a—2

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BARRYTOWN. The Barrytown Hydraulic Elevating Company, although working with five men less, showed an increase in production as against the previous year. At North Beach Chapman's and Williamson and party's claims produced gold. KUMARA. At Kumara, Goldsborough, Stafford, and Callaghan's things have been quiet. About thirtythree men have been employed altogether, and the total gold won amounted to 1,233 oz. 13 dwt. HOKITIKA. Brighton Terrace Sluicing Company. — Owing to returns from this claim not coming up to expectations work was stopped about the end of May. The plant has since been shifted to Seddon's Terrace locality, where the Woolston Tanneries Company has taken an option over a claim previously worked by the Rimu Sluicing Company. The Westland Prospecting Syndicate has limited its operations during the year in this locality to a claim at Lake Kanieri, where a large number of shafts were put down to test an area of virgin ground apparently of considerable extent. The results were sufficiently satisfactory to warrant the syndicate in exercising its option over the old Humphrey's Gully Water-race, and putting a plant on. About twenty men on an average have been employed, and already 100 chains of ditching has been cut. It only remains now for the pressure-pipes to be laid to make a start at sluicing operations. About 40 chains of pipes altogether have to be laid. These are all on the ground, and many of them in place. Sluioing should be in full swing about May. Tin 1 ground is heavily timbered, and, as at Arahura, the syndicate, is erecting a mill to cut it. Reference has already been made, under the head of " Dredging," to this syndicate's further operations at the Arahura Valley, where two dredges will probably be at work before the end of 1919 on areas that have been well prospected by means of Keystone drills. Rimu Options (Limited). —On the large area (500 acres) held by this company extensive prospecting operations have been carried out during the year on behalf of an American company which has taken an option over the areas. The work has consisted mainly in putting down bores with the Government Keystone, drills, but a large number of shafts have also been sunk. About ninety drillholes have, I understand, been already put down. No information has been made available as to the values obtained. Fourteen men were employed. REEFTON. Very little has been done throughout the year. The largest producer was Sewell's claim at Merrijigs. At Antonio's the Auckland company known as Alluvial Claims (Limited) has spent a considerable sum in constructing a race to bring water to a claim it prospected there. This work is in progress now, and it is hoped that sluicing operations will begin early in the new year. Southern Inspection District (Mr. A. Whitley, Inspector of Mines). Quartz-mining. glenorchy. Glenorchy Scheelite-mining Company (Limited). —Glenorchy Mine : Operations have been directed chiefly to stoping blocks of ore at Nos. 1a and 5 levels, and driving No. 6 level to locate the upward continuation of a run of high-grade ore which was worked from No. 5 level. The lode in No. 1a level is descending strongly, carrying payable values in scheelite, while coarse gold is occasionally seen in the ore from the stopes. The company proposes to drive another level to open up the lode 100 ft. below No. la. Junction Mine : In the Bonnie Jean section sluicing has been carried on continuously during the year. Owing to the broken nature of the country on the hanging-wall of the lode this system of working was found to be the most economical. Water for the purpose, was brought from Junction Creek. Nl Mount Alfred Mine : There has been no mine-development to report. Ore treated during the year has been won from stoping the east lode at No. 2 level and the west lode at No. 3 level. At the battery ten heads of stamps and Wilfley table were installed for dealing with low-grade ore and tailings from screens and jigs. %« Fifteen small parties of miners were profitably employed during the summer and autumn seasons working the outcrops of scheelite lodes and veins on the mountains in the vicinity of Glenorchy at altitudes of 3,000 ft, to 6,000 ft. MACETOWN. ' United Goldfields (Limited).- —The low level in the Garibaldi section was extended about 200 ft. on the lode without meeting with any payable ore. In Andeison's section a level was driven SCO ft. on the Caledonian reef, and a small lens of quartz showing a little gold opened up. A jack-termer drilling plant was installed, for driving the low level in the All Nations section, but owing to scaicity of labour very little work was done in this part of the mine,