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but, unfortunately, little can be gathered from them as to the precise way in which the ore-bodies occurred. Reports by the officials of the Mines Department make it clear, however, that throughout the entire workings the stone occurred in disconnected blocks, most of which were of considerable size. The richest ore-body was one known as the North Block, which is said to have been up to 29 ft. in width. Another is described as having been 350 ft. long and 8 ft. wide. This first ten years of the company’s operations were very successful, gold to the value of £180,464 being won, out of which the sum of £87,083 was paid in dividends, equal to £4 2s. 2d. per share.
No. 2 level seems to have produced a large tonnage of high-grade quartz, but from it down each succeeding level showed a falling-away both in quantity and value. In No. 3 level a block of stone of great size was picked up, from which a first crushing of 300 tons yielded at the rate of 14 dwt. gold per ton; but when stoping was started on it the values fell rapidly below what was payable. A little later, however, the North block was intersected on the level and the position was improved again.
In 1888 a beginning was made with the sinking of a “monkey” shaft from No. 3 level at a point 522 ft. in from the main shaft. This was subsequently carried down to a depth of about 500 ft., four further levels being opened from it at 120 ft., 245 ft., 370 ft., and 480 ft. respectively. Development on No. 4 level was even less satisfactory than on No. 3. The North block was not found on it, and only one other block was met with, which was too poor to pay for working. On No. 5 level the block of stone met on No. 4 was picked up, as was also another block lying to the westward. Both blocks were of considerable size, but their values were as low as that of the stone on the upper level. In driving out in a northerly direction a third block was met, which had payable content but was small. A winze was sunk on this last block, but at 35 ft. down the stone cut out. No. 6 level was more satisfactory. Here a block was met with, about 60 ft. in length and 30 ft. wide, containing payable gold values. This block was stoped out up to No. 5, and found to yield on an average between 11 dwt. and 12 dwt. gold per ton. On No. 7 level developments were disappointing. A large block of stone was met, but it was only found to be worth about 4 dwt. gold per ton, and very little work was done on it. In 1898, discouraged by the results obtained from these workings, the company practically discontinued work from the “monkey” shaft, and turned its attention to further prospecting in the upper levels on the eastern shoot and to investigating the country to the west of the main shaft. In both these directions very gratifying measures of success rewarded its efforts. On No. 1 level on the eastern shoot a new block carrying good values was found, which was upward of 40 ft. in length and 13 ft. in width, and on the western shoot payable stone was quickly located on Nos. 1, 2, and 3 levels. After this nearly all the operations in the mine were confined to the western shoot. The main shaft was sunk a further 887 ft., making a total depth of 1,360 ft. below the brace, and new levels were opened out as follows: No. 4 at 624 ft., No. 5 at 773 ft., No. 6 at 923 ft., No. 7 at 1,024 ft., No. 8 at 1,145 ft., and No. 9 at 1,345 ft. respectively.
Very little stone was broken out from No. 1 level, the reef being left in situ to prevent an undue influx of water to the mine, but Nos. 2 and 3 yielded a good deal of ore, two shoots being located on each, 185 ft. and 50 ft. in length respectively on the former level and 220 ft. and 40 ft. on the latter. The stone on No. 2 level averaged about 9 ft. in width, and that on No. 3
