C.—2.

Grove.'s Mine, on the Southern Side of the Bonnie Jean Creek.—During the year a high-level water-race and dam have been constructed and a high-pressure pipe-line and Pelton-driven Broomwade compressor installed. Bonnie Jean Crossing Mine.—Driving operations were resumed during the winter months in this previouslyworked reef near the track crossing. A sluicing plant previously worked on the Orepuki Goldfield was moved to this area, a storage dam and head-race constructed, and sluicing operations were carried out during the spring. Some good ore was located, and sluicing operations will be resumed when water becomes available. Eureka Beef, near the Glenorchy Terminus of the Bueklerburn Aerial Ropeway.—Prospecting and driving operations have been carried out on the outcrop of this previously-worked reef, and some good ore has been located. Two miners prospected the Lower and Upper Pinhead reefs on the slopes of Mount Mcintosh, but nothing of importance was located. Boss Mine.—Mining and treatment work has been carried out, and the bottom level has been extended so that a rise can be driven to intersect the underhand stope in the top level. The rise has been commenced. Scheelite-bearing ore has been located in the bottom level. Mount Mcintosh Mine. —Two miners have been driving, stoping, and sinking on this reef during the summer, and good ore has been won. Black Peak Mine. —Work has been carried out by two miners on the southern side, also on the saddle and on the precipice side of Black Peak, during the summer. Good ore has been won. Paradise Mine.—Tho Paulin party continued to operate at this mine, which is situated on the northern slope of Mount Alfred, overlooking the Dart River valley. Cleaning out and repair work was carried out in the levels, also sinking, rising, and stoping operations in various parts of the mine. Work was also carried out on tho big reef in the bottom level, and in December crosseutting operations were undertaken, in order to locate the downward extension of the small or hanging wall reef. Scheelite-prospecting operations have also been carried out at the twelve mile on the slopes between the Oxburn and Rees river bridges. Sluicing operations have been continued in the Moonlight Valley, Sandhills, Skippers, Shotover, Mountain Terrace, and Arrow River claims. Vincent County. Thomas and Party, " Bell-Kilgour " Section of Scotland Point.—When the development companj' ceased to operate the pumping plant in the Kawarau Gorge, sluicing operations ceased. Scotland's Lead, Ltd.—Driving operations were continued and the channel was intersected. The main drive was too high. As a consequence, mining operations were hampered, and a second shaft is required in order to prospect this section of the lead. Scott and Wells Mine.- —Operations have been continued. The auriferous section of the lead was comparatively short and several hundred feet of driving and crosseutting has been carried out in and about the main channel, but no further payable auriferous section has yet been located. Long Drive Syndicate.—This syndicate claim adjoins the area held by Messrs. Scott and Wells, and the rock tunnel is situated on tho terrace above the gum-trees. A distance of 400 ft. had been driven by the end of the year, but a further 150 ft. of driving will be required in order to locate the deep river lead. Homer's Mine. Gee's Flat.—Driving and crosscutting operations were continued in the Gee's Flat deep lead from the end of the rock tunnel driven through the rim rock which separates this flat from tho Kawarau River. Two other miners have also been testing the terrace deep lead above Gee's Flat by driving and blocking out. W. Thomas and Son, Lower Cairnmuir. —In order to obtain water for sluicing purposes from tho Bannockburn Creek, this party have extended the Cairnmuir Co.'s water-race to their mine. A pipe-line and sluicing plant have been installed, rock tail-races have been cleaned out and deepened. Opening-out operations are now in progress in the shallow ground in front of the terrace deposit. Shine Again Gold-mining Co., Ltd. —Sinking operations were continued below the 60 ft. level, and the winze had reached a depth of 60 ft. when operations had to be suspended on account of climatic conditions. Antimony Syndicate.—Mining operations were carried out on the western 3ide of tho Manorburn Dam, in the Alexandra district, where several tons of antimony-ore were mined from an outcrop on the western shore of the dam. Operations ceased when winter weather conditions became severe, and have not been resumed as all the easily-mineable ore had been removed. Sluicing. Sluicing operations have been carried on at Blackman, Matakanui, Gorge Creek, and on the left bank of the Clutha River between Alexandra and Doctor's Point. Several claims, such as the Graham, Nevis, Cameron's Gully, Jones, and Williamson claims in the Nevis Field continue to be operated. Drudging. Lake County. The dredge owned by the Goldfield's Dredging Co., Ltd., and moored on the big beach, Shotover River, near Arthur's Point, has been sold Vincent County. The Nevis Crossing Dredge, Lower Nevis, has not been in operation and has now been sold. Bendigo Goldlight Dredge.-—This dredge has not been sold, and is still beached near the Bendigo Township. Austral New Zealand Mining, Ltd. —This large dredge has operated throughout the year downstream from the Lowburn Ferry on the flats known as the Athenaeum Reserve. Up to 4th October it had operated for 5,100 hours and covered an area of 40-58 acres, digging 3,302,000 cubic yards, averaging 1-80 grains per cubic yard. Running-time during the latter part of the year was slow owing to the necessity for carrying out many alterations and repairs, and shortage of power. For the year, 3,588,000 cubic yards were dug. This dredge is electrically operated, and a Diesel-operated standby set is also provided for use in cases of emergency. Molyneux Gold-dredging Co., Ltd. —This dredge has operated in the Kawarau River and was dredging downstream from the Cairmuir Gorge early in January. Dredging ceased on the 22nd of that month, and the dredge was then moved upstream. When the centre of the Gorge had been reached, the river fell to such an extent that it was impossible to move the dredge farther until the river rose to a normal level. Three attempts were made to negotiate the narrow upper portion of the Gorge during small rises in the river, but these effort.'- were not successful. It was not until the 20tli November, when the Kawarau River rose 25 ft. in the Cairnmuir Gorge, that the dredge could be moved upstream, and dredging was resumed on the 24th November. The stretch of river below and above the Cairnmuir Gorge proved to be low grade. The dredge has moved 80 chains up the Kawarau River, and the bottom dredged has been soft pug with a number of largo schist boulders. The average depth has been 20 ft. This dredge is electrically operated, and carries a Diesel-operated standby set for use in cases of emergency. Clutha River Gold-dredging, Ltd.— I This dredge operated in the Molyneaux or Clutha River upstream from tho Fraser River junction on a section of the river held by tho Molyneaux Gold Dredging Co. The area dredged was comparatively shallow, and on account of the previous dredging operations the returns were poor. The depth dredged varied from 20 ft. to 40 ft. The dredge was operating a considerable distance upstream from the site selected for the reconstruction operations, when the river rose in late November. This rise made it possible to move the dredge downstream to the selected site. After dredging from the river and into Alexandra Flats, the work of dismantling this river dredge, preparatory to its reconstruction as a paddock dredge, was commenced. Aitken's Dredge, Chatton District, Southland. —This dredge is operating in the Chatton district on freehold land in a shallow valley on the eastern Mataura River flats. The depth dredged varies from 0 ft. to 12 ft., and the tailings are discharged from a sluice-box. An extension chute is used when surface soil is being stripped so that it .can be deposited on top of the tailings. The dredge is steam driven. From the 25 acres dredged during the year, 403,333 cubic yards of material has been dug. Rainbow Dredging Co., Ltd., Maitland, Waikaka Valley, Southland.—Dredging operations have been continued. The ground dredged is shallow, varying from 4 ft. to 8 ft., and about 8 acres have been dredged. This is the smallest dredge operating in New Zealand, and is powered by a 38 h.p. Gardner Diesel engine.

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