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1885. NEW ZEALAND.

GOLDFIELDS CLASSES AND SCHOOLS OF MINES. (REPORTS ON).

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

No. 1. Professor J. G. Black, M.A., D.Sc, to the Hon. the Minister of Mines. g IE) University Laboratory, Dunedin, 24th May, 1886. I have the honour to forward my report on the work done in the goldfields classes and schools of mines for the session Ist November, 1885, to 30th April, 1886. These classes were conducted in accordance with a programme or scheme drawn up by me at your request, and submitted to and approved by you. In carrying out the programme with my colleague, Mr. Montgomery, I had the assistance of Messrs. Fenton, McLymont, and Goodlet. In the scheme for the period under report provision was made, in accordance with your instructions, for a full and fair share of the time and work of the staff to all the goldfields of the colony. The scheme was carried out fairly on the whole; but, owing partly to the necessity of leaving Mr. Montgomery at the Thames, and partly to my prolonged tour through the Haast Pass and on that part of the West Coast between Jackson's Bay and Boss, the West Coast Goldfields did not get their fair share of attention from the teaching staff; and I found myself altogether unable to visit the Nelson and Collingwood Districts. This I very much regret, not only on account of the intelligent interest taken by the Coast miners in the whole scheme, and the large number of schools of mines established there, but also on account of the very important and promising mineral character of the country, and the variety of valuable ores that are known to occur there. In the programme for next session, which will be forwarded for your consideration in a few days, I am keeping this in view, and trying to make up to these districts for the unavoidable neglect with which they have been treated during last session. The whole work of the session under report is shown in the tables A and B ; Table A showing the place at which each member of the staff was engaged in the discharge of his duties on every day of the session; and Table B showing the number of lectures and the number of days on which classes were held, as well as the average attendance for each place visited by the teaching staff.

Table A. Tabular View of Places visited by Staff of Goldfields School of Mines, with Dates, from 10th November, 1885, to 30th April, 1886.

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Date. Black. Montgomery. Fen ton. Goodlet. McLymont. 1885. 'ov. 17 „ 18 . 19 „ 20 . 21 „ 22 „ 23 » 24 . 25 „ 26 „ 27 „ 28 , 29 » 30 iec. 1 2 . 3 5 6 . 7 8 9 „ 10 » 11 „ 12 „ 13 „ 14 „ 15 „ 16 „ 17 „ 18 Auckland Thames .. Karangahake Thames .. Waiorongomai Auckland Thames .. Karangahake Te Aroha.. Waiorongomai Auckland Thames .. Karangahake Thames .. Waiorongomai Auckland Thames .. Karangahake Thames .. Waiorongomai Auckland. Thames. Te Aroha. Waiorongomai. ./ Te Aroha .. Te Aroha.. Te Aroha.. Te Aroha Te Aroha. Thames .. Tapu Thames .. Thames .. Thames .. Thames .. Tapu Thames .. Thames. Coromandel Coromandel Coromandel Coromandel Coromandel. Auckland Auckland Auckland it Auckland.