D.—lα.
Machines employed in Alluvial and Quartz-mining for the Year ending 31st March, 1886.
Present Position of Gold-mining. —The permanence of the West Coast gold-mines is an important factor in estimating the prospects of the railways, and, like the value of the lands, it is a subject on which there is a great diversity of opinion. There has been nothing like a large rush since 1876, when the Kumara field was opened out. We have therefore had seven or eight years of normal working. The foi '.owing tables show the state of the gold-mining industries on the West Coast during that period—the last seven years : —
Yield of Gold.
Number of Miners Employed.
Value of Machinery Employed.
These tables show that, while alluvial mining is on the decline, quartz-reefing has not onlyheld its own. but made a slight advance. The Mokihinui reefs appeared in the returns for the first time last year ; and in all probability the Owen reefs will appear next year. Permanence of Gold-mining. — With reference to the permanence of alluvial mining, the ordinary river-diggings are undoubtedly coming to an end; but the hydraulic workings in gravel and cement terraces will last many years. So also will the beach workings, which afford employment to small parties all along the coast.
16
Machines em-ployed in Alluvial and Quartz-mining f or t, ear eni ling 31st arc ■; 1 Iβ. ac. linory erapl oyed ii Ai: iuvial M: iniri; Machii ier: emplo ■ed in Quartz M: ining. Locality. a B 1 a a Q o i S g "3 il I 3 ! tS o o K u i M El So ■ j'Ec £ 0J c to [43 c 4 h to O i CO a I Steamengines employed winding, crushing, &c. 2 M u J 3 o m s t i sa q> o ft u o O to d S V o pq 8 £ Approximate Value of all Mining Plant and Machinery § o C AggreNo. gate h.y. 1 Inangahua Charleston Lyell Murcliison Westport Ahaura Waimea and Stafford Totara Hokitika and Kanieri Greymouth Arnould Kumara Goldsborough Greenstone Okarito 80 23 45 4G 500 1,000 40 70 1 2' '70 27 350 230 40 30 1 1 6 50 *3 13 12 228 is "i 8 285 5 45 20 15 'ii 2 2 3 55 124,580 3,000 11,000 1,200 7,000 6,800 4,000 14,000 2,500 1 8 40 6 220 '2 1,800 882 70 i G o 356 118 55 25 1 40 8 *3 88 5,000 2,596 5,000 8 20 1,000 50 ii 34 3 1,500 'l Totals 10 09 5,606 G9 1,310 37 1 90 3 13 9 20 481 24 355 '20 55 188,176 Present Posit: factor in estimatii on which there is when the Kumara working. The fo during that period ion of ng the a grea i field ■ li'.owini 1—the Gold-min 3 prospect it diversit lincj ts ( tyo led she jr.—Thepe af the rail if opinion, out. W< >w the sta irmaner srn ways, £ Then L\v. :nce of the V and, like th re has been therefore 1 the gold-mi: Zest Coas' .e value < nothing 1 iad sever ning inch] t gold-mines is an important )f the lands, it is a subject ike a large rush since 1876, l or eight years of normal istries on the West Coast was opei: ig tables ! last seve i have jte of t. in \ ream : — Yi, eld of ( Gold. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. Alluvial gold Quartz-gold... £ 470,871 100,190 £ 505,958 69,300 £ 419,881 90,090 £ 425,653 94,325 £ 378,217 88,935 £ 377,217 69,300 £ 361,985 109,340 Totals £ 571,061 575,258 509,971 519,978 467,152 446,517 471,325 Numbe of Mine , , s Employed. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. Alluvial-miners Quartz-miners 6,497 447 6,886 476 7,633 479 7,332 499 6,986 834 5,924 563 5.344 563 Totals 6,944 7,362 8,112 7,831 7,820 6,487 5,907 Value of Machine: •y Emph njed. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. Alluvial-mining Quarts-mining ) £ £ £ 107,370 114,179 113,450 £ 127,630 £ 158,536 £ £ 182,980 186,280 These tables show that, while alluvial mining is on the decline, quartz-re; held its own. but made a slight advance. The Mokihinui reefs appeared in the : time last year ; and in all probability the Owen reefs will appear next year. Permanence of Gold-mining. — With reference to the permanence of ai ordinary river-diggings are undoubtedly coming to an end; but the hydraulic and cement terraces will last many years. So also will the beach workings, wl ment to small parties all along the coast. ifing has not only returns for the first luvial mining, the workings in gravel lich afford employ-
Machines em-ployed in Alluvial and Quartz-mining f or t, ear eni ling 31st arc ■; 1 Iβ. ac. linory erapl oyed ii Ai: iuvial M: iniri; Machii ier: emplo ■ed in Quartz M: ining. Locality. a B 1 a a Q o i S g "3 il I 3 ! tS o o K u i M El So ■ j'Ec £ 0J c to [43 c 4 h to O i CO a I Steamengines employed winding, crushing, &c. 2 M u J 3 o m s t i sa q> o ft u o O to d S V o pq 8 £ Approximate Value of all Mining Plant and Machinery § o C AggreNo. gate h.y. 1 Inangahua Charleston Lyell Murcliison Westport Ahaura Waimea and Stafford Totara Hokitika and Kanieri Greymouth Arnould Kumara Goldsborough Greenstone Okarito 80 23 45 4G 500 1,000 40 70 1 2' '70 27 350 230 40 30 1 1 6 50 *3 13 12 228 is "i 8 285 5 45 20 15 'ii 2 2 3 55 124,580 3,000 11,000 1,200 7,000 6,800 4,000 14,000 2,500 1 8 40 6 220 '2 1,800 882 70 i G o 356 118 55 25 1 40 8 *3 88 5,000 2,596 5,000 8 20 1,000 50 ii 34 3 1,500 'l Totals 10 09 5,606 G9 1,310 37 1 90 3 13 9 20 481 24 355 '20 55 188,176 Present Posit: factor in estimatii on which there is when the Kumara working. The fo during that period ion of ng the a grea i field ■ li'.owini 1—the Gold-min 3 prospect it diversit lincj ts ( tyo led she jr.—Thepe af the rail if opinion, out. W< >w the sta irmaner srn ways, £ Then L\v. :nce of the V and, like th re has been therefore 1 the gold-mi: Zest Coas' .e value < nothing 1 iad sever ning inch] t gold-mines is an important )f the lands, it is a subject ike a large rush since 1876, l or eight years of normal istries on the West Coast was opei: ig tables ! last seve i have jte of t. in \ ream : — Yi, eld of ( Gold. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. Alluvial gold Quartz-gold... £ 470,871 100,190 £ 505,958 69,300 £ 419,881 90,090 £ 425,653 94,325 £ 378,217 88,935 £ 377,217 69,300 £ 361,985 109,340 Totals £ 571,061 575,258 509,971 519,978 467,152 446,517 471,325 Numbe of Mine , , s Employed. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. Alluvial-miners Quartz-miners 6,497 447 6,886 476 7,633 479 7,332 499 6,986 834 5,924 563 5.344 563 Totals 6,944 7,362 8,112 7,831 7,820 6,487 5,907 Value of Machine: •y Emph njed. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. Alluvial-mining Quarts-mining ) £ £ £ 107,370 114,179 113,450 £ 127,630 £ 158,536 £ £ 182,980 186,280 These tables show that, while alluvial mining is on the decline, quartz-re; held its own. but made a slight advance. The Mokihinui reefs appeared in the : time last year ; and in all probability the Owen reefs will appear next year. Permanence of Gold-mining. — With reference to the permanence of ai ordinary river-diggings are undoubtedly coming to an end; but the hydraulic and cement terraces will last many years. So also will the beach workings, wl ment to small parties all along the coast. ifing has not only returns for the first luvial mining, the workings in gravel lich afford employ-
Machines em-ployed in Alluvial and Quartz-mining f or t, ear eni ling 31st arc ■; 1 Iβ. ac. linory erapl oyed ii Ai: iuvial M: iniri; Machii ier: emplo ■ed in Quartz M: ining. Locality. a B 1 a a Q o i S g "3 il I 3 ! tS o o K u i M El So ■ j'Ec £ 0J c to [43 c 4 h to O i CO a I Steamengines employed winding, crushing, &c. 2 M u J 3 o m s t i sa q> o ft u o O to d S V o pq 8 £ Approximate Value of all Mining Plant and Machinery § o C AggreNo. gate h.y. 1 Inangahua Charleston Lyell Murcliison Westport Ahaura Waimea and Stafford Totara Hokitika and Kanieri Greymouth Arnould Kumara Goldsborough Greenstone Okarito 80 23 45 4G 500 1,000 40 70 1 2' '70 27 350 230 40 30 1 1 6 50 *3 13 12 228 is "i 8 285 5 45 20 15 'ii 2 2 3 55 124,580 3,000 11,000 1,200 7,000 6,800 4,000 14,000 2,500 1 8 40 6 220 '2 1,800 882 70 i G o 356 118 55 25 1 40 8 *3 88 5,000 2,596 5,000 8 20 1,000 50 ii 34 3 1,500 'l Totals 10 09 5,606 G9 1,310 37 1 90 3 13 9 20 481 24 355 '20 55 188,176 Present Posit: factor in estimatii on which there is when the Kumara working. The fo during that period ion of ng the a grea i field ■ li'.owini 1—the Gold-min 3 prospect it diversit lincj ts ( tyo led she jr.—Thepe af the rail if opinion, out. W< >w the sta irmaner srn ways, £ Then L\v. :nce of the V and, like th re has been therefore 1 the gold-mi: Zest Coas' .e value < nothing 1 iad sever ning inch] t gold-mines is an important )f the lands, it is a subject ike a large rush since 1876, l or eight years of normal istries on the West Coast was opei: ig tables ! last seve i have jte of t. in \ ream : — Yi, eld of ( Gold. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. Alluvial gold Quartz-gold... £ 470,871 100,190 £ 505,958 69,300 £ 419,881 90,090 £ 425,653 94,325 £ 378,217 88,935 £ 377,217 69,300 £ 361,985 109,340 Totals £ 571,061 575,258 509,971 519,978 467,152 446,517 471,325 Numbe of Mine , , s Employed. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. Alluvial-miners Quartz-miners 6,497 447 6,886 476 7,633 479 7,332 499 6,986 834 5,924 563 5.344 563 Totals 6,944 7,362 8,112 7,831 7,820 6,487 5,907 Value of Machine: •y Emph njed. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. Alluvial-mining Quarts-mining ) £ £ £ 107,370 114,179 113,450 £ 127,630 £ 158,536 £ £ 182,980 186,280 These tables show that, while alluvial mining is on the decline, quartz-re; held its own. but made a slight advance. The Mokihinui reefs appeared in the : time last year ; and in all probability the Owen reefs will appear next year. Permanence of Gold-mining. — With reference to the permanence of ai ordinary river-diggings are undoubtedly coming to an end; but the hydraulic and cement terraces will last many years. So also will the beach workings, wl ment to small parties all along the coast. ifing has not only returns for the first luvial mining, the workings in gravel lich afford employ-
1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. Alluvial-mining Quarts-mining ) £ £ £ 107,370 114,179 113,450 £ 127,630 £ 158,536 £ £ 182,980 186,280