C.-3

56

Day Dawn Mine. —Area, 20 acres 2 roods 32 perches; owners, Bennett and Party.—This mine is situated in Tinker's Gully. A considerable amount of work was done on the reef, which is from 2ft. to 3ft. in thickness. A crushing of IS tons 601b. of quartz yielded 390z. 18dwt. of gold. Four men were employed. Scandinavian Mine. —Area, 42 acres 3 roods 6 perches ; owners, Scandinavian Gold-mining Company. This mine was worked by Whitely and party up to the end of September, 1896. There were 71 tons of quartz crushed for 670z. 13dwt. of gold, valued at £142 55., when the above company took over the mine. An addition was made to the battery, which now consists of eight stamps and four berdans. A small water-race about half a mile long was made in order to supply water for the tables and steam-engines. Crushing will be resumed shortly. Eight men were employed. Large areas have been taken up on the range to the northward of the creek, in one of which, named the Argosy, much work has been done and a gold-bearing reef discovered. In Upper Tararu the whole of the ground, including the claims formerly known as the Vulcan and Scottish Chief is all occupied. Shell-back Greek. —The whole of the ground in this district has again been taken up, but no works for the development of the mines have been yet undertaken, with the exception of that done in the Magazine, owned by the Magazine Gold-mining Company, which comprises 47 acres of land. A cross-cut has been put in from the Tararu Eoad for a distance of 200 ft., with a view to prospect the ground, which is that portion lying to the northward of the Kuranui Block. Since the Thames Goldfield was opened this district has never received the attention its situation warranted. Glunes Mine. —Owners, Clunes Gold-mining Company.—The ground included in this mine is that formerly known as the Nordenfeldt. On it a large amount has been done in driving new prospecting levels, to prove the value of Dixon's Reef, on the lower portion of the ground. Kuranui. Kuranui Mine (Hansen's). —Owners, Kuranui Gold-mining Company.—This mine, which is known as Hansen's, Kuranui, comprises an area of 15 acres, and is now held by the above company. The chief work done during the earlier portion of the year was done by tributers, who worked about the surface and upper portions of the mine. They crushed 111 tons of quartz for 360z. lOdwt. of gold, valued at £95 ss. 10d., and 409 tons of mullock for a yield of 78oz. Bdwt., valued at £203 15s. 7d. After the change of owners the old Shotover shaft was cleaned out and repaired to a depth of 150 ft. from the surface, or 70ft. below the adit, at which depth a cross-cut was driven 16ft. and 180 ft. on a reef. The future working of the mine will consist in cross-cutting for the Oddfellows' reef, and in sinking a shaft for ventilation. A twenty-stamp battery, with ten berdans, driven by water power owned by the company, is situated at the mouth of the 80ft. adit level. As soon as the shaft is driven it is intended also to open up the reefs 50ft. below the adit towards the main slide. Six men were employed, part of the time on wages and part on tribute. Comer's Mine. —Area, 13 acres 1 rood 37 perches ; owner, Robert Comer. —This mine has again been worked, chiefly on the assisted-tribute system. Eleven tributers were employed driving and stoping on the leaders in the Long Drive and All Nations sections. 530 tons were crushed, for a yield of 6410z. 7dwt. of gold, valued at £1,683 10s. 6d. Hazelbank Mine. —Owners, Hazelbank Gold-mining Company. —This mine has again been steadily worked. The reef known as the cross reef has been driven on for 200 ft., and 142 ft. were driven on small leaders; 132 fathoms were stoped out in the cross reef, and on the small leaders a leading stope was taken out to test the reef and secure ventilation. The company crushed 448 tons, for a yield of 2600z. sdwt., valued as £763 7s. 2d. ; and a small party of tributers crushed 1,510 tons of surface stuff for 118oz. 17dwt., valued at £312 11s. Thirteen men were employed. The works now in progress are confined to No. 1 level —viz., driving on the Young American and Kelly's leaders, and stoping on Darby's leader above this level. A little gold is seen in the quartz won from the Young American and Kelly's, and, judging from the prospects met with in the stopes on Darby's, there is a fair chance of a payable block of ground being opened up in this direction. This mine, along with Comer's, Kuranui, has been sold to an English company, and no doubt during next year extensive works will be undertaken to sink the shaft and thoroughly prospect the famous Caledonian Reef at a greater depth, underneath the deposit whence came the rich yield of former days. Moanataiari. Moanataiari Mine. —Owners, Moanataiari Gold-mining Company.—This mine, which comprises an area of 94 acres 2 roods 34 perches, was taken over by an English company on the Ist November, 1895, and is now worked on their account. In the Moanataiari section the following workings have been carried on at the Moanataiari tunnel, known as the adit level: A drive has been put in to the southward and eastward, in the direction of No. 2 shaft, for 130 ft., leaving 140 ft. more to be driven to complete the distance, which is 480 ft. At the 150 ft. shaft level, 150 ft. on No. 1 reef, and 260 ft. on No. 2, have been driven. On the latter, a block, 40ft. in height, has been stoped up to the old workings in the Golden Calf section. A winze has also been sunk 50ft. below the level. The old Golden Calf shaft has been cleaned out and repaired from the surface to the 150 ft. level, giving additional ventilation to this section of the mine, and also to No. 2 shaft and workings. Driving on No. 4 leader in the foot-wall of No. 9 reef, for 160 ft., enabled a block of ground to be stoped to a height of 45ft. This drive will also open up a large block on No. 9 reef, which is here intact up to the adit level. A drive has been continued from the footwall of the leader to No. 2 shaft, a distance of 190 ft. Point Russell section : No work has been done on the level 100 ft. over the adit during this year, but, in the level 100 ft. higher, the south crosscut has been continued 150 ft., and an equal