0.—3.

72

New Zealand Jubilee Mine (Area, 292 acres 2 roods 2 perches).—ln No. 2 level, 78 ft. below No. 1, driving and sinking operations have been carried on. The shaft is being sunk from -this level at a distance of 600 ft. from the level of the tunnel, which is now 1,000 ft. This level is being driven to intersect the Waitekauri reef. Young New Zealand Mine (Area, 14 acres 1 rood 12 perches).—Cleaning and retimbering the low level, which is now a distance of 460 ft., has been carried on by five men. It is proposed to extend this level, with a view of cutting a series of reefs worked at the higher levels, and 200 ft. more will have to be driven to reach the desired point, and this will give 100 ft. of backs on the reef to the next level. A rise is being put in No. 6 level to the surface, for ventilation purposes. The Waitekauri Union claims are owned by the Waitekauri Union Claims (Limited), an English company, of which Mr. P. M. Hansen is the local secretary and attorney. They consist of two groups, comprising the Central, E.M.C. Extended, Pilot, and Pilot Extended Claims, in the western property, and the Anglian, Nebraska, Australia, California, and Marburg in eastern section, a total area of 625 acres. At the latter group, after the road (three-quarters of a mile in length) from the county road to the proposed shaft site was completed and made fit for the conveyance of heavy machinery, poppet-heads were erected, a small coupled winding-engine and Tangye pump were fitted up, and sinking proceeded with. The object of operations was to sink to a depth of from 300 ft. to 500 ft. according to developments, and then open out and cross-cut from both sides of the shaft to intersect the Golden Cross lode, which at present is the chief gold-producer in the district. Sinking was continued to a depth of 190 ft. employing eighteen men, in three shifts, but at that depth the water increased beyond the capacity of the pump, compelling temporary suspension of operations. The question of the installation of a heavy pumping plant is being considered. In the meantime an adit which will be 300 ft. in length is being driven to connect with the shaft, which should drain much of the water* and allow further sinking to be gone on with. At the western group of claims a number of prospecting tunnels have been driven and various reefs cut and partly opened out, but work is now concentrated on the low level. To this point a road has been made to allow the machinery to be taken up, and an air-compressing plant erected for working the rock-drills. The engine is a coupled one, with 10 in. diameter cylinders and boiler of 65-horse power. The air-pistons are also 10 in. in diameter, and the air is led from the receiver to the drills in 3 in. pipes. The country driven through has been hard bars of andesite alternating with more or less decomposed flows of the same rock, and at least one bed of volcanic breccia. The latter has not been met with for some time, and the country is now a decomposed andesite. The face of the level is in over 800 ft., and, in addition to the compressed air, it is ventilated by pipes exhausting by water-jet, and a third line supplies a spray jet at the drills. Several known lines of reef will be cut as the tunnel is extended, and it is on the grade of the ore to be met with that much of the success of the company will depend. Mr. N. D. Cochrane is the mining engineer and general manager, and Mr. J. Coombe is minemanager. Throughout the year over forty men have been employed, but at present the number is reduced to twenty-four. Fully two miles of roads and tracks have been constructed, and up to the Ist May, 1898, altogether over £16,000 has been expended by the company. Grace Darling Mine (Area, 90 acres).—The reef, which averages sft. in thickness, has been driven on a distance of 400 ft. in a southerly direction, and to the north a distance of 300 ft. Fifty tons of stone yielded 58 oz. 12 dwt. of gold. Waitekauri Junction Mine (Area, 60 acres). —Driving at a low level to intersect a reef trenched on the surface is now being carried on, the level being in a distance of 60 ft. Four men are employed. Waitekauri Extended Mine (Area, 95 acres 2 roods 19 perches).—The principal work at present is the driving of the low level, which is in 820 ft. A further distance of 300 ft. must be driven to cut the reef, which in No. 2 level has been driven on 500 ft. Cross-cuts have been put in at intervals of 50 ft. along the reef, which runs north and south, 250 ft. of backs being available between the low level and No. 2 level, where sinking operations are to be proceeded with on the reef, in order to establish a connection with the point at which the low level will intersect the reef. Twenty heads of stamps for the battery are already erected, and further twenty heads will complete it. The ore is of a low grade, but is considered payable. Grafton United Gold-mining Company's Mine. —The chief work carried on in this company's mine is driving the low level to intersect the Golden Cross reef. It is in a distance of 550 ft., through a somewhat tight class of country. Twenty-eight men are employed. Waitekauri Reefs Company. —The chief work undertaken in this company's mine has been the cleaning out and retimbering the Stephens No. 2 level in order to intersect the Waitekauri South No. 2 reef in the low level. Driving on the reef, which is some 2 ft. 6 in. in width, has been carried on. The ore at present is of a very low grade, and not considered payable. Waitekauri Cross Mine (Area, 100 acres; owner, Waitekauri Cross Gold-mining Company).—A large reef, varying from 14 ft. to 60 ft., runs through the ground, of an appearance similar to the Golden Cross reef in the Waitekauri Company's ground adjoining. The main cross-cut was driven 300 ft., and the drive on the Taranaki reef at the adit level advanced 324 ft., and the.reef cross-cut through from wall to wall at every 50 ft. A winze has also been sunk on this reef to a depth of 88ft., where a second level was driven for a distance of 60ft., and two cross-cuts were put through the reef, the average thickness being 24 ft.. A prospecting shaft was sunk on the eastern portion of the property, which had to be abandoned at 80 ft., through an influx of water, which was too much for the power which was then available — viz., a horse-whip. There are two water-races belonging to the company, one of which, the Maratoto, is 65 chains lone, and has a carrying-capacity of five -sluice-heads. The construction of this race is complete. The second, or Whakamoehau, is 55 chains long, and has a carrying-capacity of six sluiceheads. Men are now busy with this race-construction, the benching being almost complete. These two races converge at the same level, and have a vertical fall of 210 ft. About £800 has been