C.—2.

Mountain Terrace Sluicing Co., Skippers Greek.—No work was done at this mine during the year. Skippers Sluicing Co., Skippers.—Sluicing operations havo been continued during the working seasons of the year on the western terrace of the Shotover River between Pleasant and Stony Creeks. Central Shotover Gold Mining Co., Ltd., Deep Creek, Shotover River. —Sluicing and elevating operations in the bed of the Shotover River, downstream from the Deep Creek junction, have been carried out whenever river conditions were suitable. Crystal Quartz-mine, Sawyers Gully, Skippers.—Driving, rising, sinking, and stoping operations have been carried out during the working seasons of the year. The rising operations proved that faulting had displaced the reef between the two levels. Stoping operations have been carried out below the low level, and 191 tons of ore have been sent to the treatment plant situated in Sawyers Gully. Beale and Son continued to sluice on the terrace above the Maeetown Township until the winter season set in. Operations were not resumed in the spring-time, and the plaut is to be sold. The Ilamer Anderson Party discontinued operations in the bed of the Arrow River, and they are now- driving in the high-level terraces on the right-hand bank of tho Arrow River at the Eight-mile. Driving operations were continued by the Paterson Party on the eastern bank of the Arrow River above and below the -Billy Creek junction, but nothing of importance was located. Work was discontinued at the end of the year, and the plant is being sold for removal. Douglas and Party.—This party has continued to operate in the bed of tho Arrow River below Scolcs Bend whenever conditions wero suitable and water was available from the Arrow Rivor irrigation pipe-line. The Golden Arrow Gold Mining Co., Ltd. —Mining operations have been carried on in the bed of the Arrow River above the Bush Creek junction whenever river conditions were suitable and water was available from the Arrow River irrigation pipe-line. Operations have been hampered, however, by flood conditions in tho river. Junction Reward Mining Co., Ltd., Bush Creek, near Arrowtown. —The tributers worked the bed of the creek to the Golden Arrow boundary. Operations were then suspended, and the plant was sold. A total of ninety-nine men (inclusive of the companies) has been employed in the alluvial mines of the Lake County, winning 838 oz. 7 dwt. 16 gr. of gold, valued at £6,476 3s. 3d. Vincent County. J. Holm, Right Bank of Kawarau River, Cornish Point, opposite the upper end of Cromwell Township.—Driving operations were continued during the year, and the auriferous area was opened up by development drives. Blockingout operations wero commenced when tho limits of the auriferous deposit had been located by the drives. Blocking operations were being continued at the end of the year, and a prospect drive was being extended to the down-river section of the mine. The Bates Party continued its prospecting operations upstream from the Holm Party. The main drive was connected to the shaft workings, and prospect drives were driven up and down stream, but nothing of importance was located, and operations were suspended during the latter part of the year. Thomas and Party have taken up an area covering the main drives of the Bell-Hooper and Bell-Kilgour Mines, and propose to sluice off the heavy overburden and then sluice the remaining stumps and pillars on the line of the deep lead. Water has been obtained from the main race of the Cromwell Development Co., and wator-races, dam, and penstock are being constructed. Small parties of prospectors are operating on the Cairnmuir and Kawarau areas. Nevis Mining-field : J. Williamson, Stone Huts, Upper Nevis.—Sluicing and elevating operations were continued in the deep-lead channel near the Stone Huts. The ground proved to be very tight and, as the water pressure was low, progress was slow, and the elevating paddock was closed down for the winter. When operations were resumed in the spring-time elevating was carried on in the deep lead, and a second pipe-line was installed to test an unworked shallow-ground deposit in Camerons Gully. Jones Nevis Sluicing Co., Ltd., Whittons Greelc, Nevis. —No work was done during the beginning of the year, but when the season opened at the end of the winter F. Jones took over tho mine on a tribute basis. The McLean Bros, continued to sluice and elevate in the old township workings, and D. Adie and A. Graham continued to operate on the right-hand terrace of Schoolhouse Creek. Nevis Sluicing Claims. —During the beginning of the year J. H. Johnston worked the mine on a tribute basis, but he discontinued operations at the end of the season. The mine was taken over by J. Stephens and a party at the ond of the winter season. The Stephens Party prospected tho bottom end of the mine by cutting a deep tail-race and sluicing into this tail-race. J. Morrell continued to work the shallow ground below the old workings to the north of the Nevis sluicing claims. Reward Gold-mining Co., Ltd.—Sluicing operations have been continued at this mine, which is situated between Gorge Creek and Fruitlands. The Devonshire Sluicing Syndicate operated for a short period in a previously driven area in the old Devonshire diggings. The pump was operated by a Diesel engine. Operations were discontinued before the end of the year. Shine Again Gold-mining Co., Ltd. —During the early part of the year operations on the opencast ore-body were suspended, and the mine was shut down until the latter part of the year. The mine plant was reconditioned, the water was pumped out, and preparations were carried out on the 60 ft. level for the sinking of a winze on the east and west ore-body. The chamber was completed at the end of the year, and sinking operations will be carried out during 1940 for the purpose of testing the lower levels of this reefing system. A total of 122 mon was employed in the alluvial mines of the Vincent County during the year, winning 1,250 oz. 3 dwt. 4 gr. of gold, valued at £9,894 os. 3d. Canterbury District: Ashburton County. Three men have been omployed during the year in the Rakaia Mouth and other beaches, winning gold amounting to 24 oz. 13 dwt. 10 gr., valued at £169 19s. Bd. Dredging. Goldfields Dredging Co., Ltd., Big Beach, Shotover River, near Arthurs Point, Luke County.—Dredging operations were carried out during the early part of the year, but the results did not come up to expectations, and the dredge was closed down. The company has now gone into liquidation. This dredge is electrically operated, and the company's power-station is situated at Wye Creek. Nevis Crossing Dredge, Lower Nevis, Vincent County. — Dredging operations were continued on the left-hand river-flat above the Schoolhouse Creek junction in shallow ground until tho winter season caused a cessation of operations. Mr. Fache, the owner, succumbed to a severe illness during the winter. Operations were resumed by the estate at the beginning of the spring season. This dredge is steam driven, and eoal from the local coalfield is used for steam-generation. The Bendigo Goldlight Dredge is still beached near the Bendigo Gorge. Molyneux Gold-dredging Co., Ltd. —Dredging operations were continued in the Clutha River from below Gibraltar Rock. Dredging operations were held up for four months in the winter months, as tho river was too low to negotiate the falls upstream from this rock. Afterwards the dredge was moved upstream for 260 chains, of which approximately 60 chains proved payable. The remaining 190 chains was prospected by dredging, but proved almost barren, and in many places bare bedrock with a few feet of drift. The bedrock is hard schist rock, and in the narrow

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