5

a—Ba

Several claims have been worked on different parts of the range. Harbour View : Wills and party crushed 121b. of specimens for soz. 2dwt. of gold. Boswell and party crushed 3 tons 4cwt. 1631b. for 640z. lldwt. ; and sundry other crushings yielded 107oz. 4dwt. from 27 tons 16cwt. 1,2831b. of quartz. There is every prospect of a revival of mining matters on the Tokatea Eange. Companies have been floated in England to take over and work the Tokatea, Eoyal Oak, and Great Tokatea Mines; and Mr. Francis Hodge, the manager, has informed me that operations will be at once commenced at the No. 7or low level in the Tokatea Mine to work the reefs below that level. It is also reported that other ground will be taken up by English companies. Try Again Mine. —This mine, which is situated near the top of the range and to the southward of the Tokatea Saddle, has been steadily worked during the year. Mr. S. James, the owner, has done a considerable amount of prospecting in the cross-cut put in to the northward of the old level. Upwards of 200 ft. of driving has been done on the reef, which is from 3in. to 2ft. in thickness. The gold occurs in patches of very rich stone, and 181b. of quartz crushed in a berdan yielded 690z. Idwt. of gold. Three wages-men are employed. Kapanga Distbict. Kapanga Mine. —The chief work carried on during the year was sinking the main shaft a further distance of 162 ft., opening chamber and driving a short cross-cut at the 700 ft. level, and also opening a chamber and driving a cross-cut at the 800 ft. level; this drive is in 500 ft., and it is calculated that the junction of Scotty's and Kapanga reefs will be reached in two months. Boring with the diamond-drill has been continued from the bottom of the shaft, 800 ft., to a further depth of 100 ft. Prospecting-work has also been carried on at the other levels, but not to any very great extent. 35ft. of winze was sunk, 102 ft. of.rising, and 65ft. driven on reefs, and about 30 fathoms of reefs stoped out. Three tons of quartz yielded 30oz. lOdwt. of gold. Thirty-five wages-men are employed. Scotty's Mine. —Very little work was done during the year, and no return of gold obtained. An English company has been floated to work this mine and adjacent land, and operations are soon to be commenced to sink a shaft and test the deep levels. Sunny side Claim (Bennett and Wells, owners). —The workings are chiefly on the surface of Murphy's Hill. The gold is found in quartz mixed with surface-clay; 47 tons were crushed for 420z. 19dwt. of gold. Kauei Block. Hauraki (late Goromandel) Mine. —ln the early part of the year work was entirely carried on by tributers. Their workings were confined to the portion of the mine above water-level. Several parties were working facing the sea, and also on the other side of the hill near the head of John Bull Gully. Eoss and party met with encouraging returns, and in following the gold downwards had sunk a shaft to a depth of 70ft. This shaft was condemned because they had allowed it to get into a dangerous state: they therefore decided to drive a cross-cut about 400 ft. in length to cut the reef worked in the shaft. In driving this cross-cut through Warner and Legge's tribute sections a reef was discovered showing rich gold. The two parties at once made arrangements to use Boss's tunnel, and immediately on commencing work on the reef obtained very rich specimens. Legge and party, up to the 31st of December, took out 3,9540z. 7dwt. of melted gold, whilst Warner and party got 3320z. The term of both of these tributes expired on the 31st of December last, and preparation was made by the manager, Mr. Argall, to at once take up the work on behalf of the company. The tribute parties had to leave off breaking quartz at midnight on the 31st December, and as soon as they left the company's men stepped into work on the reef, and no time was lost in working the reef up to the 31st March, 1895, during which period 180 tons quartz and 4,5271b. specimens were crushed for a yield of 9,9010z. 12dwt. melted gold. In order to be in readiness to work the reef on the expiration of the tribute a new engine with winding and pumping gear was procured, and a shaft sunk to a depth of 100 ft. A cross-cut was also driven 50ft. to cut the No. 2 or Legge's Eeef, on which driving was at once carried on, when the run of rich gold was found to extend upwards of 200 ft. along the line of reef. Eich stone was left in the floor all along this level, so there is every indication of a continuance of the run both upwards and downwards. In driving the cross-cut at the 100 ft. level another leader —No. 3 —carrying rich specimens, was cut about 30ft. from No. 2. The shaft has been sunk to a further depth of 52ft., and Mr. Argall's intention is to open out a new level at 160 ft., and drive a cross-cut to the reef. A block of country 60ft. in depth will then be available; and, as already stated, there is every indication that the run of gold extends downwards, therefore a continuation of rich yields may be expected. The channel of country from which the rich yields have been won appears to be the same in which the Union Beach rich reefs were worked. However, no drive had been put in from the Union Beach workings to test the country under the hill at the head of the John Bull Gully, and this portion of the mine remained untried until the time the tributers commenced working, when it was their good fortune that the rich discovery was made by Eoss and party. The lona. —This mine adjoins the Hauraki. A considerable amount of driving has been done, but so far without making any discovery of payable gold. Anderson's Claim. —This claim adjoins the lona. A prospecting-drive has been put in for about 300 ft., but so far no reef has been cut. Strongman and, Nyhan's Claim. —To the northward of the Hauraki a good deal of prospecting has been done in the hill, but so far nothing favourable has been found. Welcome Find Mine. —This mine includes the land formerly known as the Just in Time, on which a shaft had been sunk and a large amount of work done about fourteen years ago. The present owners have purchased the engine and pumping machinery which was on the Consols Mine,