21

C.—2

ANNEXURE A. SUMMARY OF REPORTS BY INSPECTORS OF MINES. NORTHERN INSPECTION DISTRICT (Mr. M. Paul, Inspector of Mines). Quartz-mining. Waihi Gold-mining Co., Ltd. (J. L. Gilmour, Manager).—No. 15 Level (l,BBoJft.). —West drive : This lias reached a distance of 885 ft. At 524 ft. crosscutting was done to the south for 106 ft. The Martha and Royal lodes were intersected in this crosscut, being 17 ft. and 7 ft. wide respectively. The assay value in both cases is low. From 704 ft. the west drive was diverted 45° to the south-west to intersect the Edward lode. At 809 ft. there is a section of Edward lode 6 ft. wide ; assay value Is. per ton. At 838 ft, the main section was intersected, width 8 ft., and assaying a trace of bullion; course, 267° (true); dip 1 in 3, south-east. At 868 ft. there is a vein of quartz 14 in. wide, assaying £1 Is. per ton. At 878 ft. there is another vein, 18 in. wide ; assay value, £1 ss. sd. per ton. Edward lode : Driving south-west was commenced on the main portion and continued to 27J ft. The average assay value for this distance is 10s. 9d. per ton. No. 14 level. —Martha lode (north section) : The east drive was continued to 550 ft. At 547 ft. a south crosscut traversed quartz for 58 ft. ; the assay value was low. This is the main portion of Martha lode. At 188 ft. a winze has been sunk 58 ft. on the north section in payable ore. Dunlop south-east crosscut was extended to 294 ft. and the following veins intersected : At 68| ft., quartz 4 ft. wide, assay value lis. 2d. per ton ; at 784- ft., quartz 3 ft. wide, assay value 7s. 4d. per ton ;at 138£ ft., quartz ft. wide (including a horse of country ft. wide), assay value 9s/ 2d. per ton. This is the Empire lode. At 249 ft. the Royal lode was met; width 10 ft. and assay value 14s. lOd. per ton. Some driving east and west was done on the two latter veins, but no improvement in value was shown. Edward lode : The total distance driven south is now 398 ft. Payable ore for a distance of 177 ft. was exposed. At 163 ft. south a winze was sunk 65 ft. At 38 ft. down there is evidence of a fault crossing the reef. With the object of testing the Edward lode below No. 15 level diamond drilling was commenced from the south end of Dunlop crosscut. At an angle of 63£° from horizontal and direction 290° (true) the lode was met at a depth of 316J ft., or, calculating vertically, 155 ft. below No. 15 level. The drill has proved a large body of quartz, but assay results disclosed no payable ore. No. 13 level. —Empire lode : This was intersected at 90 ft. in Trout south-east crosscut. The width is 12 ft. and mixed with country ; assay value, £1 os. Id. per ton. Driving east was done for 12 ft. and westward 224 ft. Some payable ore has been exposed in the latter direction, and at 84 ft. the width is 14 ft. and average assay value £2 6s. 9d. per ton. Martha lode : At 50 ft. down Pascoe winze, an intermediate level, was driven 130 ft. west and 33 ft. east. This work has opened up some payable ore. No. 12 Level. —The principal work at this level during the year was confined to prospecting with the diamond drill, but no payable ore was disclosed. No. 11 Level. —Martha lode, north section East of Kauri crosscut the drive was continued to 326 ft., where it connected to old level on the north section of lode. Salmon north-west crosscut: Diamond drilling was done horizontally from the end of this crosscut for a length of 405J ft. ; several small veins were intersected, but all of low value. No. 10 Level.—Edward cross-lode : The south drive has reached a distance of 1,940 ft., or about 100 ft. from the west boundary. Assay results were very low. The width of reef in the present face is about 12 in. Shark North-west crosscut: This was continued to 474 ft. At 401 ft. a formation of quartz and country mixed, 33 ft. wide, was intersected, of very little value. At 460 ft. there is another lode formation, 13 ft. wide, of very low value. Driving south-west on the formation met at 401 ft. was commenced and carried to 125 ft. This drive is now stopped. No. 9 Level. —Royal lode west of Edward junction : Driving was resumed and carried to 269| ft. The width of quartz was small and value low. Work is stopped. Royal lode in Crocodile north crosscut: This was driven on east 891 ft. and westward 13 ft. in Grand Junction area. No. 8 Level.—The north, leader was intersected at 80 ft. in Bulls north crosscut. The first 20 ft. is a mixture of quartz, and country and (last sft.) solid quartz, the assay value being £2 13s. lOd. per ton. A total of 383 ft. was driven north-west on the course of this lode. The average width over this length is about 12 in. No. 7 Level. The east face of Royal lode was resumed and carried to 1,206 ft., where the lode is cut off by the old surface. The last 44 ft. of driving is in the Grand Junction area. Surface : On the west side of the Martha Hill a considerable amount of stoping and development work was carried out. No. 2 shaft was sunk 32 ft., making a total distance of ft. from the surface. The chamber at No. 14 level was opened at 169 ft. below No. 13 level. A total of 211,530 short tons of ore was crushed and treated, and was obtained in the following quantities from the undermentioned reefs : Martha, 70,875 tons ; Edward, 33,726 tons ; Royal, 28,239 tons ; Martha, north branch, 21,437 tons ; Surprise, 8,776 tons ; Empire, 8,689 tons ; Alexandra, 7,319 tons ; Jellicoe, 5,532 tons ; No. 2 reef, 5,696 tons ; North, 4,841 tons ; Empire, north section, 3, 785 tons ; Bell, 1,797 tons ; Welcome, south branch, 1,770 tons ; Victoria, 1,245 tons ; Martha, south branch, 1,215 tons ; -North Leader, 516 tons ; Welcome, north branch, 451 tons ; Cross, 384 tons ; Albert, 241 tons ; Regina, 143 tons ; Welcome, 120 tons ; London, 104 tons; Princess, 63 tons; Dreadnought, south branch, 57 tons ; Salmon, 54 tons ; Bates, 7 tons : total of 208,082 tons from Waihi Company's area. From Grand Junction area: Empire, 2,430 tons; Mary, 489 tons; Royal, 529 tons: Total of 3,448 tons from Grand Junction area. Grand total, 211,530 short tons. Total footage, 15,939 A-; 1,770 ft. also bored with diamond drilling-machines. Water pumped to the surface from No. 15 level was 514,590,200 gallons. Waihi Grand Junction Gold Co., Ltd. —The mine has been leased to the Waihi Gold-mining Co., Ltd., for a period of ten years on a profit-sharing basis. Rising Sun Gold-mining Co., Ltd., Oivharoa (A. McGruer, Manager).—During the year 1,561 tons of ore won from Nos. I and 3 reefs above the low level yielded gold valued at £5,720 19s. 3d. Owing to stoppages due to water-supply being cut off this did not pay working-expenses. Six months' protection has been applied for and granted with the object of endeavouring to raise capital in order to open up a greater length of stoping-ground and also to do some urgent repairs to the battery. New Zealand Crown Mines, Karangahalce (G. N. McGruer, Manager).—No work has been done in this mine during the year, and with the exception of the Earl of Glasgow section the whole of the area formerly held by this company has been abandoned. Talisman Dubbo Claim, Karangahalce (Williams and Party).—A considerable amount of trenching and prospecting work has been done, with encouraging results. Imperial Gold-mining Co., Ltd., Kaftingahake.—The crosscut eastward from Howard's level has been driven a total distance of 563 ft. and eleven reefs and veins intersected ; unfortunately, all are of low value. Maoriland Gold-mining Co., Ltd., Waitelcauri.—No. 4 level has been cleaned up and retimbered for a distance of 1,012 ft., leaving 280 ft. to reach the reef, which it is said contained payable values when work was discontinued. The battery is also being put in repair.