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After stoping out the stone from the adit levels on the eastern lode the Just-in-Time, Imperial, and Reform Companies arranged to sink a shaft conjointly on the boundary of their respective claims. This shaft is down to a depth of 200 ft., and on opening out from the bottom of the shaft another lode, known as Thomson's, was cut at about 90ft. further to the eastward than the eastern lode, where some good stone was obtained. An uprise was made by the Just-in-Time Company to strike the bottom of a winze which had previously been sunk in the lowest adit-level, and workings were carried on from this towards their northern boundary. A cross-cut was commenced to the westward, to cut the western lode, for a distance of 90ft., but it required to be carried for a further distance of 210 ft. before it would cut this lode. It is likely that a large quantity of stone will be got out of this ground at comparatively shallow depths, and the western lode being left intact below the adit-level, there is a high probability of rich stone being obtained from this lode when a lower level is constructed. A reversible overshot water-wheel is erected at the shaft, with poppet-heads and winding-gear, so that with very little outlay the cross-cut already commenced in a westerly direction can be extended to cut the western lode at least 400 ft. under the old workings. The mines in Boatman's district are well situated for timber and coal. The whole of the country in close proximity to the mines is covered with timber suitable for mining purposes, and water can be obtained from Boatman's main creek capable of producing considerable motive-power, while large coal areas exist within a mile of the workings, with dray-roads for transit, makes the cost of working steam machinery comparatively small. Muebay Creek. Golden Fleece. This is a special claim of 66 acres, including the ground formerly held by the Ajax and Golden Fleece Companies. At the present time the mine is let to a party of six tributers. There has been 33,437 tons of stone crushed from this claim, which yielded 38,7580z of gold, representing a value of £150;285,' thus showing the average value of the stone to be about £4 10s. per ton ; while dividends have been paid to the shareholders to the extent of £57,504. The mine is situated about 1,900 ft. above sea-level. The workings are carried on from a shaft, which has been sunk to a depth of 640 ft., and the lode has been worked in blocks here and there for a length of about 1,000 ft., that is about 700 ft. to the north of the shaft and 300 ft. towards the south. There is a very large body of stone intact in this mine. At the place where the tributers are working they have 300 ft. of the lode intact for a height of about 500 ft. from this level to the surface. This lode is from 2ft. to 2ft. 6in. in width, with the foot- and hanging-wall extremely well denned, and underlying to the west at almost a uniform angle of about 72 degrees from the horizon. The lode is far more clearly defined than in any other mine in the district, and gives indications that it will live down to a considerable depth. On the northern workings a slide was met with which cut the lode out. Very rich stone was obtained on the southern side of this slide, and, judging from its character, an angle that it made with the horizon, a considerable displacement has taken place downwards to the north, which will not only throw down the lode, but is likely to shift it a considerable distance to the westward. The place where prospecting operations should be carried on, with a view of striking the lode to the northwards of this slide, is from the lowest level and cross-cutting to the westward. There is a high probability of this rich stone being again found in this direction. The stone contains a good deal of pyrites, which is very rich in gold. 1 ton 1-Jcwt. of blanketings was forwarded to the Clyde Smelting and Chlorination Works near Granville, New South Wales, and from the returns that came back in January last it contained over 6oz. 4dwt. of gold, and by the treatment it yielded soz. 18dwt., having a value of £23 12s. The smelting and other charges came to about £4 75., leaving a net profit of £19 ss. The battery returns of gold from the stone that the tributers are crushing gives an average yield of about Bdwt. per ton, while the tailings from the battery that is running to waste gives an assay of lOdwt. per ton, thus showing that only about 40 per cent, of the gold is being extracted. A low-level adit is being constructed from Black's Point to come into this ground. This adit, when completed to the Golden Fleece shaft, will cut the lode about 600 ft. below the lowest workings, and greatly enhance the value of this property, as it will not only open up this mine at greater depths, but it will also be a highway whereby all the quartz can be taken at a minimum cost to a good site where a large crushing battery can be erected, alongside the main road from Eeefton to Crushington, with all the modern appliances for saving gold. This is the place where all the crushing machinery will have to be placed to crush the whole of the quartz from the Royal, Venus, Golden Treasure, Salisbury, and other claims on this range. Lillie. This is a special claim of 50 acres, adjoining the Inangahua Low Level Tunnel reserve to the north, the Golden Treasure to the east, and is bounded by the Beaconsfield on the west. It includes ground formerly held in claims known as the Perseverance, Republic, and Adonis. The only record of gold-returns from this ground is from the Perseverance Claim, where 57 tons of stone yielded 19oz. gold, representing a value of £74. Very little can be said respecting this ground. There are lodes running through the claim, but very little prospecting was ever carried on; the only work done was in the early days of the field.