61

C.—3

Accident. 8/8/04 (non-fatal) : William Thompson, miner, Premier Mine, Macetown, sustained fracture of two ribs by fall of rock from roof of tunnel. OTHER MINERALS. Cinnabar. Waitahuna Cinnabar Company. —Owing to lack of funds to further develop this property the mine has been idle throughout the year. The original company went into voluntary liquidation, and the property was purchased by Messrs. R. A. Ewing and P. Miller, directors of the late company. I understand that it is the intention of the owners to form a small company to further develop the mine. Scheelite. Twenty-one tons are returned as having been produced and exported during the year from the Macrae's district. Attention is being given to the deposit which exists at Glenorchy, Lake Wakatipu, and mining operations there may be resumed in the near future. Deposits of this mineral are also known to exist at the Alta Reef, Bendigo, and in the Lammerlaw Ranges. Antimony. Lodes occur at Alexandra, Waipori, Mount Stoker, and the Carrick Ranges, none of which are at present being worked. Platinum. 8 oz. 11 dwt. 10 gr. is returned as having been recovered in conjunction with the gold at the Round Hill Gold-mining Company's Sluicing claims. Copper. Lodes occur at Reedy Creek, Upper Waitahuna, and Moke Creek, Wakatipu District. An area has been taken up on this latter deposit by a Dunedin syndicate. A quantity of copperore has been taken out and parcels sent to Dunedin and the Thames for valuation of the ore contents. Greenstone. Extensive greenstone-deposits were discovered and prospected at Milford Sound, Otago. Operations were carried on at about 1,400 ft. above sea-level by trenching and driving. A seam of greenstone was located and a tunnel was driven to crosscut on to the reef, from which some good samples of greenstone were obtained. Phosphate Rock. Operations have been steadily conducted during the year, and 2,678 tons of rock produced for treatment at the chemical works at Burnside. Tin. Prospecting operations are being conducted in the Pegasus District, Stewart Island. Fireclay. Used for manufacture of fireclay goods, bricks, and sanitary pipes. The following outputs have been returned : Springfield Colliery, Springfield, Canterbury, 414 tons ; Homebush Colliery, Glentunnel, Canterbury, 209 tons ; C. Austin, Sheffield, Canterbury, 590 tons ; P. McSkimming, Benhar, Otago, 2,100 tons : total, 3,313 tons. Hematite. One hundred and eleven tons have been taken out by Messrs. McGilvray, Mataura, for use by the Mataura Paper-mills. Deposits exist in various localities—viz., Table Hill, Waitahuna, Clyde, &c. Marl. A deposit of clay-marl was discovered at Burnside, near Dunedin. An examination of the deposit by Mr. L. 0. Beal, jun., engineer to the Proprietary Syndicate, proved at least 15£ acres of marl-bearing country. The marl-deposit is overlaid by volcanic clays. The amount of easily procurable marl is estimated at 1,600,000 tons. The material is uniform in texture, and carries from 15 per cent, to 50 per cent, of lime. A company has been formed with a capital of £10,000, and inquiries are now being made with regard to the supply of the necessary machinery. Tests of the marl and of the cement made therefrom were made by the Public Works Department and by several leading building firms, all of which were considered satisfactory. Building-sand. 13,338 tons of building-sand had been produced from the Green Island Coalfields for use in Dunedin and surrounding districts.