13 
C.—3c. 
now being worked is from 80fc. to 100ft., having an average width of about 2ft., the direction of 
the lode being north-east and south-west. 
There are three reefs in this ground, one of which dips in a northerly direction towards the Ex¬ 
change. The average value of the whole of the stone taken from this mine is about £3 11s. 8d. per 
ton, and the tailings at the crushing plant, which is stacked, contains from 6dwt. to 18dwt. of gold per 
ton, according to several tests that have been made. This company is at present carrying on 
prospecting operations, with the view of cutting another block of stone. 
Big River. 
Big Biver Company. 
This company holds a special claim of 38 acres. This claim is situated about six miles 
in a southerly direction from Merrijig’s, and about nineteen miles from the Town of Eeefton. 
There is a dray-road constructed for fifteen miles, and the remainder is a horse-track, constructed 
on dray-road grades. There has been 11,255 tons of stone crushed from this claim, which has 
yielded 17,150oz. gold, representing a value of £68,599, out of which dividends have been paid to the 
extent of £35,400, thus showing the average value of the stone crushed from this claim to be about 
£6 2s. 2d. per ton. 
This present company is a reconstruction of a former company having a similar name. Up to 
the 31st August last the present company have only paid up its capital to the extent of 6d. 
per share on 24,000 shares, which is equal to £600, while dividends have been paid to the share¬ 
holders to the extent of £34,200. 
This ground was worked to the surface from No. 1 adit-level, which is 200ft. under the crown 
of the liill. A shaft was then sunk, which cut this level at about 670ft. in from its mouth. This shaft 
is now sunk down to a depth of 780ft., and four other levels constructed from it. A good deal of 
gold was taken out from No. 1 level, but below this, for some distance the lodes were greatly 
broken. 
In No. 2 level a good block of stone was cut and followed down to No. 3 level, which is 540ft. 
below the surface. It is between this level and No. 5 where the present workings are being carried 
on. A winze has been sunk from the No. 3 level on a large block of stone to a depth of 110ft., 
which shows good gold, but at tliis depth the stone cut out. Wherever stone is got in this mine 
it is of good quality, but the country already passed through is greatly disturbed. 
There is a great quantity of stone now in sight, which it is expected will take about fifteen 
months to work out, and this will produce a large quantity of gold, as the average return for the 
past fifteen months is equal to nearly l^oz. gold to the ton, as the following statement will show:— 
Date. 
Tons. 
Returns of Gold. 
Value. 
Expenses. 
Dividends. 
1894. 
Ozs. 
dwt. 
gr- 
£ 
s. 
d. 
£ 
s. 
d. 
£ 
8 . 
d. 
April 
12 
... 
250 
401 
18 
0 
1,627 
13 
10 
579 
19 
2 
900 
0 
0 
May 
8 
200 
219 
17 
0 
887 
12 
10 
558 
4 
10 
600 
0 
0 
June 
7 
160 
163 
13 
0 
617 
17 
0 
925 
14 
6 
. . . 
July 
6 
... 
. 
, . 
549 
13 
6 
... 
Aug. 
8 
iio 
79 
11 
12 
309 
12 
5 
443 
11 
5 
... 
Sept. 
7 
... 
... 
. 
.. 
175 
15 
5 
Oct. 
6 
... ... 
90 
Ill 
0 
0 
460 
7 
8 
347 
3 
11 
. . . 
Nov. 
23 
220 
282 
11 
12 
1,139 
14 
4 
350 
17 
1 
. . . 
Dec. 
24 
270 
436 
1 
12 
1,681 
12 
8 
511 
9 
2 
900 
0 
0 
1895. 
Feb. 
3 
240 
369 
4 
12 
1,496 
17 
11 
725 
3 
5 
600 
0 
0 
March 4 
... 
220 
606 
4 
0 
2,050 
2 
2 
682 
4 
0 
1,200 
0 
0 
April 
6 
... ... 
663 
873 
15 
0 
3,535 
3 
4 
661 
5 
2 
2,400 
0 
0 
May 
4 
372 
692 
0 
0 
2,802 
12 
0 
899 
2 
9 
2,100 
0 
0 
June 
3 
... ... 
288 
415 
11 
12 
1.684 16 
1 
559 
3 
7 
1,200 
0 
0 
July 
7 
... 
575 
509 
0 
0 
2,061 
9 
0 
842 
12 
6 
1,200 
0 
0 
3,458 
5,050 
7 
12 
20,345 
11 
3 
8,812 
0 
5 
11,100 
0 
0 
This shows a net profit on the workings of £11,523 lOs. lOd. 
The elevation of this mine is about 2,200ft. above sea-level, and at certain times during the 
winter months work has to be suspended, as the water for winding and crushing gets frozen 
up. Hitherto, the winding has been done with a reversible water-wheel; but the company have 
purchased a portable steam-engine which is in course of transit to the mine, and will shortly be 
erected to take the place of the water-wheel. A good supply of water can be obtained from the Big 
River at a high elevation if required to work a large crushing-plant, and if other mines are opened 
out in this district the site of the present crushing-battery would-be well suited for the erection of 
a central plant. The present water-supply has only a head of 45ft., which would be useless for a 
large battery; besides, the present plant is erected at too low a level to crush and treat the quartz 
economically. There is a good tailings-site, and about 8,000 tons of tailings are stacked on the 
ground, which will pay well for the working, as the tests made show that these tailings contain 
about lOdwt. of gold to the ton. 
In concluding my remarks on the Big River district, this is likely to be a place where rich 
blocks of auriferous stone will be found, but the country being broken and greatly twisted about. 
