45

n >i VV* (J

Comstock United. —This mine was under protection for a time. The main tunnel being driven over a distance of 1,700 ft. and no reef cut, the owner could not proceed any further without some assistance. He therefore applied to the Ohinemuri County Council and the Government for a subsidy to put in this tunnel a further distance of 600 ft. ; this was granted, and the work is now in progress, and the drive extended 60 ft. Although a rubbly formation of quartz has been passed through, yet no denned reef has been met with. Three men are employed. Woodstock Mine. —This property has been closed down for the greater part of the year. Although a considerable amount of money has been recently spent in prospecting and developing the mine and in alterations to the battery, the results obtained were not sufficient to meet the working-expenses, which were somewhat increased by having to pump the water and raise the ore, &c, broken out in the low level. The ore here was also of a less value than that obtained above the main adit level. lam informed there is every likelihood of the property going into liquidation or being merged into the adjoining properties. In the early part of the year while operations were carried on, 6,184 tons of quartz was treated for a return of 14,570 oz. 5 dwt. of bullion, value £9,680 12s. Id. An average of forty men were employed during the year. Several parties have been prospecting in the neighbourhood, but up to the present no new discoveries have been made. Te Aeoha. Premier and Mammoth Claims. —This property has been continuously worked during the year, the principal operations being confined to the Premier section, where a good block of ground has been opened up at No. 2 level, the reef here varying from 4 ft. to 6 ft. in thickness, and where stoping operations are proceeding with payable results. In the Mammoth section a trial parcel of 60 tons was broken out of the reef and conveyed to the battery as a bulk sample to ascertain the value of the ore previous to connecting the mine with the county tramway by an aerial tram-line. The results of the crushing (I am informed) gave sufficient encouragement to have the work undertaken in the .near future. Considerable improvements have been made in the battery by the erection of concentrating pans, &c, and it is also intended to increase the number of stamps by another ten heads and bring the battery thoroughly up to date for the necessary treatment of the ore. During the year 1,561 tons of ore was treated for a return of 1,728 oz. 9 dwt. of gold, value, £4,972 18s. 2d. An average of fourteen men have been employed. Kia Ora Lead and Silver Mines. —There were two men employed on this mine in the early part of the year, and a parcel of ore was broken out and transmitted to New South Wales for treatment, which is said to have given as a result from £3 to £100 to the ton, but this apparently has not induced the commencement of active operations, as little or no work has been done on the mine since. A limited amount of prospecting-work has been carried on in this locality during the year, but nothing of importance is reported to have been discovered. Komata. Komata Reefs Gold-mining Company (Limited). —Komata reef section : The chief work done in this portion of the mine has been the extension of the No. 4 level northwards towards the Te Ao Marama shaft. This was driven 612 ft. 6 in., making the total distance north of the main tunnel 950 ft., and leaving about 300 ft. to reach the shaft. A considerable amount of driving has been done in the south end of this section, but the results have so far given very little encouragement. Stoping has been carried on from two of the levels —viz., B level and No. 3 level—and has resulted in 2,340 tons of general ore and 14 tons of selected ore. The number of fathoms stoped was 323J, and the average width of the reef was 3 ft. 6 in. The total value of the ore obtained from this section was £7,711. Te Ao Marama section : A good deal of development-work has been done here during the year, chiefly on the No. 2 level northward. This has resulted in a very large tonnage of payable ore having been opened up. Nothing has been done on the lower levels, as it is the intention to open up these from the drive being advanced towards this section from the Komata Reef section. Stoping has been carried on from the Hopper, Smithy, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 levels. The total number of fathoms broken out was 1,013, which produced 10,931 tons of ore. Development-work produced 1,420 tons, making the total tonnage from this section 12,351 ; the total assay value of this was £33,642. The average width of the reef in this section was 5 ft. Battery : During the past year the capacity of the battery has been considerably increased by the addition of a 5 ft. Huntington mill and six extra vats, and by the raising of the sides of five of the slime-treatment vats. Also numerous small additions and alterations have been made to the plant. In order to provide ample power during dry weather, al3 in. by 30 in. Marshall horizontal condensing-engine and a large loco.-type boiler have been installed. The tonnage treated during the year was 14,780, from which bullion to the value of £37,110 2s. 9d. was produced. Tram-line to battery : The grade of a portion of this has been altered, so that the trucks will run by gravity from the mine to the battery, where they are hoisted to the unloading floor by a hoist operated from one of the battery shafts. An average of ninety-two men have been employed during the year. Byron Bay Mine. —A little work was done on this property which consisted of driving on the lode, where encouraging prospects were met with. This induced the holders to sink on it, but the winze was only sunk a few feet owing to a large quantity of water coming in which they were not able to cope with. Protection for six months was applied for and granted to enable them to raise funds to go on with the work. Two men were employed. Just in Time Mine. —This claim has only been intermittently worked during the year, and I have not heard of any new discoveries being made. Mistake Claim. —This is a claim lately taken up which adjoins the Te Ao Marama section of the Komata Reefs Mine, but so far little work has been done on it.