C.—3a.

10

Clark's Freehold adjoins the above to the north, and, as the name indicates, is also on private land. The property formerly belonged to Mr. Proud, but about two years ago was acquired by Mr. J. A. Clark, who all the time has kept one man and sometimes two men going. Al2 ft. reef was found some time back, and two drives were put in to cut it, one being 30 ft. and the other about 120 ft. An outcrop of nice-looking stone was found recently, and two drives, one of 23 ft. and the other of 40 ft., put in below. In the 40 ft. drive a great quantity of loose stone was found, and it is thought that the reef is close at hand. Assays from the loose stone gave good results, and the cutting of the reef is anxiously looked forward to. It is thought that Fleming's reef runs through this property into the Ben Lomond, and a drive of 50 ft. has been put in, but for the time being operations have been suspended in this drive. A second man is to be put on at once. The Te Puke Gold-mining Company (No Liability), —This company originally held two areas of 100 acres each, first taken up under the names of the Golden Belt and Golden Butterfly, but have now reduced their whole area to about 50 acres, which includes a portion of the old Vermont Special Claim ground. This is the only registered company in this part of the district, the shares being sixpence, and on which calls have been made to twopence. Shortly after the formation of the company the services of Mr. A. Long were obtained as working mine-manager, and after prospecting for some time a run of loose gold was picked up. The gold is coarse and has the appearance of small nuggets, and by some is thought to be alluvial. This was a new development, and the company induced an old West-Coaster (Mr. Whitehead) to come and try what sluicing would do. Sluice-boxes were erected and a little was saved, but there was not sufficient wash-dirt. Since then Mr. Long has found a horizontal seam of what is locally termed cement. This seam varies in depth from 3 ft. to 8 ft. and is of considerable extent, running right through the hill. The lode contains gold of the nature mentioned before, and the general opinion is that it is payable. Anyway the cost of treatment will be very light. It is rather peculiar that while driving into this seam the first reef on the property was found. The reef is of very kindly looking quartz, about 3 ft. to i ft. wide, and gives fair dish prospects. It is the intention of the company to take out a couple of tons, both from the cement seams and quartz reef, and have a bulk test made at the Thames School of Mines. Adjoining the three properties mentioned is a block of land named Waitaha, which is owned by Natives.. This has been divided into three claims. The Sisters Special Claim is the centre claim, and is owned "by Mrs. D. Asher and her sister, hence the name. During the first twelve or eighteen months Mr. David Lindsay and another had been working and a number of drives were put in. No. 1 drive is in 120 ft. and is now in good sandstone, a quantity of loose quartz having been met with while driving. No. 2 drive is in about 40 ft., but the mouth having fallen in work was suspended. No. 3 drive is in 42 ft. and is in sandstone. No. 4 drive is in 44 ft., and here a reef of about 5 ft. has been cut. The stone assayed £5 2s. 2d. per ton. About 18 ft. of the reef has been taken out and paddocked. A new reef has recently been found outcropping, and a drive is now being put in to cut it. The drive will have to be a fairly long one, but when the reef is cut there will be 450 ft. of backs. Ben Lomond Special Claim. — This claim is to the east of the Sisters Special Claim, and is being worked by a.syndicate, two men being employed on the ground Operations at present are confined to opening out an 8 ft. reef, believed to be the No. 2, or Palmer's, in the Te Puke Gold Eeefs Claim. The reef was struck with only a few feet of driving, and the stone gives a good assay return. There are two other reefs known on the property, but little work has been done on them up to the present. Patience Special Claim. —This is the third in the Waitaha Block, and is considered by experts to be a first-class property, having on it a very large reef that can easily be worked. Mr. Lundon, who holds the license, is now negotiating for a company to commence work, and it is expected that active operations will be prosecuted as soon as the winter months are over.. Lady Jocelyn Special Claim. —To the south of the Te Puke Gold Eeefs Claim a claim was taken up under this title with great expectations, as a run of gold was followed up to a very large reef, which outcrops for some distance. For some reason no further work was done, and the ground remains idle. This claim is on private land. Cairngorm Special Claim. —This claim is also on private land, the licensee being Mr. S. Crawford. The property lies to the south of Fleming's, and should be traversed by several of the reefs in the last-named claim. Prospecting has been going on for some time, and two reefs have been located. Tauranga and Eaimai (Borrell's Find). —To the south-west of Tauranga, about eight mile distant from the town, a prospector named Borrell found loose gold in the small tributaries of the Euangarara Stream, and an association was formed for the purpose of keeping the workmen out and, if possible, of discovering the reef from which the gold was shed. After careful washings in the creek a drive was started under what was presumed to be a blow or outcrop, but nothing but the smallest stringers were found underneath. Trenching and pot-holing were next tried, and afterwards numerous other drives, and although quantities of loose quartz, some actually' containing visible gold, were met with no reef has yet been located.. Numerous assays of the loose stone have been made, some giving a value of £6 to the ton. Eaimai.— Almost due south from Borrell's. A great amount of prospecting has been done. During last year no less than fifty prospectors were sent out by syndicates, but no payable reef has yet been discovered, although loose gold can be got from the sand in several creeks, and boulders of flinty quartz can be met with in many places. Ngapeke. —Between Tauranga and Te Puke a number of Natives worked at mining for some time without success. The Under-Secretary, Mines Department, Wellington. W. H. Eobebts, Warden,