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to the Totara Eiver, and up the Buller Eiver to the Blackwater. The Charleston Court is held fortnightly, and involves a ride of 36 miles, there and back, twice a month. At this Court attend the miners up to the Totara Eiver, north of Charleston, the Brighton miners, and those working to the south of Brighton, and between that place and Eazorback. Present State of Gold Melds.— -The discovery last year of the reefs at Mokihinui led eventually to the construction of a rough foot-track from the Lyell to that place; and there is every reason to suppose that there is a continuous line of reef running from the Inangahua, Capleston, and Larry's Creek, through the Lyell to the Mokihinui. At both these latter places, however, although rich payable leaders have been struck, the lower levels have not been developed, in consequence of want of capital. Speaking particularly of the Lyell reefs, I suggested three years ago the various companies interested combining, and putting in a low-level tunnel for a distance of 2,000 feet to try for the main reef. By co-operation of this description the individual expense would not be heavy, and the permanent development of the district secured. As it is, much disappointment has ensued, the leaders running out, and many men have abandoned the uncertainty of gold mining at the Lyell for more certain employment on public works. At the same time, although quartz mining in this district, owing to these causes, is rather at a low ebb at present, sufficient has been done with the limited means at command to establish the fact of the existence of most valuable auriferous quartz reefs, and which eventually will rival in richness any previous discoveries in the colony. With reference to alluvial mining, which is going on through the length and breadth of the district in various ways, noticeably ground sluicing, tunnelling, and beach-combing, here the yield of gold during the year has fallen off considerably ; not on account of want of auriferous ground, but principally from the want of water and labour. A great number of miners have left for other places, whilst others have taken employment on the public works going on in the vicinity of Westport. The gigantic tunnels put in at the Caledonian, German Jack's, Giles' Terraces, and Addison's Flat are monuments of the industry and perseverance of the miners ; and the only way to get the present population of miners to stop, and to induce others to come, is to interpret the regulations in the most liberal manner, and to make them as elastic as possible. Roads.- —-Perhaps the most noticeable matter in the district during the year is the opening the road up the Buller Eiver to Nelson. When two or three rivers are bridged, a coach can be driven up with ease, and it is a great comfort to be able to reach the Lyell now in about seven hours, when formerly, with great peril, it took two or three days to accomplish the journey. The road from Westport to Charleston, via Addison's, is also of great public convenience, and all that is required is active supervision over the maintenance of this and other roads. Easy means of communication are necessary to the successful development of a new country, and it is gratifying to notice the network of roads now in existence in the province, which did not exist nine years since, when I was transferred from Otago as Warden to Brighton. The Local Eevenue Board at Lyell, and Municipality at Westport, have both done good work with their limited means iv pushing on and supervising work in the various localities. Agriculture. —lt is also gratifying to notice that large quantities of land are being applied for under " The Agricultural Lease Begulations Gold Fields Act, 1866," and " Nelson Waste Lands Act." The Provincial Government having recently thrown open the Hampden Eeserve, Upper Buller, a largo number of applications to lease have been lodged at the Lyell office. Conclusion. —lt appears to me that the district generally has all the elements of prosperity and success, possessing as it does gold both in quartz and alluvial, excellent coal in unlimited quantity, a good river harbour, connected by good roads with the gold-mining centres, and, by a railway in course of construction, to the coal, abundance of timber easily procurable. These, combined with a liberal administrative policy, ought to lay the foundation of a permanent and prosperous settlement. I have the honor to append the statistics of the district for the year ending March 31st, 1876. I have, &c, Chables Beoad, The Secretary for Gold Fields, Wellington. Warden.

STATISTICS of Resident Magistrate's and Warden's Offices, Districts of Buller, Charleston, and Lyell, for the year ending March 31st, 1876.

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Particulars. Buller. ■Charleston. Lyell. Total. diners' Eights issued ... Justness Licenses issued lummonses, "Warden's Court Implications Eegistered Eights ... Ditto, Gold Mining Leases Ditto, Agricultural Leases tesident Magistrate's Court— Number of Criminal Cases ... ,, Civil Cases • - * 216 25 5 166 6 13 166 332 293 6 11 495 14 13 233 16 11 153 3 10 742 47 27 814 23 36 22 56 43 195 231 583 3—H. 3.