33

a—3

Thames District. Mining operations during the past year have not been conducted so successfully as formerly, especially in the vicinity of Grahamstown and Waiotahi Creeks. The principal main lodes at the present time payable for working are pretty well taken out to water-level, and although there is still a good deal of auriferous quartz left on the upper levels, the companies prefer letting sections of their mines on tribute to employing labour to work the blocks. The general character of the country in the vicinity of the Moanataiari and Waiotahi Creeks is a tufaceous sandstone, having large numbers of thread-like veins of quartz running through the country rock in every direction, but generally branching away from one of the main lodes. Some of these thread-like veins contain a deal of gold, and, although they may appear like the thickness of a thread in places, by driving on them they sometimes widen out to 2in. and more in thickness, and are often full of very rich specimen-stone. This is found to be the case in the Waiotahi and Cambria Mines, where a large portion of the gold is obtained from these veins. There are still considerable blocks of stone left which are not considered payable at present for working; but when once a more effective and economical method of reducing and treating the ore comes into operation many of these blocks will yet pay to take out. Lodes which a few years ago were looked on as valueless are now being worked with success, and improvements are continually being tirade in appliances for extracting the bullion, which all tends to point out that the day is not far distant when both the mining and metallurgical operations in connection with gold and silver will be conducted on more effective and economical lines. Testing the Deep Levels. —As far as mining operations on the Thames proper are concerned, the time is fast approaching when combined action will have to be taken by the companies holding ground affected by the present drainage appliances to test the ground at a deeper level and to find 5—C. 3.

Avera of 1 Empi ige No. den For Ow: ers. For Tri ibutcrs. loyei Locality and Name of Mine or Company. Area of Lai held. Tailings treated, Gold obtained. Iβ is i is Quartz orushed. Gold obtained Quartz crushed. Gold obtained. A. It. P. Tons cwt. lb. Oz. dwt. Tons cwt. Oz. dwt. Tons Oz.clwt. Dokatea Range— Tokatea.. Queen of the North Royal Oak Bismarck Harbour View Rob Boy Try Again 30 0 0 3 0 0 30 0 0 12 0 0 30 0 0 3 0 0 6 0 0 1 13 3 4 2 i' 0 0 18 10 8 0 1 0 2 0 2 0 114 10 126 0 134 0 19 8 "3 2 26' 0 0 1 14 20 129 3 403 0 114 0 0 22 22 14 20 610 13 13 0 393 18 iapanga— Kapanga Scotty's.. Coromandel Mint .. Premier.. 68 2 23 30 0 0 39 2 10 6 0 0 5 0 0 -18 11 5 792 7 0 40 0 0 1,634 8 84 0 10 10 0l"l8 6 12 0 31 18 2 93 16 149 0 33 GO 832 7 0 1,718 8 22 10 Cabbage Bay—Vizard's iopukaitahi—Prospectors' .. )pitonui—Lanigan's )wera —Ovvera )tonguru—Murphy's (Vaikoromiko —Lille's tfanaia—Maori vlahakirau —Mahakirau ?uia —Prospectors'.. 10 0 0 6 0 0 20 0 0 10 0 0 10 0 0 10 0 0 10 0 0 6 0 0 10 0 0 2 2 (i 8 2 3 2 2 2 4 10 0 0 0 20 400 0 0 30 0 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 2 0 0 4 0 0 14 0 0 49 10 4 5 80 0 80 0 13 18 250 2 3 0 11 16 8 14 200 55 0 92 0 0 29 460 10 20 501 5 tuaotunu— Try Fluko Carbine .. Kuaotunu Red Mercury Great Mercury Just-in-Time Kapai Mariposa John Bull Irene Otama Black Jack Waitaia.. Sundry claims .. 18 1 0 5 0 20 15 0 0 14 0 0 28 0 12 8 3 24 11 0 0 4 2 6 5 0 28 7 2 0 20 1 20 30 0 0 30 0 0 77 0 0 :;i 9 2 23 U 3 4 4 2 5 2 2 4 10 k 5,032 0 0 387 0 0 100 0 0 1,249 0 0 2,693 0 0 128 0 0 120 0 0 380 0 0 105 0 0 389 10 0 22 0 0 76 0 0 158 0 0 32 0 0 3,172 10 620 10 45 5 1,826 10 1,469 3 103 4 103 0 239 0 20 2 234 0 214 16 60 16 199 16 22 0 344 0 373' 0 120 "3 "l 42 2 9 6 4 1 12' 0 14 5 70 2t>' 0 274 3 30 135 10,871 10 0 8,330 12 356 0 387 5 200 76 13 Sundry claims in other portions of Coromandel District 35 13 0 38 0 0 16 0 0 10 10 Totals .. 435 144 13 668 0 23 240 86 12,203 1 40 11,170 16 391 10 873 19