60ft long by 24ft »viae, and are 4ft 6in deep. The ladder is 36ft long, capable of dredging up to a depth of 18ft or 20ft, which is more than is required, the average depth of the ground being from 10ft to 12ft. The boat is provided *-ith steam winches, furnished bj A. and T. Burt, after Cutten Bros ' patent The engine and boiler are by Afarjshall and Sons. Knewstubb Bros built the pontoons, while Poole and Stevenson (the New Zealand Electrical and Engineering Co.) furnished the ladder. The buckets, which are of 3£ cubic feet capacity, and the pins and links are by Joseph Sparrow , Hip pump is a lOin Tangye : and Messrs A. and T. Burt made all the necessary gearing. Th« gold-saving boxe- a r e 55ft long. The expense of running the boat is about 6£oz per week. Everything being -well and I economically managed, there is no wash 1 . The consumption of coal per shift of eight hours is 4£ bags of Kaitangata nuts, fhe price of which is l?s per ton, bags included. The dredge is lighted by electricity, generated by dynamos and a separate two horse-power engine, furnished by Murie, of Invercargill. There are six lamps distributed over the dredge, each of If candle-power. Mr Robinson expresses himself in terms of great praise of tl»e electric light, and feels sure that it helps on the night work greatly The gold-saving apparatus consists of bo\es. in all 65ft long by 4ft wide fitted with ripples and perforated steel p^tes, lifting the gold and sand on to cocoanut matting over calico in the usual way. Although the gold is mostly fine, it* is not . difficult to save. The ground occasionally I is troublesome on account of the depth of clay encountered, which is sometime*, a trouble to scoop up. and sometimes % greater bother to get rid of as it does not leave the buckets freely. In spitp of the severe strain the clay has upon the machinery, the dredge ran for sir montbs without any repairs being required. Everything on board is kept in first-class order, and works with complete satisfaction. Tbt. dredge was built from design? by Cutten Bros., the fitting up of the machinery being earned out by the New Zealand Electrical and Engineering Company (Stevenson and Poole). A portion of the ground has been hand worked, yet sometimes untouched ground i met with, which generally give* good re.'l'H*. IV. higher w»i?k'- returr bas be<»n 21uz. 'ts.- E^Air Plat Golt> Dredot\* Company Th<, Evans Flat dredge is carrying on its operations at Munro'» Gully, about three miles frorp Lawrence Work was commenced in June. 1898. iince> -which time about 600 oh of gold wer» obtained.' out of which 3s 6d has been paid in dividends, and rathei better than £300 paid off. by which amount the ovailablp capita) of the company was exceeded before gold was got. As already stated, this dredge is a fac simile of the Tuapeka Company's boat, the directors and shareholders in the Tuapeka and Evans Flat Companies being nearly the same parties. Owing partly to both dredges being built no great distance from the Lawrence railway station, the cost of cartage on that account being very low, and partly to other circumstances, the boats were got ready at a very low cost, not exceeding by much, in either case, £2500 ; and, considering the efficiency of the boats, they must be considered bargains at the price. The dredges being exactly alike no description of the Evans Flat dredge need be repeated. Mr T. Gillespie. the dredg?master. is an old miner of the neighbourhood und pointed out that much of the claim which comprised originally 70 acres, contains much worked ground that has been turned over several times. It is all being reworked on a face between three and four hundred feet wide the depth running from 12ft to 14ft. Whenever any block of solid ground is met with it is generally pretty good, the dredge working in ground that was verj rich in the early days. A stiff and sticky clay caused considerable trouble for some time past., but it \ would appear as if the dredge was getting through it, and that thing? will go more smoothly, which will have a salutary effect upon the returns. About 60 acre," of the claim still remain -.mworked. I Mr A. N. Wakefield holds the position of engineer for the Tuapeka and Evans Flat Companies, dividing his time equally between the two dredges. It was Mi Wakefield who fitted up the dynamos for the Tuapeka dredge, and arranged th* lights, and he did the same for the Evans Flat dredge. In the latter case, however, the dynamos are driven by the main shaft, at a cost practically inappreciable so that it may be said that there are few dredges lit up at a less cost This arrangement was an original idea of Mr Wakefield's, and so far is the only instance where it has been applied. Mr Wakefield being a proficient electrician runs a set of dynamos on his own account for the purpose of experimenting with dredge illumination. The j Evans Flat dredge is lit with lights aggregating 2000 candle-power, brilliantly lighting up the whole face of the workings and the banks around the dredge as well las the dredge itself. I saw an example of

what could be done witfc the light, and soon noticea that the lamps on board were so arranged as to counteract any shadow that might be thrown, every eornei of the dredge being perhaps better lit up by night than could be expected during daylight, which must be great assistance in carrying on the work. During my stay on board, an fcrperimen* with a trial lot of coal from the Fortifica'oor Company's mine neai Milton was in progress. The coal burned witb a clear, ?r g^ ?ame-'? ame -' giving * good - steady heat - M' VVakefiela. the engineer on board, expressed himselr *ulh> satisfied with the. excellence of the ooa' fo> Heair-raising and genera) heating purposes ThJ JiM.CLVI'fU Gou. 'OIIF.DOri\CJ Company. In many respects this dredge differ? v great deal from most other dredges the pontoons being apparently of different sixps-, the one carrying xhp engine and boiler being much wider than that carrying the gold-saving apparatus. The dredge, °vhich, had done previous service at Tuapeka Alouth, was bought by the- present company and shifted to her new site, where she began work about a year ago. The dredge is owned by 'a private company several of whom are Balclutha men. and hence her name. The claim is about sh miles down the luapeka River, below Lawrence. It was the first dredging claim marked out in the neighbourhood, and comprises 100 acre? of which 90 still remain to be m orked A face of 300 to 400 feefc in width is taken to a depth of about 12ft. Gold is found z« be mixed up throughout the gravel, but :j best upon the bottom, which is composed of clay or a granite sandstone, the solid rock being touched on the side? of the workings. The pontoons of the dredge sre 66ft long and about 30ft wide. The engine and boiler are of thu semi-locomotive typp. with auxiliary steam jet, by Avelin and Porter, the engine being of 12 horse-power nominal. The ladder is 25ft long, dredging to ;i depth of 12ft. but can go deeper . if Tequired. The winches on board are either steam oj hand winches, and answei the purpose well, the ground .being mostly easy to work. The capacity o»" the bucket's v about three nubic feet. The gold-saving appliance* are sluice boxes, in all 25yas long, furnished with ripples, perforated steel plates ovei ■ocoanut matting- and calico. The boxes are 3ft 6in wide. The gold presents no great difficulty as to the saving of it, being of a solid, well-rounded nature, and the ground being generally easy to work. The boxes are regularly fed. which assists in saving the gold. Report credits the party with winning from 10oz to 20o? per W3ek. Thb. Klondtke Gor.i Drudging Pakt/. This is a party" of three shareholders, who work their dredge as & private enterprise Mr John Donaldson xcts as dredgemaster. This dredge was originally built for Pringle and party by Mr William Jenkins, a shipwright, now" retired from business, but who in the early dredging days rendered valuable aid in the development of the industry by designing and building many of the early dredges still to *he fore. She was built for the "Molyneux. her s'ze being 67ft long by 15ft 6in wide. but-, huing too small and light for breaking up the hard cement that she had to contend with, Pringle and party sold her, Mr Jenkins building for them the Pride of the Clutha, in 1895. Since the time of he: first sale she harf changed hands several times, and when shifted to her present site was furnished with a new set of buckets and belfc by A. and T. Burt, which, if on a small scale, are of strong and substantial buildin other respects the dredge is of the size in general use where room for turning is more limited than upon a river like tho Molyneux. The pontoons are 70ft by 20ft, built of kauri planking and blue gum framing. Marshall and Sons furnished the engine. The ladder is 35ft long, the belfc carrying 30 buckets. Boxes in all 60fb long and 3ft 6m wide, furnished with ripples and perforated steel plates, and the usual arrangements such as cocoanut matting and calico, serve for saving the gold. Some of the winches are worked by steam, and there Are also hand winches. Altogethei th«! boat is ? strong apr" -ewr-'ueable dredge. Beyond thai, t-he owners Are *'ell satisfied with their returns, and that the dredge answers every demand made upon it, nothing is publicly known about the amount of the ■ gold they are getting. The dredge is afc work a -few minntes' walk from the Lawrence railway station. Mttrkay Bros.' DrtvOßE. Lying vithin the town boundary of Lawrence is what is locally known as Murray Bros.' dredge. This also is a boat dating many years back She is also known as the Record Reign and was built 16 years agu fo. Brazil and party by Mr William Jenkins., shipwright, but. being too small foi the Molyneux. the Otago Companj''s dredge at Miller's Flaf replaced her. Murray Bros, dredge was originally called *he Miller's Creek Th» first owners of the dredge lost £4100 -ver the boat. Now a good many years ago this dredge was working upon the Molyneux, and owned by Brazil and party, who got a considerable quantity of gold with her. The present owners did not succeed very well with her, and at present the dredge Is idle. It is said the owners intend to shift her to Gabriel's Gully <>», to some ground that it is supposed will pay handsomely xo»x o»- dredging. Genfka,.,. Besiae tli a . above-mentioned dredgfis then- >r- non.< at. work near Lawrence, and, -fi will have been noted, so far aa

operations have gone, there have been no sensational finds. This, of course, is principally owing to the fact that the dredges at work are working wrought-out ground, exhausted of its gold by repeated workings, depending almost exclusively upon country outside the old gold run of the Tuapekja River Several claims are marked below the Balclutha party, but so far no beginning has been made with the building of dredges. Munro s Gully has also, been marked out with dredging claims, and before very long there will be, it is said, ■everal dredges at work upon Evans Flat, in addition to the one now in operation. Wethtrstone Flat is another likely field for the extension of dredging, and is already marked out for that purpose, the pegs coming close up to the main roads crossing the flat. Besides these, there are many' other localities where it i 3 supposed dredging would pay well. The greatest drawback to the more general extension of dredging near Lawrence is that most of the dredgeablo auriferous land has become private property, and has a certain value as agricultural land, which makes it all the more difficult to deal with it. So far as dredging operations have gone at Lawrence it has been proved that the ground is shallow and only moderately rich. Taking the average depth of the ground at 12ft, it is found that it takes ho more than one month to turn over one acre of ground — that is, with a dredge which, compared with those at work upon most other fields, is far below the average in capacity for shifting ground. Striking the average earnings of the Tuapeka dredges at 20oz per week, which is in excess of the reality, we have 80oz per acre - per month. or, for * claim of 100 acres, 8000oz of gold, worth, say, £30,000. One-third of this amount must be deducted for running working expenses,— wages, coal, oil, etc.. leaving £20,000, out of which must be paid wear and tear and the original cost of the dredge, reducing that amount by at least anothei third, leaving the remainder, say, £12,000 to £14,000. as profit on a working capital of £3000 invested for eight oi ten Jears,. which it would take to work out a 00-acre claim 12ft deep. I Looked at as a mining speculation with fil" the ~isks and dangers inseparable from the nature of the investment this, though ' r iiandsome enough return in itself, is scarcely a -jufficieiH- inducement for investment. An increased area of ground lpon the 100-acre claim vhere the payable wash ■'alls below 14ft in depth in*- *» raggssted, and should be- «-cted upo». ICIX..— WvLPORi itfext to the Molyneux and Kawaran ti«

; Waipori is the most important and richest dredging field in Otago so far as dredging exploitations have gone. Being an independent and distinct river system though one of the smallest in the island, it deserves an extended notice. Striking nearly • j .d east and west course, its direction describe.? a right angle with that of the Molyneux, which, would lead one to believe that the physical conditions aie widely different. This, however is by no ■ means the case. The Waipori Valley • shows the same distinguishing features as the Molyneux Its course 'P a tolerably straight one ; there are the same basinlike expansions increasing in size as the valley descends. These basins, it is pretty well ascertained are connected by gorges, 'as in the case ol the Molyneux ; there is • an even and -egular fall in both valleys, and with this the similitude ceases. But, of course, everything is on a greatly re- . duced scale in the case of the Waipori Vali ley in which the most distinguishing feaj ture is the falls ending at Berwick. Thess i falls are a succession of rapids and cas- | cades, in all about 700 ft high, proving the 1 Upper Waipori — that is the mineralised ! portion of it above the falls — tc be of ancient lonnation. This portion is about 1400 ft above .sea level, or very slightly below the average gold level of Otago, which is about 1800 ft. About 12 miles in length, the valley has a fall of 66ft, which corresponds exactly with that of the Molyneux, computed at per mile. The width of the valley is from 25 { to 50 chains nearly all of which is payably i auriferous. Phyllitic rocks occuj frequently, ani are perhaps chiefly accountable for the presence ■ the gold, besides which there are found cinnabar, antimony, manganese, copper, and scheelite. Several, attempts have been { made to open and prospect these deposits, which chiefly failed through the difficulties of access, want of timber and other at present insurmountable obstacles. Tn every case, however, the prospects wert encouraging, and sooner or later these minerals will be turned to account. j In the meantime the gold worxings <*re of paramount importance and, as will \t seen, they are full of promise.- There is t& air of bustle and prosperity about the little town of Wa-ipon that fax *ceed3 that of ' larger mining centres. The Jojrnet yo Waipobi. ■starting somewhat late one threatening afternoon, in an open trap with three other passengers and a heavy cargo of miscellaneous wants of a mining centre, the weather vras not long in coming fully up to it 3 early promise. Wind and storm, with

| sleet and rain, were not long in overtaking I us. Then it began to pour ; and then came ! darkness of the fealable description. However, it was not so impenetrable as to prevent me from discovering that, besides the general deluge a sluice lie?d of water wa.* turned on from a neighbouring umbrella down my back, and. what was more annoying, I haa no umbrella to turn off tho supply and to return the compliment. The darkness the rain, and v the umbrella continued in spite of all remonstrances. Presently lights glimmer in tin discance, which flight be yards or miles. It w«,s miles ; and the lights were dredge lights, not the hospita-ble glimmei of inn fires On we floundered, through seas of mud, I over stones and ruts. At last there were suspicions ot lighted windows hovering about with the jolting of the trap. One house Mter another was passed. Now there j could ot no longer any doubt — the lights were crowded together, suggesting a street, and there, at the head of it, was a twostoreyed building with a lantern over the door. That meant according t« general experience, the end of our trouble. Jumping from th« coach diving through f ,hs rain, and rushing inside was simply a prompt'ng of instinct. Meeting mine host Caudwell, of the Bridge Hotel of wellrounded and comfortable proportions, we expected a jolly welcome. Witness our consternation on hearing that the house was full from top to bottom ; no room anywhere. Outside the 'am and storm .Vint j on — mockingly now. Happily there wa» j room at the table, and, what was more, there was something else to discuss than the rain. Mrs Caud well's larder proving equal to the most ravenous appetite, for it must be borne in iimd that newspaper reports "\ve got up on something else than t ink. i Discovery arm, aot long irr unearthing in Host- Caudwell ac old friend or the Miners' Association days and after ;hat «*ll went well. Next morning daylight rorealed ah the miser\ r of a winter storm on the Lammerlaws. A cutting, hissing howl ing wnid blew from half a dozen directions at once, like so many hydraulit, nozzles turned on w^th *ull pressure. A hurried look round, however ahowea a. crooked street of lotv buildings, amidst which stood the Bridge Hotel lik* it gt» a new bridge just finishing off, ai d ia gpite of the weather -000 i**. o f about of busy people. A word of remark on Host Caudw sibBridge Hotel shows at the same time the sagacity of the ownei and hu confidence in the -olace. Mrs Caudwell kindly showed me over the house, which, though only just finished, proved that it was well planned

and appointed in every respect, the comfort of visitors having been chiefly kept in view. Everywhere in house and yards ;hs most scrupulous cleanliness is observed. The new bridge also is evidence that -he residents are fully alive to the importance of their district. The bridge is fit for wheeled traffic* and will be thrown open in a few days. Though not formally open,, it may be placed upon record that Mrs Caudwell was the first iady who crossed and vecrossed the bridge. And now 'o t the more serious part of om business. Ths Jutland Flai Golb Dkedg'.nc Company. , Although not the pioneer dredge upon the field, this dredge was the first visited, because it was nearest Waipori — at most a short mile off, — and because the <veather did not warrant a far-afield jaunt. Meeting in Mr Robert Edmonds + he dredgemaster, an old friend, I was entertained with a full' account of the history -nd description of the dredge. As will be remembered, some zntib the Jutland Flat Company had to fight a lawsuit in the Supreme Court, over a mistake of the Government. The dispute irose upon Mr U. M'lndoe, a farmer holding land adjacent upon the Waipori River, alleging that he had sustained certain injuries to his land caused by the dredging operations of the Jutland Flat Company. He assessed his damages at 40s. The case dragged its weary length along, causing the company a year's loss of time, by way of injunction, and a money loss of £967 in Jaw and other costs, it being computed that at the same time the complainant to the action was about £300 out of pocket. As somewhat similar proceedings are now being revived at Glenore, a few remarks on the Jutland i'lat case will not be out of place. It is nothing short of vexatioua that miners, whether single individuals or companies, who have gone to the expense of procuring and erecting machinery on the strength of a Government grant, thereby becoming tenants of the tirov/n, can be convicted and punished, or be placed in the position of being convicted and punished, for doing that for which they hold a license granted to them for a special and specific purpose, without any reservation or restriction from the Government If in this contract there be a guilty parly to whom blame attaches, it is the Government, which was the cause of the situation. It may be the office of the law to protect one party against wrong done by another party, but it cannot be right on the part of the Government to create .a position fot the righting of which there is no machinery, and in which the aggressor as -veil as the aggrieved are sufferers. The question looms largely in the future, and is one that had better be decided either one way or the other without loss of time. The Jutland Flat Company holds 245 acres, and was registered in" July. 1890, starting work in September of the following year (1891), from which must be excised one year's compulsory inaction on account of lawsuits. During this time — not qxiite seven years' working time — 79030z 16d\vt were won ; that is, up to July 6 last — two months short of seven yearl Out of this amount, upwards of £7500 were paid in dividends, as per last balance, sheet. December 31, 3898. besides the cost of the lawsuit (£967* and the delay and outlay ot prospecting the ground when work first began. As since the date of last balance sheet 6570z 16dwt were obtained, the amount of dividends must have been proportionately increased. The amount of goid obtained since September 3 last up to July 6 was 1089pz 17dwt. For three weeks and three days prior to that date 116oz lldw were Avon. This detailed statement ip made to show the value of the industry the Government is trifling with in the way ibove described. The Jutland Flat dredge was designed by Mr Robert Hay, of Dunedm. and built by Kincaid and M'Queen, who furnished all the gear on board, including ooiler, engine, winches, and everything else from their own factory The engine is a vertical compound condensing one of 41 nominal, or 104 in- ' dicaled, horse-power The ladder, which is j 65ft long, is of steel, as are also the buckets*, ! ivhich are of a capacity of 3£ cubic feet. ! The bucket lips pins, and bushes are of j manganese steel, imported by the company. I The winchea are of the most useful kind, aftei Kincaid and M'Queen's own design. ; They are friction winches, with worm gear, j driven from the main shaft by spur gear ing. They are slow, and insure the proper | cleaning up of the bottom. The buckets i deliver 81 cubic yards per hour. The j greatest depth reached by them is 23ffc below water level, the depth of the ground varying from 15ft to 20ft below to 15ft water Jevel. The boiler is of the semi-locomotive type, all steel, and' is one of the finest ever built m the colony The steel plates are £in thick. There are '•'O tubes of 2^in diameter and seven stay tubes. The pontoons are ouilt of red pine heartwood, on the trus» principle, well stayed with bolts, «md have, a series of water-tight compartment, 1 ?. Their draught is 4ft 6in. and theii total depth 19 sft lOin They are 84ft long and 20ft wide, and were built by Mr Daulbey of Dunedin The tumbler framing is on jarrah, and 22ft above deck level. The forward hoisting '^amt is also of jarrah vnd ;*; * 18ft high. Work is carried on tbroughoat tab -A hours, the only delays being the necessary one* for cleaning up replacing buckets and no forth. Tn this connection it may be mentioned that there vere no breakages or serious delays since the dredge started,, except that caused by the injunction amounting to about 12 oionths Such a record it work for something like deven years, goes to the credit of the dredgemaster xt' .much "s tha dredge. I am indebted fco tne dredgema^tei , Mr Edmonds who is aD accomplished math& matician as well as a p^actica* Tigineer 'or the following calculations . — Engine jrorking 12in ■rntrifugal po. it, High pressure .. ... .., .* 1J». 96 Low nreisuß . . 7. 30 -ndicated nome-poTTM. I.i . • rr J. 76 Engine working buckets: High pressure .. . . J!.i&4 Jjow pressure .. . „ 13.270 'Indicated haHt-ECMI .« iXAtA

The water is. lifted 18ft high.- -The quantity of water raised per minute "is 2257.45" gallons, and the amount used for treating one cubic yard of gravel is 1693 gallons. Mr Edmonds, I think, must be credited with being the first to introduce the system: of laying off plans of dredging claims on a large scale and dividing them into squares,after the manner of geographical maps, only that for the curved lines representinglongitude and latitude, he adopted straight/ lines., drawn vertically and horizontally at' right angles to each other. He prepared two such plans, one for the secretary of the company and one for uha dredgemaster. In his weekly reports to the secretary the dredgemaster mentions t.h6 square upon which he has been working. This method furnishes a permanent record of the progress of che work, showing how much of th» claim has been worked out. The keep* ing of such plans should be made compulsory by the Mines Act. < Th» gold-saving apparatus -.-onsists of a steel shoot or box 69ft long by 4ft 4kt wide, fitted with angle steel ripples There are usea- 180 ft of spring steel bar vipplea, for separating fine gravel, .sand, and gold from the coarser stuff. Sand and gold are passed over tables, 12ft by 9ft ; the discharge from the tables are passed through three shoots., or boxes, over angle iron, tipples. There is no dredge that has a better designed gold-saving apparatus, nor one that treats the stuff in a more exhaustive degree. i The" gold, although rtry i'ine, is easily j saved, being of a shotty and heavy nature. ! It is of a good colour, its assay value be* j ing £4 0s lOd — a price the company . obtains, less the cost of assaying, which is 2s per ounce. The gold occurs on a false bottom composed of clay soft granitic j sandstone, or quartzoze grit, best described jas " rice " bottom. Payable gold is found j from reef to reef — that is, at the level of : tha false bottom — from 16ft to 20ft below j the water level of the valley. In tho Jutland Flat claim this width is 30 chains, w,(l j means the whole width of the claim. j Concluding the remarks on the Jutland 1 Flat claim it may be pointed out that the ', dredgemaster works under a certain «iv? j constant restraint imposed by tlie tailings^ I trouble. While Mr Edmonds doe-» every- v I thing in nia power to prevent a recurrence | of. legal or other unpleasantnesses, ha finds himself hindered in the free execution of th» work, besides the cost and trouble of constructing dams to keep back tailings means a loss tc the company. Weri> it not . for the necessity imposed of doing some- ' thing to help things moving along, Mr 1 Edmonds feels sure the. returns- from tho , claim would be increased to an appreciable i degree. The company is to be complii mented in possessing in Mr Edmonds,; j whose knowledge of mining work and mb- | jec^s is of d rare order so c:-cumspec f uid I experienced * man asr dredpemaster The Upper Waipobj Gold Dueit.wq Comi ant. An easy walk downstream irom Waipori orings you to the Upper Waipor- dredge, which is really the pioneer dredge o* Wai- ! por*. having been -egistered in March, j ISB9 — that is to jay when *he steam dredge I was beginning tc issert hey importance *nd , -jfcofulness The venture chiefly owe 3 its existence to Mr Pilling, sen. of Lawence. Several years prior vo tl» date of registration Mr Pilling tried, t,o induce mining ! people to put *» dredge on the river as H,<> ! war well acquainted with the character vt th* ground. After some time Mr Thomas Brydone of Dunedin paid several r isits co Waipor i Flat leading to the formation of syndicate who spent £500 m prospectiLg. Th» prospects obtained being good enough to start work, the party obtained s special grant of 300 acres. Mr Charles ■ M'Qneen who took a particular interest ia [ the prospecting devised a plant of hia own | for the purpose. It consisted of a series oE cylinders sunk in the ground. When water, was v eached, which was very soon, a sets ox elevators, similar to the bucket belt of a dredge, was fitted in the cylinder for scooping up the drifr and raising it to f -he surface, after having been previously loosened by revolving arms raking the gravel away from under the lower edge of the cylinders, causing them to settle down as the shaft descended. In this manner a depth of about 80ft was reached, when, either the bed rock a large hard stone, or- ■» cement bottom was met with too hard for the elevator buckets to penetrate. Work had to be abandoned, but it was proved that the whole distance oassed through .was more or les3 aurifercms. Thia led to Kincaid and M'Queen being instructed to place a thoroughly efficient dredge upon the claim, which chiefly owing to the outlay for carting the ma-