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through iron tubes, by means of water at a great pressure, on to the higher ground, where the water can find a natural fall —similar hydraulic appliances as are used by the Eound Hill Mining Company. Some miners on the field have lately united together for the purpose of adopting a similar method, and have been granted a special claim of 20 acres. I trust they will succeed, and so lead the way to other co-operations of working miners. There are about the same number of Chinese on the field as last year, but I am informed they are not doing very well. Peesebvation. Inlet. There are now six registered mining companies in this district—namely : The Golden Site, the Hesperides, the Break-of-Day, the Triangle Extended, the Surprise, and the Morning Star. The Golden Site is the only company that has put a battery on as yet. The result of the crushings at first were highly satisfactory, but latterly obstacles have been experienced, owing to large slips on the surface interfering with the workings. The prospects in the Morning Star are said to be very good, and the company is pushing forward with the work, and hope to have machinery on the ground shortly. Cuttle Cove. Messrs. Cullen and Clark have taken up a special claim of 98 acres in this locality, and it is the intention of the proprietors to bring in a big water-race and work the claim with hydraulic appliances. The Crown, St. George, and Lizzard Beefing Claims are also said to be showing good stone. The alluvial find at Te Whara Beach caused some excitement, and a number of claims have been pegged out, some of the men doing very well. Wyndham. There is nothing worthy of report re this district, mining being practically at a standstill for the present. I have, &c, To the.Under-Secretary of Mines, Wellington. C. B. Eawson, Warden.

No. 17. Mr. John Gow, Inspector of Mines, to the Undee-Secbetaey of Mines, Wellington. Sib, — Inspector of Mines' Office, Dunedin, 6th May, 1895. I have the honour to forward herewith my remarks on the mines visited by me since my last annual report. Gold-mines. Sound Hill Mine, Orepuki. —A very considerable amount of material has been put through the elevator since about this time last year. The present position of the jet plant appears to me to be only a short distance from the original creek-channel before mining commenced, and, from the shape of the paddock sluiced away, I imagine the payable ground extends into the terrace only a distance of from sto 6 chains from the plant. At that distance back the depth of material sluiced away must be fully 50ft., all of which, however, is good moving stuff. The shallowest part of the paddock is probably 20ft. The water-supply is generally short at this time of the year, which was the case at the time of my visit, and consequently the plant was not working. The men were, however, erecting a second set of sluice-boxes at a slightly higher level above the old ones, rendered necessary, I presume, in consequence of the considerable filling-in of the tailing-site. All the low-lying flat where the tailings are being cast is fast filling up to a level much above what it has ever been before, and this filling will continually add to the height of the lift, and of the flat in the neighbourhood of mining operations, since there is neither fall or water to carry the tailings away as fast as they are sluiced there. The jet is now elevating the material to a height of 50ft., which may be considered near its limit. I did not see the manager on the day of my visit. Gallant Tip Quartz-mine. —(13/11/94) : At a distance of about 500 ft. in from the mouth of the adit, a cross-cut was lately put in to the eastward about 30ft., when a 6ft. lode was met with, carrying gold; but its value will not be known till a crushing be obtained from it. The new lode is being followed southward, in which direction it diverges a little to the eastward from a parallel line with the main lode. The new find, if payable, will give 300 ft. of backs. I visited all the workingplaces in the first and second levels, where the lode is generally sft. wide. The stoped-out ground is being filled with excavated material as the work proceeds, and the passes and partitions are being built up with round and sawn timber at the same time. The mine is in good order, and appears to be carefully worked. The air is good throughout. The Leviathan Beef is situated behind Johnston's Hotel. A few tons of stone are being packed on horses to the Gallant Tip battery to be crushed. All the stone as yet is being gathered from the surface. The Achilles Mine. —(l 4/11/94): There are now four levels being worked in the mine. The first is in the adit-level, and the others are worked from the shaft. The lowest one is on the best stone, some of which shows gold freely. I saw some good stone in this level, and was shown some pretty specimens, said to have come from the same level. Gold like small grains of wheat is also found, here in the laminations of the slaty schist several inches above the lode. I saw gold in the slate at the same place, and brought away a good specimen. I have also a piece of gold which I procured from between the slate. The lode is generally from 4ft. to 6ft. wide. Stoping is going on in several places, and is being well and closely timbered. Most of the working-places are very dry, and comfortable to work in. All the levels are well and strongly timbered. A Tangye pump, worked by compressed air, is fixed near the bottom level, and forces up the drainage to the surface. There is a very neat and compact winding-engine in the workings at the 200 ft. level, which is worked by compressed air and does its work well. The air is good throughout the mine.