0.—3

6

manager, was too ill to accompany me round the workings. On the 9th August the men were all engaged in repairs, and the bad places had been abandoned. Mr. Ferguson keeps the report and a plan. 30. Whitecliffs Coal-mine, Whitccliffs .—On the 28th July, 1886, I visited this mine, and found Mr. W. Laming in possession, and employing altogether six men. A new drive had been made, and the workings were in good order; still the formalities of the Act were not attended to. 31. St. Helen's (No. 1) Coal-mine, Whitecliffs.—Closed. 32. St. Helen's (No. 2) Coal-mine, Whitecliffs, was inspected on the 28th July, 1886, when it w yas not in good order, the lower workings being so much crushed as to bo, in my opinion, unsafe in places. I therefore asked the under viewer to clean out a choked-up air-way as a means of escape for the men. Eeport kept very irregularly ; plan up to date ; no special rules exhibited. 33. Snowdon Goal-mine, Bakaia Gorge (26th July, 1886). —Not working. Merely a straight drive, which appeared safe. 34. Acheron Coal-mine, Lake Coleridge (26th July, 1886). —Not working. The drive had fallen in a good deal. 35. Stobivood Coal-mine, liockivood. —A small mine worked by Mr. James S. Nimmo, on the same line as the Brockley seam, the coal being unaltered. On the 27th July two men were at work, and the mine in good order. 36. Mount Somers Coal-mine, Mount Somers (4th August, 1886). —Still opencast, but, as the stripping had become very heavy, the owner proposed driving on the seam. 37. Studholme's Coal-mine, Waimate. —On the 6th August, 1886, the mine was not being worked, and a road was being constructed. 38. Wharekuri Goal-mine, Wharekuri (13th July, 1886). —Two men only employed. Mine not in very good order, and the air not constant. Mr. Cairns informed me that a boy who was then absent had the report in his possession. Subsequently I met the boy, who knew nothing about it. 39. Kuroto Goal-mine, Kurow (13th July, 1886). —I always have to complain of the bad condition of this mine, and on the above date three little boys were in the workings, which were by no means safe. The owner stated that they were not employed in the mine. 40. Prince Alfred. (No. 1) Coal-mine, Papakaio. —On the 10th July and 27th October this mine was in good order, and the air pretty good. The report is kept. 41. Prince Alfred (No. 2) Coal-mine, Papakaio. —The remarks on the preceding mine apply equally to this, which is under the same management and ownership. 42. St. Andreiv's Coal-mine, Papakaio. —lnspected on the 10th July and 27th October, on both of which occasions the mine was in good order, and the Act generally observed. 43. Ngapara Colliery, Ngapara. —Examined on the 14th July. In good order, and carefully worked. 44. Shag Point Coal-mine, Palmerston. —On the Bth July Mr. "Williams was laid up by the accident an account of which will be given subsequently. A heading was being driven to communicate with the unfinished shaft to the north. Attempts were made to get through the old workings to the shaft above the manager's house, but failed on account of the lire. Work was proceeding in the upper division of the main seam, which varied from 3ft. to sft. in thickness. The air was pretty good, and timbering moderately-well carried out; cage covered, signals all right, but rules not exhibited. On the 28th October, 1886,1 again inspected. The air in the extreme rise pillars was not good, on account of a leakage of carbonic acid from the wastes. In the other portions of the mine the ventilation was better, though it was checked occasionally. In the drive to the north for forming a communication the seam had thinned down to about 20in., overlaid by a very hard rock. Dynamite was used, and I found three plugs and some detonators close to the main road. 45. Hill's Creek Lignite-mine, Hill's Creek (27th August, 1886). —This mine continues to be worked opencast. 49. Blackstone Hill Lignite-mine, Blackstone Hill. —This was formerly on the list as Dunnmuir's. At the above date nobody was at the mine, which is, as formerly, worked opencast. 50. Cambrian's Lignite-mine (Jones's), St. Bathans. —Visited 27th August, 1886. Is still worked opencast, and well carried on. 51. Cambrian's Lignite-mine (Dungey's), St. Bathans is a new open-work mine on the same seam as the preceding, and visited on the same date. 52. Kyeburn Coal-mine, Kyeburn. —On the 28th August, 1886. This mine was not being extensively worked, recent floods having damaged the main level. Eeport kept; no rules up. 53. Perseverance Goal-mine, Kyeburn (28th August, 1886). —The owner of the mine, Mr. J. Stuart, had recently died ; but the mine was at work, and in good order, as it always has been. The coal was being brought back on the main level in a very systematic manner. 54. Archer's Goal-mine, Kyeburn (28th August, 1886). —Mr. Archer had, unfortunately, taken no pains to observe the Act, but the mine was in tolerably good order. 56. Alexandra Goal-mine, Alexandra South. —On the 21st August last this mine was working in very much the same small way that characterizes the majority of the inland Otago coal-mines. The shaft required fencing, and no report was kept; ladders vertical; workings apparently safe. 57. Macquernville Coal-mine, Alexandra Smith. —On the 23rd August last this mine was being worked by a Chinese miner, who appeared well able to take care of himself. Vertical ladders were in the shaft, which Mr. McLay, the manager, promised to alter. The shaft mouth was also unfenced. 5->. Excelsior Coal-mine, Cromwell. —This mine when visited in August, 1886, was in very bad order. The seam dips at a very high angle ; th!e workings were very wide, and much fallen, and there was no means of escape. I requested the owner to at once provide one. The old shaft by the public road, and on the other side of the river from the mine now worked, was unfenced, and I asked the owner, Mr, E. McNulty, to attend to it.