C—3a

58

hydraulic machinery connected therewith are rebuilt and placed in suitable position. Considerable improvements to the gold-saving have been added, and an additional six heads of water have been obtained after repairs were carried out on the race. Bight men are employed. General Exploration Company. —(16/2/98): The works in connection with these properties are being carried steadily forward under the supervision of Mr. Bradden, acting attorney for this company, who furnishes the following statement :—■ During the twelve months ending the 31st March, 1898, the General Exploration Company has engaged in the development of two principal hydraulic schemes in the Westport district— viz., the Fairdown Terrace, on the north of the Buller Eiver, and the Bendigo Terrace, on the south side. In addition, the working of high-level cement areas at the Four-mile has been undertaken; also general prospecting has been and is being consistently prosecuted. The Fairdown has been developed to a productive point, and has been in work for some time. It is contemplated and intended to still further enlarge the water-supply for these operations by an expenditure of £4,000 to £5,000 in lifting the Wareatea water-supply. The Bendigo Terrace operations are approaching partial completion. A beginning at sluicing should become possible, by completion of tail-tunnel, elevating-shaft and -gear, and opening out work, towards end of June next. The water-supply for Bendigo so far as at present completed is provided principally by Island Creek, Eeid's Creek, Back Creek, and Waimea Creek. The extended proposition of water-supply for Bendigo and Addison's Flat, for which surveys have been completed and which will likely be put in hand before long, embraces the Nine-mile, Twelve-mile, and Thirteen-mile Creeks. Finally, there is the Ohika Eiver supply, which may be brought in should there be found warranty in the extent and value of available alluvial gold areas for the expenditure of £50,000 to £80,000 which such an induction would involve. The construction-works carried out in developing so far the two properties mentioned consists 0f—25,014ft. of water-races; 10,857 ft. of tunnel; 14,000 cubic yards of dam embankment; 230,000 superficial feet of timber; 3,120 lineal feet of iron pipes, 18 in. and 24 in. ; 8,200 square feet of gold-saving-table surface; 5,180 ft. of shafts, containing about 1,300 superficial feet of timber. The average number of men employed during the course of the company's operations has been 218. Expenditure for wages, £23,000; expenditure for material, £8,500. To complete the constructionworks on hand will require 200,000 superficial feet of timber, 3,000 ft. tunnelling, 10,000 ft. ditch construction and enlargement. The present operations of the General Exploration Company by their comprehensiveness and scale, using forty-five to fifty heads of water, will have the effect of making remunerative the workings of alluvial materials left as too risky to touch with the smaller supplies heretofore generally in use. If this expansion of scale on which operations are to be conducted has the desired effect in diminution of working-costs, then the further enlargements of sluicing schemes up to a hundred heads or more by the introduction of such a supply as that of the " Ohika" would, despite its great cost, be a reasonable proposition in view of the existence at command of the enormous areas of 1-Jgr. to 2gr. ground then becoming workable. Eeefton. Al Sluicing Claim. — (16/3/98) : This subsidised prospecting-tunnel has been extended a further distance of 728 ft., which makes a total distance of 1,317 ft. The object of this drive is to open out an alluvial flat that lies between Cronadun and Boatman's. Small prospects of gold can be obtained all along the drift. Air-shafts are sunk at regular intervals, producing good ventilation. Grey District. Barrytown No. 1.— (11/3/98): Nearly all the machinery and 170,000 ft. of timber for the water-races and other works are successfully landed, and operations in erection of works and completion of water-races are being pushed ahead before winter sets in. A mile and a quarter of benching has been finished, and on the completion of the water-race there will be 600 ft. of pressure on the nozzles. Area, 192 acres. Twenty men employed. Barrytown No. 2 Special Claim. —This company has let a contract of a mile of water-race, 4 ft. by 4 ft. The contractor is pushing on the work as fast as he can get the material. Waiwera Special Claim. —This company is also pushing on the water-races as fast as possible, employing fifty men. A few days prior to my visit a large landslip occurred and did considerable damage to the portion already constructed. On the beaches between Greymouth and Barrytown there is a considerable number of men washing the beach sand. Healey's Gully, Blackball District. (14/3/98): The Healey Gully Company is now supplying twenty-two men with water in their various claims, and is utilising the surplus on its own property. Two of the small claims using water have had a splendid wash-up for their first month's operations. The water having been brought on to this field, the various miners I spoke to were very hopeful of a successful future. Montgomery's Terrace (Area, 100 acres). —This property has been prospected by two tunnels driven into the terrace so as to prove its value. The owners being now satisfied, there is £10,000 available to bring in the Blackball Creek and open up the mine. Mr. T. Jones informed me that active operations will be commenced at an early date. Ahaura District. (8/10/97): There are twenty-one Europeans and one Chinaman working in Callaghan's Creek '> twenty-seven Europeans in Nelson Creek and its tributaries. The miners here are very reticent about what gold they are getting—in fact, they refuse to give any information. In German Gully, near Callaghan's Creek, a Christchurch company is carrying out some very large development-works prior to starting hydraulic sluicing.