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certificate. Thus, Hunter, who bought the dynamite and kept it from the Saturday until the Monday, had 
no police certificate to cover such keeping, as by the Order in Council No. 12, of 20th April, 1883, he should 
have had; and indeed the chief officer of police of the Burgh admitted to me that no certificates had been 
granted to any miners within his jurisdiction under that Order. 
I failed also to discover that any proper certificate had been granted to Mr. Robert Hamilton for 
keeping dynamite in his registered premises in Dunfermline as required by Order in Council No. 7 (a) 
of 20th April, 1883. In fact, the local authorities (viz., the magistrates and town council of the Burgh 
of Dunfermline) have allowed these Orders to be practically a dead letter. 
I have the honour to be, Sir, 
Your obedient servant, 
Y. D. MAJENDIE, Colonel, 
The Bight Hon. the Secretary of State, II.M. Chief Inspector of Explosives. 
Home Department. 
APPENDIX K. 
LIST OF PATENTS FOR IMPROVED MINING APPLIANCES GRANTED IN VICTORIA 
DURING THE YEAR 1884. 
Calciner for Pyrites and other Ores .—On the 14th January, to Mr. II. Costin, of Ballarat, for 
improvements in roasting and more effectually treating pyrites and other ores, especially those requiring to 
be oxidized as a preliminary operation, to be known as “ Costin’s patent calciner for pyrites and other ores.” 
Pulverizing Apparatus .—On the 30tli January, to Mr. Jas. Nicholas, of Illogan in Cornwall, mine 
agent, for a novel construction of pulverizing apparatus for treating material which has been previously 
reduced to a small size. It relates to that class of machines in which a crushing cylinder revolves inside a 
stationary one, and its peculiarities are:—1st. That the crushing cylinder consists of a series of inclined 
planes ; 2nd. That the stationary cyliuder is supplied with an easily removable false bottom ; and 3rd. 
That the crushing cylinder is supported on sliding bearings, to which levers and weights or springs are 
attached, so as to determine the pressure of the crushing cylinder on the stationary one, and so regulate its 
crushing power and the weight the engine would have to revolve. 
Improved Amalgamator .—On the 30th January, to Mr. E. Bazin, of Paris, civil engineer, for a series 
of improvements upon a previous invention patented by him for amalgamation under water. Mr. Bazin now 
adds a preparatory mixer to his former amalgamator, and supplies the mixed material through a hopper and 
pipe directly on to the mercury in his revolving submerged amalgamating basin. By reason of the revolu¬ 
tion of said basin the mercury forms a lining or wall, into or on to which the material is driven, the lighter 
material rises upwards spirally, and passes over the edge of the amalgamating basin, into the surrounding 
tank, and is carried away as waste. An electric current is conducted to the mercury under water wheu the 
machine is at work. 
Safety Cage .—On the 12th February, to Mr. Oliver Harris, of Eaglehawk, for a mining safety cage. 
Pulverizing Machines .—On the 12th March, to Mr. T. K. Jordan, of London, for improvements in 
pulverizing machines in which two sets of beaters revolve on independent shafts in opposite directions iuside 
a shallow drum, and are so set as to hurl the material from one set of arms to the other, and thus pulverize 
it. There is another marked peculiarity in this invention, and that is, the supply of currents of air, by which 
the pulverized material is discharged at a certain rate and at a certain degree of fineness. This rate of dis¬ 
charge is also partly regulated by telescopic discharge pipes, perforated or plain, the height of which regulates 
the discharge. 
Amalgamators .—On 7th April, to Mr. T. K. Jordan, of London, for certain improvements in 
amalgamators. 
Apparatus for Saving Gold and Pyrites .—Qn the 21st April, to II. W. Horsley, of Nolan-street, 
Sandhurst, for certain improvements in apparatus for saving gold and pyrites from crushed or other finely 
divided material. 
Gold Extractor .—On the 10th June, to Mr. Edward Spencer, of No. 116 Canning-street, North 
Carlton, builder, for an invention for the extraction of gold from auriferous material and for saving any 
quicksilver which, in the case of tailings, may have become mixed with it. The residual product is a 
valuable pigment. In treating auriferous material containing sulphur and arsenic the inventor repeatedly 
washes it in a solution of Roche lime and washing soda so as to set the gold free. He does this in a series 
of closed wooden boxes, each containing an iron basin, into the first of which the material is fed and then 
agitated. It then overflows into and down a pipe in the centre of the bottom of such basin, falling on to a 
steeply inclined iron plate, to the bottom of which is attached a reciprocating curved rake. Above the rake 
is an elevator to carry so much of the material as docs not deposit itself in said box into a second box of 
similar construction, and finally into a basin very similar to the other but lined with copper and charged 
with quicksilver for the amalgamation. The residuum in each box is finally treated by reciprocating rakes 
in a separate vessel, the light stulf at the top being removed for use as a pigment, while that at the bottom 
is re-treated in one of the aforesaid boxes. 
Safety Cage .—On the 2nd July, to Mr. Edwin Clark, of Herbert-street, South Melbourne, engineer, 
for an invention of a safety cage, in which the gripper and the guide for the skid form one device, and 
the gripping part grips both sides of the skid at once by a peculiar mechanical arrangement, set in 
motion when required. Part of this invention also consists in a novel construction of a disengaging 
hook, made in two halves, and with projecting tails, which latter open the hook when coming in contact 
with any sufficient obstruction, such as the poppet-heads. The improvements consist of a safety 
appliance for suspending the cage in case of the rope breaking, and a disconnecting book to prevent 
overwinding. According to the inventor's designs, cages are made double, that is, the proper cage 
supported inside of another cage or frame to which the gripper and guide devices are pivoted. The 
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