Mines and Mineral Statistics. 
64 
be reckoned tbe best paying and richest ground yet worlced on 
the Tin Fields, having declared a dividend of ten thousand pounds 
(£10,000) for the last tAvelvemonth’s work. 
Oil some parts of the lead, the stripping (a ferruginous 
sandstone and cement) has been very hard, requiring the use of 
blasting powder ; but on an average, all over the lead, Avhich has 
proved payable to a width of two hundred (200) feet, the wash is 
easily got, and the depth of stanniferous dirt is three feet, averaging 
one bucket (80 lbs.) of tin ore to a load (sixty buckets). The 
average weekly yield for the last six months, with fifty men and 
two horses, has "been twelve (12) tons. The full complement of 
men are not at work, on account of the scarcity of water. The 
amount of tin ore raised since the mine started operations 
eighteen (18) months ago, is six hundred and twelve (612) tons. 
There are three large dams constructed, only one ol which at 
present holds sufficient water for use. This valuable mine is ably 
managed by one of the partners, Mr. Peter Speare. 
The next mine of importance, where the richest deposit of 
stanniferous wash-dirt is now being worked, is the property of the 
A^egetable Creek Tin Mining Company, situated a quarter of a 
mile south of the line of main \vorkings along the bed ol Vegetable 
Creek. The lead in this mine has apimrently no connection with 
that worked in the creek, as the wash-dirt is a regular river-bed 
drift and gravel, while the latter in some places is a coarse creek 
wash, but is mostly a cement and clay wash, that requires puddling 
before the tin can be extracted. 
A main tunnel has been driven two thousand (2,000) feet along 
the course of the lead, the width of which is from eighteen (18) 
feet till it gradually widened out to four hundred feet (where the 
present workings are), with an average thickness of three feet of 
excellent paying dirt, and at a depth of sixty (60) feet from the 
surface. The "wash dirt is driven out and raised to surface by 
means of whips and windlasses, and a tramw'ay is laid to truck 
the dirt from the shafts to the sluice-box. On one part of the 
workings, w'hile sinking a shaft to cut the main lead, a very hard 
layer of cement, fourteen inches thick, was struck, but under it a 
splendid run of wash was found from two to four feet thick ; and 
sixteen (16) feet below this again the main lead is worked. But 
the sinking up to the present is entirely through pipe-clay. 
The country at the 60 feet level is a regular river bed, and in 
some parts there is fourteen feet of loose drift sand, heavily 
intermixed with tin ore. In one portion of the lead a tremendous 
heat or electric current seems to have passed through, as every- 
thing is charred, even the tin ore is burnt into clinkers. 600 
feet ahead of the Company’s present workings, the ground 
tested by means of boring rods has proved that, after passing 
through 40 feet of extremely hard rock or cement, and under that 
