5

C—3a

The returns for this district are : Power's claim, two men, 19cwt. for 138oz ; Lillis's claim, two men, 3 tons lOcwt. 81b. for 630z. 19dwt. ; Kennedy's claim, one man, 2 tons lOcwt. for 380z.; and Neil's claim, one man, 1 ton for 15oz. 7dwt. of gold. Opitonui Disteict. Little's Claim, Kauri Timber Company's land.—Four men were employed. A new sledgetrack has been made from this mine to Lanigan's old tramway. About 50ft. of driving has been done on the reef from the creek level, which is from Ift. 6in. to 3ft. in thickness. 67 tons were crushed for 630z. 3dwt. of gold. At the time of my visit to this district, on the 14th March last, the Maiden Claim was again taken up, and 50 tons of quartz were in the paddock. One man was at work. Oweba Disteict. The Owera Mine is shut down, and there is no mining at present in the vicinity. Mataeangi Disteict. Ocean View Mine. —This mine is now owned by a syndicate, the original owners having disposed of their interests. During the year an average of six men was employed, and 38 tons of quartz were taken from the upper levels and sent to the Thames by sea. The yield from this was 31oz. 15dwt. A cross-cut of 150 ft. was driven to cut the reef at a lower level, and 40ft. on the reef. A battery of fifteen stamps, two Watson and Denny pans, and two berdans, to be driven by steam-power, have been erected at the foot of the hill, near the Mud-flat Boad. The water required for the machine is not yet brought in from a small creek, so that no crushing has taken place. Mahakieau. Bryce's Claim. —A parcel of 181b. of quartz, the result of washings from mullock and surfacedirt from this claim, was crushed at the Try Fluke battery, Kuaotunu, for a return of 6oz. lOdwt. of gold. Several parties occasionally prospect in this locality, but no return of gold has been obtained. Otungueu Disteict. Welcome Mine, Kauri Timber Company's land (W. McNeill and: party, owners). —82 tons of quartz were conveyed by sea to Coromandel and crushed at Mayn's battery for a return of 61oz. of gold. Two men were employed. Moewai Disteict. There is a small amount of prospecting done in this locality, chiefly by Maoris, but there is no return of gold. • Kuaotunu Disteict. Try Fluke Mine (Try Fluke Gold-mining Company, owners; John Goldsworthy, manager). —Thirty-four wages-men are employed at the mine and battery. The reefs worked are the main reef, Kuaotunu Beef, and two leaders. The main reef varies from 2ft. to 10ft. in thickness. The Kuaotunu also varies from Ift. to sft. in thickness, and the leaders are each about 6in. in thickness. The driving done on the main reef is 410 ft., and the distance driven at various levels on the Kuaotunu Beef is 458 ft.; 100 ft. of driving has also been done on small leaders, and the total distance driven on reefs and leaders is 968 ft. The number of fathoms of reef stoped out was—on Kuaotunu Beef, over No. 3 level, 880; intermediate level, north, 60; intermediate level, south, 100; main reef, over No. 3 level, 120; stope above No. 2 level, 160; stopes on western branch, 50; intermediate on main reef, 100: total number of fathoms stoped out, 1,470. The number of tons of quartz crushed was 6,304. The quartz was crushed wet, and as much gold as possible caught on the plates, the number of ounces thus obtained was 2,0590z. lOdwt., valued at £4,595 Bs. 4d. The tailings from this, including 1,204 tons of old tailings, were treated by the cyanide process, and yielded 3,0740z. 6dwt., valued at £6,652 10s., making a total of 5,1330z. 16dwt., valued at £11,247 6s. 2d. The company has erected another five heads of new stamps, and they work well; this makes up a fifteen-head battery. The company has also bought the Mariposa Mine, and is making a connection from there to the battery by means of a ground tramway, when it will be able to send quartz direct to the mill. The mine is well opened up, and carefully worked, the stopes being kept well filled up. Kapai Vermont Mine (Kapai Vermont Gold-mining Company, owners). —Three tons of quartz crushed yielded 17oz. of gold. Two men were employed. The principal work this year has been extending the low level to the southward 30ft., and stopes on the reef. The amalgamation of Kapai and Vermont Companies' properties is now completed, and an Otis orecrusher is expected to arrive shortly. Men are employed excavating and making connections from mine to battery-site. There has been about 40 tons of ore added to paddock, making, in all, about 200 tons ready for mill. Bed Mercury Mine (Bed Mercury Gold-mining Company, owners). —An average of fourteen men was employed. The new low level was driven 520 ft., a rise was put up for 74ft., and a winze sunk 70ft. in depth on the reef. This gives 144 ft. of backs. The reef, where driven on at the low level, is not payable, and an intermediate level has been put in to divide the block. The blocks on the east and west branch reefs being exhausted, the output of quartz from this mine was 1,648 tons less than that of last year. The total quantity crushed was 743 tons, for 7030z. 12dwt. of gold, valued at £1,563 4s. 6d.; whilst the last year's gold amounted to 2,3070z. 2dwt., valued at £2,875 65.; showing a falling-off of 1,6030z. lOdwt. There was, however, a parcel of tailings treated for this company at the Great Mercury's cyanide plant, when gold to the