H.—l

18

In August. —The Queen of Beauty obtained, for a fortnight's crushing, 197 oz. This yield is the first obtained since work has been resumed after starting the AVaiokaraka pumps. The Welcome's (Waitekauri) first crushing of 58 tons gave 151 oz. The Waitekauri mine began to get specimens. The Queen of May strikes rich gold. Mining prospects improving in consequence of several mines having struck good gold, together with tho erection of machinery at Ohinemuri and Tairua in the face of almost insurmountable difficulties, arising chiefly from bad roads. In September. —The fine battery of the Waitekauri Company of 40 head started. This being driven by water, and carriage being trifling, the trucks running on a tramway from the mine to the battery, enables the company to make a very small yield of gold pay : from 4 dwts. to 5 dwts. covers all charges. Old Whau tribute, from 34i tons crushed, got 283 oz., giving a dividend of £157 per man. Queen of the May, from a fortnight's crushing, got 405 oz. Nineteen claims taken up at AVaitekauri, in consequence of the starting of the battery, and general good show of gold. In the Piako mine specimens found at a depth of 450 feet below high water-mark : thus controverting the theory, so cherished by certain savans, that the gold of the Thames was only superficial. Two tribute parties of the Alburnia got severally from 6 tons 60 oz. gold, and from 6 cwt. stone 98 oz. A 7ery bad weather still prevailing. In October.—The event of the month was the arrival of the first escort of gold from Waitekauri District —that from the Waitekauri mine being 924 oz.; from Young New Zealand, 106 oz.; from the Welcome, 324 oz.: total, 1,354 oz. The Kuranui Hill tributes, for 7| tons quartz, got 93 oz. gold. The West Coast tribute, from 270 lbs. stone, got 125 oz. gold. Little Lizzie: 50 lbs. quartz gave 42 oz. Alburnia Tribute : 57 tons gave 425 oz. gold. AVeather good ; roads getting passable. In November and December. —Queen of the May paying dividends, having banked 705 oz. during the month. Alburnia tributes also, from 206 tons, obtained 1,293 oz. gold. The Kuranui tributes, from 370 tons quartz, got 783 oz. Queen of Beauty : The month's crushing, 516 oz. Red Queen, from 84 tons, got 349 oz. West Coast tribute, from 15 tons, got 125 ounces. A much improved feeling exists, owing to miners generally being better employed, combined with the satisfactory returns from the tributers. The excellent working of the tribute system will appear from the following details of the Kuranui Hill United Company : —

It will be observed that from the same mine the yield of gold is very variable, and the value of the gold differs greatly —from 50s. to 555. per oz. In the Alburnia Tribute, Barclay obtained, from 141 tons, 510 oz.; Queen of Beauty, for fourteen days' crushing, got 666 oz. In January and February, 1877.—1n the Waiokaraka District improvement is specially apparent. The Piako pumps have, by judicious outlay, become fully equal to their work, keeping all these important mines fully drained. The AVaitekauri mine, for 500 tons, gave 610 oz. Alburnia tributes doing well, 174 tons giving 817 oz. The Kuranui tributes, for 226 tons, gave 753 oz. Moanataiari, for 850 tons, got 586 oz. In March. —Moanataiari, for 480 tons, got 709 oz., since which crushing a striking improvement in the yield from this mine has occurred. From 20 tons crushed the splendid yield of 400 oz. was obtained. This was followed by a large yield of rich specimens; these being crushed with the general stuff gave for 390 tons quartz the fine yield of 4,913 oz. gold, a product unexampled since the palmy Caledonian days, being an average of 12 oz. 12 dwt. on 390 tons quartz. The third week's crushing yielded 6,235 oz.: total for eighteen days' work, 11,148 oz. gold, value £29,000. The bulk of this gold was obtained from an area 10 feet xlO feet x 3 feet = 300 cubic feet. The week ending 31st March has been still more productive, amounting to the extraordinary output of 10,298 oz. gold for six days' crushing. The Alburnia has also obtained a remarkably remunerative yield, amounting to 1,177 oz. gold from 75 tons stone.

No. of Tribute. Quartz Crushed. Yield of Gold. Price per Oz. Rate of Tribute. Value. Amount paid to Company. o. 1 Tribute Lbs. 120 Tons. Oz. dwts. grs. 89 16 0 £ s. 2 10 d. 8 Per cent. 37 £ s. d. 227 10 0 £ s. d. 84 3 6 2 „ 3 „ 4 „ 5 „ 6 „ 7 „ 8 „ 9 „ 10 „ 11 » 12 „ 13 „ 14 „ 15 „ 16 „ 17 „ 45 85 13 14 4 50 70 45 30 65 24 3 5 9 7 22 50 0 0 124 0 0 42 6 0 5 8 0 3 9 0 29 12 0 187 1 0 38 1 0 22 3 0 142 1 0 15 13 0 9 18 0 1 7' 0 90 5 0 4 10 49 19 12 2 12 2 11 2 10 2 12 2 12 2 13 2 12 2 11 2 10 2 12 2 13 2 13 ' 2 12 2 14 2 15 2 13 2 1 6 6 6 0 5 9 0 8 0 0 6 2 0 a 27i 25 30 m 20 30 15 30 m 27i 25 20 20 25 12| 30 130 8 4 316 14 6 106 8 7 14 3 6 9 11 78 8 9 490 14 7 98 9 0 55 7 6 374 1 1 41 10 9 26 4 9 3 10 10 244 8 6 11 2 9 132 9 0 35 15 0 79 3 9 31 18 7 1 15 5 1 16 2 23 10 6 73 10 7 29 10 G 6 18 5 102 7 4 10 7 8 5 4 9 0 14 2 61 2 1 1 7 10 39 14 8 491tons. 905 0 12 2,360 13 6 589 0 11