35

C—3a

promising appearance, although further back, layers had been passed through in which colours of gold could be obtained. At the end of the year over 2,000 ft. of driving had been done. Operations have been suspended for the time being. Millikan and Party's Claim, Addison's. —(23/1/96) : Five men are working taking out cement, to crush which a battery is being erected. The thickness of cement varies from 10ft. to 14ft., and below it there is a layer of drift with boulders, from 6ft. to Bft. in thickness, also auriferous, which rests on .the blue bottom. Ten men in all are employed A miner working in this claim on the 21st January, John Moriarty byname, got rather severely burned on the face and one hand when charging a shot-hole with powder in which he had just before fired some roburite to chamber it for the charge. Although so careless, he was an experienced hand in blasting. Charleston. Charleston Prospecting Tunnel and Shafts. —(6/9/95) : These have been subsidised with the view of proving whether the lower beds are auriferous or not. Two shafts were sunk, 42ft. and 45ft. in depth, but had been allowed to fill with water. A few colours had been obtained in one of these, but nothing payable. The drive runs into the terrace at Constant Bay for 42ft., and shows the gneissic bed-rock overlaid by rather hungry-looking brecciated drift. Although not auriferous, this merely proves the drift so at that particular point, and rich leads may quite possibly exist further back in the flat. Lyell. Gocksparrow Dredge. —(lß/12/95) : The position where work is now going on is above Rock Fall, below the Town of Lyell, in a new claim, as the drift of the old one is said to have been too rough. The depth worked is 16ft. to the marl bottom, and the stuff raised is heavy river-drift containing fine gold. This dredge has paid two dividends, and, now that it is shifted, is expected to do well shortly. It is provided with two boats and a like number of life-belts. Three shifts are worked, employing six men in all. Reefton. Al Sluicing-tunnel. —(3/3/96) : This subsidised prospecting-tunnel is in a distance of 320 ft air-shaft has been sunk at a point 285 ft. in from the mine-mouth, so the ventilation is good. Beunnerton. Stdky Gully Water-race. —This subsidised tunnel for taking the water through the hill has been visited and measured up on several occasions. (17/2/96): 202 ft. had been driven at the northwest end, and 104 ft. from the south-east side. The driving has been in tough mudstone all the way, and there is no likelihood of any change. The total distance will be about r 49oft. when completed. Hokitika. Humphrey's Gully Sluicing Claim. —(ls/8/95): This claim is worked by a party of tributers. 'The upper face is about 50ft. in height. Further down the claim the face is very high, and the pressure squeezes out the bottom, so that there is a series of benches. I drew the attention of the manager, Mr. Martin, to the possibility of a run of stuff, and he is keeping watch. There are five nozzles in the claim, and the pressure at the first is 130 ft. Thirty-three heads of water are used when working, but, owing to want of a regular supply, sluicing, I am told, is only carried on for a third of full time. This is one of the claims taken over by Mr. Ziman, and I understand it is intended to cut the race through difficult country a further distance of four miles, or fifteen miles in all, to the Arahura River, when a permanent large supply of water will be obtained. Proposed Drainage-tunnel, Bimu. —(l2/8/95): This was an application for a subsidy to drive a tunnel 185 ft. in length to drain the Rimu Flat, a depression in the surface behind Brighton Terrace, which has probably formed an ancient outlet of the Hokitika River before it had cut down its channel to the present level. A great many claims have been worked in this flat, which has become so broken with the workings that all the surface drainage finds its way below. From the accounts of the miners the flat got poorer when followed downwards, and the water has prevented effective prospecting below the position of the present workings. Craig's Freehold Mine. —(l 4/8/95): Only two men and a trucker working at present, as a battery is in course of erection to crush the cement. The point being worked is a drive to northeast, some 400 ft. in from the main tunnel, at a like distance from the mine-mouth. The layer of cement runs from 4in. to Bin. in thickness, and is very rich. The dip is to west at 1 in 10. Air very good. Timbering all right. Seven men in all are employed. This mine was three times subsequently inspected, and a check-survey made with the view of checking any encroachment on a reserve 5 acres in extent. This reserve has since been divided up into claims, some of which are said to be doing well. Ross. Mont dOr Claim. —(l 4/10/95): Mr. Davie had returned, and was again in charge of this claim. The face is still very high, but is assuming a natural batter. The number of men employed varies from seventeen to twenty-four. Boss United Claim. —(14/10/95): No sluicing was going on, as the adit had got blocked and was being cleared. As the bottom dips to north, no further work is to be done in that direction, but sluicing will be gone on with through the spur to the west. Prince of Wales Claim. —(l 4/10/95): All the drift is now being moved to the elevators by wheeling in the open. Fourteen men in all are employed, in one shift. I have, &c, N. D. Cochrane, The Under-Secretary, Mines Department, Wellington. Inspector of Mines.