a—3

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Richmond Hill Sluicing Claim (James Rivers, Owner), (area of claim, 10 acres). —The claim is situated on the so-called " granite" lead, but operations have been at a standstill during the year, chiefly owing to the scarcity of water consequent upon a dry season. Manorburn Gold-mining Syndicate, Galloway Station. —The syndicate holds a large area of ground under protection. The ground has been prospected and held in the expectation that water to work the claims would be available from the Bonanza water-races. Golden Bend Gold-mining Company, near Alexandra South (Wallace Carr, Manager). —During the past two years the owners have spent considerable time and money in endeavouring to bottom a shaft on this property. Unfortunately the machinery provided was inadequate to deal with the material and cope with the inrush of water, and this method had to be abandoned. Recently a more powerful engine and boiler were installed and a larger pump procured. An attempt is now being made to bottom by means of a large open paddock. At the time of my visit preparations were being made to erect a string of buckets on the principle of a dredge-ladder. Payable gold is believed to exist in the claim, as the operations of the Golden Link dredge proved gold-bearing wash to exist close by. Dredging. —The past season did not prove a very favourable one for gorge dredging, principally on account of high river and travelling drift. There are now five dredges at work on the Clutha River below Alexandra Bridge and fourteen dredges at work on the river and in the banks above the bridge. Four of the older type of dredge which were in active operation during the greater part of the year are now laid aside as inadequate for working their respective claims. One has been removed to the Manuherikia River, another to Ophir, while the remainder will doubtless be removed to more suitable claims. The river-course proper is here practically worked, and more attention is being directed to the riverbanks and the extensive areas of flat and terrace ground lying between Alexandra, Earnscleugh, and Clyde. That the high terraces are workable has been proved by the Earnscleugh No. 3 (electric-power) dredge, which has continuously dredged to a depth of 57 ft. below water-level, the face ahead being 25 ft. above —i n all, 82 ft. of working-face. The operations of this dredging company have been successful, and have proved the auriferous ground to extend into Fraser Flat, while the New Perseverance Company's dredges have likewise proved payable ground to exist in the Dunstan Flat. Three privately owned dredges are now at work on the Manuherikia River flats. Clyde. With the exception of a few men, alluvial mining other than dredging is at a standstill in this district. Dredging. —There were three dredges in active operation on the Clutha River towards the close of the year, and one was idle. The Shepherd's Flat dredge continued to work during the season on the Fraser River. Cromwell. On the length of the Kawarau River from Wainga to Cromwell Township there were five dredges in active operation during the dredging season. Below Cromwell, on the Clutha River, there were five dredges at work, three of which have been transferred to claims on the Clutha Basin, at Lowburn. In this latter locality there are now nine dredges in more or less active operation. The ground here is deep and heavy, requiring dredges of a superior class and fitted with the ordinary bucket elevator or with Payne and Peck's centrifugal elevator. As the boundaries of the gold-bearing area are found to extend, new dredges are brought on, and this field promises to support a large fleet of powerful dredges. Sluicing around Cromwell district is limited in extent. It has been proposed to convey water by means of a pipe-line from the Roaring Meg Stream to command auriferous land on Cromwell Flat. Bannockburn. There is nothing fresh to chronicle in this district regarding alluvial sluicing, which is confined to a holding water-rights. Kawarau Gorge. About two years ago Robertson's Terrace gave promise of proving a remunerative field for alluvial mining. Unfortunately the ground proved to be patchy, and required a large body of water to deal with the overburden, so that very little work is being done on this terrace. The Kawarau River still continues to yield good returns to the dredges operating thereon. Cardrona. The Criffel Lead Sluicing Company (Limited), Cardrona (Ed. Trythall, Secretary, Dunedin; Dngald Macgregor, Manager). —This property is situated on the west side of Mount Criffel, at a height of 1,000 ft. above the valley of the Cardrona River. It was formerly worked by parties of men with small water-rights. The nature of the deposit and surrounding country rock is such, however, as to demand that operations be carried on on a scale of greater magnitude, involving amalgamation of properties and water-rights. This company was formed to acquire the rights and titles to five mining properties on Criffel Face. The amalgamated holding now consists of 44 acres, which is to be increased to 100 acres. The water-rights comprise twenty-six Government heads of water and fourteen miles of water-races. One race, three miles and a half in length, is to be put into repair. The company practically has the control of all the available water in the district, and consequently the command of the whole known extent of the Criffel Lead. The claim is to be worked by hydraulic ground-sluicing, for which there is ample pressure available and unlimited area for discharge of tailings. Walter Little's Hydraulic Sluicing Claim, Cardrona Valley (Ed. Barker, Manager).—This plant has continued to work across the bed of the Cardrona Valley, and, combined with the result of the operations of the White Star dredge, has proved payably auriferous ground to exist in the Cardrona Valley. The small amount of work done by dredges in the large area of ground extending for some nineteen miles