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my previous visit a main heading has been driven a considerable distance to the eastward, in a good body of coal, but, unfortunately for the owner, and through his mistake in laying out the work, most of the driving done is now found to be outside of his boundary, and in another man's property. This blundering is likely to prove a heavy loss to the owner of this pit. There will always be good ventilation in the two mines. 26. Brighton, Brighton. —(6/12/95) : Examined all the working-places, and found a good coal-roof everywhere. The thickness of the coal overhead is not yet known. The quality at the roof is not so good as the five feet which is being taken out. The air is good, and preparations are being made to keep it good as the work proceeds. An air-shaft has been started at a convenient spot, and is already sunk and timbered to a depth of 24ft., leaving another 20ft. or more to be done at an early date. The drainage-pump is worked by a horse-whim, and less than two hours' work in the twentyfour does the work. I found only two lads at the pit. 27. McColl's, Brighton. —(6/12/95): The mouth of the dip-drive at the time of my visit was filled up from a cave-in from the roof, only a few yards from its mouth. The roof is sand, and requires close timbering to keep it up. It appears that one or more sets of timber gave way owing to the heavy weight, and collapsed. It was impossible to get into the mine. McColl was from home. Possibly the tunnel will be cleared out and retimbered at an early date. 28. Mosgiel Mine, Mosgiel. —(l3/8/95) : All the workings were inspected, and found in good order. Most of the present output is coming from the west side of the engine-plane, where there is a great thickness of coal of good quality. On the south-west side of the engine-plane some of the pillars are being split, preparatory to removing them totally, if possible, back to the engine-plane at an early date. The air is good throughout the mine. 29. Real McKay Mine, Milton. —(l/ 11/95): Mr. A. Young is now opening a pit in the old lease held by the Bruce Company. The opening being made is on the south-west side of the lease, where the coal is reached by making an open cut 2 chains in length into the face of the hill. The cutting will average about 7ft. all through. The floor of the cutting is a little below the coalfloor, which will admit of a drain being carried into any low spot that may be discovered in the mine. There is 15ft. of clean coal, and the stripping at the head of the present bench is from 6ft. to 16ft. The stripping is just now well in advance of the coal-face. 30. J. Reed's Akatore Mine. —(l/ 11/95) : Eeid has started to get coal from an old pit on the east side of a gully, and opposite Hardwick's old workings at the time he was burned out. Eeid is getting a little coal by stripping at the mouth of an old tunnel, and is from time to time working at another place, driving a tunnel into the hill in the hope of finding a payable seam. I do not think his prospecting on that side will lead to anything good. I did not find any one working at the time of my visit. 31. Wallsend, Lovel's Flat. —(l/ 11/95) : The stripping is gradually getting deeper—now about 14ft.—as the face advances into the hill. About half the stripping consists of water-worn quartzgravel mixed with clay, resting on from 7ft. to Bft. of marketable coal. Immediately under this coal is a stony band from 4ft. to sft. thick, which is hewn down and cast, or carted, to one side. The next 12ft. to the floor has been fairly good coal so far; but at the present time this part of the open face, 2 chains in length, advancing to the east, does not look promising; in fact it is getting stony all through the full depth of the seam. This sudden change for the worse is very remarkable, and one cannot even guess at its extent into the terrace. The most reliable way of testing the seam further into the hill is to drive a tunnel eastward from the open face and make an uprise at intervals till a good clean coal is found, and then continue the mining. 32. Tuakito.to, Lovel's Flat. —(l/ 11/95) : The present workings are at the end of a new dip-drive a little to the westward of the old pit-mouth, and down to the level of the coal-floor, which is found to be from sft. to 7ft. below the old workings. There is said to be a 4ft. coal-roof through the old workings, where, as yet, there has been no break in the roof, or any indications of the roof coming down. In the new dip-tunnel, by following the old bords, from sft. to 7ft. of coal is very easily hewn down, and with perfect safety to the mine and miners. In order to drain the mine at this lower level, a considerable amount of open drain work has been done up a gully at the pitmouth, from where earthenware pipes were laid, at a still lower level, into the mine. The mine is in good order, and the air is very strong. Since my visit last year a boring-plant was procured, and in the gully, close to the present workings, boring was done to a depth of 146 ft., through conglomerate similar to that in the Kaitangata shaft. The lowest 15ft. is said to be all coal, without touching the pavement. The bore passed through three small seams before reaching the last bored into. At this stage boring operations were discontinued, and a shaft 9ft. by 4|ft. commenced. It is now down 80ft. The sinking is being done by four men—two on top and two below, turn about, one shift per day. The hoisting is being done by a horse and whim ; a large bucket hoists sixteen hours' accumulation of water in an hour and a half. If no large additional drainage is met with in sinking the next 90ft., there is a probability of the shaft being completed to the bottom of the 15ft. seam by about Christmas. 33. Benhar Mine, Benhar. —(l7/6/95): All the working-places were examined in the newlyacquired land, which is the only place where coal-hewing is going on in the pit. The workingplaces are in first-class order. The air-shaft is now completed and draws well; I find the current equal to 2,900 ft. per minute, which is more than is required by the Act. There is a great thickness of coal and it stands well. 34. Rigfoot, Benhar. —(l7/6/95): The main heading toward the railway-siding was driven only a short distance when it broke into some old workings, apparently leading into Nelson's Mine— the adjoining ground. Since then no mining has been done in that direction. All the workingplaces were examined and found in good order. 35. Mount Wallace, Benhar. —(22/12/95): This pit has only lately been opened in A. H. Anderson's land, between Benhar and the Lake, The coal is, no doubt, a continuation of tha