75

C—3.

Rock and Pillar. Rock and Pillar Sluicing Company, Rock and Pillar (N. Moloney and party).—Two men are employed in this alluvial sluicing claim on Wandle Creek. A shaft is also being sunk in the locality by the same party in search of a coal-seam. Idaburn. Wheeler and Party's Sluicing Claim. —Ground-sluicing. Two men. Blackstone Hill. William Wade and Son. —Extended sluicing claim of 1 acre. Generally one man at work. H. Armitage. —An alluvial claim of 1 acre, in which three men find employment. Robert Johnstone, Hill's Creek. —Ground-sluicing claim- Two men employed. C. Rose, Hill's Creek. —Ground-sluicing. William Hickey, Hill's Creek. —Ground-sluicing. Turnbull and Hayes. Ground-sluicing on Eough Ridge. McAdie Bros., German Hill, Ida Valley. —Ground-sluicing. D. Nicoll. —Fossicking on Garibaldi Diggings. J. Wilkinson and F. Cavendower.— -Fossicking on the Gimmerburn Creek. Ground-sluicing around this locality is confined to a few parties working with a limited supply of sluicing-water. Some splendid samples of gold are obtained in the Blackstone Hill Diggings. St. Bathan's. • Eagle and Gray's Sluicing Claim. —Area of claim, 3 acres. No work has been done on the property during the past year. Scandinavian Water-race Company, Surface Hill (N. Nicholson, manager).—This company holds several areas totalling 100 acres. An average of twenty-two men are employed throughout the sluicing season. The mode of working these claims is by hydraulic sluicing and elevating, but on account of the severity of the Otago Central-winter, sluicing is not continuous throughout the year. This company operates on an extensive scale, and consequently incurs large expenditure in wages, upkeep of races and of sluicing plant. United M. and E. Company (P. T. O'Regan, manager).—Similar to the Scandinavian Company, the operations of this company are conducted on an extensive scale. The top material is ground-sluiced off, and the remainder is elevated 82 ft. in vertical height. Seven men are usually employed. P. Hanrahan's Sluicing Claim. —Claim worked by hydraulic sluicing and elevating. Three heads of water are supplied from the Scandinavian Company's race. Shamrock Gold-mining Company, Hawkdun Station (J. Mooney, manager). —Operations are continued in this claim on the same lines as formerly. The ground, which is not deep, is worked by ordinary hydraulic sluicing and elevating methods. Cambrian's. Shepherd's Flat Claim. —P. McCarthy and G. O'Hara have taken this claim on tribute, and are working it by hydraulic sluicing and elevating with water brought in from Dunstan Creek. R. Jones and Morgan. —Ground-sluicing at Lauder. G. Jones and Son. —Ground-sluicing at Cambrian's. Vinegar Hill Hydraulic Sluicing Company, Cambrian's (Thomas Morgan, manager).—Although a large body of water under high pressure is brought on to this claim and a large amount of material sluiced away, the results have not been very satisfactory. Sluicing operations were resumed this season at a lower level, and better returns are expected. Fordham and Gay's Hydraulic Sluicing Claim, Cambrian's. —Area of claim, 5 acres. Method of working, hydraulic sluicing and elevating. Matakanui. Undaunted Gold-mining Company, Matakanui (T. C. Donnelly, manager).—This claim, which has an area of 124 acres, is worked by hydraulic sluicing and elevating. Nine men are employed. Fiftyfive acres of ground have been worked, which yielded at the rate of about 1,000 oz. of gold per acre. Ewing and McConochie's Sluicing Claim, Tinker's (J. Naylor, manager). —This claim is now amalgamated with the Sugar-pot Company under the style of " The Tinker's Gold-mining Company." Tinker's Gold-mining Company, Tinker's (J. Naylor, manager).—Hydraulic sluicing and elevating. This company is the outcome of the amalgamation of the Sugar-pot and Ewing and McConochie's properties at Tinker's. Eighty-eight acres are included in this area. J. Symes and Sons' Sluicing Claim, Matakanui. —A privately owned hydraulic sluicing plant at work on a claim below Matakanui Township. Matakanui Gold-mining Company (H. Norman, manager).—Area of claim, 45 acres. Mode of operations : hydraulic sluicing and elevating, good results being obtained during the year. Seven men are employed. Drybread Diggings. These diggings are now practically abandoned to a few fossickers. //. Glassford and C. Johnston. —Ground-sluicing. C. Wilson. —Ground-sluicing. Devonshire Diggings. This locality is now almost deserted by miners. S. H. Templeton has a ground-sluicing claim of 2 acres, which affords employment to two men.