C.—3

6

to record that a number of our students are yearly passing into good appointments connected with mining in all parts of the colony, and are, in every case, giving satisfaction to their employers. " There has been a considerable increase in the number of parcels of ore treated in the experimental plant, and also an increase in the number of assays and analyses performed for the public. " During the past six months I have furnished many of the Thames mining companies with reports on the proportion of bullion recovered from the ore treated at their batteries by the ordinary amalgamation processes now in use. The preparation of these reports has involved a large amount of work in addition to the ordinary routine work of the school, but the results obtained and the facts elicited have proved of great interest and importance to the whole mining community. These reports are given in full further on. "In former years the annual examinations were conducted from papers set by myself. This year, at the request of the Committee, the papers were set and the answers examined by examiners appointed by the Government. This now arrangement has proved in every way a success, and the results of the examinations by independent examiners show most conclusively that much good and sound work is being accomplished at the school, and great satisfaction has been expressed by the Committee, the students, and the public. The results and details connected with the examinations are given further on. " On the Ist of April the Hon. the Minister of Mines appointed Mr. F. B. Allen, M.A., B.Sc, as my assistant, and he has already proved himself a valuable and able teacher. " The attendance at the different classes is shown in the following tabulated statement: —

"Table of Attendance for Year ending the 31st March, 1893.

" Practical Assaying. —This is one of the best attended and most useful classes at the school. The students are not,only taught how to go through the operations of making an assay, but they are also taught how to perform them in a thoroughly reliable manner, and with despatch and precision. They are thus able to pass from the school laboratory into the laboratory of a bank or battery, and to at once go about their work intelligently, and in a workmanlike manner. Among the students of this class who have obtained appointments during the year are Mr. A. Kenrick, who was appointed to the responsible position of assayer to the Bank of New Zealand in the place of the late Mr. Max yon Bernewitz; Mr. James McLaren, the medallist for the year, who received the position of assistant assayer in the same bank; Mr. J. Bobinson, who has been engaged as assayer and assistant to the Liirig Concentrating Works at Tararu; Mr. Bain Hogg, assayer to the New Zealand Crown Mines at Karangahake ; Mr. W. O. Bell, assayer to the Silverton Cyanide Extraction W T orks at Waihi; Mr. George Hilton, who has been appointed constructing engineer to the Cassell Company in the South Island ; and Mr. George Heard, who. has been placed in the Thames laboratory of the same company. "Practical Chemistry. —Wet assaying merges into chemical analysis; and most of our students now recognise the fact that in order to become expert and reliable assayers they must possess a knowledge of practical chemistry and chemical manipulations. Many of the advanced students of this class have performed many very reliable analyses of rocks, soils, waters, milk, manures, limestones, coals, and complex ores, and the result would compare most favourably with the best work by the advanced students in the university colleges. Some of the more interesting analyses performed in the school laboratory during the past year are given below ; —

Name of Class. First Term. 1892. 1893. Second Term. Third Term. First Term. 'ractical assaying 'ractical chemistry and laboratory practice 'heoretical chemistry... letallurgy of gold and silver ... ... ' lineralogy and blow-pipe determination i-eology and geological surveying lining, applied mechanics, and hydraulics jand and mine-surveying lechanical drawing ... 34 25 25 11 9 15 20 12 38 22 22 23 10 9 15 17 11 33 22 22 21 10 9 9 16 9 26 23 23 7 7 13 15 9 Saturday Lectures. 51 53 'heoretical chemistry... 'hysics and experimental science 46 61 Total attendance at all classes 197 216 204 184 Eegistered students... 59 57 50 43 Total number of individual students 105 108 103 104