0.—2

28

(2.) Government Peospecting-drills. The following is a statement showing the result of operations by Government prospecting-drills hired by various parties during 1917 :—

Type of Drill hired. : Name of Drill Superintendent Number of Holes drilled. By whom hired. Mineral Total sought for. : Depth drifted. Character of Country pierced. Average ' Cost per Foot drilled, including Transport. Remarks and Results. Diamond drill (o i 1- W. H. Warburton driven) Ditto ,, * * ... ?, 1 1 1 1 1 1 Point Elizabeth State Colliery .. Coal Waikaia Oil-shale Development Com- j Oil-shale .. pany Ditto .. .. .. Ft. 625 85 135 146 121 89 j s. d. Conglomerate, sandstones, clays, and i 5 1 No coal found. shaly mudstone Gravels, carbonaceous sand, and clay 7 4 2 ft. 3 in. oil-shale at 46 ft. 9 in. ; 4 ft. beds oil-shale at 52 ft. 3 in. Ditto .. .. .. .. 9 7 No oil-shale found. ..9 3 ..3 8 4 0 9 in. oil-shale at 70 ft.; 6 ft. oil-shale a( 78 ft. Tight river-bed gravel .. .. 10 0 Fairly satisfactory. Fairly tight river-bed gravel .. 3 4 Very satisfactory. (approx.) ! i I Kevstone placer drills G. E. D, Seale .. (3) Ditto .. .. I I i 26 70 Hokitika Syndicate (Limited) .. Alluvial gold Westland Gold-prospecting Company | „ (Limited) 1,144 1,840