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Bannockburn. Go-by Quartz-mine, Carrick Range (J. B. Holliday, Owner).—After spending about seven years in prospecting on the Carrick Range, Mr. Holliday has latterly secured and erected a ten-head battery. The result of the first crushing was so poor that the battery was immediately closed down. Beyond the erection of this battery very little attention has been paid to reefing in this district, although, as stated in previous reports, there is an unlimited field here for the investment of capital should a method be discovered of successfully treating the refractory ores. .-' | Lawrence Bros., Carrick Range.— The Star of the East Claim is equipped with a ten-head stamper battery in which about 50 tons of payable quartz was crushed during the year. Bald Hill Flat. White's Reef, Bald Hill Flat (R. T. Symes, Owner).—22/11/05 : Mr. Symes has continued to prospect this property apparently without much success. Owing to the cost of driving and the upkeep of the adit Mr. Symes has decided to abandon underground operations in the meantime. A water-right has been secured, and ground-sluicing operations are being conducted on the line of reef with the object of discovering the continuation of the reef in more solid country. Some good stone has been found among the sluicing debris, and the proprietor is hopeful of his search proving successful. Two men are employed. The quartz is stacked and put through the battery as a quantity is obtained. From the result of operations at this and the adjoining mine, the reefs at this altitude do not live down but are apparently shed from a reef-system which may exist at a higher altitude. Excelsior Mine, Bald Hill Flat (T. Holden and R. Gray, Owners), (Area of claim, 19 acres).—22/11/05 : Operations in this mine have been continued during the year, but with no great measure of success. A low-level adit has been driven to undercut previous workings, but unfortunately no quartz of a permanent nature has been struck. A rise was being put up to meet good stone left underfoot in the shaftworkings. One man employed driving and one engaged sluicing on the surface. During the year the battery was shifted to a site commanded by the new adit. Eraser Basin, Obelisk Range.— The ten-head battery has been idle on Nicholsen's Reef for many years. Campbell's Gully, Obelisk Range. —Although nothing of a definite nature has taken place during the year the reefs of this locality still command some attention. Alexandra. Conroy's Gully Reef, Alexandra (J. Robertson and party, Owners), (Area of claim, 20 acres). — 23/11/05 : This property has been prospected by a shaft and driving to the water-level. At this level it is proposed to-put in a drive and stope out the quartz overhead. About 56 ft. of backs are available. To develop this property thoroughly a shaft would be required; but as this would involve considerable outlay of capital in pumping and winding machinery, the proprietors do not intend to incur the expenditure at present. A five-head battery procured from Hindon has been installed, the power for which is furnished by a breast-wheel 17 ft. in diameter. Two heads of water are brought in from Conroy's Creek. Strike of reef, north-west and south-east, and dips north. The country rock of the district is a hard quartzose mica-schist. Day Dawn Reef, Alexandra. —This well-defined line of reef strikes from Conroy's Gully across the foothills of the Obelisk Range to the Clutha River. Many years ago shafts were sunk at different points, as can be seen at the present day. As far as I can learn, these shafts did not attain a much greater depth than 50 ft., at which depth the necessity arose for winding and pumping plant. This was not provided and the reef has lain idle ever since. Quite recently the property was pegged out and prospected to a limited extent. Serpentine. Quartz-mining has been at a standstill in this district since the year 1891, when the Golden Gully United Quartz-mining Company ceased operations. Official returns of crushings in 1890 show that some good stone exists in this field, 130 tons of quartz having then yielded 221 oz. of gold. There are several known reefs in the district, but owing greatly to the fact that the Serpentine is at a high altitude the country has not been thoroughly prospected. This district is worth the attention of prospectors. Entrance to the Serpentine is by way of the Otago Central Railway to Waipiata. A tenhead stamper-battery,-water-driven, is in working-position on the field. Mr. John Cogan, Patearoa, owner. Rough Ridge. Rough Ridge Quartz Reef, Hough Ridge (F. H. Perry).—This mine and battery have been idle throughout the year. There are several reefs on this field which have been worked by adits in the past, but a suitable shaft would be required to ascertain the value and permanency of the lodes at depth. Waipori. O.P.Q. (Waipori) Gold-mining Company (Limited). —This property is still idle. Parts of the machinery applicable to other mines or purposes are being sold and removed from time to time. In sympathy with this property all the quartz reefs and mineral lodes of the Waipori district are being neglected in the meantime. Dredging and alluvial mining have latterly been paramount in this district ; but in common with certain other centres these forms of mining are declining here, and the great areas of mountainous country must furnish the mineral wealth of the future. In addition to payable quartz reefs and alluvial goldfields, the 'minerals scheelite, antimony, cinnabar, copper, and manganese have all been discovered in the district, which includes the eastern slopes of the Lammer'aw Mountainrange.