C.—3

76

Above Long Gully. —Collins's and Sainsbury's sluicing claim, Deep Creek :| The water is hereapplied to working the river-bed in the winter season and to terrace-sluicing when the river is high. Boomerang Terrace. Several Chinamen continue to ground-sluice on this terrace. E. Sainsbury has a small sluicing-claim on Maori Point. Davis's Sluicing Claim, Stony Creek Terrace, Skipper's (W. L. Davis, Owner). —Five men are employed in this extensive ground-sluicing claim. Robert Johnstone's Sluicing Claim, Pleasant Creek Terrace, Skipper's. —This ground-sluicing claim has been worked on a small scale during the sluicing season. Skipper's Sluicing Company, Londonderry Terrace, Skipper's (John Corbett, Manager). —Sluicing operations have been carried on during the year on the usual lines with fair success, and there is no change to note. Four men employed in the claim. Stevenson and Aspinall's Sluicing Claim, Skipper's Point. —Sluicing was continued as usual during the season. Two men employed. Upper Shotover River. —There is no change of importance to mention in this district. All the river and terrace claims continued to operate as usual with various results. About twenty men find employment during the sluicing season. Southland. Nevis. Our Mutual Friend Hydraulic Sluicing and Elevating Company (Wasters and Adie Bros.), (area, 15 acres). —The claim is situated on Galvin's Terrace lead, and is being worked on the usual lines with moderate success. Four men are employed. Robertson and Party's Hydraulic Sluicing and Elevating Claim. —This claim adjoins our Mutual Friend claim. It is privately owned, and operations are carried on with good results. Four men are employed. Keep-it-Dark Gold-mining Company, Galvin's Terrace. —This venture has been abandoned as the shaft and tunnel workings failed to locate the extension of the Galvin's Terrace lead. The winding and pumping plant are being sold as opportunity offers. Glenore Claim (Rip and Tear), Nevis Township. —This claim has been idle throughout the year. The winding and pumping plant is still in position for work being carried on. Hogg and Party's Sluicing Claim, Nevis. —A number of men are engaged cutting in a water-race from Burnt Creek to command a large area of auriferous ground in the Nevis Valley. A contract has been let for the supply of the necessary mining plant. Dredging. —There are five dredges in the district, four of which are privately owned, and operate successfully during about eight months of the year. The Ngapara No. 3, owned by a public company, has ceased operations. Upper Nevis. Upper Nevis Sluicing Company, Cinnabar Flat. —Operations have been at a standstill during the season. Joe Park's Hydraulic Sluicing Claim, Upper Nevis. —Four men are employed in this claim, from which satisfactory results are obtained. Ed. McMillan's Sluicing Claim, Cameron's Gully, Upper Nevis. —Elevating operations in the shallow ground have been abandoned, and the pipe-line has been extended to command adjoining terrace ground. The face at present being worked is over 60 ft. perpendicular. Ten heads of water are conveyed through a 9 in. line of pressure-pipes and discharged through a 3 in. nozzle. Four men are usually employed. An electric-lighting plant with a Pelton wheel attachment has been installed. The dynamo is by the Westinghouse Brake Company. The claim is lighted by two arc lamps, each 500--candle power. Ellis Bros.' Hydraulic Sluicing and Elevating Claim, Upper Nevis (R. McDonald, Manager).— Operations at this claim are being conducted on the usual lines with success. The ground is about 16 ft. in depth, and favourable for this class of mining. Six men are usually employed. O'Gonnell and Graham's Hydraulic Sluicing Claim, Upper Nevis. —This privately owned claim has been continuously at work during the greater part of the year with good results. Quite recently, however, the gold-bearing wash cut out, and operations are now being conducted with a view to recovering the lead in the vicinity of Whitton's Creek. Eleven heads of water are in "use on the claim. The electric light continues to give satisfaction. Seven men are employed. Undaunted Sluicing Claim, Upper Nevis. —This claim is situated in the Nevis River gorge, and has had to contend with many difficulties since its inception. The latest attempt made to bottom in the gorge by hydraulic elevating has proved unsuccessful, chiefly owing to the poor water-supply. The gorge is also visited by heavy floods, which render any undertaking difficult. Dredging. —The Upper Nevis dredge is now at work, and is said to be successful. The screen and tables have been taken off and the dredge reconstructed on the sluice-box type, so successful on the southern dredging fields. Owing principally to the successful working of the various sluicing claims, great attention is being devoted to this extensive district, and several additional sluicing and dredging claims have been taken up. The ground in this district, however, requires to be systematically prospected before placing mining plant thereon. Nokomai. Lion Hydraulic Sluicing Claim. —Repeated efforts to work this claim profitably, both by hydraulic elevating and by driving and blocking out the auriferous washdirt, did not meet with success. The property changed ownership several times, and has finally been purchased by the adjoining claimholders, the Nokomai Hydraulic Sluicing Company (Limited).