C.—2.

Prospecting continued apace in the Thames District also, and stone was crushed and treated from seven Thames mines. From the Sylvia Mine 349 tons were treated for a return of £1,710 ; 115 tons from the Dawn of Hope Mine ; and 87 tons from the Progress Mine., The return from the Dawn of Hope crushing was £1,841 and from the Progress, £679. Throughout 1936 production from the Blaekwater, Big River, and Alexander Mines was carried on without intermission, and, besides a good deal of prospecting-work done by others, much systematic prospecting was carried out in the Reefton District under the guidance of the Labour. Mines, and Scientific and Industrial Research Departments. At the Blaekwater Mine most of the development-work was in the vicinity of the north shaft. At that shaft, now 2,300 ft. in depth, the steam winding-plant has been replaced by an up-to-date electric winder, and the single-decked cages by double-decked ones, so most of the ore is now raised at that shaft instead of at the south or Blaekwater shaft. As a consequence, arrangements had to be made to reverse the ventilating air-current and make the north shaft into the downcast, instead of the upcast shaft. Besides other development-work in the Nos. 10 and 12 levels, from the No. 13 (the lowest level at present) driving has been continued off the north shaft both to the north and south on good payable reef, so there is every indication of payable stone being met from further sinking of the north shaft. During 1936 from the Blaekwater Mine 41,990 tons of ore was crushed from which 19,024 oz. of gold, valued at £153,894, was recovered. At the Alexander Mine the year's development was confined to the No. 5 level and the No. 4 intermediate level. During 1936, 4,114 tons of ore was crushed from which 2,814 oz. of gold, valued at £22,804, was obtained, including 214 oz. from concentrates shipped to Australia for treatment. From the No. 5 level chamber in the Big River Mine a new crosscut was driven to the east for 331 ft. When 300 ft. in, a lode channel was met and, from 317 ft. to 327 ft. in, the driving was in a 2 ft. wide lode, carrying 13 dwt. of gold to the ton. During the year 450 tons were treated at the Big River Mine for a yield of 371 oz., valued at £2,847. Work in the Mount Greenland Mine during 1936 was confined to stoping 286 tons of ore from the No. 2 level. 157 oz. of gold was recovered, valued at £1,101. (2) Dbedge Mining. The following is a statement showing the capacity and production of bucket gold dredges and dividends declared by dredging companies during 1936. (Note".—The dividends declared by privately-owned dredges are not obtainable for publication.)

During 1936 fifteen dredges were worked in the West Coast District and six in the; Southern District. Of the fifteen West Coast dredges four were new ones. The Mataki Junction dredge commenced to operate in January, the Nemona dredge in June, the New River dredge in August, and White's electric dredge in September, 1936. The Brian Boru dredge, which ceased working in February, 1935, commenced to operate again in August, 1936, but closed down finally after recovering only 43 oz. of gold from then until the middle of December, 1936. Early in the year the Bendigo-Goldlight dredge was operated for a short period, but has been idle since.

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|| gg •g® go 'o o ak -3.2 a« Dividends declared. fl -a W l -dll *1 Quantity and Name of Dredge. Locality. o_2 otfa! o iioi 0« Value of Bullion J?S . Hj| Sis ofl obtained during o|« a|g .a | fiSsW g>g 1936. During to nor® 3 ™ h go II II II II * 1Q9R End of «ft II II II II £$ ly <50. 1936 O & fc <J PFestf Coastf. pt. oz. £ £ £ Mataki .. .. Murchison .. 7 20 120 S 10 1,724 12 577 2 812 7 030 Mataki Junction .. 6 21 370 DE 20 *2,549 18,'656 Worksop .. Antonio's .. 4 12 -140 D 15 1,920 15*681 i, 800 12'sOO Mossy Creek .. Hukarere .. 4 26 225 E 11 2,303 18,875 7 500 11 250 Brian Boru .. .. German Gully .. 9 20 250 E 35 43 317 ' j'350 Argo .. .. Blackball .. 5 18 210 E 33 3,068 25,424 11," 200 11'*>00 MaoriGully.. .. Maori Gully .. 4 20 205 E 17 J 1,590 11,646 3,600 e'ooo New River .. .. Dunganville .. 4 15 140 D 15 213 1 431 Nemona .. .. Marsden .. 4| 28 255 E 18 987 3'000 Bundi •• •• Cameron's .. 10 18 500 S 32 2,979 21 445 White's Electric .. Barrytown .. 4 10 226 E 19 145 1 055 Stafford .. .. Stafford .. 8 12 220 E 18 1,512 10,'967 3'750 X,". " 5, •• 12 , 19 922 E 49 11,516 97,488 20.834 98',716 Five Mile Beach .. Okarito .. 5 10 .. H 20 838 6,112 ' 31 500 Gillespie's Beach .. Gillespie's Beach 5 13 225 E 28 2,715 22,256 12'250 Otago and Southland. Aitken's . . .. Maitland .. 6 i 10 32 S 14 1 236 9 432 Bendigo-Goldlight .. Bendigo .. 7| 1 9 20 S 55 '35 '248 ? 6 ™^? ssing '■ Nevis '• 34 j 10 12 S 10 369 2,688 Goldneld s .. .. Shotover River .. 8 ; 18 305 E 23 397 2,802 Rainbow .. .. Waimumu .. 2J 12 38 D 7 170 l'l07 i73 173 Waipapa Beach .. Otara .. .. 2J 14 70 D 18 960 833 833 Totals, 1936 .. .. .. 137,269 295,078 62,335 Unknown Totals, 1935 .. .. j 32,062 252,423 38,670 "Unknown £ _ ; l_ * Includes 22 oz. of silver valued at £2.