C.—3a.

of the drive the dip of seam is changing from west to south-west, and a slight rise to the face. Places driven narrow and timbered, as necessary to obviate risk of any breaks in the roof. Three visits of inspection were made during the year. Cairnmuir Coal Comfany, Bannockburn (James Gibson, permit; James Gordon, secretary).— A small company having been formed, a start is being made to rework the property. A shaft 63 ft. in depth is sunk, and a level is being driven to rise section shaft for ventilation. Seam 15 ft. in thickness, dip 1 in 3 to the north. Charles Angel's Coal-pit, Bannockburn. —Worked for private use only. Nevis Coal-pit, Nevis t ( Charles Scott, lessee, permit). —(27/12/1905) : Workings in good order, but limited in extent by old workings to the rise, by soft coal underfoot, and by a fault ahead. Sluicing overburden may be resumed and balance of coal won opencast. Ryder's Coal-pit, Nevis (Charles Scott, lessee). —(27/12/1905) : When the drainage tail-race is deepened another lift of coal will be available. Mrs. A. Holmes's former area is now included in Scott's lease, and will be worked in conjunction therewith. Gunion's Coal-pit, Nevis (R. Gunion). —(27/12/1905) : There was nothing doing at this pit at this date. Ritchie's Coal-pit, Nevis (Robert Ritchie, lessee). —(28/12/1905) : A water-supply has been brought in from the Remarkables Creek, and the top material is sluiced off before the coal is taken out. Increased output due to requirements of gold dredges in the district. Graham's Coal-pit, Upper Nevis (A. and S. Graham, lessees). —(28/12/1905) : Nothing doing. The coal-seam proved to be soft; and, as the dredge ceased operations, the pit was closed down. Southland. Pukerau Coal-pit, Pukerau (C. O'Hagan, permit). —(26/7/1905) : Area, 10 acres. Thickness of seam, 17 ft. ; coal strong; width of places, 15 ft; pillars, 10 ft. square. The coal is at present being won from the dip of the level. A dip drive should be driven to the boundary and the coal worked to the rise. Three men employed. No. 2 lease (area, 5 acres) : No work so far has been done on this area. Nelson's Coal-pit, Pukerau (J. H. Nelson). —(26/7/1905) : The output from this mine is small. Two men at work. The main drive has now been driven a distance of 2 chains, and the coal is mined from the rise section. Width of places, 10 ft. ; pillars, 10 ft. square ; 4 ft. of coal left in the roof; minewater troublesome. It is proposed to instal a small oil-engine to provide power for a suitable pump. Mason's Coal-pit, Pukerau (A. Mason). —Coal taken out for private use only. Milne's Coal-pit, Pukerau (A. Milne). —Coal taken out for private use only. Glover's Coal-pit, Pukerau (Thomas Glover). —Coal mined for private use only. River View Coal-pit, Gore (L. D. Nicol, owner). —Coal is mined from this opencast pit for private use and for district supplies. The pit is on freehold land. Whiterigg Colliery, East Gore (W. H. Paterson, owner ; John Hartley, permit). —(5/4/1905) : Thickness of seam, 17 ft. The dip is 3 chains in length. Mine-workings in good order ; places driven 18 ft. wide by 10 ft. in height; 7 ft. of coal left in the roof. The coal is holed 3 ft. and, being very strong, is shot down. The explosive used (Curtis and Harvey's powder-pellets) is stored in a suitable locked magazine on the surface and brought into the mine in covered canisters. Plan kept; rules posted ; report-book to date. Hefferman's Coal-pit, East Gore (William Jones, lessee, permit).—(s/4/1905) : Pit idle on this date. (24/5/1905) :W. C. Burgess, lessee, permit. This pit was worked until May by William Jones who sold to the present lessee. A water-level drive has been driven, but is now up to broken and faulted coal. There are a few " tops "to be taken down from the rise section, but further work is to be prosecuted to the dip, and for this purpose a boiler and steam-pump will be installed. The seam is fully 20 ft. in thickness of which 4 ft. is left in for support of roof. Several props required in main drive. Ventilation is maintained by an air-shaft. Rules posted ; three men employed. I visited the pit on this date in connection with an accident to William C. Burgess on the 22nd instant —dislocation of shoulder by fall of coal from roof. Rosedale Coal-pit, Waikaka Valley (August Reinke. owner). —(5/4/1905) : Thickness of coal-seam, 17 ft. ; stripping, 8 ft. Stripping not being taken off, and coal-face being undermined. I advised the men to strip ahead, and subsequently wrote the owner to that effect on the 18th April. Two men employed. (5/5/1.905) : The old opencast pit has been abandoned, and a new one is being opened up in which the stripping is not so heavy. One dredge is supplied from this pit. Michael Leitze's Coal-pit, East Gore. —Coal mined for private use only. A. McDonald's Coal-pit, East Gore. —(24/5/1905) : Evidently only a few loads are taken from above water-level for private use. The dip of the seam and the heavy overburden prevented this seam from being worked profitably. Robert Smith's Coal-pit, East Gore. —Pit on freehold land. Coal mined for private use only. H. Smith's Coal-pit, East Gore. —Pit on freehold land. Coal mined for private use only. Green's Coal-pit, Gore (J. and J. Smyth, lessees ; J. Mason, mine-manager).—(l 3/6/1905) : The mine is in good working-order. A new entrance has been made in the rise section going west, and the coal is being mined to the northern boundary. The main dip is being pushed on and the face is now 4 chains from daylight. At this point the seam is 19 ft. in thickness. Compressed powder stored in suitable magazine, and powder-canisters provided and used by the men. Rules posted ; reportbook to date ; plan kept. Eleven men employed. Knapdale Goal-mine, Knapdale (W. Irvine). —This pit has been clowed throughout the year.

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