C.—4

1886. NEW ZEALAND.

GOLDFIELDS, ROADS, WATER-RACES, AND OTHER WORKS IN CONNECTION WITH MINING (REPORT ON).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Mr. H. A. Gordon, F.G.S., Inspecting Engineer, to the Hon. W. J. M. Larnach, C.M.G., Minister of Mines. Sir, — Mines Department, Wellington, 4th May, 1886. I have the honour to submit my annual report on works undertaken and executed under the control of the Mines Department, and also on the condition of mining generally on the various fields I have visited during the year ending the 31st March, 1886. The works are classified under the heads of "Subsidized Roads and Tracks," "Drainage and Sludge-channels/ " Aids to Prospecting," " Water-races," " Roads constructed wholly by the Department," and on mining generally. SUBSIDIZED ROADS AND TRACKS. CoROMANDEL CoUNTY, AUCKLAND. Widening Road from Emily Battery to Rocky Point. —This road was estimated to cost £291 when first undertaken ; but the prospects of this part of the district did not warrant the county completing the work at present—other works were deemed more urgent; so that they got permission to transfer the balance of the subsidy to complete the road from Vaughan's claim to Matawai Battery, and road from Makarau towards Wairau. The cost of this work was £60, of which .640 have been paid. Road up Manaia Valley. —This is a dray-road, and is estimated to cost about £1,500 when completed. Up to the present time there have been £375 expended, and the work is still in progress ; but as the work has been so far executed more cheaply than originally contemplated, the whole of the subsidy authorized is not likely to be required. This road will open up a large tract of country, and it is believed will be the means of opening up a good goldfield. Road, Makarau toioards Waiau. —This is a dray-road, and was originally estimated to cost £300, but it has been found necessary to extend it in order to give facilities to the miners. This road will also open up the country at the back of Manaia and Tiki to Mercury Bay. The whole of the £300 have been expended, and the county has had permission to transfer portions of subsidies authorized for other roads in the district, which at the present time are of less importance, in order to complete it. The work is in progress, and will cost when finished about £600. Road from Old Saw-mill towards Awakane. —This is the continuation of a dray-road that was constructed several years ago through Lynch/s Paddock, and when finished will open up the back country where gold has been found. The work is now in progress, and will cost when completed about £600. Thames County, Auckland. Prospecting-track to open up Karangahake Goldfield. —This track has been in course of construction for nearly two years. When completed it will give access to the whole of the country between the Ohinemuri River and Te Aroha, which, bears favourable indications of good auriferous and argentiferous reefs being found. This is a district that has lately been proved to contain rich silver lodes, which are likely to lead to a branch of mining that has heretofore been neglected in the colony owing to the mining community not being acquainted with the various descriptions of ores in which silver is found. The cost of this work up to the present time has been £784, and it will take about £597 to complete. Track up Maungawheriivheri Creek. —This is a prospecting-track from the crushing-battery up Maungawheriwheri Creek, to enable the miners to get access into the back country. The work is in progress, and will cost when completed about £100. Widening Road from Bridge over Hape Creek to Otanui Mines. —This work has been undertaken to enable a better means of communication to be made between the Thames and the Otanui mines. This road will be much shorter than by the Kaueranga Valley, and will be the I—C. 4.