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A number of claims besides those mentioned have been taken up, and fresh discoveries are almost certain to be made ; but, on the whole, the show of gold in those reefs already prospected is amply sufficient to warrant further expenditure in erecting batteries and making roads to convey the quartz to the mills. Gold is seen chiefly in a peculiar kind of black streaks in the quartz, and is of a very fine character, although in some specimens, especially those from the New Find, the gold is in small dabs through the stones. A pack-track, leading to the claims near the New Find Claim, was made as soon as possible after gold had been found in sufficient quantities to warrant further prospecting of the district. Machinesites have been marked out along the Waiorongomai Creek, water-rights acquired, and crushingplants have been purchased to be erected. A wide road is now being made near the creek for the purpose of conveying machinery to the vicinity of the claims, and for bringing quartz to the batteries, and there is very little doubt that, after these are completed, there will be a considerable yield of gold from this part of the district. General Eemaeks. The immediate prosperity of the whole of the fields will in a great measure depend on the development of the reefs in the new districts. The older mines, which have yielded rich returns in the past, are now worked down to a depth that necessitates the expenditure of a large amount of capital to further open up low levels. Work is therefore confined to limited areas, and prospecting operations cau only be conducted slowly on account of engineering difficulties. At the Thames the Deep Level Tribute Company will require to expend much time and labour before their ground can be opened in a manner suitable to enable them to prove their reefs at the 500--feet level; and in the Queen of Beauty Mine the shaft (after expending eighteen months' labour) will shortly be sunk to a sufficient depth to admit of another block on the reef being worked to a depth of 60 feet. At Coromandel the sinking of the Kapanga shaft has been a work that has taken several years to complete, in order to enable the company to prove the reefs at a greater depth, and some time must yet necessarily elapse before the mine can be opened up so as to become a steady gold-producer. The time required to again open the Union Beach Mine will also be considerable before much work cau be done on the reefs. In the event of each one of the companies mentioned being successful in finding payable gold at deep levels, the time necessary to open up the mines under existing difficulties will have the effect of tending to retard the returns, as the energies of the companies are chiefly expended in performing dead work. Therefore it will be apparent, on account of the slow progress of opening up new and deep levels, that the yield of gold cannot be continuously maintained from those mines, the upper levels of which are becoming exhausted. The new districts which have been opened have got large bodies of quartz near the surface, and water-power is, in most cases, available for driving crushing machines; there is, therefore, every prospect that a steady yield of gold will be kept up when all the batteries at present in course of erection are completed and the mines in working order. There are several places where gold has been found along the peninsula at a distance from those parts of the fields at present occupied, and which, during the first rush, were thought to be inaccessible, and where mining operations were never conducted to any exteut, and there is very little doubt that, if roads and tracks were formed through and along the gold field and the country north and south of Te Aroha Mountain, an auriferous area of great extent would be opened up for prospectors, and deposits of gold found, which would be the means of advantageously employing capital and labour, and materially adding to the wealth of the country. During the year (in all the mining districts) only one accident took place; this, however, was a serious one, and occurred in the Queen of Beauty Mine, at the Thames, when a man named Eobert Wingate lost his life. He was temporarily in charge of the mine, and accompanied the pitman when he went down to regulate the pump on its being started after a short stoppage. Contrary to the wish of the pitman, he insisted on stationing himself at No. 1 plunger while the man proceeded to the one below. It is supposed he must have slipped while turning a tap (as the spanner used for that purpose was afterwards picked up on a set of timber where it had lodged lower than where he was stationed) and fallen down the shaft, as his body was found at a chamber about 150 feet below where the pitman left him. No blame could be attached to any one, the staging being the same as that ordinarily used in pumping-shafts. I have, &?., James M. McLaeen, The Under-Secretary for Gold Fields, Wellington. Mining Inspector.

MAELBOEOUGII GOLD FIELDS. No. 5. Mr. Waeden Allen to the Undeb-Seceetaey for Gold Fields. Sir,— Picton, 24th April, 1882. I have the honor to enclose you the annual returns for the Marlborough Gold Fields for the year ended 31st March, 1882. The returns wdll show very little progress in any of my districts, and a slight decrease in business in the Wairau Valley District. I briefly report as follows : — Pelorus Mining District (known as Wakamarina Gold Field). —The population and yield of gold will be quite equal to last year. I am inclined to think that a quantity of the gold obtained in this district is removed to Nelson, and probably sold as West Coast gold. Several small parties of miners have been doing well, and the quantity of gold exported or removed coastwise by our local banks is

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