C.—2

20

Table showing the Quantity of Quartz crushed and Scheelite Concentrate obtained for the Year ended 31st December, 1917.

Several of the above mines produced a certain amount of gold in addition. Reports on the quartz-scheelite mines by the District Inspectors of Mines are contained in Annexure A accompanying this report. 1 RON . Near the Breakwater, New Plymouth, the New Zealand Iron-ore Smelting Company (Limited), which was formed for working the beach ironsand, commenced smelting during the latter part of 1917, but the results not then being entirely satisfactory operations were suspended to enable alterations to be made to the plant. During September of the present year smelting was resumed, and an improved pig iron was obtained in grades varying from grey to white. The process of manufacture adopted is that of Messrs. ,). Heskett and Fraser, and the recent operations were carried out under the direction of Mr. V. W. Aubel, A.I.M.E. The following is a brief description of the process of manufacture :— The ironsand from the beach is dried and magnetically concentrated. It is then mixed with 10 per cent, of its weight of coking-coal, and the mixture is ground in a Fuller mill. From this mill the mixture is elevated to an eggette machine, which turns out eggettes without any binder being added. These eggettes are gently roasted in a small vertical oven. It is considered important not to heat too strongly at this stage. The furnace-charge consists of 2,000 lb. eggettes (with a considerable proportion of fines) containing 50 per cent, of iron, 2,000 lb. Westport coke, 7001b. limestone (from Napier), and 300 Ib. road-metal (andesitc). When the furnace is working well this charge is given every hour or less, and takes about fifteen hours to go through. The hotblast has a temperature of

._ , -, ,„ . , , , Locality of Mining Name of Company or Claimholdor. Operations. | ' ' I Quartz Scheelite Concen- \ 7 a lue crushed. trat.es obtained. __i Otago odd Southland — Golden Point (.old and Scheelite Macrae's, Waihemo Company County Deep Dell Consolidated Gold and Ditto Scheelite Company William B. McGregor Andrew Phelan . . . . ,, F. A. Smith .. .. .. „ Fraser and Gay tan . . .. ,, Philip Donoghue . . .. ,, Patrick Donoghue .. .. „ Cockerel! and Inncs .. .. „ Donaldson Bros, and Ellis .. „ A. A. Cockerel] .. .. : ,, Stoneburn Mining Company .. | Stoneburn, Waihemo County William Gregg and party .. Ditto Mareburn Mining Company .. Hyde, Taieri County.. H. S. Molineaux .. .. The Beef s, Taieri County Tons. Tons. cwt. qr. lb. £ s. d. 643 15 4 2 15 2,837 7 3 17 2 18 1 25 541 14 8 7 2 3 1 7 | 409 17 8 1 6 0 24 261 18 2 7 10 2 1; 196 5 2 20 4 13 3 7 j 923 4 0 0 7 2 5' 78 3 9 0 4 3 16 46 17 9 22 2 9 0 24 486 7 3 10 2 2 2 27 418 2 11 5 1 1 3 23 143 18 7 1.078 3 2 3 22 541 14 2 I 194 1 0 1 26 j 125 10 9 3,196 7 15 2 26 ! 1,443 11 7 150 2 14 1 25 479 3 6 A. C. BiH-kland .. .. Ditto Pukerangi Mining Company .. Pukerangi, Taieri County G. Bertenshaw .. .. W a i p o r i, Tuapeka County George Scurr .. .. .. Glenorch y, Lake County Paulin and Tripp . . .. Ditto H. Birley and party .. .. „ Thomas Scurr . . .. „ Grant and Sinclair .. .. ,, Huntly Groves . . . . „ Glenorchy Scheelite Company .. „ 2 0 4 2 24 I 44 8 6 70 1 10 1 14 286 8 0 1 14 0 18 338 12 9 1 0 3 18 174 19 9 60 20 9 1 4 4,050 2 0 5 10 0 4 970 8 5 2 12 0 19 414 0 6 0 12 2 10 1 114 13 6 0 10 2 '9 | 104 10 11 1,107 85 6 3 10 [16,924 1 0 i 6.588 167 18 2 11 J32.356 2 6 6,588 167 18 2 11 Marlborough — Dominion Consolidated Company Wakamarina J. M. Cadigan .. .. ,, i 13,067 28 0 0 0 { 5,005 0 0 Tailings 3 10 0 0 502 0 0 13,067 Tailings 28 0 3 10 0 0 0 0 Totals 19,655 199 8 2 11 *37,863 2 6 19,655 199 8 2 11 37,863 2 6 i i