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best description. There is a good deal of fluming and boxing on the supply-races which has recently been partially renewed, so that they are now in a very fair state of repair. The following table will show the value of the sales of water, the expenditure on maintenance, the number of men employed in claims worked with water from this supply, and the approximate quantity and value of gold obtained, for the year ending the 31st March, 1890 : —

It will be seen from the foregoing statement that the value of the sales of water for last year was £326 10s. 10d., as against £497 ss. 2d. for the former year, which shows a falling-off in the sales of £170 14s. 4d.: this is no doubt attributable in a great measure to the very dry season and the scarcity of water. The expenditure on maintenance for the past year has been £423 Bs. Id., as against £396 19s. lOd. for the year previous ; thus showing an increase in the expenditure last year of £26 Bs. 3d., while the direct loss on the working amounts to £160 14s. 4d. The average number of men employed in claims worked with water from this race for the ten months that water was available was eighteen, and the approximate quantity of gold obtained by them was 4210z., representing a value of £1,619 12s. Deducting from this amount the value of the sales of water, the average earnings of the men employed will be about £71 16s. 9d. each man for the ten months they were at work, or about £1 13s. Id. per week, which is 3s. 3d. per week less than the previous year. Mikonui Wateb-eace. The constructed portion of the Mikonui Water-race is still leased to the Mont dOr Company at an annual rental of £50 per annum. The cost of construction up to the present time is £25,644 9s. 6d., and to complete this supply would require an additional £60,000; but at present the prospect of sales of water in this district does not warrant any further expenditure being made. Mount Ida Wateb-bace. The extraordinarily dry season last year has added considerably to the loss in working this water-race. There is always a certain period in midwinter when the miners cannot work for frost; and when the summer is dry and there is not sufficient water to work the claims on the field it does not give the miners an opportunity of making wages. The Trust which manages this water-race state explicitly that it is impossible to make it pay unless there is a larger supply of water, and they are urging on the Government the necessity of constructing the Eweburn Beservoir, as this work was always included as portion of the construction. The known auriferous ground that the race commands in the immediate vicinity of Naseby is getting well worked out. The ground that the Trust looks forward to being worked is in the vicinity of Spec Gully, and between this gully and the Kyeburn Diggings; but even this does not hold out much prospect that the construction of the reservoir would be a remunerative work. The following is a statement showing the results of working this water-race for the year ending the 31st December last: —

Month. Sales of Water. Expenditure. Number of Men employed. Approximate Amount of Gold obtained. Value of Gold. \.pril May Fune fuly Vugust .. September Dctober.. November December 1889. £ s. a. 35 8 8 29 3 1 30 19 8 24 0 10 15 12 3 42 14 11 73 3 3 20 17 0 Nil £ s. d. 29 18 0 32 8 0 32 2 0 G7 G 7 31 1 0 28 15 0 34 0 11 38 11 1 34 8 0 15 17 16 20 11 23 22 15 Nil Oz. 35 30 32 31 16 100 80 35 Nil £ s. a. 134 5 0 115 10 0 123 4 0 119 7 0 61 12 0 385 0 0 308 0 0 134 0 0 Nil 1890. 46 15 8 7 15 6 Nil 31 1 0 32 12 0 31 4 0 22 20 Nil 50 12 Nil 192 10 0 46 4 0 Nil i anuary February Vlarch .. Totals 181 1,619 12 0 326 10 10 423 8 1 421

I Amount Outstanding ; Nui^ r o( Month. 'gSoS- Value of Gold. Months. H i Cash received Expenditure. ranuary, 1889 February, „ „ rfay, une, „ uly, „ August, „ !eptembei> „ )ctober, „ "Tovembor, „, December, „ ) £ s. d. i £ s. el. 37 10 5 I 116 1 1 29 7 9 i 70 10 3 47 3 8 87 19 8 96 10 2 110 13 0 91 8 6 37 5 0 16 10 G 42 10 0 12 1 10 ' 18 1 6 47 16 4 4 42 7 1 170 5 9 6 11 8 160 i 3 127 18 1 92 1 10 i 130 12 5 £ s. a. 85 13 2 123 3 8 114 5 8 75 1 8 88 10 8 75 8 2 40 13 6 56 8 4 187 14 8 76 17 8 87 4 9 78 9- 9 3 £ us -p "i q assail +J JO CO Jjj eh O w ■^^ a sing's oa\a a=« So oJ!<£- 3 ° Hi 3 go • ■Sl> pIs* HI! 8.. 3 © "■§ n-_9 «w "S rj S d) Oz. 250 180 110 170 200 100 20 300 300 250 370 a s. a. 937 10 0 675 0 0 412 10 0 637 10 0 750 0 0 375 0 0 75 0 0' 1,125 0 0 1,125 0 0 937 10 0 1,387 10 0 Totals .. 801 1 0 ■ 785 9 9 1,089 2 8 2,250 8,437 10 0 P *_f ■ \m* *J l>