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in the early days are now being worked by dredges, which lift the auriferous material. Large sluicing operations were carried on last year by Messrs. Davis Brothers, at Stoney Creek Terrace, and by Messrs. Davis and Moody Syndicate Company, at Burkes and Londonderry Terraces. These have both good water-supplies; and several other parties are working higher up the river, who are said to make good wages. Aspinall's claim at Skipper's Point has been very rich, and, although not more than about 15 acres in extent, it has been worked for the last thirty years, and possibly will yet take five years more to work it out. It is said that considerably over 30,0000z. of gold has been taken from this ground. It is hard to define the limits of the extent of country that could be made to pay for working in this valley if large supplies of water were available at a high elevation. Arrow River. There is a considerable extent of auriferous drift on the terraces alongside the Arrow River, but their high elevation prevents sluicing operations being carried on, as there is not a steady supply of water to he obtained unless at a great expense. A large undertaking has been completed by the Arrow Tunnel Company to work the bed of the Arrow River above the Falls, which are about three-quarters of a mile below the junction of Soho Creek. All the works were completed, and every arrangement made to commence to get gold, when the company had to allow their property to be sold by the mortgagee; and it was recently purchased by Mr. Miller, who will reap the benefit of the former company's outlay, he having acquired the property for about one-fifth of its original cost. Round Hill and Orepuki. For many years the gold-workings have been carried on principally by Chinese at Round Hill; but now that an English company has taken up ground in this locality, they have purchased and leased most of the water-rights in the district, and the Chinese are almost wholly dependent on this company for a water-supply to work the ground. As the water is extremely scarce, the company have only a very limited quantity that they can dispose of; and the result is that the number of Chinese is decreasing year after year. Some of the ground in this locality is very rich; but the small supply of water, and the large quantity of tailings that have been and are being continually deposited in the valley of the Ourawera Creek, has raised the surface to such an extent that none of the low-lying lands can now be worked, unless with the aid of machinery, or a hydraulic-elevating plant. Several people, previous to the Round Hill Syndicate Company taking up the ground, tried to work the valley by means of dredges, but in every instance this proved a failure. The present company are now working the ground with hydraulic elevators, with a certain amount of success, but they will have to get a better water-supply before they can expect to make the ground sufficiently remunerative for working. At Orepuki there are a limited number of miners at work making fair wages when they have a good supply of water; but, except in very few instances, the water-supply is not sufficient to work the ground advantageously. Although this is not a field for any one to come to from other places, the miners who are here, and have water-supplies of their own, will make a good livelihood for many years to come. Wilson's River. It is only within the last two years that gold of a payable character has been discovered north of the Waiau River; and the recent discoveries in Coal Island, at Wilson's River, and at Sealer's Creek on the mainland, will tend to open up this part of the country, which heretofore has well been termed a "terra incognita." It was thought by many miners that gold would be discovered north of the Waiau; but the want of roads or tracks prevented any one from exploring this part of the country, until after a survey-line was cut for a road along the coast-line between Preservation Inlet and Wilson's River. The men working at Coal Island followed up the surveyor, and found rich deposits of gold in the bed of Wilson's River; but as this river is subject to freshes and floods, it was only for a few days a month that mining operations could be carried on. Gold was afterwards found in Sealer's Creek and the terraces, and, probably when this part of the country gets more opened up by roads and tracks, several other discoveries will be made. It is only, however, in the summer months that prospecting can be carried on in the back country on account of its high elevation.