C—3

32

This statement is compiled from the detail returns given by Mr. G. Wilson, Inspector of Mines : these returns do not coincide entirely with the returns given by the battery-managers, but they may be taken as approximately correct for the claims included in the statement. In addition to the number of men shown in this statement, there have been about 126 men emplpyed on wages, and eleven tributers, in claims not included in this return. Tapu. There are about twenty-six men employed in claims in this portion of the district; and, as far as can be ascertained, about 568 tons of quartz has been crushed, which yielded about 1470z. of gold ; but 21oz. of this was obtained as free gold by sluicing, which has been discontinued on account of the ground being too poor to work by this means. If the whole of the gold be taken as the result of twenty-six men's labour, it only gives them about soz. 13dwt. per man for the year's work. It has, however, to be borne in mind that many of the men who have claims here have also homesteads and pieces of land, which they employ portions of their time in cultivating. A good deal of gold was obtained here in the early days of the field, but it was always known to be verypatchy. A very old resident, Mr. I). Sheridan, at the time of my visit struck a small lode, from which some good specimen-stone was obtained. From 351b. of stone he got 350z. of gold, and he is stacking the rest of the quartz, waiting for a road to be constructed, so as to get it taken to the crushing-battery. A new claim was taken up last year by C. Bull, who formerly worked the Bullion Mine. He erected a small crushing-battery of four stamps ; but so far he has not met with much reward for his expenditure and labour. Mr. Kelly has discovered payable stone in an old mine, which had been worked in the early days of the field, and is now in one of the homestead sections. Waiomo. The large auriferous lode discovered here some years ago by Lawry Brothers, and which gave good returns of gold near the cap, is now abandoned. The Paroquet Company purchased this mine from Lawry Brothers, and erected a crushing-battery of twenty stamps, and an aerial tramway to convey the quartz from the mine to the battery; but this company have suspended operations, and sold their battery and tramway, which are now removed. The only company at work here now is the Golden Gem, who are working on a different lode from that worked by the Paroquet Company ; but the returns from their mine have not been very encouraging. They suspended operations for a time, but have resumed work again, and it is said that they have discovered a valuable lode, on which several other cla/ms have been taken up. Taeaeu Cbeek. Sylvia Company. —A new discovery of ore, containing gold, silver, galena, zinc-blende, and copper, was made by the Sylvia Company in the early part of last year. It is said that about thirteen years ago 5 tons of stone from the cap of the reef yielded 15oz. of gold; but the run of

Name ofrClaim or Company. Quantity of Mullock crushed, including Specimens, j Quantity of Quartz crushed. Yield of GoW. Average Yield of Gold per Ton. Number i Number of of Wages-men Tributert employed. employed Fame and Fortune Calliope ... , f ... ... Craford's Special Claim Adelaide „ ... Lone Hand E. and M. Claim ... Claremont Hokianga Lucky Hit Dives Occidental Little Edwin Tons. Tons. 1,146 10 84 221 249 70 551 20 10 i Specimens 18 115 142 16 29 18 115 30 124 20 351 188 Oz. 1,809 7 61 254 780 61 i, 090 68 30 78 124 290 275 471 50 20 296 22 91 27 230 89 Oz. dwt. gr. ( 1 11 13 0 14 0 0 14 12 1 2 23 3 2 15 0 17 10 1 19 13 3 8 0 3 0 0 6 17 18 2 10 10 1 18 17 29 8 18 1 14 11 12 5 2 11 11 0 14 16 0 14 16 17 0 0 13 2 0 9 11 I 53 1 20 6 16 2 2 2 11 8 3 2 6 6 6 I I i i | j | | ! 6 o 5 13 2 9 9 North Star Consols ... Old Prospectors', Puriri Bedford's, Puriri ... Decido, Tairua Totals ... From other claims 29,595 31,691* 28,059 5,758 552 193 33,817