a—3b

10

Shag Point Coal-mine (28th July, 1891). —I have visited this mine on several occasions during the year to inquire into accidents and ventilation, which were reported on at the time, since which time the principal mining has been done on a block on the southern boundary of the lease, where the coal is good, but in some places very thin. Some pillars were being taken out, but they were all within the foreshore, and every care was being taken to prevent any large subsidence of the roof. The coal was being raised from the mine by a small shaft and engine at the spot, which enables the manager to proceed with the sinking of the main shaft to a lower seam, which work is still in hand. The manager considers he has plenty of coal in the part of the mine he is now working to keep his customers supplied till the main shaft has been sunk to the lower seam, and the mine opened out at that level. There is a quantity of new mining-plant on the ground. The sinking is solid, and good standing measures ; only enough material is excavated to allow the timber to be placed in position. The work appears to be carefully done by old miners of experience. The air was good in all the workings at the time of my last visit, and no complaint has been made since then. The fire has been walled off from the main shaft to prevent any chance of subsidence there. Early Bank, Otepopo (4th February).—This mine is worked from a shaft 60ft. deep, and is also reached by a dip-drive 50 yards long, a short distance from the shaft. There is a vertical ladder in the shaft very badly made, but as there is no need for it I did not ask the miners to remove it. I saw only a man and a boy in the mine—the owner was from home at the time. The mine has not been long working, and the seam is only 3ft. thick. It is, I think, bad standing ground, and not likely to be working any length of time. The workings will have to be very narrow to be safe without timbers. Herbert Coal-mine, Herbert (sth February).—l examined all the workings and found them in good order, with a splendid roof throughout the old "workings. There are only two men working in the mine. The air is good everywhere at present, but some attention to a new airway will be required shortly. I understand my visit is the first Inspector's visit to this mine, although it has been opened some years. Allendale Coal-mine (29th July, 1891). —Inspected all the workings, and find the seam has many faults throughout the workings. The seam varies from sft. to 2ft., going south, but a dipdrive, a distance of 50 yards to the northward, is said to be in 7ft. of good coal. This dip was filled with water at the time of my visit. It is intended to put up a winding-engine at the head of the dip in order to extend the dip to a considerable distance, to prove the value of the seam toward the low-lying land in that locality. If the result be satisfactory, then it is intended to lay a branch railway to Busby Station. Since these notes were written, the railway contract has been let. Ida Valley Coal-mine (28th April, 1891). —I did not find any one about the mine, and could not see any one near the pit. It is openwork—a thin seam and shallow stripping—and little, very little coal being removed during the year. Dunsumier Goal-mine, Hill's Creek (28th April, 1891).—This mine is a large open paddock and a thin seam. The stripping is shallow and easily removed. The output is small. Cambrians (J. B. Jones's) Coal-mine (28th April, 1891). —This mine is being worked by a long open face in a gully where the stripping will soon be very much deeper. It will therefore very soon be necessary to keep the stripping well in advance of the coal-face, to prevent any accident to the coal-hewers by a fall of earth. There was not any one about the mine on the day of my visit. The face of the workings was in good order. Cambrians (Dungey's) Goal-mine (28th April, 1891). —This mine is situate in the corner of a hill close to and on the east side of Jones's mine. The stripping is from Bft. to 12ft. of water-worn gravel, very good standing ground ; but the way the stripping was being done I did not approve of, and had to speak to the young man about it in order to provide against any chance of an accident. The lignite in this and Jones's mine is remarkably good, having large quantities of resin in layers through it from top to bottom. There is also in this locality a rich layer of kerosene shale, which has been proved to yield 92 gallons per ton. It is much used for kindling, and in bakers' ovens. Kyeburn Goal-mine, Commercial (27th April, 1891). —This seam is nearly vertical, and is being stoped in short blocks overhead to the level of the floor of adit, equal to about 14ft.; this space is then filled in with debris from overhead. The seam extends from the hills down to the Kyeburn Eiver flat, when it runs parallel with the stream. The seam here has from sft. to 7ft. of heavy gravel-wash lying on the top of it, which is being stripped off as required. The depth of coal to be taken out in this way will probably be limited to from 17ft. to 20ft.—water level—when a low-level tunnel will have to be put in from the river to drain the water out. On the east side of the coal seam there is about a chain in width of sea-sand, in which there are many sea-shells —probably 2,000 ft. above the sea. The mining works are fairly good, and the air is good in the adit part of the workings. Salisbury, Taieri (16th June). —This mine has a siding in the Central Eailway line. Two aditlevels were on the coal at the time of my visit, and preparations were being made to open out the mine so as to put on more men. The appliances in use to lower the coal from the mine to the bottom of the hill are very primitive, and unsuited for a large output. There are many mines on my list of 1890 that have not shown any output during the last two years, having been either worked out or work suspended. Of these I have struck twelve off my list, and have added fourteen, from some of which I have not received any returns showing their output for the year. McCreedy's Coal-mine, Kyeburn (27th April, 1891).—I found the gate at the mouth of the adit closed, a truck placed against it, and a piece of timber placed in front of the truck. I could not find any one about the mine, and did not see any indication of any one having been doing any work for several weeks past. I learned from Mr. Archer, in the adjoining mine, that there was not more than a load per week taken from the mine. Ida Valley Coal-mine, Beck and McLean (28th April, 1891). —This mine was reported to me some time previous to my visit to be on fire. It appeared that some hot ashes had been thrown on