C—4.

32

plant belonging to the same proprietors. At the time of my visit the workings were being carried on on what is known as Fox's Leader, the Golden Age Foot-wall Leader, and on Cooper's Leader. A low-level was also being constructed to work the lodes to a greater depth. This level was in for a distance of 1,175 ft., and Mr. Cooper informed me that it had cost about £2 per foot to construct. There is no doubt that the best way to get into and work the ground would be from the aditlevel on the Moanataiari Mine. This would only have to be extended about 400 ft., or 500 ft. at the most, and then this mine would be a great deal more valuable, as the quartz could be got out and sent to the battery at a cheaper rate, besides the greater depth of backs it would give on the lodes. Mr. Cooper purchased the old Caledonian Company's crushing-battery, which consists twenty-one heads of stamps, and thirteen berdans, driven by a Pelton hurdy-gurdy water-wheel, £800, and since the purchase a further expenditure on repairs has been made to the extent of £400 The difficulty that Mr. Cooper has to contend with in winter is the state of the roads. All the quartz from his mine has to be conveyed in drays down the road alongside the Waiotahi Creek for about 60 chains. The road gets cut up greatly, and makes the transit of the quartz from the mine to the battery more costly than it otherwise should be under ordinary circumstances. Mr. Cooper contemplates erecting an aerial tramway, which no doubt would lessen the cost of transit, and thereby be the means of making lower-grade ore pay for working. During last year 3,922 tons of quartz has been crushed, which yielded 3,3140z. 19dwt. of gold. Cambria Company. —This company is working similar ground to that of the Waiotahi Company. The country rock is also of a similar character. The workings are carried on from Nos. 3 and 4 levels on seven different lodes and leads, varying from lin. to 2ft. in thickness. During last year 1,045 tons of quartz was crushed, which yielded 1,5250z. 7dwt. gold. Waiotahi Company. —This company continues to work their mine successfully. A great portion of the gold is obtained from thread-like veins, which run in all directions through the country rock —a tufaceous sandstone —requiring constant supervision and care to see that the veins are followed. There is always a certain amount of prospecting-work being carried on, and new veins and leaders found before the others are worked out. During last year 2,106 tons of quartz was crushed, which yielded 2,9480z. lOdwt. of gold. Trenton Company. —This company has for a number of years been prospecting the ground, and has expended a large amount of money. They have been working on the Saxon Lode during last year, and crushed 810 tons of quartz, which yielded 1,2010z. gold; but before large returns can be expected they will have to sink to a deeper level, in order to get anything like a body of stone. The lode in the Saxon ground cuts out on the upper levels before reaching this company's ground, but the lode at No. 5 level goes in for some distance, but is much more broken up than it is in the Saxon. May Queen Company. —Great expectations are formed by several mining-men that this company's mine will yet come to the front, and become a regular dividend-paying one. During last year the workings were carried on from the No. 1 level, about 294 ft. below the surface. When this level was first opened 45 loads of quartz yielded 2240z. of gold, but subsequent crushings did not come up to this average. This, however, shows that there is likely to be a rich run of gold-bearing stone between the level they are now working on and the next level, which is being rapidly opened up. The statement of accounts of this company for the year ending the 24th February last show's that 793 tons of quartz was crushed from the stopes, yielding 1,1330z. 17dwt. of gold, of a value of £3,265 165., and that £35 18s. was realised from the sale of tailings, which makes the total value of the produce from the mine last year £3,301 145., the expenditure for the same period being £3,719 18s.; but of this amount a considerable sum was expended on plant. The amount of paidup capital is £1,666 13s. 4d. Dives Company. —This company's mine is situate in the locality of Una Hill. It has been worked successfully during last year, producing 9740z. of gold from 605 tons of quartz. Occidental Company. —This company did a considerable amount of work last year, and the mine was worked successfully. From 579 tons of quartz crushed 1,9680z. of gold was obtained. Hansen's Kuranui No. 3. —The workings here are entirely confined to crushing mullock taken from the face of the hill, and put through the crushing-battery in a wholesale manner. During last year 9,393 tons was crushed, which yielded 9,520z. gold, being an average of about 2dwt. of gold per ton. Comer's Kuranui No. 2. —The workings here have been confined to crushing mullock from the face of the range, and working lodes on tribute. The tributers crushed 384 tons of quartz, which yielded 4480z. gold; and 9,835 tons of mullock was crushed, which yielded 4370z. of gold: the yield of the mullock being only about lOfgr. of gold to the ton, which shows that the mullockworkings could not have been a profitable undertaking last year. The following tabulated statement will show the result of working the mines in the Thames district during the last year, with the number of wages-men and tributers employed in each mine, also the quantity of quartz crushed, and the yield of gold therefrom : —