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Karaka District. Adelaide Mine (Area, 22 acres; owners, Adelaide Gold-mining Company, No Liability).—The shaft is now 410 ft. in depth, and work has been carried on driving and stoping the reef, which is from 6 in. to 3 ft. in width. 458 tons was crushed, for 163 oz. 17 dwt. of gold ; value, £478 2s. 6d. Twelve men were employed. May Queen Extended Mine (Area, 49 acres ; owners, May Queen Extended Gold-mining Company, No Liability).—Extensive prospecting works have been carried on at this mine—loo ft. of driving in the cross-cut and 400 ft. in the line of reef at the low level. A winze has also been sunk to a depth of 75 ft. to connect with the low level. Thirty-nine tons of quartz yielded a return of 44 oz. 19 dwt., valued at £121 7s. 4d. Three men were employed. The Glaremont Claim, owned by Mr. G. Bryant, has again produced a considerable quantity of gold, obtained from working on the junction of flinties with small leaders. Two hundredweight of specimens was crushed, for a yield of 181 oz. 11 dwt., valued at £482 2s. 4d. One man was employed. Gloucester Mine (Area, 87 acres ; owners, Gloucester Gold-mining Company). —This company's property is being vigorously prospected. A considerable amount of trenching and driving has been done, and a shaft sunk to a depth of 140 ft. It is intended shortly to erect a pumping- and wind-ing-engine capable of sinking to a depth of 400 ft. In the course of development works, under the supervision of Mr. Thomas McCullough, a fair quantity of gold has been obtained from leaders and reefs in surface drives. The company has also secured the Lincoln Special Claim, and intends, if possible, to purchase the Manchester Claim, which should be of value, as the tributers discovered a body of quartz which gave good results under a test. Twelve men employed. Karaka Mines, Limited (Area, 84 acres 3 roods 20 perches).—A large amount of work has been done in this claim in stoping and driving on No. 1 reef, and 170 ft. has been driven east and 215 ft. west. The reef, which is about 2 ft. wide, looks promising, good gold being occasionally seen in the stone. The mine is well timbered, and the ventilation is good. Seven men employed. Mr. Dunlop, who has the supervision of the mine, reports as follows: "It was purchased from the original shareholders by the Austinfriars Finance Syndicate, of London. The management is in the hands of the Thames Exploration Syndicate. During past twelve months a staff of men has been employed opening up several of the reefs. The principal work has been confined to two reefs cut in the adit level, and known as No. 1 and No. 2. A total distance of 650 ft. has been driven on the No. 1 reef, which averages 4 ft. in thickness, until it junctions with the No. 2, after which its average width is from 7 ft. to 8 ft. Several test lots have been crushed by the ordinary wet process, and have given an average yield of about £2 per ton. The No. 2 reef is 5 ft. in thickness. The height of backs available at various points is 290 ft., 270 ft., and 320 ft. A battery-site close to the county water-race and a water-race in the Karaka Creek have been secured. The company is now considering the erection of a ten-head battery to test the reefs regularly, and to help to pay the working-expenses of opening up the mine. The Hague Smith reef has also been opened up from the creek-level. A 5-ton parcel has been shipped to London for experimental purposes." Una Hill and Te Papa District. Occidental Mine (Area, 50 acres; owners, Occidental Gold-mining Company).—Prospecting work has not been carried on to any great extent during the year. Six men were employed earlier in the year, but the claim is now protected. Fortuna Mine (Area, 61 acres; owners, Fortuna-Hauraki Gold-mining Company).—The work carried on in this mine has been clearing out old workings, and No. 1 level has been driven from the cross-cut for a distance of 175 ft. The reef, which is from 8 ft. to 10 ft. in width, is known as the Gibraltar reef. The Magnolia No. 3 reef has also been opened at No. 2 level. The quartz is about 9 ft. in width where it was cut through, and, as this reef is well opened up, large blocks of quartz can be readily stoped out. A temporary pumping and winding plant has been erected at the Old Consols shaft, and the water lowered to the No. 3 level, 200 ft. from the surface. A drive is to be extended from this level to cut the Gibraltar and the other reefs at this depth. A battery of ten stamps is to be erected for the purpose of thoroughly ascertaining the value of the many reefs and leaders in this ground. The reefs are well worthy of the expenditure needful for opening them up. The Hague Smith reef, which runs parallel with Te Papa Gully, will cross the strike of the other reefs, and probably will be the means of causing deposits of gold at the junctions. Thirty-three men were employed. Hape Creek District. Anchor Mine (Area, 100 acres; owners, Ethel Reef Gold-mining Company).—The operations on the ground have been chiefly clearing old levels and obtaining parcels of quartz from the different reefs. 180 tons was crushed, for 90 oz. of gold ; value, £234. Fifteen men were employed. A party of four tributers crushed 23 tons, for a yield of 42 oz. 10 dwt. of gold; value, £110 10s. Mascotte Limerick Mine. —Some prospecting work was done in the earlier part of the year, but the claim has now been abandoned. Puriri District. Puriri Mine (Area, 100 acres; owners, Puriri Gold-mining Company). — Two men were employed in prospecting operations for nine months in the year, but no returns of gold have been obtained. The London and New Zealand Exploration Company have carried an extensive prospecting works in the Hit-or-Miss Claim. One low-level cross-cut has been driven 564 ft. through hard rock, and two drives along reefs, one 345 ft. and the other 305 ft., those veins being from 6 in.