76

C—3

General Bemarks. In this district there has been a considerable decrease in the yield of gold. The principal gold-producing mines were worked down to the extent of the ground opened up, and in the case of the Moanataiari, Cambria, Hazelbank (now known as the Kuranui-Caledonian), and May Queen the principal work carried on has been in the extension of development works and reconstruction of the crushing plants, and not in the actual work of mining and crushing quartz. However, the advancement of the shaft in the Queen of Beauty will before long enable the May Queen Mine to resume operations on the shoots of gold at deeper levels. The Moanataiari Mine also is being thoroughly opened up, and when the new plant is ready the treatment of ore on a large scale will be commenced. The Kuranui-Caledonian Mine has again been cleared to the No. 4 level, and the workings opened up, so that crushing operations will in the future be continuous instead of intermittent, as has been lately the case. The New Alburnia and Tararu Creek Mines are now in a position to yield good returns ; a large amount of development work has yet to be done and machinery erected before an addition to any great extent is made to the annual yield of gold from the newer mines throughout the county. During the year 15,693 tons 15 cwt. 50 lb. of quartz was crushed, for a yield of 10,799 oz. 3 dwt., while 11,367 tons of tailings was treated, for a return of 2,611 oz. 12 dwt., the whole being valued at £34,253 14s. There were 1,527 men employed. Ohinemuri District. This district lies to the southward of and adjoining the Thames County. The land is of a very broken and disturbed character, densely covered with timber, except in the Waihi district, where it is of a more open and less hilly nature. The chief mining districts are Karangahake, Waitekauri, and Waihi, where the mines are turning out to be highly profitable, and where the most extensive and improved machinery is being introduced for ore treatment. The cyanide process is most successfully adopted in the saving of gold, which exists in the quartz in a very finely subdivided state in the various mines throughout Ohinemuri. It is worthy of note that in this district the cyanide process was first introduced. The Cassel Company had an agreement to extract the gold from all ore crushed by the Crown Company at Karangahake, and their manager, Mr. John McConnell, treated a quantity with such marked success that the value of the process soon became established. It will be seen from the following list of claims that a great extent of country has been taken up for mining purposes : —

Abstract of Licenses for Special Claims and Licensed Holdings issued from the Warden's Office at Ohinemuri, in the Hauraki Mining District, and registered on or before the 31st March, 1897, in the Books of the Mining Registrar at Ohinemuri.

Date of License. Area. Locality. Block. Survey District. Name of Claim. Name of Eegistered Owner. J2/4/88 J/6/96 .3/1/97 SO/11/96 13/12/96 14/10/96 .7/2/96 .9/2/97 1/10/95 .7/2/96 ./2/96 SO/11/94 11/12/95 A. e. p. 10 0 25 19 2 12 100 0 0 99 3 6 99 1 6 30 1 24 100 0 0 99 0 0 100 0 0 86 2 0 99 2 9 14 3 32 26 1 32 Karangahake Komata Waihi Waitekauri.. Waihi I. II., VI. VII. XII. X. XV. XV, XVI. X. X., XIV. XIV. X. Aroha Ohinemuri Abbey Acorn Admiralty African African No. 2 Ailsa Aladdin's Lamp .. Albermarle United Alfred Alfred Extended .. Alhambra Alpha Alpha Extended .. New Zealand Crown Mines. The Oakley Gold-mining Co. (Ltd.). Henry D. Abbott. John Endean. Charles Ralph Pinder. John R. Clouston. Waihi Reefs Gold-mining Go. (N.L.). George Crosby. Omega Gold-mining Oo. (N.L.). Exchange Gold-mining Co. (N.L.). Belmont Gold-mining Go. (N.L.). Alpha Gold-mining Co. (N.L.). Waitekauri Consolidated Gold-mining Co. (Ltd.). John W. Thorp. Union Waihi Gold-mining Co. (Ltd.). Waitekauri Union Claims (Ltd.). Herbert Gentles. Gregory B. Ormond. Samuel H. Gordon. John Phillip, jun. Pierce Fouhy. The Asteroid Gold-mining Co. (N.L.). The N.Z. Crown Mines (Ltd.). William L. Hunter. Atlas Gold-mining Co. (N.L.). Edward Joseph Smith. Komata Waitekauri .. .4/9/96 11/12/95 17/2/96 S/9/96 .9/2/97 13/12/96 13/7/96 14/10/96 .7/2/96 13/7/96 J/8/96 15/4/96 .9/2/97 .9/2/97 .9/2/97 .9/2/97 S/9/96 SO/11/96 J4/10/96 13/12/96 13/3/96 15/4/96 100 0 0 50 0 0 100 0 0 86 2 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 76 2 24 86 1 13 83 3 25 57 1 16 100 0 0 100 0 0 77 3 0 99 0 31 100 0 0 100 0 0 71 0 1 54 3 35 100 0 0 22 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 Maratoto Waihi Waitekauri .. Maratoto Waitekauri .. Karangahake Owharoa Waitekauri .. Karangahake V, VI. XVI. X. VI. XIII., XIV. VI. XIII. X. II. Aroha Ohinemuri Alpine Amaranth Anglian Aotea Arcadia Aroha Ascot Asmodeus Asteroid Aster Atlanta Atlas Auckland Chief .. Auckland Prince .. Auckland Princess Auckland Queen .. Augusta Aurifera Extended Aurifiamme Aurora Australis .. Australia Baggott Aroha Whangamata vi'i. Ohinemuri a Owharoa Karangahake Owharoa Whangamata Waitekauri .. Waihi III., VII. VII. XIV. III. XIII., XIV. VII. X. XII. Aroha Ohinemuri James D. Foley. Thomas Ussher. Thomas Corbett. John Falvey. John Edward Banks. Waitekauri Union Claims (Ltd.y. Waihi Pinnacles Gold - mining Co. (N.L.). Ohinemuri Syndicate. G. S. Budge. 14/3/96 14/3/96 99 2 16 14 0 29 Owharoa Karangahake XIV. II. Aroha Bain Ballance