47

C. -2

Blackwater Bluer Gold-dredging Company. —This dredge ceased operations during the year, owing to the ground having become unpayable. I am informed that a new start will be made in 1914, and it is expected that better results will be obtained from ground a short distance ahead. Nelson Creek. Pactolus Gold Dredge has worked steadily and made a small profit during the year, but the claim has become very nearly worked out. New Trafalgar Dredge. —The company is in liquidation, but dredging has been carried out by a party of tributers, with poor results. Notown Greek. —This company has gone into liquidation. Bed, Jack's Gold-dredging Company. —This company has built a new machine, and commenced dredging in Bed Jack's Creek. It is expected to prove profitable when the claim is properly opened out. Tlie Stafford Dredge was worked for a portion of the year by a small syndicate, but has now ceased operations, though whether finally or temporarily I do not know. The Success Dredge has worked continuously throughout the year, and has obtained a fair average return of between 20 oz. and 30 oz. per week. No dividends have been paid to shareholders. The North Beach Dredge, after yielding payable returns for many years, has now exhausted the claim, and has ceased work. South Westland. In this district there are still a few men working on the beaches, and at Oemoeroa there are two men engaged in terrace-sluicing. Okarito. It is reported that a dredge is now being built in Greymouth to be used in working the five-mile beaches. Apart from this, there is no mining activity of any kind in the district. Boss. The Mont DOr Gold-mining Company has continued work during the year, but some delay in actual sluicing was caused by the removal of the plant to a new face. Dividends amounting to £1,200 were paid during the year. Boss Goldfields (Limited). —The Cassius workings were successfully reopened and prospected, and it was found that the only payable wash left by the former owners was a small block close to the shaft. This was taken out in conjunction with wash from No. 6 level, and while it lasted the returns were fairly good. It was, however, soon exhausted, and efforts are now being made by driving and sinking at No. 6 level to open up a new layer of wash. The mine at present can only bo regarded as a prospecting proposition, and the future depends entirely upon the discovery of payable ground outside the boundaries of the present workings. Great credit is due to the management for the care taken in reopening the old workings, which contained a large volume of water under a pressure of nearly 90 lb. per square inch. This was tapped by boreholes, and slowly drained off to the pumps, the whole work being accomplished without risk to those employed. No other mining is being carried out at Ross, although two parties are engaged in prospecting. Birnu, Seddon's Terrace, and Back Creek. This is perhaps the most profitable alluvial district in Westland, and still finds employment for about 100 men. No sensational returns are reported, but the average earnings of the miners employed amounts to more than wages, and there is a large extent of ground yet unworked. Shortage of water for sluicing is the great drawback to this field. Kanieri. A company has been formed to work a portion of Tucker Flat by means of a Kershaw pump, and results will be watched with great interest, as this method of handling tailings has never yet been properly demonstrated in Westland. A few private parties are still at work, but no good results are reported. Hokitika. The Montezuma Claim, is being given a still further trial by a reconstructed company. The ground is reported to have given satisfactory results on a trial run, and a Kershaw pump is now being fitted on a floating pontoon to work the claim. This experiment is also being watched with interest, as it is generally supposed that many of the West Coast beaches would be payable if they could be cheaply worked on a large scale. Blue Spur, Hauhau, and Humphrey's Gully. These districts still employ a few miners, but the output of gold is small. Stafford and Waimea. In this district mining is fairly active still, and some good returns are reported. Kumara District. Callaghan's, Dillman's, Cape Terrace, and Westbrook find employment for about sixty men, but the average returns are very small, and it is evident that mining is declining fast throughout this field.