a—3,

110

Antonio's Flat. This flat was opened in the early days of the West Coast, and some of the men yet working in this locality have been here for the last twenty-six years. The whole of the alluvial deposit on the terraces, and on each side of this flat, and also the flat itself, is auriferous. The alluvial workings have been carried on over a considerable area, and, from what could be learned from the men working in this neighbourhood, it has still a large field for hydraulic sluicing if a good supply of water could be obtained; but, unfortunately, there is very little water in the creeks in this locality, still there are many places where storage reservoirs could be made, and the water conserved. There is plenty of fall to be got for constructing water-races from the Big Eiver so as to bring a large supply on to the terraces at a high elevation ; but to furnish a supply would be a very costly undertaking. The principal locality where the gold-workings are carried on is about five miles up from the Main Grey Valley Eoad; but, in coming up this flat, gold is found in all the gullies on both sides of the ranges. During my recent visit here Mr. Bergen, who has been working in this locality for the last twenty-six years, showed me places where he had worked in the early days which paid him more than £20 a week. The workings extend for a long distance up the different branches of the creek, and the heaps of tailings and mullock turned over show that at one time there must have been a large population employed here ; and even now a considerable number of miners still cling to the old place, and are making a comfortable livelihood, whilst those who have a small supply of water do very well indeed. Adam's Town. This is the term given to a locality where a few diggers are working in a narrow valley running up between the range at the back of Batira's Hotel on the Grey mouth-Beef ton Eoad, near the crossing of the Little Grey Eiver. The workings are situated about two miles from the main road, and during my recent visit there were thirteen Europeans and from sixteen to eighteen Chinese at work in the claims. Some very good ground has recently been opened out in what is known as Wesley's Claim, in which the sinking is from 12ft. to 15ft., and the depth of the wash-drift about 4ft. Wesley and party are driving out the ground and hauling the wash-drift up by means of a horse and whip, when the material is box-sluiced on the surface. A little lower down the valley than Wesley's claim a party of Chinese were stripping the ground with barrows and working it in a long face across the bed of the valley. This party was said to be doing extremely well. Blackwater. A very large number of people, especially Chinese, are engaged in mining operations in this locality. It may be said that the Chinese have taken possession of this flat, and are working the ground in paddocks, taking everything before them. They strip a certain portion from the surface downwards, with barrows, and wash about sft. of the bottom of the drift in a small sluice. The amount of work which has been done here is very considerable. It is questionable if an European would ever perform the same amount of labour to work the ground, as the surface material has to be wheeled back for a long distance in opening out each of the claims in order to get the first paddock out; but after this is done the surface material and tailings are all put into the worked-out ground. Into each of these paddocks a tail-race is constructed, not only to drain the ground, but also to carry away the sluicing-water. The amount of trouble and labour which the Chinese have taken in working this ground is really extraordinary, and the quantity of water which they use in their sluice-boxes is extremely small. Eour or five men are engaged in stripping the ground, while four men are engaged in taking up the bottom and sluicing it. The sluice-boxes are from 12ft. to 16ft. in length, having false bottoms made of planks 2in. in thickness, having a system of holes bored LJin. in diameter. These bottoms are used for saving the gold. The material is all sluiced into a paddock, where one man is constantly employed in shovelling away the tailings while the water passes into the tail-races. Judging by the comfortable houses which the Chinese bave 4 erected, and the large stocks of firewood provided, the owners must be doing well. Indeed, one person showed me a party of Chinese who were making about as much as £15 per week per man. There are about ninety Chinese employed in claims in this valley, the majority of the European miners being at work on the terraces. The valley of Blackwater, like Antonio's Flat, will probably be worked for a greater distance downwards towards the Grey Eiver; but if the workings are continued in this direction a long tail-race will be required to drain the ground. There are about thirty-three Europeans and ninety-four Chinamen employed in mining in this locality. Snowy Biver. The valley of the Snowy Eiver is taken up for settlement for about three miles above the railWay. At about one mile up from the railway the valley is about 30 chains wide; at this point Mossy Creek makes a junction with the main stream at an inclined angle of about 30°, running back for four or five miles towards the Grey and Alexander Eivers to a point nearly opposite Mackley's station. This creek at its junction with the Snowy Eiver is about 20 chains wide, and keeps this width for fully a mile up. The whole of this valley has been worked for gold for fully three miles up from the main Greymouth-Eeefton Eoad; also two small creeks have been worked on the south side of Mossy Creek, showing that wherever the terrace-land has been cut into with water, and the material washed away, it has concentrated the heavy particles, and consequently left the gold in payable quantities in the flats on the southern side. The ground here is very shallow, being from sft. to 7ft. deep. The extent of the gold-workings show that a large population had at one time been employed in this locality, and this place was in the early days considered of equal importance to the Blackwater Diggings. As regards the formation, the gravel seems to be of river-terrace origin, as there is yet another higher terrace of the Grey Eiver between Mossy Creek and Snowy. Mossy Creek runs along the