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has been no work of any consequence done in this mine for several years. Last year the mine was let on tribute. The low adit-level is being repaired, and they are working on a lode about 3ft. in thickness, and getting out stone and crushing it at the Venus battery. There was 1,917 tons of quartz cruslted last year, which yielded 7750z. of gold. Golden Treasure Company. —This company's property in Murray Creek is said to have been purchased-by Mr. J. B. Beeche in August last year. The mine was idle for several years. In the beginning of this year all necessary repairs were made to the poppet-heads, and since then the Band of Hope adit-level has been cleaned out and retimbered for about 650 ft., and stoping is being carried on 160 ft. above this adit on a lode about 2ft. 6in. in thickness, showing a fair amount of gold. There is about 60 tons of stone broken out ready to forward to the crushing-battery as soon as the necessary repairs are effected. In former years there was a good deal of antimony in the stone in conjunction with gold, and that made the ore unsuitable for crushing with quicksilver. It is ore which requires to be concentrated in order to get a fair percentage of the gold in the stone. During last year 78 tons of stone was crushed from this mine, which yielded 38oz. of gold. Venus Extended Company. —The principal work done at this company's mine during the year was stoping out the lode between No. 2 and No. 3 Levels, and also in extending No. 3 Level, and in prospecting. There was 2,078 tons of stone crushed during last yesA', which yielded 1,6800z. gold, out of which dividends have been paid the shareholders to the extent of £600. The reef varies greatly in thickness, being only a few inches in places, and then it widens out in other places to over 3ft. If a body of stone is discovered, even of low grade, with the appliances this company have it ought to be made to pay for working. The mine is connected with a crushing-battery by an aerial tramway. There are altogether twenty-two men employed by this company. Ingleioood Extended and Phcsnix Extended Companies. —These companies' mines adjoin each other, and are worked from a main adit-level, which is over 1,400 ft. in length. The lode is being worked between this level and the old workings, and will yet take over twelve months to stope out. It is about 2ft. in thickness, generally containing low-grade quartz. During last year the Inglewood Extended Company crushed. 620 tons of quartz, which yielded 2660z. of gold, being an average of nearly Bdwt. 14gr. per ton. The Phoenix Company have done very little work last year, the quartz being of very low grade. Boatman's Disteict. There was a falling-off in the yield of gold from this district last year to the extent of 8340z., owing chiefly to the Welcome and Just in Time Mines not turning out so well as formerly. There is, however, a prospect of better returns being got from this district next year. The Homeward Bound Company will likely be in full work on the Welcome line of reef, which was found to contain payable gold up to the boundary of their claim. Welcome Company. —This company have worked out two levels below the main or No. 6 Level, which is constructed into the hill for a distance of 2,600 ft. The shaft at the end of this main adit has been sunk to a depth of 450 ft., and a level constructed at the bottom of the shaft for a distance of 80ft. on the line of reef, but no stone was met with. They then constructed an uprise for 45ft., and put in an intermediate level from which some stone was obtained; but the lode was greatly broken up. A good deal of work has been done in cross-cutting to prospect the ground, but up to the time of my visit they had not been successful in finding a lode at the lower level. There were only five men employed in the mine. The manager informed me that all work was suspended, pending amalgamation with the Homeward Bound Company, which adjoins this on the north side. The lode the Welcome Company has been working runs into the Homeward Bound Company's claim. This company is sinking a shaft from the low-level adit-tunnel that was constructed by some six different companies in this district about four years ago, and they have now got the shaft down for a considerable distance, and expect in a few months to strike the lode. If an amalgamation was effected between the two companies the stone could be taken out from the Welcome levels. At the time of my visit there was a proposition to amalgamate the two companies and form a new company with a capital of £48,000 in £1 shares, each of the present companies to get 24,000, with 10s. per share paid up, and be liable for the balance of the capital if required to be called up. During last year the Welcome Company crushed 937 tons of quartz, which yielded 1,7070z. of gold. Fiery Gross Company. —This company's mine produced more gold last year than for the previous one. The workings are carried on from a shaft which is 450 ft. in depth, and a level is constructed at this depth in a southerly direction to the Just in Time Company's boundary. They are sinking a winding-shaft in a cross-cut from the main 450 ft. level about 200 ft. distant from the main shaft, and propose working the lode below the 450 ft. level by means of this new shaft, on the same principle as that adopted by the Keep It Dark Company. The lode is from Ift. 6in. to 2ft. 6in. in thickness, and averages about 17dwt. of gold per ton. During last year 2,983 tons of stone was crushed, which yielded 2,4950z. of gold, which enabled the sum of £3,600 to be paid to the shareholders in dividends. Lone Star Company. —This company's mine is situated on the range on the south side of Boatman's Creek. The lode has so far been variable in thickness and broken; but the company expect it will be payable for working, and are connecting their mine by an aerial tramway to the Just in Time crushing-battery, where they have made arrangements to have the whole of their quartz crushed at the rate of 10s. per ton. A good deal of prospecting has been done in this mine, and the company estimates that they have about 800 tons of stone in sight, including that already on the surfaces, to operate on as soon as the tramway is completed. Just in Time and Reform"Companies. —These companies' claims adjoin each other, and are both worked from one shaft, which is 200 ft. in depth. Most of the stone on the upper levels is stoped out, and very little work is being done in either of the companies' mines at present. Before the lode can be worked to a greater depth the shaft will have to be sunk deeper, w Thich will very probably soon be undertaken.

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