H.—3.

have been unable to obtain from mine owners and managers information asked for, which might be some guide to the economics of gold mining. In very few instances have the circulars issued for the purpose been taken any notice of. Fragmentary details are of course useless in arriving at definite conclusions. Gold. The quantity of gold exported during the year 1875, was 355,322 oz., of the value of £1,407,770; and during the quarter ending March, 1876, 83,276 oz., valued at £330,523. In the two preceding years the exports were as follows: —1873, 505,337 oz; 1874, 376,388 oz. The decrease in the yield of 1875 upon the yield of 1874 being 21,066 oz., as compared with the decrease of 1874 upon 1873, viz., 128,949 oz. A comparison of the yield of the different gold fields for the year 1873, 1874, and 1875, shows that the decrease has been greatest in the Otago Gold Fields, and least in the Marlborough and Nelson South-west Gold Fields, viz., — 1873. 1874. 1875. oz. oz. oz. Auckland Gold Fields .. 119,449 .. 76,910 .. 69,485 Marlborough,, .. 1,274 .. 1,198 .. 1,159 Nelson „ .. 100,164 .. 85,727 .. 92,637 Westland „ .. 102,034 .. 77,446 .. 70,618 Otago „ .. 182,416 .. 135,107 .. 121,423 It may be interesting to note that the total known export of gold from New Zealand from Ist April, 1857 to 31st March, 1876, has been 8,038,571 oz., of the value of £31,315,309. Tables 5, 6, and 7 of the Appendix, give the details of the statistics quoted above. Silver. The export of silver for the year 1875 was 29,085 oz., of the value of £7,560. There has been no export during the quarter ending March last. The comparative yearly export of silver since the first export in 1869 is as follows :— 1869. 1870. 1871. 1872. 1873. 1874. 1875. oz. oz. oz. oz. oz. oz. oz. 11,064 .. 37,123 .. 80,272 .. 37,064 .. 36,187 .. 40,566 .. 29,085 from which it appears that the yield during last year was the smallest since 1870. This may be accounted for by the comparative failure of the Auckland Gold Fields, since up to the present time the whole of the silver export has been from that province. The recent discoveries of galena in Westland and Nelson render it reasonable to hope that an export of silver from those parts of the colony may be recorded next year. The results of assays of galena ore found in Mount Rangitoto, in Westland, have been, according to official reports, of a very promising character. Mr. Warden FitzGerald (vide Appendix No. 7) says, inter alia, —" The important late discovery of a rich vein of galena ore on Mount Rangitoto may be next mentioned. The prospectors spent some months in prospecting the lode at the sacrifice of both time and money; happily their efforts have been crowned with a well-deserved success. They forwarded some of the ore to Melbourne to have it tested, and the result of the assay gives from 120 to 140 oz. of silver to the ton —an exceptionally large percentage of silver." Re the discovery of silver ore in the Collingwood District, vide Mr. Warden Guiness's report, Appendix No. 14. The total export of silver to the end of 1875 has been 271,361 oz. Revenue. The total revenue derived from the gold fields of the colony during the year 1875, as partiralarized in Tables 1 and 3 of the Appendix, was £88,516, and during the quarter ending March, 1876, according to Table 2 £20,164. Thus, notwithstanding the decrease in the yield of gold for the same period, there is an increase in the revenue of the gold fields for the year 1875 of £4,973 as compared with that of 1874, and of £99u for the quarter ending March, 1876, upon that collected during the same period last year. The iucrease has not of course been uniform upon all the sources of revenue; some show a decrease. The comparative statement given below, compiled from Table 3, shows that the Increase has been upon — Decrease lias been upon— Miners' rights. Business licenses. Gold mining leases, rents, &c. Registrations of water-races, sluices, &c. Fees, &c, Wardens' Courts. Registration fees. Survey fees. Gold duty. Depasturing licenses. Miscellaneous, including rents from agricultural leases.