a—3

99

Addison's Long Tunnel Gold-mining Company (Limited.) —This company has been steadily at work for the past twelve months for fairly profitable returns, the shareholders having been paid 4s. per share in dividends during this period. The inside lead has been worked as far south as fall will allow ; therefore operations have been undertaken on the outside or stony lead which, unfortunately, so far has only just paid working-expenses. However, farther south this lead improves, as shown by prospects that can be obtained from the face of old workings. The claim is worked with a deep tail-race tunnel one mile and a quarter long, and a water-balance lift for elevating hopperings. Periodically the tunnel has to be extended, and this rig moved further up the lead, as a result of the fall running out. The gold saved at this claim is of a very fine character, and from prospects taken from the tailings very little seems to be lost. A certain amount of scaly gold is found lying on the blue reef on the inside edge of the lead. This is saved in ripples at the head of the boxes. The company have been sluicing with satisfactory results. They have recently opened a face in another part of the claim, and found payable washdirt there also. McCann and party have been engaged for some time past in opening up a new claim on the terrace east of Addison's Boad. Their first intention was to reach the lead by an open-cut, sluicing the material into the creek below. After operating in this way for some time the ground became too hard to sluice away, and they then started a drive from the end of the open-cut. The Virgin Flat Company have put in a very large amount of work during the year, and have completed all preparatory work. The main water-race, which contains a considerable length of 2 ft. piping and an extensive fluming, has been finished. The tunnel tail-race has also been completed. It is timbered throughout, and boxed 3 ft. 6 in. wide. During the past twelve months the following works have been completed by the company: The head-race to Totara Biver, which carries forty-three heads of water, has been finished. This is 3 miles 10 chains in length, and consists of 61 chains tunnelling and 2 miles 29 chains of open ditching. The pipe-line has been laid down, the pipes having been made on the ground. The main line of piping is 24in. in diameter and 43 chains in length. The tail-race tunnel has been driven a distance of 46 chains, and lined throughout with timber. The tables, which have a spread of 150 ft., have been erected, and sluicing operations started on the 27th March last, with one nozzle. The whole of the timber used in construction-works was cut at the company's sawmill (which is driven by a Pelton wheel) on the ground. During the past twelve months an average of twenty men has been employed, but until the working-paddock is further extended six men only can be profitably engaged. One shift is worked at present, but it is proposed to work two shifts of eight hours each at an early date. Karamea. Four special claims in the Karamea Biver, held by Messrs. Cooke and Johnson, were prospected by the late Mr. John Low and others, fully £150 having been expended in this way. The wash was tested by shafts sunk to the water-level, and averaged about 5 gr. to the yard. Arrangements have been made to place these areas on the London market, together with others held under prospecting license. Stony Greek. The Stony Greek Dredging Company have spent about £100 in prospecting with a spoon dredge, and it is understood that the returns were excellent. lam informed that the company's engineers Messrs. Cutten Brothers —are now boring on the claim in order to ascertain the length of ladder required before designing a dredge for the company. Britannia Gold-mining Company (Limited). —This company's mine at Stony Creek, Waimangaroa, on the Bepublio line of reef, has had a fairly successful year. Work has been confined to the eastern reef, 201 tons being mined and crushed for a return of 391 oz. melted gold ; value £3 19s. per oz. Dividends to the amount of Is. 4d. per share have been paid during the past year. The battery is at a high elevation, therefore the water-supply is intermittent; but, as another creek has lately been flumed on to the water-wheel, this trouble will be greatly lessened in the future. With a full supply of water the two-head Hendy battery can put through 30 tons per week, and it is otherwise a perfectly satisfactory machine. The reef now being worked shows every indication of continuing into the solid hill, and is going strongly underfoot at 90 ft. from the outcrop, and showing payable gold. Waimanqaroa. Waimangaroa Gold-dredging Company. —This company's special claim is situate on the eastern side of the Westport-Mokihinui Bailway-line, and contains 68 acres —30 of which are freehold land and the balance river-bed. The claim has been prospected by spoon dredge, boring, and by sinking a shaft on the freehold. Bottom was reached in this shaft at a depth of 26 ft. 6 in. ; the wash averaged about 9gr. The directors decided to sink one or more additional prospectingshafts before ordering machinery, and the work is at present in progress. Two other special dredging claims, situated on the western side of the railway-line, have also been prospected by means of a spoon dredge. About £130 was spent in this, and good returns were obtained. German Greek Two special claims in this locality have been prospected with spoon dredges, with satisfactory results, and arrangements have been made to form a company to work them and other areas in the same vicinity. Two special claims on the sea-beach opposite Birchfield have been fully tested by bores and sinking. Gold-bearing wash extended down 20 ft. below water-level, and is estimated to yield Is. per yard. . Fair down. Island Greek Gold-dredging Company (Limited). —This claim is situated two miles beyond Pairdown Bailway-station, and contains about 97 acres. It was taken up as a prospecting area last July. Having been tested at considerable expense, it was taken over by the Island Creek Company, and a special claim-license obtained in lieu of the prospecting license. The company has made