GOLD AND SILVER RETURNS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, May 3.

Otago Witness, Issue 2410, 10 May 1900, Page 21

GOLD AND SILVER RETURNS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, May 3.

The gold and silver returns for the period ended 30th April show a falling off as compared with the same period of the previous year. The figures relating to gold are:

As to silver, Auckland produced, in April, 1900, 23,1i20z, of the value of £2944, and in April, 1599, 19,7960z, of the value of £-2-210. The decreased return of gold for April, 1900, as compared with April, 1899, was 1D.9900z, of the value of Jf53,G27, and the return of silver increased by 53460e, of the value of £71-i. The decrease for the first four months of 1900 m gold is 523202, of tiic value of £37,301. A NEW DREDGE. Patents were taken out m June last year by Mr Andrew Eidland, of Dunedin, for an important addition to the ordinary gold dredge. It is intended to cope with the difficulty of scooping up tho* wash from holes and crevices oa" claims having a rocky bottom, and Mr Ridland's method for. ob:ainiug gold fioni iCo£,h iock-bottom claims consists n the application of an airtight incline tunnel ojien at the lower end and suspended on a dredge in a similar manner to the bucket ladder, a third pontoon bc-ing employed When the buckets have raised all the gravel and baijed the lock bottom, the dredge is shifted sideways until the lower end of the incline tunnel comes directly over the rclace where the buckets have been working. ', The tunnel is then lowered, and covers the place where the buckets have been working. The workmen then enter the tunnel and shut the dcor. The air conpiessor is set to work and expels the water fiom the tunnel, thus enabling the workmen to descend to the bottom of the claim and clean out the crevices. A truck is provided to laise the scrapings to the surface, where they are discharged into a receiver and stored until a convenient time to wash up. A wire lope is piovided under the incline tnnr.el, leading from the stern to the bow o! the dredge, so that the workmen can hitch on a chain to the boulders and draw them behind the dredge ; or, in the event of very large rocks being met with, thay can be blasted arid the debris be lifted with tho buckets. Electric light is provided inside the tunnel, and a telephone instrument so that the workmen inside can communicate with the workmen outside. This apparatus is said to be suitable for working to a depth of 65ft, and a suction pipe can be employed to clean the bottom.

1900. 1599. Auckland Nelson . . Crveymouth Duned.in Totals Oz. i. . . 15,954 59,659 193 772 . . 1,536 6,142 2,670 10,273 . . " 20,358 76,882 Oz. 8,802 9,282 15,259 33.3 13 £ 31,632 37.127 61,750 130,509