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reports concerning these reefs, and the liberal offer from the Government recently made to subsidize a pound for every pound raised, to prospect the district, I confidently anticipate the working of quartz reefs, as soon as the winter is over, and judging from the finds that have been made, with little risk and to great advantage. The gold fields revenue during the past year has amounted to £2,632 15s. 9d. Miners' wages average £3 a week ; labourers, £2, and at harvest time £3. Firewood is becoming more scarce, and consequently dearer, as that from Wakatipu has increased in price during the year past from £2 ss. to £2 15s. per cord ; but we are in hopes that the construction of railways will so far reduce the price of Newcastle and Greymouth coal, that the scarcity of firewood and its high price will not be felt. The prices of provisions are as follow: —Flour (per ton) £11, wheat (per bushel) 3s. 6d, to 45., barley 3s. 6d., oats 2s. 9d. to 35., potatoes (per ton) £7, hops , bread (41b. loaf) 7d, beef sd. to Bd. per lb., mutton 4d. to 6d., tea 35., 3s. 6d., and4s. per lb., sugar s|d. to Bd. per lb., rice 3d., currants 9d., raisins Is., fresh butter 25., potted butter Is. 9d. per lb., eggs (per dozen) 2s. The number of cases that have been heard in the Warden's Courts is twenty-nine, and mining disputes, without summonses, twenty-four. In the Resident Magistrate's Courts there have been forty criminal and eighty-nine civil cases. I beg to enclose herewith annexed a return showing the quantity of gold escorted from the district during the year. I have, &c., H. A. Steatpoed, Charles E. Haughton, Esq., Under Secretary for Gold Fields, Warden. Wellington.

No. 17. Mr. Warden Willis to the Undee Seceetaey for Gold Fields. Sie,— Warden's Office, Dunedin, 20th April, 1875. I have the honor to report on the district under my charge as Warden for the year ended 31st March, 1875, and to forward statistical returns for the same period. The number of miners in this district has very considerably diminished, all the Chinese having left for other parts of the province. There is a slight increase, however, in the number of Europeans, but nearly the whole of these have been permanent residents for years, varying their mining occupations with shearing and harvesting in the proper seasons, and always returning steadily to their homes and work. The revenue for the district, for the year, has amounted to £433 15s. The price of gold has been £3 15s. per oz. ; but lam unable to state the quantity obtained. The average earnings however, I should think, would be from about 30s. per week, to £3 or £4 per week in some cases. I regret to state that the Dunedin Quartz Mining Company, Saddle Hill, has collapsed. Not that there is any want of the precious metal, but owing to the unwillingness of the proprietary to find the necessary capital. On the 29th January last, this mine was visited by Mr. Ulrich, F.G.S., consulting mining geologist, &c, from Victoria, who was then engaged reporting on the gold fields of the province; and that gentleman was especially surprised to find that so little had been done to develop it. It appears that some 2,000 tons of quartz had been crushed, yielding an average of 5 dwts. of gold to the ton. A reference to the return which accompanied my report for the year ended 31st March, 1874, will show that 800 tons had been crushed during the period, yielding an average of 8 dwts. to the ton. Alluvial gold, in payable quantities, was found at Saddle Hill as far back as 1862. At Hindon—where, some years ago, there were quartz workings and some machinery erected, but also abandoned for want of capital—a reef, called the " Golden Fleece," has recently been prospected for some three miles of its length. Two shafts have been sunk, 100 feet and 60 feet respectively, with good prospects in each ; but I have not heard anything further of it for upwards of a month. I have just heard that a seam of lignite has been discovered in close proximity, which, if the prospectors are successful, will materially affect the economical working of the mine. At the' Peninsula, some seven or eight miles from Dunedin, between the harbour and the sea, there exists at Portobello what is called the "Peninsula Reef," opened about four years ago, and referred to in my report of the 13th May, 1873, as a company that had collapsed, from which trial crushings were made in Melbourne, and gold obtained in small quantities ; but the result not being considered sufficient to pay, the works were abandoned. Recently, Mr. Ulrich and Captain Hutton, the Provincial Geologist, visited the place and pronounced the rock to be of similar character to that found in Hungary and Transylvania, in which are found rich lodes of silver and gold ; and also stated that in Nevada, California, a similar formation occurs ; and Captain Hutton stated that he considered the formation identical with the trachyte greenstone of the Thames Gold Field. Mr. Ulrich further stated that, assuming the gold referred to above really came out of the trial crushings, he was surprised that sufficient capital had not been found to work the rock, which, in his opinion, supported by his Victorian experience, would pay handsomely. I have, &c, Alex. Willis, The Under Secretary for Public Works Office, Warden. (Gold Fields Branch), Wellington.