C.—2

30

Hunter's Claim, Horse Terrace. —This claim has been worked on tribute by Chinamen. Mammoth Claim. —On this claim, the property of a Nelson company, a little prospecting lias been done, but no actual sluicing for the year. B idler River. One or two small parties are still making a living by working small terrace; along the Buller Valley, but no work of any importance is now going on. Fairdown. Carthage Gold-mines (Limited). —This company claims to be making a profit out of hydraulic elevating a black-sand lead on the flat between the railway and the sea at Fairdown. No dividends, however, have yet been declared. Addison's Flat. Shamrock Claim, Westland Gold-mining Syndicate. —Eight men have been employed during the year in development. Actual mining should commence early in the new year. Millihen and party (Cement-crushing and sluicing).—Four working shareholders are the holders of this property, and continue profitable operations. McCann and party, Carmody and party, and McKnight and party have been sluicing as usual throughout the year, fourteen men being employed at the three claims. Grey Valley. Several small parties of two men each continue to make good wages in the creeks which flow into the Grey River, but very little work of any magnitude is going on. Donnellan Bros., at Gow's Creek, are working the creek-bed by sluicing and elevating, and the claim gives profitable employment for three men. The Gow's Creek Sluicing Company has at present six men employed in opening up in the said creek above Donnellan Bros. Actual sluicing has not yet started. The Healey's Gully Company has had six men employed in sluicing, with very poor results. Aynsley Bros., sluicing at Goat Terrace, near Blackball, have found profitable employment for three men for the year. DREDGING. Hessey, Cameron, Tacon (Limited) continue dredging at Boatman's Creek, in the Reefton district. Twelve men are employed. The plant is kept in good order and repair, and has paid very fair interest on the capital involved. The Hessey-Cameron No. 7 Dredge, Frying Pan Creek, has been running for the year, and has employed eleven men. It is kept in good repair, and regulations are complied with. The Slab Hut Creek Dredge has worked only a portion of the year, and has given disappointing returns. It is too small for the ground to be worked, and is in very bad repair. The Worksop Gold-dredging Company, Antonio's Flat, has had a most successful year's work, having paid £8,400 in dividends. Eleven men are employed, the machine is kept in first-class condition, and the regulations are complied with. The Blackwater River Gold-dredging Company has had a fairly successful year's work, having paid in dividends £947 10s., bringing the total up to £12,791 ss. The Red Jack's Gold-dredging Company is now erecting the old Nelson Creek dredge on a claim at Red Jack's. Dredging will commence early in the new year. The General French Claim, Eureka Gold-dredging Company, have placed the old Moonlight dredge on a claim farther down Moonlight Creek. For the short period the dredge has been at work the returns are said to be satisfactory. The New Trafalgar Dredging Company, having gone into liquidation, has been taken over by a small syndicate on tribute. The Pactolus Dredge, Nelson Creek, has had a steady run for the year, and has paid in dividends £2,500, making the total £65,000. The machine is kept in good order, and the regulations are complied with. No Town Creek Dredge. —The claim was worked out early in the year, and the company wound up after having paid £34,800 in dividends. Buller River. The last two dredges on the Buller River—viz, the Smeaton Syndicate's machine and the Old Diggings—both having proved unprofitable, ceased work early in the year. GENERAL REMARKS. Quartz-mining. The only new developments of importance during the year have been the successful opening of the gold-scheelite mine of the Dominion Consolidated Company at Wakamarina, and the favourable-looking reef prospected by Messrs. Danks and Morgan in the Blackwater district. A fairly large amount of prospecting-work has been in progress throughout the district, but nothing of importance has so far been discovered. The Reefton district has suffered very much on account of the labour dispute, which kept the three largest mines idle for eight months, and, although the mines resumed work during November, it will take some time to bring them up to standard condition again.