C—3

70

Peet and Helms continue working the bed of the river at the foot of Ballarat Hill, with satisfactory results. William Palmer, Shotover, has a small ground-sluicing claim. Monk's Terrace Sluicing Claim, Upper Shotover (J. Lynch, Manager).—Ground-sluicing operations are continued on this terrace during the sluicing Reason. Four men are employed. 0. Strahle has a river-bed claim which is worked by Smith's jet-pump system. Monk's Creek Syndicate, Upper Shotover. —Sluicing has not yet been commenced on this claim. Sandhills Hydraulic Company, Upper Shotover (Hamilton and party).—An expensive plant was procured, and a water-supply brought in to work a river-beach claim. Four men are employed. Davis Bros.' Claim, Upper Shotover.— This plant is still at work on Guy's Terrace. Three men employed. William McLeod works a small elevating claim on Sloan's Flat, with moderate success. Sunny Terrace Sluicing Claim, Upper Shotover .—The Muddy Creek Sluicing Claim was purchased by Mr. H. Mills during the year. The new owner started to develop it on an extensive scale. A large amount of material was sluiced away with a good body of water, but the returns obtained were not satisfactory. Five men were employed. R. Anderson continues to work his sluicing claim on Muddy Creek Terrace, Upper Shotover. Dwan, Costelloe, and Cummings, Muddy Creek Terrace. —Three men continue to find employment in this ground-sluicing claim. Southland. Nevis. Our Mutual Friend Hydraulic Sluicing and Elevating Company (Masters and Adie Bros.). —This claim continues to be worked on the usual lines with moderate success. Four men are employed. Robertson and party's Hydraulic Sluicing Claim.— Four men find employment in this privately owned claim, from which payable returns are obtained. Keep-it-dark Gold-mining Company, Galvin's Terrace. —This property has been idle throughout the year. Glenore Claim (Rip and T ear),\Nevis— As no returns were obtained for money expended and work done, this claim is closed down. Thomas Shaw, Lower Nevis, has a ground-sluicing claim of 2 acres. Robert Ritchie, Lower Nevis, continues to work his claim by ground-sluicing. Dredging.— The five dredges in operation in this district continue to work during the summer season, with satisfactory yields of gold. Upper Nevis. Upper Nevis Sluicing Claim, Cinnabar Flat.— Owing to the poor water-supply, operations are not carried on continuously in this claim. Joe Parks's Hydraulic Sluicing Claim, Upper Nevis.—The results obtainedjfrom claim are said to be satisfactory, and the work is carried on in the usual way. Edward McMillan's Sluicing Claim, Cameron's Gully, Upper Nevis.— This claim is worked by hydraulic sluicing and elevating. Four men are employed. McDonald's Hydraulic Sluicing and Elevating Claim, Upper Nevis (R. McDonald, Manager).— Mining during the past season has been profitably carried on in the shallow ground. Six men are employed. O'Connell and Graham's Hydraulic Sluicing Claim, Upper Nevis.— This privately owned claim continues to yield satisfactory returns. Operations are conducted on good lines. Seven men are employed. Undaunted Sluicing Claim, Upper Nevis (R. Kitto, Manager).—A new water-race was brought in, and the sluicing plant transferred to work the upper flat, on which sluicing operations were commenced during the past season. It has been found necessary to still further improve the water-supply. Dredging.— There is one dredge here, but it has been idle throughout the year. Nokomai. Lion Hydraulic Sluicing Claim (Hannah P. Soper, Owner, Garston).—The original company went into liquidation, and the claim, plant, and water-rights were purchased by Mrs. Soper. Under the new ownership, shallow ground has been worked, but it is intended to attack the deep ground in the near future. In view of this, the water-race and sluicing plant are being put in good working-order. Six men are employed. Nokomai No. 1 Sluicing Claim, Nokomai (J. Robertson, Manager).—There is nothing fresh to report in connection with this claim, which continues to be steadily worked on good lines, and to give good results. Nokomai No. 2 Sluicing Claim, Nokomai.—The ground worked in this claim is shallow and very rough, but with the improved water-supply, a large quantity of material is sluiced away during the season, and satisfactory results are obtained. J. Copland continues to work his terrace claim with overflow water from the Nokomai waterrace. Victoria Gold-mining Company (James France, Manager).—This claim is situated in Victoria Gully, a tributary of the Nokomai Creek. Under the present ownership, several improvements have been effected in connection with the water-supply. Three men are employed. Waikaia. Alluvial mining by means of gold-dredging has quite recently been revived in Waikaia Valley. Two dredges are at work near the township and eleven lower down the valley. Gold won by dredging had exceeded the returns usually obtained by land dredges in other districts ; as high as 100 oz. of