Mr. Lush reported that the pannings from the river bed gave very high values, and four shafts sunk to a depth of 8 feet averaged 6 lbs. of tin to the cubic yard. One shaft, which bottomed at 5 feet, went 30 lbs. of tin to the cubic yard. An open-cut on the river bank exposed 17 feet of gravel, which went 6 lbs. to the cubic yard. The overburden thrown out at the shafts sunk by the Lireuis, where tried, gave an average of 5 lbs. of tin to the cubic yard. At the southern end of this property Mr. Lush says the river comes down from a hill with a fall of some 350 feet through a rocky gorge. By working a dam at the top of the rapids sufficient water could be conserved to run a plant by electrical transmission. This country is mostly granite sand, no stiff clay or pug. Mr. Lush states that nearly the whole of the 632 acres are an alluvial deposit, and in his estimates, in order to be well within the mark, he estimates that the payable dirt extends over 300 acres and averages 6 feet in depth. The manager reported on August 29 that he had 300 men employed, and for the four weeks ending August 27 he had recovered 31½ tons of tin, and had cut 735 feet of water leads.
Rafinsiroma adjoins Dubbo to the south, and the manager, reporting on August 29, said he had just started work on this property. On September 4 the manager reported that he had already shipped 505 lbs., and a cablegram received October 9 states that a further shipment is being made.
Work has been started on Polchi, and on October 9 a cablegram was received stating that the first shipment had been made.
On the Bilidi River property Mr. Lush reported that he made several tests from wash exposed on the river bank below the Kofai crossing, and obtained payable tin results in all. He then followed up the river for about three miles, and in one part he says he got gold as well as tin in the concentrates. In five pannings he reports there were from six to ten colours of gold in every dish, which in his opinion was highly satisfactory. Two miles below the Kofai crossing he found some very promising flats, where he also got eight colours of gold in one dish. At the time of his visit he says there was sufficient water running in the Bauchi River for centrifugal pump work.
As regards Kurdum and Dila Rivers, at the lower end of the ground, near the village of Bundas, Mr. Lush says he obtained very good prospects of tin in gravel from the river bed. At Dawka, some eight miles upstream, the wash taken out of the river went 80 lbs. to the cubic yard. Several pits were sunk on the banks, but owing to soakage water only one bottomed, the depth of which was 8 feet, and gave the following result:
Overburden 7 feet went 3 lbs. of tin to the cubic yard.
Bottom wash 1 foot went 60 lbs. of tin to the cubic yard.
The river between Dawka and Bundas falls 400 feet, and at the latter town it is 30 feet by 2 feet deep, flowing at the rate of 60 feet per minute. Even in the middle of the dry season Mr. Lush says a race cut from a point about a mile upstream would give sufficient head to generate 500 h.p. by electricity.
Mr. L. H. L. Huddart, in his report on the Kurdum River concession, says he feels justified in making a preliminary estimate in order to give an idea of what the property may be proved to contain, and he bases it on the following reasons:—