i6 
Mines and Mineral Statistics, 
course only be worked in the driest seasons, and the moment the 
rain sets in the river bed has to be deserted, the water-wheels 
removed, if not previously carried away, and the labour of months 
to be left to be washed out by tlie stream as if it had never been. 
The rain, however, fills the races, and sets going anotlier class 
of work. Sluicing the banks of, and the necks of land which 
project into the river, is now commenced, and is carried on until 
the dry season once more cuts off the source of supply. This 
kind of work gives very pa 5 \ahIo returns where a good sluice 
head of water is obtainable, and some of the parties here have 
gone to very great expense in constiuicting races. The most 
noticeable of these is the race cut by the W arri Sluicing Com- 
pany, which is a well-finished piece of work in every particular. 
Twenty-three miles of it have been cut, and some few hundred 
yards have to be added. It will di’aw its supply of water from 
the head of Itoedy Creek, and will carry about six ground-sluice 
heads through the hills to the banks of the Hhoalhaven, Avhich 
are to be worked down by hydraulic power. Another race, 
almost equal in extent to that of the Warri Company, has been 
cut, and been in use for some time by the Slioalhavon Sluicing 
Company. This is also worked by means of the hydraulic hose, 
but at present sluicing ])arties are almost idle, owing to the 
small supply of water. Works of the character I have described 
extend in places down the river almost to Xerriga. In the 
neighboui’Ixood of the last-named place several promising reefs 
have been takeii up, though at jmeseiit none of them are being 
worked. About 150 miners in all are at work here, in a length 
of 50 miles. I have tried to get the amoimta of gold obtained 
from this qiiartci’, hut have found it impossible to do so at 
present in anything like a reliable form. 1 am in hopes, hoAvever, 
of being able to make arrangements with the gold-buyers to get 
correct information on this point in tixe future. 
The I^IongarloAve or Little Hiver Gold Field is situated about 8 
miles east ot Braidwoocl, and the working is all carried on upon 
the Mongarlowe, a tributary of the Shoalhaven, and Serjeant’s, 
Lagan s, Bob’s, and Kettleton Creeks, which run into it on the 
north, and the Tantulliun and Warramhucca Creeks, Avhich enter 
it on the south. Tlie auriterous deposits are nearly all found on 
tho north hank of the ri^mr, and throughout tlie ivhole of the 
tributary creeks which conic into it oJi tJiat side. The Warram- 
bucca and Tantullian Creeks may be regarded as aftliients rather 
than tributaries, as they arc of equal size of stream with the 
Mongarlowe, and these creeks again have been found to be 
richest on the northern side, and ha^’o turned out a very large 
amount of gold. The miners here are now only employed in the 
wet season, ivhen the races are lull, the worlciugs in the river-bed 
being carried on b 3 ''thc Chinese. In the dry season the European 
miners do a little fossicking amongst the old ground. 
