Hepbupn [Estate 
119 
grounds. The mine was equipped to cope with a heavy body of water, 
and operations proceeded smoothly up to April, 1884, hut then at a depth 
of 212 ft. a flow of water was struck which proved to he more than the 
capacity of the pumps (one 16 in. lift being out of working order), and 
in a few hours the water rose 60 ft. in the shaft. Work at the mine 
ceased until June, 1886, when the two 16 in. draw-lifts were set to 
work on seven 7-ft. strokes to the minute. At this date the water level was 
58 ft. from the surface, but was speedily lowered to 125 ft., where the 
bulk of the water was met with. The pumps were then increased to 
seven and a half strokes per minute, and by the 15th September, the water 
was out of the shaft, and sinking was resumed. A few days later heavy 
water was again struck, and an additional lift of 15 in. diameter had to 
be installed. The three pumps were worked on five 6-ft. strokes to the 
minute, and a quantity of from 40,000 to 60,000 gallons of water per 
hour was raised. At 220 ft. from the surface hard rock was passed 
through, followed by 3 ft. of honeycombed and 3 ft. of basaltic scoria 
before reaching the second basalt rock. At 272 ft. the second rock was 
passed through, and below this 2 ft. of pure black clay, followed by a 
few feet of sandy clay of a grey colour. From 277 ft. to 313 ft. a yellow 
clay was passed through, below which there was 7 ft. of gravelly wash 
with heavy waterworn quartz boulders, in which gold was found, though 
Fig. 41.—Plan of Smeaton Reserve Mine. 
(Scale—32 chains to 1 inch.) 
not payable. At 320 ft. the shaft was bottomed, but sinking was con¬ 
tinued to 430 ft. At 420 ft. a level was driven and a prospecting reef 
drive was put in to the north-east for 290 ft., also a main north drive to 
