C.—3

78

St. Bathan's.

There are still a few miners about Cambrian's and Vinegar Hill, but the scarcity of water last year was a great drawback to them, as they could do but little work. Mr. J. Ewing's claim on Vinegar Hill is still being worked and giving excellent returns; but he could not give me even a close approximate idea how much gold he would have for the year's work, as he had not washed up, and was only commencing to clean up the bottom : but, judging from the area of the ground sluiced away and his former returns, he estimates that there ought to be at least 1,4000z. of gold. It may be well to mention that Mr. Ewing made arrangements twelve months ago to have two of Eobertson's patent atmospheric nozzles in his hydraulic elevators ; but the ones supplied to him were of no service, and since then the patentee has been making improvements in them ; but until such time as the new ones recently supplied have been thoroughly tested, nothing can be said of the merits of the patent. The principle on which these atmospheric nozzles are made would lead one to suppose they would be an improvement on the ordinary nozzle when the intake of the elevating-pipe is covered with water; but owing to the castings previously supplied being of so flimsy a nature, and to the defective way in which the nozzles were connected, the elevators did not produce the effect that was anticipated. Mr. Ewing works his Vinegar Hill claim day and night, and he has it lighted up at night with electric arc lamps, the electricity being supplied by a small dynamo, which is driven by a small Pelton water-wheel. St. Balkan's Sludge-channel. —This sludge-channel or tail-race will yet take several years to complete, but it is constructed up to such a point that gold in the ground it is being constructed through pays for the cost of construction. The gold is very fine, and they constructed a wide table similar to that described at Mr. Ewing's claim at Tinker's, and covered the bottom with cocoanut matting, and in three months' work they got 80oz. of gold out of the material that was formerly running to waste. This clearly shows that wherever the gold is of a light scaly nature great care has to be taken to save it; and it is only by getting the auriferous material spread thinly over a large surface, with only sufficient water to keep the tables clear, that a fair percentage of this class of gold can be saved. There is a little work being done in some of the claims near the Township of St. Bathan's, but there had been very little water to carry on sluicing operations for a long time prior to my visit. Muddy Creek. —The Scandinavian and M. and E. Companies have been steadily at work, but the scarcity of water has prevented them from getting much gold last season : they had not sufficient water in the sludge-channel to keep it clear—they merely banked up the sides of the channel with scrub, and allowed the bed to fill up with tailings. The Scandinavian Company had a considerable break in their head-race last year, which delayed their sluicing operations for some time. This company is said to have a very good claim, and the expense of working it is not great. They got 150oz. of gold for last year's work. Blackstone Hill. There are few miners here, and the scarcity of water last year made the returns from the claims very small. Mr. E. Johnstone has a water-race, which is taken from a branch of the Manuherikia Eiver, which in ordinary weather gives a good supply of water. This race is taken on to the top of Blackstone Hill, where its proprietor has a claim which is said to contain very good ground ; but, as it is of a considerable depth, and the material when exposed to the atmosphere gets into a soft, pulpy condition, the sides of the cutting in which he was working slip in, which necessitates a large area of ground to be washed away on the surface before the auriferous wash-drift can be taken from the bed-rock, as that is where most of the gold lies. There is auriferous ground here and there all down this range to Ophir, which would pay well for working if a supply of water could be taken at a sufficient elevation to command it. And the only supply that could be got is that held by Mr. Johnstone. .Naseby. The effects of the dry season have been felt severely in this part of the district. The ground, in general, is not rich, and the primitive method of working it makes the average earnings of the miners very small. There are no large claims nor extensive workings on this field. A great many makeshifts are resorted to in working some of the claims, which indicates that they are not profitable ventures. The ground on the side of the Hogburn Creek is getting pretty well worked out, and also the ground in Home Gully ; but beyond Home Gully, towards the Kyeburn Diggings, there are apparently several wash-drift terraces and flats that will pay for working with a good water-supply. The whole of the ground in the district is generally of a shallow nature, so that large areas can be quickly washed away if plenty of water were available. On my visit to this district a deputation of the miners, business people, and the County and Borough Councillors waited upon the Under-Secretary of Lands and Mines and myself, urging that we should represent to the Government the urgent necessity of constructing the reservoir at the Eweburn in connection with the Government water-race at Mount Ida, as it was part and parcel of the original scheme, and the work could not be expected to pay before it was completed. The place where the reservoir is proposed to be constructed is a good site for conserving water; It is proposed to put an embankment in a narrow gorge having rock on both sides ; but, although the rock shows out on the northern side of the Eweburn, it is questionable if there is not a loose-gravel gut going through a low saddletdirectly behind the place where the rock crops out, and, if so, there would be a considerable expense to get a good foundation for the core of the embankment. The estimated cost of construction of this reservoir is .from £] 0,000 to £12,000 ; but it requires a more minute survey of the site, and prospecting-shafts to be sunk in the bed of the gully, and also on the apparently low gravel terrace, to prove at what depth a solid foundation can be got; and,