25

C— 3a

Golden Treasure Quartz-mine.— (9/10/94) : Work has been resumed in this mine by a party of six tributers. Stoping is being carried on from the No. 2 level. Connection having been made with No. 1 level, the air is very good. The length of the block of quartz is 150 ft., and the width ofthe lode is about sft. Ladders in good order; rules posted. lam informed that this mine has since stopped working. Victoria Quartz-mine. —(10/9/94): No. 1 level face is in about 400 ft., and is being driven on a leader Bin. wide ; 150 ft. back from the face there is a pass down 70ft. to the intermediate level, which is working on 12in. of stone. Prom No. 2 level two men are working in an uprise, to connect with the workings above, on a leader which is only 4in. wide; they are up 50ft., and have 14ft. further to go. The air here is poor. I drew Mr. Knight's attention to some loose pieces of wallrock, and he will look after them. Inglewood Quartz-mine.— (9/10/94) : Work has been resumed at this mine by a party of four men on tribute. Stoping is going on 200 ft. above No. 3 level on a lode which will average perhaps Bin. in width, but the stone is very irregular and bunchy. Air very good. I drew Mr. Trembath's attention to some loose flakes of wall-rock in No. 3 level, and they will be attended to. lam informed that work has since been stopped, as it did not pay. Golden Fleece Quartz-mine— (10/9/94) : Covers have now been put on the cage, and the safetycatches will be on in a day or two. The relining of part of the shaft, which I had requested to be carried out, has been done ; but, owing to the terms of the agreement with the owner, the tributers had to do this at their own expense, and they inform me that, owing to the loss of time, the six of them made only about 10s. a week each for fourteen weeks. Work is now going on about 70ft. above No. 6 level, the lode in the north end being 3ft. and in the south end a little over 2ft. wide. This quartz was previously considered too poor to work. Sir Charles Russell Quartz-mine. —(8/9/94) : The old Supreme battery has been removed to the foot of the Russell Hill, and is now being fitted up by Mr. McQuillan. Only two men were working in the mine on the leading slope above the upper level. The lode is thin and bunchy ; in the level face its width is Bm, Timber right. Air sufficient. Sir Francis Drake Quartz-mine. —(11/9/94) : Workings from the old cross-cut have been stopped, and, at a point about 50ft. from the shaft, a short cross-cut has been driven to the lode, which at the south-east end is 18in. and in the stopes 3ft. wide. Five stopes are working 30ft. above the level, and a total of nineteen men are employed. A ladder was required going up to the stopes, and this was promised to be put in at once. Air not good. Signals and rules posted. Plan and report kept. Owing to the poor quality of the stone, this mine has since been stopped. (16/3/95): A party of working-men have bought this mine, and are stoping above the No. 1 level, on quartz about 2ft. thick. The lode continues bunchy. The length of the block is about 80ft. Ladders in good order. Eleven men in all are working, in two shifts. The engine-driver was winding without holding a certificate ; but a certificated engine-driver, being working at the battery, I requested that he should be sent up or another be employed. I was informed that the two men would change places. The prospects of this mine may be considered fair for a party of workingmen, although it did not pay the company. Cumberland Quartz-mine. —(4/9/94) : A vertical shaft has been sunk from the chamber in the No. 2 level to a depth of 220 ft. It had just been finished, and had not been opened out, which is intended to be done at 200 ft. A start is to be made in the beginning of the week, and it is expected that there will be 150 ft. of cross-cutting ere the lode is reached. A new cage has been made, with good safety-catches. Air all right. Ten men in all employed. The prospects of this mine are as yet undecided, but the stone in the winze sunk under No. 2 level is said to have been good. Exchange Quartz-mine. —(14/9/94): Work is now being carried on from a winze sunk from the Cumberland No. 2 level to a depth of 65ft., and from which two short drives extend. In one of these a lode had just been cut, showing 2ft. 6in. of quartz and the face not yet through it. Four men in all employed. Air very poor, so I requested the manager to have it improved. Some prospects were tried from the reef cut, and, no gold being seen, work was at once discontinued. It is to be regretted that this company cannot see its way to do further prospecting, considering that the position of the golden stone in the Cumberland Mine is so near at hand. Success Quartz-mine. —(14/9/94) : This is only a short drive—about 80ft. in length —which is being put in to cut the line of some quartz found on the surface. Air and timbering right. Work has since been discontinued. Golden Lead Quartz-mine. —(14/9/94): The work in this mine has been, practically, prospecting for the past five months. An intermediate level has been driven about 30ft. above No. 2. A cross-cut from No. Ito No. 2 leader is now being driven above No. 1 level by two men. The only other work doing in this part of the claim is a rise being put up on No. 1 leader at the extreme south end of the workings. Owing to its position, the smoke is,likely to hang after shot-firing, but if it is found worth continuing Mr. Sutherland will at once connect with the other winze for air. At another part of the claim, near the Al boundary, a drive running west has cut the Al leader at 115 ft. Only a few feet has been driven on it, and the prospects are considered fair. Seven men in all are employed. In the low level no work has been done for five weeks, as the company find that the other works are as much as they can do at present. The tunnel runs a little west of north, and has been driven a distance oi 656 ft. Two reefs were cut at 300 ft. and 360ffc. respectively, but neither of them was payable. Eeport duly kept. Al Quartz-mine. —(14/9/94) : The only work doing by Lloyd and party is driving an intermediate level to the north and extending the lower level, which is in 200 ft., but the leader in the face is not payable. The leader in the intermediate is about fin. in thickness, is sometimes on the one wall, and again on the other, and still gives good returns. Air very good. Timbering light, but sufficient for the present. Four men in all in this party. 4—C. 3a.