H.—3

16

The following number of rights, licenses, registrations, &c, have been issued during the year:— Number. Miners' Rights, at £1 ... ...- ... ... ... ... 302 Business Licenses, at £5 ... ... ... ... ... ... 18 Business Licenses, at £3 ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 Business Licenses, at £2 ... ... ... ... ... ... 18 Registrations, at ss. ... ... ... ... ... ... 106 Registrations, at 2s. 6d. ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 Registrations, at Is. ... ... ... ... ... ... 236 Extended Claims ... ... ... ... ... ... 26 Water Race Licenses ... ... ... ... ... .. 2 I have, &c, G. G. FitzGeeald, Charles E. Haughton, Esq., Under Secretary for Warden. Gold Fields, Wellington.

No. 10. Mr. Warden Peice to the Peoyincial Seceetaey, Hokitika. Sie, — Warden's Office, Okarito, 11th January, 1875. In compliance with your instructions I have the honor to submit the following observations on the state of the Okarito district. The population consists of 543 souls, and it is an interesting fact to observe that, taking the population returns year by year, since December, 1866, from the records in the office, as below shown, how little the fluctuation has been :— Date. Population. 31st December, 1866 ... ... ... ... ... ... 655 1867 ... ... ... ... ... ... 400 1868 ... ... ... ... 322 1869 ... ... ... ... ... ... 461 IS7O ... ... ... ... ... ... 541 1871 ... ... ... ... ... ... 560 1872 ... ... ... ... ... ... 571 1873 ... ... ... ... ... ... 492 1874 ... ... ... _ ... ... ... 543 During the past year nothing whatever has occurred in mining operations which calls for any particular comment, the diggings having been confined to the same sea beaches as they were in 1866. I regret to say that the hope I entertained of inland workings being developed has not been realized, arising from the same difficulty which has always existed in conveying provisions through almost inaccessible country, nothing having been done in the way of forming tracks to induce men to remain and face hardships at times amounting almost to starvation. It, however, establishes the fact of the inexhaustible nature of the sea beaches in this district, many of which would give a greater yield of gold were the supply of water more abundant. For instance, Gillespie's Beach, having an extended water-race with a good supply of water, supports a small population very comfortably indeed. The Saltwater Beach, on the other hand, which used to give profitable employment to some forty miners when the large extended head-race was in order, the moment it broke down has reduced the number to about eight. At the Haast a party of four men have been employed for a whole year in bringing an extended head-race from the Maori River into the North Beach, five miles in length, at a cost of £600, capable of supplying upwards of seventy heads of water. One of the party, who was with me «:i JN'cw Tear's Day to obtain the grant for it, mentioned that for the few days they had been washing on tho beach the yield had been an ounce per day per man; and knowing myself the auriferous nature of the beach in question, I believe, with the supply of water named, it can support sixty or seventy miners. The gold fields revenue for the year, including publicans' licenses, and deducting refund made or overpayments, is £793 165., as against £749 7s. for the year 1873. The port having been closed I cannot ascertain tho amount of gold sent away, or the gold duty ; but there is no doubt in my own mind that the yield of gold has been considerably less this year than in 1873, and it cannot be otherwise, because all the miners who were making only small wages, when the Government road was commenced, left their claims to work on it. This, therefore, may be looked on as a temporary decline only. I believe the road now being constructed to Lake Mahouriki and from the forks of the Okarito River to Bowen, running about ten miles inland, will lead the miners to prospect country which holds out every indication of proving auriferous, and although I do not anticipate that anything new will bo struck, sufficiently rich to attract a population from outside, yet I think it will be the means of retaining those who are here. Throwing open Special Block No. 111. will also, I believe, have a beneficial influence in gradually making permanent settlers of those who have been in the district for many years. Nothing, since I have been here, appears to have given such general satisfaction as the terms on which land can be taken up under this system; and in my humble opinion it is to be regretted that the advantage is limited to the area within the block, as I am sure, if it was extended over all the land in this district, it would induce many more people to become attached to the soil; and what possible objection there can be to this, I am at a loss to comprehend. I am pleased to find Government propose forming a settlement in the southern portion of this district, at Jackson's Bay, because, on my first visit to this put of the province in 1867, during the