H.—23.

in the North Island, strange to say no specimens of lava mantel-pieces, such as tho Italians make so well, are shown. This work sutely might be profitably taken in hand in the future. The same remark applies to marble manufactures. In the South Island the purest form of statuary marble is obtainable amongst the gneiss and hornblende schists of the West Coast; but it seems to be little worked, although a most valuable article of export, even in an undressed state. Lithographic limestones and pure chalks are also abundant. Messrs. Wilson and Co., of Auckland, exhibit hydraulic lime and lime-concrete. Natural cement-stones occur frequently in the lower part of tho marine tertiaary strata of New Zealand equal in many cases to those which are burnt in Europe for the manufacture of hydraulic cement. Four or five large cement-works are established in the colony, which will soon not only supply the local demand, but also export to other parts of the world. Auriferous Ores. * The mining exhibits of the New Zealand Court are not all exposed to view in one compartment; most of them are arranged in the Mining Court proper ; but in the base of the gold trophy, already described as at the entrance to the court facing the Avenue of Nations, is a very complete representative display of samples of alluvial gold and. vein-gold from the various goldfields, exhibited by the Geological Survey Department. On the top shelf is shown, under a microscope, a specimen of slate showing fine gold, and several samples of quartz from Collingwood, the Thames, &c, are distributed on each side of it. On tho second shelf more auriferous stone is shown, together with two samples of pure gold, and a number of small parcels of gold-dust. The third shelf contains twenty-eight samples of gold-dust from Southland, Otago, Clyde, Thames, Cobden, Nelson, Lake, Moeraki, Westland, Shotover, Wellington, and Terawhiti. On the next shelf thirty-four samples of gold-dust from Westport, Otago (Arrow Biver), Mount Benger, Wakaniarma, Nelson, Shotover, Coromandel, Waiau, Westland, etc.- This exhibit would have been highly instructive had it been possible to give the fineness of each sample of gold-dust. As regards the auriferous-quartz gangues, most of them are of a greyish-white or dark smoky colour, and have a seamy or laminated structure ; for instance, from the Karaka Creek, at the Thames, and from Arrow, Lyell, Mangahua, Inangahua, Devil's Creek, and Fieefton, in the south. In a separate glass-case a few quartzspecimens containing a little gold are exhibited by the Reefton committee. In another case are auriferous vein-stones exhibited by the Mines Department. Those from the veins of Nil Desperandum, Keep-it-Dark, The Globe, Sir Francis Drake, Golden Fleece, Just-in-Time,, Welcome, and Inangahua all show, in a greater or lesser degree, the characteristic neutral tint or smoky colour of the Eeefton reef. Of greater interest, however, than the above samples, are the following— viz., a broken-up quartz-gangue cemented with iron pyrites from Karaka Creek ; auriferous quartz and galena from the Silver Crown, Thames; auriferous quartz and stignite from Inangahua, Nelson ; -auriferous refractory ore from the Mary Queen mine, containing also silver, copper, and zinc ; and gold-bearing stone with native silver from the Te Aroha and New Find names, Auckland. The stone from the latter mines deserves special mention, because, besides gold and silver, it contains tellurium. This would seem to indicate that the vein-stone from the Te Aroha mines may contain graphic tellurium (" sylvanite"), which is one of the chief gold-ores of the district of Offenbanya, in Transylvania. Coal. To make comparisons may be at times out of place, but it is certainly not so, nor is it to be thought invidious to do so with regard to the highly-interesting and, in some cases, magnificent display of the representative mining exhibits shown in various, but especially in the Australian, courts; for, while at the first outset in rambling through them it is evident that, with regard to coal, shale, and all the splendid exhibits connected therewith, as well as with respect to those representing the silver-mining interest, the first rank must be given to the Colony of New South Wales, yet to Victoria is to be assigned the premier position with reference to the quantity of gold raised; and Tasmania may rightly claim the first position in Australia as, at present, the largest tin-ore producing and smelting colony. Again, several years ago South Australia might undoubtedly have been unrivalled with regard to its exhibits representing the quantity of copper-ore raised and smelted, for, amongst others in the court, the names of Burra and Kapunda remind us of prosperous times gone by in that branch of mining. Still the exhibit of the ore from the Moonta and Wallaroo mines betokens the existence of rich cupriferous ores in the southern district, while the exhibits of the Northern Territory point to that of an extensive metalliferous area in that part of the country. Adverting to the last two colonies forming the Australian group —namely, Queensland and New Zealand—notwithstanding that in their respective courts the exhibits shown do not excel in any particular part of mineral production, nevertheless there is abundant evidence foreshadowing the race or rivalry that will take place between New Zealand, Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria with regard to coal-mining; and between Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria as to the greatest production of gold ; and between Queensland and Tasmania relative to the quantity of tin-ore to be obtained and smelted. In the New Zealand Court (New Zealand Catalogue, No. 385) a trophy, built with coal obtained from the Brunner Coal Company's 12ft. thick seam, has been erected. It is surrounded at the base with large lumps of coal and fire-clay, and the apex is composed of very good silvery-white coke. Smaller exhibits of coal from Collingwood and from the West Coast mines in the South Island, and from Waikato in the Nortl% Island, illustrate so far the development of the coal-mining industry which has taken place in the colony. (1.) From the Collingwood Coal Company's mine loose lumps of good bituminous coal are stacked in a heap. It is described as a splendid coal for gas-making. (New Zealand Catalogue, No. 388.)

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