C—3

64

Lammerlaw Creek Hydraulic Gold-mining Company (W. E. Caudwell, Manager). —Sluicing has been steadily carried on at this claim, and a large area of ground has been worked during the year. Sew Kew and Party, Lammerlaw Creek. —This is a special claim of 40 acres worked by hydraulic sluicing and elevating, with satisfactory results. Four men are employed. Bakery Flat Hydraulic Sluicing and Elevating Company, Upper Waipori (J. T. Johnson, Manager). —Johnson's submerged-jet dredge started operations on this claim during the year, and proved itself capable of elevating and treating a large amount of material. The dredge started work on a poor portion of the claim, and satisfactory results were not obtained. For this reason hydraulic sluicing and elevating has again been resorted to on a payable portion of claim. Golden Point Hydraulic Sluicing Claim, Upper Waipori (D. O'Brien, Manager).—Four men have been continuously employed throughout the year in this claim. Sluicing operations have yielded payable results. Post-office Creek Hydraulic Sluicing Claim, Lower Waipori (J. R. Parker, Manager).—This claim has provided employment for four men during the year, but operations were not attended with greatsuccess. The water-supply is inadequate and the ground continues difficult to work. Munro and George's Hydraulic Sluicing Claim, Lower Waipori. —Sluicing operations in this claim have again advanced to the solid face, and when the claim was inspected it was found necessary to caution the men against approaching or working under the high faces. Four men are employed. W. McMillan's Alluvial Claim, Post-office Creek, Lower Waipori. —This claim has been extensively worked for many years, during which time a considerable area of gold-bearing wash was blocked out. The claim has now been abandoned. Ah Yet's Hydraulic Ground-sluicing Claim above Big Flat, Lower Waipori. —This claim continues to be worked on the same lines as in former years. There are several fossickers scattered about the Lammerlaw Ranges in the creeks and gullies. Ten dredges are still in active operation in the Waipori district, while two have been dismantled and removed from the district. One dredge has been idle throughout the year. O'Brien's application of hydraulic power to dredges has proved a boon in this district where coal is costly. Beaumont. Champion Hydraulic Sluicing and Elevating Company (Limited), Beaumont (J. Fahey, Manager). — Area of claim, 18 acres. The head race was extended half a mile, and the line of pressure-pipes was then shifted to command the upper section of the claim. Since the completion of these improvements sluicing operations have been steadily conducted, although hampered somewhat by the drainage-inflow from the river and by the buried timber. Seven men are employed in the claim. During the year the company's dredge was sold for removal to a claim at Waikaka. Dredging. —Two privately owned dredges have been at work in the district on the Clutha River during the year with varying results. Island Block. Island Block Gold Dredging and Sluicing Company, Island Block (A. C. Perkins, Dredgemaster ; D. Weir, Sluicing Manager).—The sluicing plant has continued to work steadily throughout the year, whilst the dredge was also in operation the greater part of the year. Late in the year the dredge was beached and the paddock pumped out. The bottom was then elevated and cleaned up as a test of the efficiency of the dredge in dealing with the hard uneven schist-rock bottom. The results were said to be favourable to the efficiency of the dredge, which has not yet, however, resumed operations. Twenty men have been employed by the company during the year. Undaunted Gold-mining Company's Claim, Tallaburn (J. Kirkpatrick, Manager).—Sluicing was carried on during the greater part of the year by the proprietors, Messrs. Edie and Kirkpatrick. In October the claim was sold to the Tallaburn Hydraulic Sluicing Company. Tallaburn Hydraulic Sluicing Company (Limited), Tallaburn (John Whelan, Manager). —This company was formed to acquire the interests of Messrs. Edie and Kirkpatrick, and of Messrs. Whelan and Curtin. These claims were amalgamated and sluicing operations were resumed in November. Six men are employed in the claim. E. Curtin and F. Whelan's Sluicing Claim, Curries Flat.— The water-supply on this claim being inadequate very little sluicing was done on this property. This claim has now been amalgamated with the Undounted to form the Tallaburn Hydraulic Sluicing Company's claim. Gunton's Beach Hydraulic Sluicing Claim, Horseshoe Bend. —Having to combat with a poor watersupply and low pressure the owners of this claim are unable to conduct operations on an extensive scale. Dredging. —ln addition to the Island Block dredge, already mentioned, there is one other dredge in operation in this district on the Clutha River. Miller's Flat. Golden Run Hydraulic Sluicing and Dredging Claim, Miller's Flat. —Area of dredging claim, 81 acres. Area of sluicing claim, 52 acres. The company's dredge has been in operation throughout the year. The elevating plant has now been removed from the sluicing claim on the western bank of the river, and will be used to strip ground ahead of the dredge. The work of relaying the pipe-line to command the ground to be stripped, and of suspending the pipes across the Clutha River, is now being carried on. Twelve men have been employed during the year. Dredging. —Nine dredges have been steadily at work during the year, while two dredges of the older type have been superseded by up-to-date machines.