H.—s.

In concluding my first report on the gold fields and mines of the colony, I may remark that this country abounds in mineral wealth which will take a number of years to develop on account of its rugged and almost inaccessible nature. The alluvial gold fields will gradually get worked out, and more attention will be directed to quartz mines, which are the only permanent gold mines in the colony. The mountainous and broken nature of the country where these are generally found is not fit for cultivation or agricultural purposes, which is looked on as the settlement and prosperity of a new country; but nevertheless it abounds in richness, and will support a far larger population than the same area of the best description of land for cultivation, and consequently will add to the value of other land, and greatly increase the wealth of the colony. But in order to develop these mines, roads and tracks will require to be made, to enable machinery and supplies to be taken into the ranges; and too much care cannot be exercised to see that these are properly laid off, before any money is spent on their construction, so that when once a narrow track is made it can at any time be widened into a dray-road if required, and by this means insure the whole of the expenditure to be made in the right direction.. Annexed is a list, taken from the department's records, of works on gold fields that have been undertaken solely by Government, or by subsidies to County Councils, during the year, and likewise plans of mining machinery referred to in report. I have, &c., The Under-Secretary, Henry A. Gordon, Mines Department. Inspecting Engineer, Mines Department.

List of Works on Gold Fields undertaken wholly by the Mines Department, or by Subsidies to County Councils, Local Bodies, and Prospecting Associations.

9

Locality and Nature of Work. Total Cost. Contribution by Mines Department. Locality and Nature of Work. Total Cost. Contribution by Mines Department. Coromandel County. Improving road to Iona and Just - in - Time Companies' mines and crushing battery Maying and repairing track from Kapanga Mine to Paul's Creek Making and improving track from Tokatea towards Kennedy Bay Making and improving track from Golden Belt to Tiki Saddle Extension of Vaughan and Visard's Track Extension of track from Teirnan's to Castle Rock Widening road to Kapanga Mine Improving track from Tokatea Saddle to Waikoromiko Making new track to connect Tokatea Track with Tiki Continuation of track from Succpss Company's mine to top of main range £ s. d. 200 0 0 £ s. d. 133 6 8 JTutt County. Road to connect Oterongu Bay with Albion Company's battery, and likewise to connect Terawhiti quartz mines with battery (approximate) £ s. d. 509 16 6 & s. d. 294 3 8 290 0 0 193 6 8 509 16 6 200 0 0 133 6 8 Turtrpeha County. Improving road from Lawrence and Waipori Road to antimony mine, Waipori Making road from top of terrace to Waipori Bush Improving road from Waipori Township to antimony mine, Lammerlaw Ranges Improving road from Waitahuna River to top of terraces on road to copper mine, Waipori Making bridle-track from Roxburgh Road, near Shingle Creek, to Campbell's and Poinohuka Creeks 294 3 8 176 0 0 117 6 8 200 0 0 133 6 8 300 0 G 200 0 0 300 0 0 200 0 0 200 0 C 133 6 8 150 0 0 100 0 0 200 0 0 133 6 8 132 0 0 88 0 0 50 0 0 33 6 8 450 0 0 300 0 0 160 0 0 106 13 4 40 0 0 26 13 4 1,698 0 0 1,350 0 0 900 0 0 1,132 0 0 miscellaneous, Tnapelca County. Drainage channel, Lawrence, undertaken by the Borough Council (approximate) Tuapeka Prospecting Association. Thames County. Making new road from Ohinemuri River to Karangahake quartz mines Dray-road to connect Otanui mines with crushing battery at Maungakerikeri Creek, and improvement of road up Maungakerikeri Creek Improving road to Waitekauri "battery from Katikati Road Improving road up Karaka Creek to Lucky-Hit Company's Mine Improving road to upper mines, Waiotahi 650 0 0 710 0 0 250 0 0 433 6 8 473 6 8 1C6 13 4 Miscellaneous, Vincent County. Grant on completion of sludgechannel, Smith's Gully, Bannockburn Grant on completion of sludgechannel, Pipeclay Gully, Bannockburn 3,000 0 0 600 0 0 3,600 0 0 2,000 0 0 300 0 0 2,300 0 0 2,000 0 0 850 0 0 300 0 0 200 0 0 750 0 0 400 0 0 320 0 0 213 6 8 2,750 0 0 1,250 0 0 attar 2,230 O 0 1,481) 18 4 PiaJco County. ",\ Tramways and inclines to connect crushing battery at Waiorontiomai Creek with quartz mines at Te Aroha (approximate cost) 14,000 0 0 6,000 0 0 Miscellaneous, Lake County. Hoad from Arthur's Point towards Skipper's Creek (approximate) Road from Arrowtown to Mmcetown (approximate) Cardrona Prospecting Associaciation 2,000 0 0 8,000 0 0 2,000 0 0 8,C00 0 0 400 0 0 200 0 0 14,000 _o_q 6,000 0 0 10,400 0 0 10,200 0 0 2—H. 5.