C.—3.

40

Port Charles District. Jay Gould Mine (Area, 100 acres). —Situated at Big Sandy Bay. Three drives have been put in —No. 1, driven 76 ft., on Kensington's reef, a small vein about 4 in. in width, in which small prospects of gold can be got; No. 2 drive is a cross-cut which is being put in to cut Mclsaac's reef; No. 3 level has been driven 64 ft. to cut No. 2 reef, which varies from 10 in. to 18 in. in width, and also gives small prospects of gold. Pour men are employed. A small amount of prospecting work was done on the De Hirsch Claim, of 99 acres 3 roods, but no gold has been reported. The Takapuna, Golden Gate, Vanderbilt, Grand Moehau Freehold Syndicate, Pacific, and Mclsaac's have been also taken up, but no returns have been made. Cabbage Bay District. White Star Consolidated Mine (Area, 750 acres 1 rood 31 perches).—This mine comprises the following claims : Doric, lonic, Coptic, Celtic, Britannic, Noric, Helvetic, and Belgic. Seven or eight prospecting drives have been put in, chiefly near the surface, and several compact quartz reefs cut in andesite country. Small leaders were also cut in the slate formation. A low level has been commenced to cut the reef, which occurs in the Belgic and Coptic Claims at a depth of 120 ft. below the surface. Twenty-four men are employed. Golden Caledonia Mine (Area, 27 acres). —As many as nine reefs occur in this ground, varying from 6 in. to 8 ft., but only in two of them has gold in small prospects been got. Three men are employed. Ladas Mine (Area, 87 acres). —Surface trenching was done for 110 chains, and seven different reefs cut, varying from 6 in. to 3 ft. 6 in. A cross-cut was put in 200 ft. below the surface, and a reef cut at 94 ft. Another drive is put in 50 ft., but no reef cut. Four men are employed. Queen Victoria Mine (Area, 100 acres). —A small parcel of 2 tons of oxidized pug and 1001b. of hard quartz was crushed at the Moanataiari Battery, Thames, for 3oz. of gold, value £2 15s. 6d. per ounce. The following is the work done at the mine during the year : About 205 ft. of driving, 300 ft. of trenching, 30 ft. of old drive cleaned out and repaired. There are several leaders, and three of them gold-bearing. Four men are employed. Criterion, late Fortuna Mine (Area, 47 acres 2 roods 28 perches).—This mine is situated at Waikanae, and the reef, which last year yielded quartz worth 10 oz. 3 dwt. to the ton, has again been worked. A parcel of 8 tons 3 cwt. of quartz was crushed, for 104 oz. 2 dwt. of gold, and 5 tons of quartz from No. 2 reef yielded 9 oz. 15 dwt. of gold. As there are several other goldbearing reefs in the ground the prospects are considered favourable, and a battery is to be erected convenient to the mine. Six men are employed. The City of Gisborne, Jersey, Cuvier Light, and Elvira have been prospected and reefs and leaders of quartz discovered, but no returns of gold have been made. Fortuna No. 2 (Area, 38 acres). —A considerable amount of prospecting work has been done. Six different cross-cuts were put in, and in the quartz cut prospects of gold are got, but not of a rich character. Four men are employed. The Moehau Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4, Killarney, Golden Fortuna, Baron Eothschild, Netherfield, Great Waikanae, and Everton have also been prospected, but no results furnished. Kennedy Bay District. The A.J.C. Special Claim, of 100 acres, is situated at the Omoho Creek, Kennedy Bay. About 200 ft. of driving has been done, and three reefs discovered, each of which yields prospects of gold. Pour men are employed. Lorna Doone Mine (Area, 100 acres). —A considerable amount of work has been done in prospecting the reefs in this mine. Eight reefs are known, varying from 2 ft. to 5 ft., and one large reef 40 ft. in width. Gold is found in No. 3 reef and in the 40 ft. reef by pounding the stone and using the dish, but so far none of the reefs are valuable. A cross-cut is being put in to cut No. 3 reef at a further depth of 60 ft. Five men are employed. Work was also carried on in the Bay View, in which several reefs, varying from Ift. to 4 ft., have been discovered. A parcel of 6J tons yielded 19 oz. 8 dwt. of gold. The Madge, Look-out, Evening Star, Anglo-Saxon, and Maioro have been prospected, and in each quartz reefs were found. In the Kennedy Bay, Vanderbilt, West Derby, and Eangipuhi no discoveries have been made. Paul's Creek District. Conquest Mine (Area, 30 acres). —Considerable prospecting was done near the surface, but the ground opened proved to be of a loose disturbed character. A low level is now being driven to test the firm country underneath. Golden Lead Mine (Area, 127 acres) .• —About 300 ft. of cross-cut driving has been done, and several reefs cut; value not known. Five men are employed. The Duke of Wellington, Kapanga Beefs, and Corea Claims have also been prospected. Tokatea District. Boyal Oak and Tokatea Mines. —These mines are adjacent, and situated on the Tokatea Range. A large reef runs along the range in a northerly direction near the ridge, and the principal workings are on the eastern slope, the reefs worked being offshoots of the main reef, and running nearly at right angles to it. An interesting feature, and one that renders the deeper workings in these mines a matter of the utmost general importance, is that the reefs have been worked from the surface downwards in andesite rock; but at the lower levels the rock is changed to slate or sedimentary