31

C—3

£ft. When the leader was first found about 9cwt. of stone was sent to Goromaudel for treatment, and yielded 89oz. of gold. Since then quartz has been taken out and stacked, and prospecting carried on. * Several people have been prospecting in this range, but have so far failed to make any further discoveries. The country here is thickly timbered and very broken, and it is therefore difficult t® carry on prospecting ; but, now that it is known that auriferous quartz has been found, there is little doubt but that further discoveries of auriferous lodes will be made in this district. Thames District. The yield of gold from this district for the past year shows a slight decrease on the previous year's return. Although the mines on the whole look more promising, a great deal of dead-work has been done, and better appliances are being got, which will curtail the expenditure, or, at least, will be the means of the ore being brought to the crushing-plants at a cheaper rate. Two companies are erecting aerial tramways, and when once these are in use other companies will likely follow in their neighbours' footsteps. About two years ago great hopes were entertained with reference to the discovery of auriferous lodes at Mata Creek, but so far the golden anticipations have not been realised. The lodes are small and very patchy, and the value of work done in this portion of the district for the past year has not been recouped from the returns from the claims. There is still a small population at Tapu, but the yield of gold is very small. The reefs here are very patchy, and those patches containing rich auriferous stone are very small. There is, however, plenty of virgin ground on the Hauraki Peninsula that never has been prospected, and where possibly rich auriferous lodes are likely to be discovered. The whole of the peninsula is less or more auriferous, and the time will come when very low-grade material will be made to pay for working with improved appliances. The following returns will show the quantity of mullock and quartz crushed from the principal claims in the Thames district, with the average number of men employed on wages, and also working the claims referred to on tribute : —

Name of Claim or Company. Quantity of Mullock crushed, including Specimens. Quantity of Quartz crushed. Yield of Gold. Yield of Gold per Ton. Average Yield of Gold per Ton. Number of Wages-men employed. Number of Tributers employed. McMahon's, Tapu Centennial, Tapu ... Draffin's, Tapu Hawke's, Tapu McCormack's, Tapu Manuel and Hendricks's, Tapu Sheridan's, Tapu ... Broken Hill, Tapu Nevis, Tapu Paroquet, Waiomo Golden Gem, Waiomo Nymph and Mermaid Hansen's, Kuranui No. 3 ... Comer's, Kuranui No. 2 Turtle's, Kuranui No. 1 Moanataiari Caliban ... Orlando ... Tons. 15,755 10,550 3.065 Tons. 395 26 2 72 10 19 Specimens 24 12 226 62 _A 60 873 292 495 1,238 76 Oz. 51 16 6 7 8 Q o 36 5 6 38 17 4 1,014 57 617 934 116 615 2,346 24 115 99 105 196 418 60 121 235 55 905 8,171 395 238 3,218 287 144 1,018 41 j i Oz. dwt. gr. 0 2 13 0 12 7 3 0 0 0 1 22|0 6 0 0 3 3 0 "l 4 0 10 0 0 3 6 0 5 11 1 12 0 0 1 6 0 19 0 0 14 119 0 7 22 0 3 10 1 17 21 0 6 7 0 10 5 2 11 10 0 17 12 0 18 16 1 19 19 0 12 0 10 4 0 15 22 0 17 4 2 0 5 0 11 5 0 1 21 0 7 16 1 6 11 1 7 11 1 1 19 1 18 6 0 10 22 r I J 20* 3 3 2 2 10 2 17 20 56 3 3 35 6 59 '_25 35 120 '210 210 100 120 295 64 450 14,550 4,128 619 2,431 209 132 532 75 3 4 6 Whau 8 Alburnia 18 5 6 Dixon's No. 1 4 New Prince Imperial "5 115 17 10 Saxon Caledonian 8 ,, ... ... Waiotahi New Manukau 40 6 30 27 2 Cambria Trenton ... I * Estimated average number of men.