C.—2.

Tiki,, Matawai, and Manaia. These were at one time busy places, but they have fallen off greatly of late years. The Calliope Mine, which is partially on freehold property, was worked last year with fair results : 94 tons of quartz were crushed, which yielded 1950z. of gold, and nine men were employed. Castle Rock Mine. —This was formerly known as Vizard Claim, when a fair shot of gold-bearing stone was worked on the upper levels, containing a good deal of antimony, which made the ore difficult to treat by the ordinary crushing-battery process. The upper levels are stoped out, and a low adit is now constructed for a distance of over 600 ft., but the lode has not yet been reached at this level. Blackmore's Claim, Manaia. —The upper levels in this claim are stoped out. The proprietors are now constructing a low-level adit from the south side of the range, to prospect the lode. Six tons of quartz have been crushed during the year, which yielded 490z. of gold. There have been four men employed. In several other claims at Manaia prospecting has been carried on; but the owners have hot yet been successful in finding anything that would pay for working. Coromandel is a field at the present time that is attracting a good deal of attention from English capitalists. A new company has been formed, termed the Colville Company, London. They are to work the ground formerly held by the Just in Time Company, and what is known as Blagrove's Freehold. No mining operations are yet commenced, but this ground can only be prospected by sinking shafts, which will entail a considerable outlay, as pumping appliances will have to be erected. The yield of gold from this district last year has been more than for any year during the previous eight years. There were 2,149 tons of quartz crushed, which yielded 8,0900z. of gold, or an average of 3oz. 15dwt. 7gr. per ton. The quantity crushed the previous year was 1,923 tons, which yielded 6,7740z. of gold, or an average of 3oz. lOdwt. sgr. per ton. The highest yield for any of the previous years was in 1882-83, when 2,907 tons of quartz were crushed, which yielded 7,5770z., or an average of 2oz. 12dwt. per ton. Therefore the yield last year was 5130z. more than it has been for any year since 1880-81. Mata, Tapu, and Waiomo Distbicts. The quartz reefs at Te Mata have not turned out according to the expectations formed by many of the miners in this district. The owners of the Gentle Annie Claim—of which much was expected—crushed 37 tons of stone, which yielded 31oz. of bullion, worth £1 4s. 3d. per ounce; and 24 tons have been crushed from the Mata Claim, which yielded 31oz. of gold. Messrs. Eraser and Sons, of Auckland, erected a crushing-battery on the field; but unless some better class of stone be obtained there is no prospect of it being employed unless as a prospecting-plant. At Tapu very little work has been done. There are a few men employed working in the reefs, but it is more of a prospecting character than anything else. The total quantity of quartz crushed here during last year has been 64 tons, which yielded 440z. gold. Waiomo. —The Paroquet Claim, from which rich stone was got on the outcrop of the reef by the prospectors, Laurie Brothers, is still being worked, but the stone appears to get poorer as it goes down. Some small patches of good stone have been obtained, but they have not been of sufficient extent to make the mine a payable venture up to the present time. Still, there is a good prospect of payable stone being discovered in this mine. The formation of the lode is such that one would expect to find gold. There is a strong body of quartz with a little gold through it. Work in this mine was suspended for a time, but operations have again been commenced to repair the adits and stope out the lode. The company have constructed a wire tramway between the mine and the crushing-battery, which is 81 chains in length, and also have erected two of the Watson-Denny pans in conjunction with the crushing-battery. As soon as all the new arrangements are completed crushing will be again resumed. The Golden Gem Mine. —This mine has been constantly worked during the year, with a fair amount of success. The lode or leader that is being stoped out is from 6in. to nearly 2ft. in places in width. During the year 309 tons of quartz have been crushed, which yielded 2950z. of gold. This company gets the quartz crushed at the Paroquet battery, which is connected with the mine by a tramway. Thames District. There have not been any new finds of any note in this district during the year, but the goldreturns correspond very closely with the quantity obtained for the previous year. Last year 25,651| tons of quartz, 15,021 tons of mullock, and 6,690 tons of tailings were crushed and treated, which yielded 35,7960z. of gold. The number of tons crushed and treated the previous year was 25,798 of quartz and 7,022 of tailings, which yielded 35,9490z. of gold, or 1630z. more than last year. The total quantity of material treated last year is greatly in excess of the previous one when the mullock is included. It is satisfactory to find that the old waste mullock-heaps that have been lying on the surface as worthless material can now be made to pay for crushing. The quantity of mullock crushed last year, amounting to 15,021 tons, yielded 1,1270z. of gold, which is an average yield of Idwt. 12gr. per ton ; and this low yield is said to pay all expenses connected with collecting, bringing to the battery, and crushing, and to leave a fair profit on the outlay of erecting machinery. Before referring to'the different mines in this district it will be interesting to give a statement, compiled from the returns of the principal gold-producing mines on the field, showing the number of tons of quartz, &c, crushed, the yield of gold, and number of men employed.

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