C—3b

18

111. P. S. Graham and Todd's Pit, Fairfax. —(27/10/94): The roof in this mine is the best in Southland, and the timber in the mine is well and neatly fitted. The seam keeps a remarkably even floor and roof, and rises a little to the eastward, in which is being followed from the start of the tunnels, which are now some distance in under the terrace. Brattice is now used to carry the air to the working-places, and I found the air-current very good. 112. M. Slattery's Pit, Fairfax. —(27/10/94) : The seam of coal keeps very even on top and floor. The stripping is well in advance of the face of coal, and continues much the same in depth as last year—namely, from 12ft. to 15ft. 113. Robert Salton's Pit, Fairfax. —(27/10/94) : This is an old pit, abandoned years ago, and recently opened again by Salton. A tunnel has been driven 1-J- chains in from the open face in sft. of coal all the way. A very narrow drive is being continued to get beyond the old workings which are said to exist. The new work is in a safe condition, and the air is good. 114. Nightcaps Coal Company's Mine. —(24/10/94) : Half of the coal now coming out of the mine is being hewn on the east side of the old workings, at a spot which was being laid bare at the time of my previous visit last year. The face of coal in this part of the mine is bottom seam, from sft. to Bft. thick, with from 3ft. to sft. of a shaley band on top, and then 17ft. of top coal. It must be the same seam as that worked on the west side of the company's property two years ago. The seam is proved to be nearly flat, going north-east with a main heading, now some distance in. Other preparatory work is going on in this part of the mine. The air is good throughout the workings, and all the working-places are in good order. 115. William Reid's Pit, Nightcaps. —(24/10/94) : The little engine and pumps have been shifted about 3 chains to the south of its first position, in which direction the coal is being followed. The stripping on the west side of the pit is about 3ft., and on the south side as much as 15ft. of hard-packed waterworn gravel. The thickness of the seam is 13ft. of clean coal of the same quality as Nightcaps. 116. Reid's No. 2 Pit. —This pit is situated in the Nightcaps Coal Reserve. The outcrop has been followed from a small gully, and a hill tunnelled a short distance, but is found to be only about 4ft. thick. Very little work has been done yet. The seam is considered too thin to pay at present prices. Further prospecting is to be done at an early date. 117. N. G. Chalmers, Mount Linton Pit. —(2s/10/94): This pit is being worked for the station use only. There is Bft. of hard gravel-stripping down to the level of the creek-water close by, and then sft. of coal taken out, which is a convenient depth to bail the drainage out with a bucket. The thickness of seam is not known. The quality of coal is remarkably good. 118. Cassel's Pit, Orepuki. —(22/10/94): Very little work has been done in this mine since my visit last year. The water was up in the lower workings so much as to prevent inspection; but the manager pointed out to me the top workings where all the coal had lately been hewn from. These working-places are in good order. The engine was pumping at the time of my visit. Some Pits not on the List. Alley's Pit, Nightcaps. —(24/10/94): This pit is in the Nightcaps Reserve, close to Reid's No. 2 pit, but on the low-lying flat where the stripping is sft. only. The thickness of coal varies very much in a very short distance, and is from 2ft. to 12ft. The patch of coal is less than 2 chains wide, thinning out to nothing on the east and west sides. The quality is said to be very good. The output from this pit is reported to me by Mr. Handyside to be added to the output of his company. Coal Point, Mouth of Clutha River. —I visited the sea-beach at low tide in order to get a good view of the seam of coal, the surface of which stands above high-water mark in the terrace, and the floor extends level with the sandy beach into the ocean. There is evidence of a large quantity of coal having been carted away from above and below high-water mark from time to time when the tide suits. A farmer in the locality informed me that hundreds of tons had lately been removed by farmers and carters, who convey it as far as Balclutha. There is no means of ascertaining the quantity of coal removed annually. There is, however, no doubt about the sea incroaching on the land —valuable land—as fast as the coal above high-water mark is removed. This should be stopped. Fraser's Property, Kaitangata. —(23/7/94): This is a new mine, and a seam of coal, 6ft. thick, is being opened at the head of a small gully, where the outcrop is visible in several places, and dips very quickly north-east about 1 in 2. Similar coal is found in nearly all the gullies for some distance round on the north and east sides of the pit mouth. In one of these gullies, probably half a mile eastward from the opening now being made, there is a large body of coal exposed, prob ably 18ft. or 20ft., but I could not see the dip of the seam. A light iron tram is being laid from the pit mouth to the Kaitangata-Lovel's Flat Road, a distance of one mile and a quarter, of which there are 60 chains completed. The junction with the road will be about a mile north-east from Kaitangata Railway-station, and a good level road to cart on. The Matau Company, Kaitangata. —(23/7/94): A level tunnel a few feet above the river has been driven a distance of 1,100 ft., which is supposed to be within 60ft. of the coal-seam they intend to work. One seam passed through was considered too small to pay for working. The distance driven is nearly altogether in hard conglomerate, which generally stands without timbering, There is, however, a considerable length timbered, and very well done. L. Gard's Pit, Alexandra. —(23/11/94): As yet, the shaft only has been sunk to the floor of the coal. Its position is about 2f chains from the Clutha River, and on the Alexandra side, a mile or more above the town. The shaft is in the old gold-workings, perhaps 20ft. below the original surface ; and it is 30ft. deep to the top of the coal, which is said to be 21ft. thick. This shaft is sft. 10in. by 2ft. 10in., which is also too small to comply with the 42nd section of the Coal-mines Act. I was not informed of this shaft having been started till the time of this visit, and did not see Mr. Gard at this time. I found a portable engine, of 12-horse power, being placed in position at the shaft to do the pumping and winding, and heard that a new pump had been ordered to do the