C.—B

2

different minerals the miner finds in pursuing his ordinary avocation, the combination of the various metals, and the complex ores that are met with, all demand a training of no ordinary degree to be an expert in mining. To be able to successfully carry on mining operations in all its brand: es a man must not only have a large practical experience in actual workings of mines, but he also must have a general knowledge of the chemistry of metals, in order that he may analyse and ascertain the percentage of metals the ore contains; he must have a knowledge of mineralogy before he can identify the form and crystallization of the various mineral ores ; a knowledge of geology to be acquainted with faults, slides, and heaves, to be able to determine the method of again discovering lodes which may be cut off and displaced by fault-movements, and to have a knowledge of the composition of the country rocks in which mineral ores are found ; a knowledge of the composition of gases, their deleterious effects on animal life, and of their dilution so as to render them harmless, so as to bo well acquainted with the principles of ventilation; a knowledge of metallurgy, so as to be able to fully understand the best and most economic methods of extracting the various metals from their ores; and he also must have a fair knowledge of mathematics before he can understand the principle of, and carry out underground surveys. It will therefore be seen that any one who adopts mining as an avocation requires a large and varied technical education. Indeed, to be thoroughly acquainted with every phase of mining requires a higher technical education than almost any other profession. In order to encourage students attending schools of mines, the Hon. the Minister of Mines has offered to give annually for competition three scholarships at the Otago University, of the annual value of £50 to students residing more than three miles beyond the boundaries of the City of Dunedin, and £30 to those residing within the boundary as stated; the scholarships to be tenable for three years, or for such other less period as may at the discretion of the Minister appear to be necessary. The examination of students will be held in the month of December in each year, at the Thames, Eeefton, and Dunedin, on the following subjects : Theoretical chemistry, practical chemistry, metallurgy of gold and silver, mining, ventilation of mines, general and mining geology, land and mining surveying and drawing. No scholarship will be awarded to a candidate who does not obtain 75 per cent, of the marks in each subject. All candidates applying to be examined to forward a fee of 10s. to the Under-Secretary of the Mines Department not later than the Ist of November in each year. The examination papers to be prepared by the examiners of the Schools of Mines at the Thames and Eeefton. The Minister, however, reserves the right to cancel any scholarship should the holder thereof attend irregularly or be reported for idleness or bad conduct; and no candidate will be allowed to compete for a scholarship who has not been attending a school of mines within the colony for at least a period of two years. This ought to give a high incentive to students to study and prepare themselves to compete for a scholarship. THAMES SCHOOL OF MINES. The average number of individuals attending the school last year was ninety-one, as against 105 for the year previous. Of the number last year, forty were registered students, and fifty-one pupils attending Saturday science lectures. During the year thirteen parcels of ore have been tested at the plant attached to the school, in lots from 3201b. up to 4,1251b., the aggregate weight of ore tested being 21,6101b., as against 22,8191b. for the year previous. The value of the ore treated was £275, or about £28 10s. per ton, and the average recovery of bullion was about 78 per cent. During the last year a cyanide plant has been added, which will in future enable ores suitable for leaching by the Cassel process to be treated. The whole of the parcels of ore tested last year at the plant attached to the school, with one exception, was crushed dry, and treated by pan-amalgamation. Mr. F. B. Allen, M.A., B.Sc, who was temporarily employed, has been permanently appointed as assistant to Mr. Park. The appointment has given every satisfaction to the Committee, who speak highly in his favour. He has taken over the class of mechanical drawing and mathematics, and assists Mr. Park with the classes in chemistry and assaying. This has relieved Mr. Park of a great deal of the work, and given him more time to devote to field-surveying and geology. The Committee of the school has decided to grant diplomas to mining engineers, on condition that they first shall pass an examination for mine-managers' certificates under the Mining Act, and also under the Coal-mines Act, and shall attend the school for another year and pass a satisfactory examination in engineering surveying, designing, and constructing, land- and mine-surveying, geodetic surveying, applied mechanics, hydraulics, mechanical drawing, general and mining geology, mineralogy, mathematics, and electricity and magnetism. It is questionable if it is wise to grant diplomas of mining engineers to young men who have no practical experience in the working of mines, and who, notwithstanding, have acquired the theory of mining and all subjects connected with it. There are many things that appear totally different when the inexperienced man commences to put his theory in practice, and he finds, although he may have passed his theoretical examination with credit, he is only entering his apprenticeship in his profession. Before a man can get a diploma as a mining engineer in some of the schools of mines in America he must, in the first instance, have a fair education, such as one would require to pass an examination for matriculation to a university. At the school of mines at the College of Montana, Deer Lodge, Montana, United States, the course of instruction is as follows : First year— Trigonometry, analytics, general chemistry, German or some selected language, qualitative analysis, botany, and English. Second year—Analytics, calculus, chemical physics,' chemical philosophy, physics, quantitative analysis, descriptive geometry, metallurgy, crystallography, and theoretical mineralogy. Third year—Calculus, mechanics, metallurgy, geology, mechanical engineering, mining engineering, civil engineering, strains in structures, lithology, and mineralogy. Fourth year—Assaying, railroad engineering, strains on structures, ore-dressing, hydraulic engineering, properties of metals, economic geology, applied chemistry, sanitary engineering, heating and