C.—2,

Gallery and Bradbrook, Round Hill (between Macraes Township and Golden Point Mine). —Active operations have been continued during the year, and 902 tons of quartz was lorried to the battery in Deep Dell and yielded 197 oz. 13 dwt. 18 gr., valued at £1,423 10s. 4d. The battery was further improved by the installation of a Wilfley table and the provision of electric light. The Macraes Flat Gold-mining Co. f 11. T. McKenzie, Manager).—Work has been carried on continuously during the year in the partially worked ground on Macraes Plat, opposite the township, by electrically-driven gravel-pump methods. The early part of the year was very favourable from a sluicing point of view, as the rainfall was large. The deeper ground has also yielded better values. Seven men were employed and 42,350 yards of alluvial material was treated for a return of 1,053 oz., valued at £7,120 4s. 9d. Another gravel-pump plant is being erected by this company farther down the Plat and will be operating early in 1935. Tate's Reef (A. K. Smeal, Manager).—This mine, situated on the boundary of Block X, Waihemo Survey District, and Block IX, Highlay Survey District, was operated intermittently until October, when operations were suspended. The stone above the level was stoped out and a winze was sunk, in the western section of the mine, to a depth of 26 ft. the reef being about 9 in. wide and dipping steeply to the north. When the mine was operating four men were employed. One hundred and sixty-one tons of quartz crushed at the battery erected in Shamrock Gully, close to the Dunback-Macraes Main Road, yielded 98 oz. 2 dwt. 12 gr., valued at £694 ss. 7d. D. Perguson was acting-manager at the end of the year. Ross, Forest, and Party, now Sutherland and Party, left-hand branch of Highlay Creek. — These prospectors extended the drive and sunk to bed-rock, but prospects were poor and operations have been discontinued. O'Cortnell and Party, Section A 1, Block I, Town of Macraes.—Purther shaft-sinking was carried out, but nothing of importance was disclosed and operations were discontinued. Elsom and Party, Bonanza Reef.—Driving alongside the reef, cleaning out and sinking a surface winze to a depth of 40 ft., has been done, but further work is required in order to test this section of the Bonanza Reef. The Otago Scheelite and Mining Go. (W. M. Langdon, Manager).—This company was formed to take over the mine known as the Ounce Mine, on Section 6, Block 8, Dunback Survey District. The eight-head stamp battery was reconditioned and the mining field developed by means of open cuts, drives, levels, rises, and winzes. A cookhouse, hot and cold shower, and comfortable huts have been provided for the workmen. Seventeen men were employed from about May. Two hundred and eighty-five tons of quartz yielded 28 oz. 10 dwt. of gold valued at £207 10s., and 8 tons 4 cwt. of scheelite valued at £1,422. Porty-three men were employed fossicking, prospecting, cradling, sluicing, driving, and sinking in the Highlay, Macraes, Shag River, Horse Shoe Range, and Hillgrove areas. The gold won amounted to 114 oz. 16 dwt. 11 gr., valued at £765 lis. 3d. Thirty-seven tons of quartz won by three small parties of miners, was treated at Callery and Bradbrook's battery, Deep Dell, Macraes, yielding 2 tons 19 cwt. of scheelite concentrates, which, with other small parcels treated by small producers amounting to 13 cwt., were valued at £536. Maniototo County. Golden Progress Quartz Mining Co., Oturehua (E. Gaytan, Manager). —Mining operations were continued during the year with a reduced staff of men. At the 150 ft. level the east-end drive was extended for a short distance beyond the fault. All the small blocks of quartz, above the 80 ft. prospecting-level and the 150 ft. main level, were stoped out and filled. Operations were then transferred to the winze below the 150 ft. west level, where driving and stoping are now in progress. Eight men were employed, the quartz treated at the battery amounting to 250 tons, yielding 312 oz. 17 dwt. 12 gr., valued at £2,283 6s. 6d. The British Developments, Ltd. (E. Shiels, Manager).—This company has been prospecting an area formerly worked by sluicing and elevating methods, and held by the Morgan Brothers near the Cambrians Township. A dip drive has been sunk in order to test the values ahead of the last elevating paddock. This dip had reached a length of 300 ft. at the end of the year, and is being extended. Three men were employed. The various privately-owned alluvial claims in the Cambrian, Vinegar Hill, St. Bathans, Naseby, and Patearoa areas were working steadily during the year whenever weather conditions were favourable. In the Serpentine, Earl, Wilson, and party were engaged during the warmer weather prospecting for reefs by driving and sinking. This work is still in progress. Two hundred and fifty-three men were employed prospecting, sluicing, elevating, driving, and sinking, in the St. Bathans, Cambrians, Blackstone Hill, Wedderburn, Naseby, Kyeburn, Pateaora, and Serpentine areas, winning 2,020 oz. 18 dwt. 8 gr., valued at £14,490 16s. 6d. The chief producers were M. Brown, Kyeburn; Roche and George, Naseby ; Carr Bros., Patearoa ; and N. Nicolson, Cambrians. The Kildare Consolidated Gold-mining Co., Ltd., St. Bathans (W. Johnson, Manager).—Active mining operations were discontinued in the St. Bathans section of the Kildare Deep Lead early in the year, and operations were then directed to the reopening of the old Surface Hill Mine workings which have been flooded since the year 1904. The Scandinavian water-race has been cleaned and repaired and a pipe-line consisting of 22 in. to 30 in. pipes has been laid to the Surface Hill Claim. The old tail-races were cleared from accumulated debris, and the large water-filled paddock of the old Surface Hill Mine, 20 chains in length by 5 chains in width, has been dewatered to a depth of 40 ft. to the end, of December. Pifteen men have been employed on the racecleaning and reopening operations. The gold won during the year amounted to 255 oz. 2 dwt. 13 gr., valued at £1,838 7s. Id. 6 TuapeJca County. New Gabriel's Gully Sluicing Go., Blue Spur, Lawrence (J. Hore, Manager).—Active operations have been continued during the year, and the plant was removed from the old Smithy Section and erected near the balance of the remaining cement-deposit lying on the Western Reef between the gully and the Blue Spur-Munro's Gully Road. Experiments were carried out with a Hammer Crusher during the early part of the year. After a trial period, crushing-operations were discontinued. The cement face is cracked and split and comes down in large blocks, which are broken up by means of " eruptite," the holes being drilled by means of Jackhammer drills. The broken cement is then sluiced by high-pressure water to the elevator. Seven men were employed during the year, winning 205 oz. 12 dwt., valued at £1,505 10s. 9d. The Wetherstones Gold-mining Co., Ltd., Wetherstones (H. T. Gordon, Manager).—Driving and sinking operations were continued during the year until the 21st July, when all active mining operations were suspended. The following work was done—B3s ft. level: The crosscut west was advanced 176 ft. to 313 ft. to the schistconglomerate contact, and a drive north on the contact started and advanced to 13 ft. The values here were low, though a decided improvement on those at the 510 ft. level. Inclined shaft: Sinking was resumed on the 14th February from 923 ft. At 1,190 ft. schist appeared on the north side, disappearing again at 1,196 ft. At 1,210 ft. the schist-floor was again exposed. At 1,225 ft. a fault plane was encountered and the face was entirely in schist, and sinking was stopped at 1,237 ft. The borehole was met at 1,222 ft. A fan was fitted to the top of the borehole, which has since been used as a down-casting ventilating-channel. 1,193 ft. level: A drive north was started here and continued 26 ft,., following the contact. Owing to the disturbed nature of the country and the presence of the fault already encountered in the incline, this drive finally turned due west, and it was realized that it was necessary to get on the eastern side of the fault. A drive north-east at right angles to the strike of the fault was therefore started. This was driven horizontally through the schist and then on the dip following the contact. Values of over 2s. 6d. per yard were 'met with to 190 ft., when the contact dipped away too suddenly to be followed. This drive was continued to 262 ft., when the contact was a,gam met with. An exploratory drive to the north-west was continued to 67 ft. In the inclined shaft the light rails were lifted and a 3 ft. gauge track was laid down with 40 lb. rails, and the change over to the selfdumping skip made. Vertical shaft: This was started up in June and sunk to 130 ft., when work was stopped on the 14th July.

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