69

a—3

Macetown. Anderson and party, Eight-mile Hill. —Three men are employed in this sluicing claim, from which fair returns are obtained. William Reid and party, Red Hill. —This is a ground-sluicing claim on the terrace above the Arrow River. There are still a number of fossickers, principally Chinese, on the creeks and in the' gullies around this'district. Glewchy. Valpy Bros.' Claim, Glenorchy (Head of Jjake Wakitipu). — Three men find employment in this hydraulic-sluicing and elevating claim. There are several other small claimholders in this district. Queenstown. Reid and Lee, Twelve-mile, Lake Wakatipu. —Sluicing operations have been conducted on the usual lines during the year. Arthur's Point. Arthur's Point Hydraulic Sluicing and Elevating Company, Arthur's Point, Shotover River. —This claim is now being worked by James McMullan and party. Area of claim, 10 acres. Five men are employed. Dredging. —The Wakatipu Gold-dredging Company's dredge (late New Prince Arthur) was in operation during the year, but sunk while lying idle during a flood in the Shotover River. Lower Shotover. James Tyrell and others, Kawarau River. —Sluicing and elevating operations have been carried on during the year, but have been hampered by the heavy drainage from the Kawarau River. As the claim is considered a payable one, a proposal is under consideration to abandon sluicing in favour of dredging. Moonlight. Moonlight Sluicing Claims Nos. 1 and 2, Moonlight Creek, Queenstown. —These claims are now being worked on a small scale by tributing parties. There are a few fossickers in this neighbourhood. Shotover River The various sluicing claims in this district continue to be worked, with payable results. Reiseler and McCormack, below Long Gully. —This claim is situated in the bed of the Shotover River, and is worked during the winter season when the river is low. Ward and Smith, below Long Gully. —This is also a claim in the bed of the Shotover River, worked by the Smith's jet-pump system of hydraulicking. Thompson and Robertson. —The proprietors of this claim have persevered for several years in an attempt to work the bed of the Shotover River, and, during the season, were well rewarded for their efforts. An exceptionally rich patch of gold-bearing wash was struck, yielding close upon 1,000 oz. of gold. Coulter, Son, and Sainsbury, continue to work their claim below Deep Creek. Boomerang Terrace. Three Chinamen are?sluicing here. Blue Jacket Sluicing Claim, Deep Creek (J. S. Collins). —Three men are employed in this claim sluicing terrace ground during the summer months. In the winter (when the Shotover River is low) the bed of the river is worked by Smith's jet-pump principle. E. Sainsbury has a small sluicing claim at Maori Point. Davis's Sluicing Claim, Stoney Creek Terrace, Skipper's (W. L. Davis, Owner). —Extensive groundsluicing operations are still carried on in this claim, in which four men are employed. Robert Johnstone's Sluicing Claim, Pleasant Creek Terrace, Skipper's. —The owner of this claim does not operate on an extensive scale. Sorrenson and Henderson, Pleasant Creek Terrace, Skipper's. —Two men are engaged driving out the wash in this terrace. Skipper's Sluicing Company, Londonderry Terrace, Skipper's (John Corbett, Manager).—Sluicing has been steadily carried on in this claim throughout the season. The material treated is rough, but a considerable amount is sluiced away, with satisfactory results. The tail-race tunnel continues working satisfactorily. Stevenson and Aspinall's Sluicing Claim, Skipper's Point. —The owners of this claim continued to work with a poor water-supply, but still obtain payable returns. Dredging. —The Maori Point dredge continued operations during the year, although hindered by the high state of the river and the numerous smaller floods to which the Shotover River is liable. Upper Shotover River. Smith and Sons' River-bed Claim, above Skipper's Point. —During the summer months work in this claim is confined to ground-sluicing on the terrace section. In common with the other river claims in this district, the bed of the river is worked by Smith's jet-pump system of hydraulicking during the winter months when the river is low. Rogers and Johnston have transferred their mining plant to a claim on Jenkins Terrace.