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old shaft for 128 ft., and sinking the main shaft for 22ft.; the cost of timber used in the mine and about the works being £439 15s. During the year ending the 31st of March last 1,608 tons of quartz was crushed, which yielded 1,8070z. of gold, representing a value of about £5,240; the average number of men employed during the year being about fifty-three. The New Zealand Proprietary. —This company took up the ground known as the Corby, where very rich gold-bearing stone was taken out several years ago, but the ground was abandoned for a long time and considered valueless. After the present Kapanga Company commenced operations and found good gold in Scotty's Lode, Mr. Witheford, of Auckland, formed a syndicate and took up the ground with the view of prospecting the Scotty and Corby Lodes, which were known to run through it. A great deal of work has been done during the last year: all the old adit-levels have been cleaned out and considerably extended, and the result is that some very good stone has been found in Scotty's Lode, which is about 2ft. in thickness in places. Gold has also been found in the Corby Lode, so that what was considered twelve months ago a valueless property presents now the appearance of becoming a valuable one. There is every reason to believe that Scotty's Lode, which has proved in the Kapanga working to give good returns at a depth of 420 ft. — or-fully 300 ft. deeper than where the same lode has been struck in this ground — will prove equally good in other portions of it as well as in the Kapanga Mine. This lode is extremely well-defined, and has the appearance of traversing the country for a considerable distance. It is well known that the gold in lodes occurs in shoots and ledges, and often suddenly cuts out, the lode still having the same appearance, with its characteristics but very little varied, and after driving for some distance along its course another shoot or ledge carrying gold is found. An average of twelve men has been employed in this claim, which is 30 acres in extent. Coromandel Company. —This company has gone to considerable expense in erecting a powerful pumping-engine and sinking a new shaft, with the view of continuing the workings at a deeper level, but so far the proprietors have not met with the success they deserve. The workings at the deep levels are now suspended, and prospecting is being carried on at the upper levels. They are working from the Golden Pa shaft, about 80ft. below the surface, and stoping out a portion of the Golden Pa leader, from which 27 tons of stone has been crushed, yielding 1530z. of gold; but this leader is very small, being only from lin. to 4in. in thickness. There are large lodes found at the 280 ft. level, where they were previously working, and the quartz is full of ironpyrites, containing scarcely any gold. There is, however, no reason to suppose the gold has entirely cut out. As the lodes go down, very probably at a greater depth another ledge of rich auriferous ore will be found. At the time of my visit there were fourteen men employed underground, and eight men on the surface. Before suspending operations on the 280 ft. level a good deal of prospecting was done, there being about 105 ft. of driving on the Black Eeef, 26ft. on the Green Harp, about 35ft. on the Cross Eeef. On finding no payable stone a rise was made on the latter reef for 26ft., and 57ft. of driving done at the intermediate level. The work done may be summarised thus : Drives constructed on lodes and leaders, 577 ft.; rises, 97ft. ; cross-cuts, 199 ft, ; winzes, 14.1 ft. ; and opening up and cleaning old levels, 947 ft. The large outlay this company has made deserves better success. It would seem that the gold in this part of the field was confined to the upper levels; but, having now a first-class pumping plant, the company should sink the main shaft to a much greater depth, and prospect the ground at the deep levels. In many of the mines at Sandhurst, in Victoria, the lodes found near the surface cut out, or were found not payable for working, as they went down ; but on sinking through barren ground for a considerable distance new lodes were again found. The class of country in the Coromandel Mine is favourable for the existence of auriferous lodes, and very probably new T lodes will yet be discovered at a greater depth. Kauri Syndicate Property. Lanigan's Claims. —This claim is situated at the back of the main range, behind Castle Eock, near the Opitonui Creek. Since my former visit a low-level adit was constructed from the creek, which struck.the reef at 350 ft. from the mouth. The lode is well defined, and is from 2ft. to 4ft. in thickness. This level at 400 ft. from the mouth gives about 60ft. of backs. The upper level has from 50ft. to 60ft. of backs, but as soon as the low adit is extended to underneath the face of the workings there will be about 200 ft. of backs. A crushing-battery, consisting of ten heads of stamps has been erected, and 530 tons of stone crushed, which has yielded 3120z. 2dwt. of gold. The terms on which the Kauri Syndicate leased the ground to Mr. Lanigan are as follows : Area of 15 acres, for a term of twenty-one years, at a rental of £2 per acre per annum, with a royalty of 3 per cent, on all the gold obtained when the yield is above -Joz. up to loz. per ton, and when the yield exceeds loz. of gold per ton the royalty is 5 per cent. Mr. Lanigan has the option of taking up more ground adjoining his lease at the same rental, and paying the syndicate one-third of the profits. This syndicate has issued new regulations this year, whereby a rental of £2 per acre is demanded from the date of survey of the claim, and a royalty of 5 per cent, on the gross yield of all ore. It also reserves to itself the right of taking half an interest in all claims when payable ore or a reef showing gold is struck, and in the event of a half interest being taken an allowance is to be made for the work done in developing the claim, the persons interested in such claim being formed into a gold-mining no-liability company. These terms hold out very little encouragement to any one to prospect the property. Owera Claim. —This is situate about half-way between Lanigan's Claim and Kuaotuna. At the time of my visit the lode on the upper level was about 2ft. thick, and at the mouth of the next level, which is about 105 ft. lower, the lode was about the same width at the mouth, but cut out to a few inches at 40ft. in. Since it w r as opened 30 tons of quartz has been crushed, which yielded 1360z. 18dwt. of gold, worth about £1 14s. 9d. per ounce. Another lode was discovered on this syndicate's property on the Otonahua Block, which was about 13ft. in thickness. This was being worked at the time of my visit by two men, and is known