C.—3
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level, 100 ft. There are six reefs opened in this ground —No. 1 reef, on the west side, is 4 ft. wide, and consists of solid white quartz, encased in blue sandstone, with hard walls of country rock; No. 2 reef is 18 in. wide, and consists of brown quartz, encased in brown ironstone, with good walls of country rock and brown sandstone; white quartz is apparent in No. 3 reef, which is lft. wide, and has a similar casing to No. 2 reef; No. 4 reef, on the east side, varies in width from 6 in. to 2 ft., and consists of rubbly quartz, cased with country rock and white sandstone; No. 5 reef, which consists of wide solid quartz, is 1 ft. wide, and has a casing of country rock, and good hard hangingwalls ; No. 6 reef is 15 in. wide, and exists in similar surroundings to those of No. 5. The development work done during the year comprises driving, rising, and sinking to make connections. A considerable amount of stoping has also been done. The total quantity of quartz crushed during that period was 92J tons, valued at £8 9s. per ton, or £783 14s. 9d. for the whole quantity treated by the amalgamation process. Eight men were employed. West Tokatea Mine (Area, 29 acres 3 roods 32 perches; owner, the West Tokatea Gold-mine, Limited; mine-manager, C. W. Skrine). —The chief work carried out in this mine during the year has been driving on the reef in No. 1 level 100 ft., and a cross-cut in No. 2 level 110 ft. to intersect the reef. Driving has also been carried out on the reef to distances of 55 ft. northward and 25 ft. southward. A rise was put up to No. 1 level for ventilation purposes, and the reef was stoped out for 12 ft. above the north drive. A cross-cut is being continued to intersect a reef known as the Tribute reef, about 30 ft. east of the West Tokatea reef. The company own the battery known as the Triumph battery, consisting of ten stamps, 850 lb. falling-weight; one Blake crusher, with a capacity to supply twenty stamps; two berdans, the power for which is supplied by a 25 nominal horse-power horizontal expansive engine, with a locomotive-type boiler of 30-horse power. This plant has not been used by the company, its situation not being convenient to the mine. The mine was purchased by the present owners from the Bast Hauraki Gold-mines (Limited). Sixteen tons of quartz was treated at the Associated Gold-mining battery by the amalgamation process, and yielded bullion to the value of £214 9s. 4d. Pour wages-men were employed. New Hauraki Gold Properties Mine (Area, 224 acres 1 rood 32 perches; owner the New Hauraki Gold Properties, Limited; mine-manager, Francis Hodge).—Operations have been carried on in prospecting the mine, but no quartz was crushed during the year. There are five principal levels—3Bo ft., 420 ft., 450 ft., 500 ft., and 600 ft. The lower, or No. 6, level has been extended 449 ft. during the year. The mine machinery consists of one hand-boring rock-drill for testing class of country rock; battery, ten heads; four berdans; portable boiler; 20-horse-power horizontal engine, 14in. cylinder; Pelton wheel for water when available. There were twenty wages-men employed. Captain Hodge reports upon this mine and workings as follows : — " This company now comprises the property recently known as the Success Gold-mines as well as its own. The principal work is in the large east-and-west reef, varying in width from 6 ft. to 30 ft. We have had assays up to sdwt., but not to average that. We are in hopes as we proceed on this reef to discover payable sections. Should we do so it would be a great discovery for the district. In the Success portion of the property work is being carried on in No. 3 level on what is known as the Jubilee No. 2 reef. We have had a few very rich pockets of gold, and while these occur there are great probabilities of discovering something very good." Harbour View Mine (Area, 65 acres ; owners, the Harbour Gold-mining Company; minemanager, Archibald Kelso). —This mine, which is situated near the Tokatea Saddle, has been worked chiefly by tributers, who have been engaged on the small leaders running through the ground on the foot-wall side of the main Tokatea reef. The quartz crushed on behalf of the company was 4 tons 11 cwt., for a yield of 28 oz. 4dwt., valued at £81 7s. 4d; and for tributers, 5 tons 10 cwt. 1701b., for a yield of 102 oz. 19dwt., valued at £293 Bs. Id. Four wages-men and eight tributers were employed. Hauraki Gem. —This mine, which comprises an area of 54 acres 2 roods 6 perches, is situated to the northward of the Whakapara Creek. The ground, which is situated to the westward of the main Tokatea reef, includes the claim formerly worked by Power and Bennett. The present owners are working the leader which in the past gave good returns to former owners. Three tons of quartz was crushed for a yield of 30 oz. 9dwt., valued at £86 15s. 5d.; and two men were employed. Waikoroniiko District. Four-in-hand Mine (Area, 217 acres and 19 perches; owner, New Four-in-hand Gold-mining Company, Limited; mine-manager, Thomas Eadford, jun.).—The workings of this mine are from an adit 210 ft. in length and at a depth of 220 ft. from the surface. There are three levels opened —one 50 ft., the others 150 ft. and 200 ft. Two reefs are opened out, one averaging 20 in. in thickness, and the other about 4 in., both being free-milling, and incased in a firm class of andesite. The mine is fairly well opened up, and a five-stamper battery and two berdans, to be driven by steam, are now in course of erection, the probable cost of which will be £2,500. There were thirteen wages-men and two tributers employed during the year. Operations in this district have also been carried on in the Tandem and Napier Mines, the former crushing for the year 20 tons, for a yield of 60z., valued at £16 165.; and the latter 2 tons, for 6oz. 7 dwt., valued at £17 15s. 7d. Lillis. —The Kauri Freehold Gold Estates have done a good deal of work on the larger reefs in this property during the past twelve months, but operations are at present suspended, and a portion of the ground has been let on tribute to the former owners of the claim—Messrs. Lillis and Eyan— who had worked for a considerable time on small leaders and stringers, with satisfactory results. Kapanga District. Kapanga Mine (Area, 99 acres 3 roods 27 perches ; owner, English company ; mine-manager, Francis Hodge).—Development-work in this mine has not been carried on at the lower levels, the chief operations having been at and above No. 5 level. Several blocks of ground have been worked