0. -3b

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be in use about four months from date. The shaking-screens separating the coal into four sizes are now in full swing, and are being driven by a small steam-engine of 10-horse power fixed on the screen-frames. The coal goes direct into the railway-trucks. The sidings are all completed, and are capable of holding fifty-eight full and the same number of empty trucks. The weighbridge is to be immediately fixed in position, a short distance from the coal-screens. 66. Mainholm Mine, Conical Hills. —(l 9/12/94) : The working-face is nearly 4 chains wide, advancing with a straight face northward. At the western end of the opencut there are 16ft. of clean coal, hewn down to the floor, and at the eastern end 22ffc. of coal is removed without touching the floor. A greater depth cannot be conveniently reached at present in consequence of some defect in the pumping plant, which I am told is to be remedied at an early date, in order to get to the floor of the coal. The stripping, which is kept well in advance of the coal face, is 9-J-ft. at the western end and sft. at the eastern end of the face. The clay is being utilised in brick and pipe-making on the spot, and the burning of these things uses up all the small coal in the pit. Since my previous visit a more powerful engine has been fixed to the pumps and clay-puddling machine. It is intended also to do the winding from the pit to the railway-trucks, which are close bySouthland. 67. Valley Road Mine, Pukerau. —(22/8/94): This pit was being opened at the time of my previous visit last year. Since then a considerable opening has been made—probably a chain long fey 20ft. wide —to the floor of the seam, which is fully 20ft. thick. The average depth of stripping along the face is about sft., and is likely to get deeper as the seam is followed into the rising ground on the south side of the pit. The drainage is heavy, and is at present being pumped out by a small windmill, but the uncertainty of this motive-power doing its work when required, especially where there is no storage-room for water, renders it almost useless. As a subsidiary power it may at times prove useful, but if a steam-engine is not procured to do the work much valuable time will be lost, and at times cause disappointment to the customers. 68. O'Hagan's Mine, Pukerau. —(22/8/4): All the working-places are well laid out, and are in splendid order. The dip—although slight —of the seam, being into the hill from the mouth of the adit, is now rather inconvenient for getting rid of the drainage. Some years ago a main drain was made into the mine, along the adit-level, and several branches therefrom were cut into the workingplaces, going to the dip. These have been extended from time to time till their gradient ran them out to the level of the floor; since then hand-pumps are used to lift the water to the drain, and now these pumps have to lift the water from 3ft. to sft. Fortunately the quantity of water is not great. Large trunks of trees and numerous very large stumps are as plentiful in the mine as ever. The grain and quality of some of the wood appears to be little altered, notwithstanding its having lain there for very many thousands of years. A portion of the very large stumps is generally found to be turned to stone. The thickness of lignite is 16ft., of which from Bft. to 10ft. are being taken out. There are some large, open, vertical cracks met with in places, through which water and clay have come in quantities at times. These places are generally blocked up with timber, and then shored up from the floor where otherwise considered unsafe. 69. Dudley's Mine, Pukerau. —(22/8/94): The last work done is stripping close to and alongside of the tunnel driven in the coal some two years ago. The stripping is from 10ft. to 12ft. deep, all clay, and fairly well sloped. The depth of lignite is 16ft., and is a continuation of the seam in O'Hagan's lease. The long and deep drain to the working-face has been at last completed at a considerable cost of labour. It follows the open gully some distance, and is then put through old stripping material tipped into the gully from previous workings, earthenware pipes were then laid down, and the opening filled up. The head of the drain is 3ft. below the floor of the coal where the stripping is now being done. This will drain a considerable area of ground on the south side of the gully, including a part of Dudley's lease. 70. White Bigg Mine, Gore. —(24/8/94) : This pit is now being worked by Telford and Porter. The stripping is nearly all tine gravel, not more than sft. deep, and easily removed. The coal is 16ft. thick, dipping west into the low-lying flat of the Mataura. The drainage is pumped out by horse-power. 71. Heffernan's Pit, Gore. —(24/8/94): I notice very little alteration in this pit since my previous visit last year. The stripping is from sft. to 6ft. of clay and fine gravel, well sloped back from the coal, which varies from 15ft. to 20ft. thick. It thickens to the dip going west, and an open drain keeps the pit dry. 72. Johnston s Pit, Gore. —(24/8/94) : This is a shallow open-cast on the coal reserve, about three miles east of Gore. The stripping is from 2ft. to 4ft., and the thickness of coal varies from 2ft. to 10ft. The drainage has to be lifted by a hand-pump about Bft. 73. Sarginson's Pit, Gore. —(B/10/94) : The coal taken from this pit is for house use only. I found the pit in a safe condition ; the sides being well sloped. 74. Hoffman's Pit, Gore. —(24/8/94) : A new pit was being opened at the time of my visit last year. The opening made since then is at present partly filled with water, and apparently abandoned, but fresh preparations are being made a short distance to the northward to open a new place, where some stripping has already been done at the coal outcrop, and an open drain, several chains in length, is being made to the spot. I did not see any one about the place. 75. BegefsMe's Pit, Gore. —(24/8/94) : Only the outcrop is being followed close to the ploughed surface. The seam to the dip (north) is not being followed beyond where the stripping reaches a depth of 4ft. The thickness of coal is only 3ft. and 4ft., and is being hewn for house use only. 76. Klukoskie's Pit, Gore. —(24/8/94): This pit is in a ploughed field where the outcrop of coal is within 4ft. of the surface. The seam is 4ft. thick, and Sips slightly to the north. The owner states that he takes out coal for his own use only.