THE type of boring machine now used at the State mine was designed and patented by the author in 1905 and was at that time intended for boring the deep alluvial leads. The name Victoria drill was then given to it. Prior to this date such boring had been done with heavy steam drills using steel calyx bits or diamonds set in mild-steel crowns, but the calyx method was slow and the ever-increasing cost of diamonds precluded their use through such a rock as hard basalt, especially when holes up to 5 in. and 6 in. diam. were required. For some years the Victoria drills were satisfactorily employed by the Mines Department on deep-lead boring, but, as the requirement for this class of work lessened with the shutting down of several of the large alluvial mines, the drills were sent to South Gippsland to bore for coal in localities where it was anticipated seams might be found at less than 300 ft. from the surface. It was found that the rate of progress in the Jurassic strata was fairly rapid and the depths of bores were increased as the seams were found at lower levels until these drills (built for 250-ft. ground and with only a 6 h.p. oil engine to drive them) were boring to 900 ft. Subsequently the Mines Department drills being required for further deep-lead boring, owing to a mining revival at Ararat, the State mine had two of these machines built and equipped with 10 h.p. engines and guaranteed to bore to 1000 ft., but it is anticipated they will bore to 1500 ft. if required. The following are the principal mechanical features. Either rotative motion with calyx or chilled-shot bits (or chopping motion with chisel or star bits) or a combination of both may be used, and rods for chopping gear can be used to 350 ft. or a cable rig can be adopted to 1000 ft. In addition to these motions a slow reciprocating motion may be imparted to the rods when using a calyx bit. This is used when the boring is through a tenaceous green mudstone, met with in the Jurassic strata, and has been found to be very successful.