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Waihi Consols Mine (Area, 200 acres; owners, Waihi Consols Gold-mining Company).—Work was carried on in driving at continuation of the northern cross-cut in the Waihi West shaft, owned by the Grand Junction Company, but no quartz was cut. It was then decided to sink a new shaft, 9 ft. by 5 ft., near the boundary of that claim, but, after reaching a depth of 120 ft., a large body of water was struck, and operations were then suspended, pending negotiations for obtaining a3O-horse-power boiler and pump capable of throwing 10,000 gallons per hour. Nine men were employed. Waihi Gladstone Mine (Area, 66 acres 2 roods 8 perches; owners, Waihi Gladstone Goldmining Company). —During the year a shaft 6 ft. by 3ft. was sunk to a depth of 175 ft., a level was opened at 100 ft. down, and 200 ft. of driving was done on a reef 6ft. in width; a winze was also sunk on this reef, the quartz improving in quality as sinking progressed. Nine men were employed. Waihi Extended Mine. —Very little work has been carried on in this mine. In the month of January only four men were employed in a drive from an adit level 300 ft. in length. Waihi South Mine (Area, 262 acres; owners, Waihi South Gold-mining Company). —During the year the shaft was sunk to a further depth of 70 ft., making a total depth of 220 ft. The rock was hard blue andesite, containing water, and giving off about 7,000 gallons per hour. At the bottom a drive was put in for a water lodgment, and 6 ft. higher up in the shaft a drive was put in to the northward, in the direction of the Waihi Consols ground, with the expectation of cutting the strike of the Welcome lode at about 350 ft. from the shaft. The first 100 ft. was through hard blue rock, then through soft andesite. At a further distance of 130 ft. some quartz stringers were cut 2.in. or 3in. in width at the bottom, but running out before they reached the top of the drive. Continuing the drive to a total length of 400 ft., alternate hard and soft rock was pierced, but no signs of quartz were seen. Endeavour was then made to sink at the place where the veins of quartz were cut, but, the flow of water proving too great, this work was abandoned, and the claim protected for six months, in order to give the shareholders time to enable further capital to be called up. One 3-horse-power engine was used to drive the winding-gear, and two Tangye special pumps (one 10 in. by 6 in. by 18 in. and the other 8 in. by 4 in. by 12 in.) were used for pumping. Prospecting operations during the early part of the year were carried on in the Waihi Monument, Great Northern, King of Waihi, Mataura, Waihi Pinnacle, Waitati, Waitati Extended, Waihi Proprietary, and Queen of Waihi Mines in this locality, and at Waihi Beach an amalgamation of interests has been effected, and a strong company formed to prospect the ground. Wharekiraupunga District. Royal Standard Mine.—A large amount of money has been expended in laying the tramway, preparations for the foundation of the battery, the construction of a water-race, the manager's house, and necessary buildings, but the manager, who recently arrived from Home, has recommended the directors to stop all works for the present. Mr. T. Pascoe, the manager, reports: "The Eoyal Standard Gold-mines (Limited) is at present under protection. The number of men that have been regularly employed during the fifteen months the company has been operating has been sixty.. The area of land held is 100 acres. The mine is a quartz-mine, and is situated in the Wharekiraupunga district. The reefs, as stated, are composed of quartz, and vary in thickness from 3 in. to 6 ft. The deepest shaft is 50 ft., and the longest adit level about 300 ft. A distance of 685 ft. has been driven on the various reefs at present exploited on the property. The work done to date can be described as prospecting, making surface tramways, water-race, and excavation for machine-site. There is no machinery on the ground, nor ha 3 any ore been crushed, with the exception of small test parcels at the Thames School of Mines." Waitekauri District. Waitekauri Mine (Owners, Waitekauri Gold-mining Company, Limited). —The mine comprises the following claims : Golden Cross section—Golden Cross Special Claim, 100 acres; Croesus Special Claim, 100 acres; Tunnel Special Claim, 100 acres; Socket Special Claim, 99 acres 2 roods 6 perches : total, 399 acres 2 roods 6 perches. Komata'section —Te Ao Marama Special Claim, 97 acres 3 roods 36 perches ; Cross-cut Special Claim, 100 acres ; Cross-cut Extended Special Claim, 50 acres : total, 247 acres 3 roods 36 perches. Waitekauri Licensed Holding, 9 acres 2 roods 23 perches. Total of the three sections, 657 acres and 25 perches. Golden Cross section: There are two shafts in this section of the mine—No. 1 shaft, 317 ft. below the surface, and No. 2 shaft, 195 ft. below the surface. The greatest depth of the workings below the sill of No. 1 shaft is 230 ft. and below the sill of No. 2 shaft 180 ft. There are five levels —(1.) Corbett's level, a drive in the side of the hill 22 ft. below the level of the sill of No. 1 shaft: this is not connected or worked from the shaft. (2.) No. 1 level, north and south of No. 1 shaft. (3.) No. 2 level, north and south of No. 1 shaft. These two levels are connected with No. 1 shaft by cross-cuts. (4.) No. 1 level, north and south of No. 2 shaft. (5.) No. 2 level, north and south of No. 2 shaft. These two levels are connected with No. 2 shaft by cross-cuts. The reef consists of a dark-coloured quartz carrying a large quantity of manganese, and impregnated more or less with very fine iron-pyrites. Its width varies considerably (from 6 ft. to 20 ft., and portions are even wider than this). The greater portion, however, so far opened up is at least from 10ft. to 15ft. in width. Development work carried on in this section of the mine is as follows : Sinking Nos. 1 and 2 shafts, driving the western cross-cut (Corbett's level) to prospect the ground to the west of the reef, driving No. 1 level, opening up and driving No. 2 level from No. 1 shaft, opening up and driving No. 2 level from No. 2 shaft, and driving the low-level tunnel. In addition to this, several rises have been carried through between the various levels to open up the reef. Komata section : The sinking of a shaft, 10 ft. by 4 ft. inside measurements, has been commenced, and it has been sunk to a depth of 40 ft. below surface. The greatest depth of workings in this section of the mine is 200 ft. There are four principal levels —(1) The Gully drive, a drive in the side of the hill; (2) the Hopper level, a drive in the side of the hill at the same level as the