April 1, 1896.]
brings the total number of tons crushed by the Company since starting operations to 30,258 for a total yield of 20,355 oz. 14 dwts. 12 grs. smelted gold, but of this one dividend of 6d. per share, amounting to £4,750, has been paid, and I have advised the directors to pay another of the same amount. In addition to
this, the railway has been built and the mine has been practically developed out of its own resources, During the year the different sections of the mine have continued to develop large and payable bodies of ore, adding greatly to our reserves of ore in sight. In addition to this there are deeper levels which ought soon to be in ore.
When I tell you that payable ore is known to exist over a distance of four miles on
the line of lode traversing this Company's property, and that not more than 300 yards by a depth of 150 feet have only been partly worked, some slight idea of the immense pos- sibility of the property can be formed. following is a detailed statement of the work the different mines during this
done on year :-
The
Raub Hole-In the main engine shaft very
little work has been done. The whole of my at- tention was devoted to the development of the
main ore shoot in the No. 2 shaft. This ore shoot dips to the south at a uniform rate of 1 in 5, and has all been worked out above the No. 2 or 120 ft. level. It is this shoot of ore that has pulled the Company through all its financial troubles and enabled as to develop the other mines on the lease. With the object of follow. ing this shoot of ore to a greater depth, the No. 2 shaft has been sunk 100 feet deeper, making the total depth 220 feet. At 216 feet a plat has been cut and a crescut driven 76 ft. to the west. At 26 ft. in a small formation was met about 3 inches thick which proved to be the lode formation. For the purpose of ventilating this level a winze has been started at the 116 level 48 ft. in the south drive
and sunk to a depth of 56 ft.; at this depth the water became too strong for hand power and the work had to be stopped. A level has been driven 110 feet south at 216 ft. and an
aprise put up 29 feet to meet the winze and, although only a few feet from breaking through. is almost dry. This work has proceeded slowly owing to the hardness of the ground and the inexperience of the coolies at this class of work. A level has also been started to go north on the course of the lode formation, and has been driven 25 ft. This drive is to prospect the ground towards the No. 1 shaft, where I have hopes of meeting another shoot of gold. At 30 feet down in the winze (between the 116 and the 216 feet levels) the main ore shoot was passed through; below this it is merely a small vein or forma- tion 3 to 4 inches wide and carries no gold. In the winze it carries gold to where it pinches. At this point the ore shoot is from 70 to 80 feet in depth, and appears to gradually widen as it goes down. The bottom of No. 3 level will not int reect it until it is in, south, about 250 feet. This level will enable us to work 600 to 700 feet of the shoot before it again goes under foot, which I estimate will yield about 7,000 tons of first class ore. The main south level at 120 feet has been driven 140 feet, and the Nos. and 2 shafts connected. The total distance between these two shafts is 404 feet. The only gold got in this level until the main ore shoot was met with was some small cross leaders about 100 feet south from the crosscut from
the No. 1 shaft. These we are now working; they carry very good gold and, although small, turn out a lot of gold; 22 feet have been driven
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
and carries no gold. Nothing permanent has yet been found in this section of the mine beyond the main ore shoot.
on
Bukit Koman. This section, I am pleased to say, has turned out very well during the year, and has supplied most of the ore for the mill At the date of my last annual report we had just commenced to stope at the No. 1 north shaft. Work has been steadily carried on in these stopes a lode from 12 to 22 feet wide, those to the north almost to the face of the main level and south to a distance of 200 feet from the main crosscut. South of the main crosscut the lode is not quite so wide 8 to 10 feet, but the ore is of much higher grade. The south main level is now in 201 feet from the crosscut in a big solid lode showing good gold. In the lead ing stope coming in behind this drive the lode is fully 15 feet wide, showing good gold right across the face, with about 110 feet of backs to work up to the bottom of the old native workings. Although such a large quantity of crushing stuff has been sent to the mill from these stopes, not one half of the available ore has yet been taken out, and this with every propect of these stopes being extended indefinitely both north and south. Three air shafts have been sunk; two south of the main crosscut. No. 1 was sunk to a depth of 125 feet when it broke through into the workings 20 feet south of the crosscut. No. 2 broke through at a depth of 124 feet to an intermediate drive driven to meet it. This intermediate drive is 35 feet above the back of the main gouth level. Good gold was got all the way from the bottom of the old native workings to be intermediate drive, giv. ing us 110 feet high of a payable ore at this point. As the old native workings extend in this direction right over hill a distance of over half a mile there is every prospect of there being many years' supply of crushing stuff from these stopes alone.
A second air shaft has been sunk north of the No. 2 to a depth of 70 feet; this has not yet broken through to the workings below. The main level north has not been ex- tended during the year, as it was not required, and also as this level is under a swamp and almost all the water of the mine is coming from it and the ground is very soft. I did not think it advisable to do any work until the N.E. mon- soon was over, when I propose continuing driving this end. The lode in the face of the level is about 14 feet wide, of good looking ore, but at present is of rather low grade.
283
quite as good and extensive a mine as Bukit Koman.
1130
Battery-The total quantity of ore crushed during the year was 12,241 tons, yielding 6.172 oz. 13 dwts. of smelted gold or an average yield of 10 dwts. 23 gra. per ton of ore crushed. The total quantity of ore crushed since the Company commenced operations is 30,258 tons yielding 20,355 oz. 14 dwts. 12 grs. The average cost of milling the ore has been $1.23 per ton, and this I hope still further to reduce during the ensuing year. During the first nine months of the year great difficulty was experienced in drawing ore to the mill by bul- lock carts. This was not only a slow and costly means of transport, but it was quite impossible to keep the mill fully employed. Since start- ing the railway no difficulty has been expe rienced in keeping the mill going full time. The illustrate the advantages of the latter over the former system, I may say that the cost per month by bullock carts was $696 and by rail $156. In addition, the mill has been able to put through fully 25 per cent. more stuff, giving & corresponding increased output of gold. As our milling power is increased, the difference will become still greater in favour of the railway, as we can haul five times the amount of stuff at only a trifling increase in the present cost. A great saving has also been effected in hauling firewood and timber to the different mines. The total cost of mining, hauling, and putting the ore into the ore hoppers on the surface at the mines, including European supervision, coolies' labour, engine driver, pumping water, etc., is $5.42 per ton, and the total cost of winning the gold from the ore is $6.65. This includes all charges for milling, mining, hauling, and supervision, but does not include management charges.
Railway-As recommended in my last report a light railway has been built for the purpose of hauling ore from the various mines to the mill. This has proved of great service, not only in hauling stuff to the mines, but also for hauling firewood, timber, and many other purposes. No satisfactory offer being got for doing the work by contract, it was decided to do it partly by day work and b, letting small contracts to natives. The estimated cost of the whole works. including the locomotive and thirty-five trucks, was $32,792, and the actual cost was $32,464, and $1,500 for ore hoppers. (This is the total cost to date, including upkeep of lines.) The work was commenced at the begin- Main Engine Shaft-This has been sunk ning of May, 1895, and the first section to Bukit Koman was opened for traffic on the 16th Octo- and timbered to a depth of 108 feet below the
ber, 1895, and the whole job was finished to No. 1 or 146 feet level. Opening sets are now
Bukit Malacca by the end of the year. This is being placed in position, when the plat will be
the terminus at present, but at some future time ent and driving for the lode commenced. I do
I propose carry it on to Sungei Argos, about not expect to have to go more than 30 or 401 mile further. The total length of the present feet to cent the lode. This will more than double line, including sidings, is 3 miles and 2 chains. our already large available ore resources. There
The whole work, with the exception of the trace, has been no work done on the leader formation
was carried out under the supervision of the in the engine shaft, as there was plenty of
Since starting crushing stuff to he got from the stopes with ordinary staff at the mines.
work not the slightest trouble or delay has been out it. I am pleased to say that the develop ments in this mine have exceeded my most sanguine expectations.
Western Lode.Work in this section bas been confined to stoping over the back of the No. 2 or 160 feet level. The lode varies from 1 to 8 ft. wide, but is very irregular. The pay- able ore in these stopes has proved far more ex. tensive than I anticipated, and continues to show good gold. I here is still a large extent of ground available for stoping. The ground is good and inexpensive to work, but has given us a good deal of trouble owing to its settling dur- ing the late heavy rains. It is my intention to sink the main engine shaft 100 feet deeper at the earliest opportunity, as I have every reason to think this will make a good mine.
east. and 36 feet west on them. On the one going east a hard bar of slate has come in and cat it off. The one going west still carries good gold. This drive is making a lot of water, so I do not think it advisable to extend it further at present. A winze has been sunk 23 Bukit Malacca.This is a new mine situated feet on the east leader and fair gold to that 34 miles north of the mill, and is the present depth, although not quite so good as in the terminus of our railway. This is on the line level. I am now stoping over the back of of the main lode, the same as Bukit Koman is. both of these drives. There are a number of Work has only been started here since the these small cross leaders to work here and, al-completion of the railway. An engine shaft 11ft. though small, they turn out a lot of gold. | South from the crossent at the No. 2 shaft the main level has been extended 140 feet. Here the main ore shoot dips under foot, so it was useless extending this level further as the lode pinches to a narrow formation of only a few inches wide bore the main ore shoot
i
to
experienced, although the work has been sub- jected to the most severe trials, owing to the heavy rains and floods during the N.E. monsoon.
Increase of Crushing Power-The time has now arrived when I can, with confidence, advise a considerable increase in our milling power. I have, therefore, advised the directors to in- crease the battery by the erection of an additional E0 head of stamps, making the total 100 head. This will require an output of from 6,000 to 7,000 tons of ore per month. There will be no dif- ficulty in raising this quantity of ore per month, provided the development work of the mine is kept well ahead.
Electric Installation.-There is practically unlimited water power within a few miles of the mine, which is now running to waste, but is so situated that the water cannot be brought in to the mines unless at an enormous cost, if at all. I therefore propose to generate the power at a power station on Simpam river, about seven miles from Raub, and transmit the power from there to the mines by a cable and apply it to the by 4 ft. clear of timber has been started and is different purposes required. A first class site now sunk and timbered to a depth of 65 feet. has been found where ample power is available. A steam pump and a 10 feet locomotive boiler Application has been made to the Government have been placed at the shaft for taking out she for the water and other rights to enable us to water. It is my intention to carry this shaft make the works. I propose in the first place to to a depth of 150 feet before opening out. Ip it in an installation of 300 h.p. The surveys have every reason to believe that this will be £) enable me to get data upon which to male
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