H.—s.

46

to collect a sufficient quantity of suitable stones to do the work. Those already placed give every indication of lasting some time, but it is also apparent that stone-paving will lessen the carrying capacity of the channel, because they present a rougher surface to the water and debris, although much care has been taken to place the stones as evenly as possible. Stones are now projected through the body of water on to the side tramways at these places; this paving will, however, get smoother after a month or two of steady use. Kapitea Dam. —This little dam has done wonders in keeping up the daily supply of from fifty to seventy heads during the year; this has been done by the greatest attention to the Kawhaka Supply Race, which empties into the head of Kapitea Creek, and by utilizing the Waimea Race Sunday water, which would otherwise go to waste, but this had to be taken at certain hours, so as not to interfere with the night water supplied to reservoirs at Waimea and Stafford. In addition to the claims now supplied from the Government race there are several not connected with the channel prepared to sluice when the water is available, and I am hopeful of being able to supply them all on completion of widening of race-tunnel and construction of Loopline Dam. The first will be finished within two months, and the latter probably within three months. Up to the present, in order to supply and accommodate as many as possible, I have divided the long summer days into three shifts of four hours each; all parties having tail-races of their own are supplied with water from 6 to 10 a.m., and the channel men from 10 a.m. to 2. p.m. and from 2to 6 p.m. These shifts are still continued, but I fear cannot be much longer, as the days are noticeably shortening. I will therefore very soon be forced into two four-hour shifts, by which time or shortly after I hope to have enough water on the field to serve the private tailrace parties at the same time with the two sludge-channel shifts. This will very much increase the volume of water to be carried by the main race. lam therefore taking advantage of every opportunity to enlarge and increase its carrying capacity, which work is, however, somewhat slow, as it can only be done in such days and hours when water is not in the race. The daily requirements of the field to be supplied by the Government race will soon be between ninety and a hundred heads, equal to 360,000 cubic feet per hour. Herewith please find tables showing the revenue and expenditure on account of the WaimeaKumara Races and Sludge-channel maintained by the Government from the Ist April, 1882, to 31st March, 1883 ; also the number of men employed by the races, their average earnings, and the approximate quantity of gold obtained by them, after deducting working expenses. I have, &c, J. Gow, The Under-Secretary for Gold Fields, Wellington. Manager.

No. 21. Mr. Denis Doyle, Manager of the Argyle Water-race, to the Under-Secretary for Gold Fields. Sir,— Charleston, 12th May, 1883. I have the honour to forward report for the year ending the 31st March, 1883, in compliance with telegram of the 12th instant. In February, 1882, work was begun on sections 1 to 4>, South Supply Race, for enlarging old race. In March contracts were let for sawing and delivering timber on race at different points; this work was let in two sections. The labour of erecting flumes and other portions of race I carried out myself under day labour, according to instructions from Mr. Martin, R.E. The carpenter work I did myself, along with an assistant, other men being employed in getting and squaring timber and hauling it to works. This has been a very difficult piece of work, owing chiefly to the nature of country; being all broken up, in limestone formation, and the timber being of heavy beams, it was very laborious work to get it on the ground and fixed in position. This work was continued until the whole length of race was finished, in the month of September, 1882. I also had 37 chains of ditching and 3 chains of fluming finished on North Supply Race. This race would require finishing to its bead, about 35 chains ; all the old fluming is broken down and perfectly useless from 37 chains to head of race. I also repaired two side feed-races coming into this race, gaining a fair supply of water in rainy weather. Contract No. 1. —Alterations were let in March, 1882, and kept going night and day until such time as the tunnel—27 chains long—was got through. This contract was finished in September, and a splendid piece of work it is. Contracts Nos. 2, 3, and 4 were let in October last, and were finished in January, 1883. Contracts Nos. 5 and 6 were let in April of this year. These two last contracts will connect the new and old race at two miles on old race from the dam ; therefore this two miles of very bad race will be done away with after a short time. The above shows the amount of works already finished and in progress; I may say Contracts Nos. 5 and 6 do not come under report for last year. In the beginning of the financial year 1882-83 the water in the reservoir was very low— not more than two feet in depth. This supply kept running out from time to time, until the broken weather set in, when we had heavy rains all through the winter, raising the supply up to within three inches of overflowing in September. During the whole of