C—3a

10

List of Dividends declared, Calls made, &c., by various Companies

I submit for your information the following account of the work done by the principal mines in the district during the past twelve months, and some indications of future operations :— Mueeay Cbeek and Cbushington. Keep-It-Dark. —During the first half of the year work in the mine was retarded on account of the heavy landslip which occurred at the end of the previous year. Besides the labour and expense of clearing away the debris, new poppet-heads had to be erected, and an engine placed in position for winding. The stone has been stoped out up to No. 5 level. Just a few feet below No. 5 level the reef made a flat bench, and went about 30 ft into the footwall, almost horizontally. At the present time it is being opened out above No. 5 level. The winze from No. 6 level has been sunk to a depth of 130 ft. on stone. The inside winding-shaft has been sunk 130 ft. below No. 6 chamber. No. 7 level is now being driven to connect with winze 180 ft. distant. A new water-wheel for winding has been erected. The head-race has been thoroughly repaired. In a short time the company will be in a position to greatly increase their output. During the year 2,550 tons of stone has been crushed, for a yield of 2,264 oz. of gold, valued at £9,169, out of which £3,000 has been paid to shareholders in dividends. The total output of the mine is 120,299 tons of quartz, which yielded 64,713 oz. of gold valued at £252,620, out of which dividends have been disbursed to the extent of £113,416 13s. 4d., which is equal to £5 13s. sd. per share. The called-up capital amounts to only £6,208 6s. Bd., or 6s. 2Jd. per share. Hercules. —At the date of my last report No. 9 level had then been driven south 330 ft. During the past year this level has been continued for 289 ft., making the total distance driven in No. 9 south from main shaft 619 ft. The reef which was proved in the winze sunk from No. 8 not having been intersected at this point in No. 9, a rise was carried up for 98 ft., and a connection made with this winze. An intermediate level was then driven south on stone at top of rise, and the reef from this point up to No. 8 level stoped out. 796 tons of quartz was crushed, and yielded 306 oz. 7dwt. 14 gr. melted gold, valued at £1,224 2s. 9d. Two prospecting cross-cuts were then driven in on the western side of No. 9 level, without any profitable results. A prospecting winze is now being sunk from the floor of this level, and is down about 25 ft. on reef track, A considerable amount of prospecting work was also done on No. 7 level to the north. This drive was extended over 100 ft. further on the track of stone, and a rise carried up for 45 ft., but indications were not favourable for its continuance. A crosscut has been started at No. 9 level from main shaft, and is now being pushed on. It is in about 160 ft., and being driven due east. It is intended to extend it 300 ft. or 400 ft. further, with the view of proving if a parallel line of reef exists east of that now being worked. Should this enterprise meet with success it will open up virgin ground, and give new life to the company, besides encouraging adjoining claims to prospect in a similar manner.

• Tailings. f Concentrates.

Company. Calls made. Dividends declared. Quartz crushed. Yield of Gold. Value. £ s. d. £ Tons. 4,830 1,095 130 158 125 90 Oz. dwt. gr. 2,305 10 4 259 15 8 38 2 4 128 0 0 127 16 0 52 3 0 £ s. d. 9,342 16 6 1,034 9 1 152 11 10 518 8 0 519 3 9 201 16 3 Globe and Progress Wealth of Nations Golden Fleece Eoyal Cumberland Dillon Extended ... Success ... Exchange Inkerman Combined Inglewood Extended Keep-It-Dark No. 2 South Keep-It-Dark ... Big Eiver Lord Edward Golden Treasure ... Al 1,200 0 2,333 6 100 0 500 0 0 8 0 0 60 26" 13 0 101 17 4 200" 0 0 1,000 0 0 3,000 2,550 2,264 0 0 9,169" 0 0 1,800 2,000 1,983 10 0 8,030 19 0 600 0 600 0 0 0 i,ooo" o 1,500 0 0 0 ioo 48 796 293 0 0 306 7 14 8 2 1 1,190 14 3 1,224 2 9 31 10 1 Hercules... Golden Lead *... Private Companies— Victoria Sir P. Drake ... 235 1,150 I 3| 105 15 0 447 4 13 19 6 0 423 0 0 1,806 14 3 77 4 0 Alluvial ... 9,033 6 8 4,900 13,2701 8,365 4,129 4 20 5 21 33,824 16,134 7 5 1 4 Totals... 12,494 10 17 49,958 12 5