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structed and the Moanataiari slide. The total quartz crushed by the company for the year ending the 31st March last amounted to 3,102 tons, which yielded 1,367 oz. of gold, having a value of £3,844 7s. 9d. There was also 1,049 tons crushed by tributers, which yielded. 1,811 oz. 11-J-dwt. gold, representing a value of £4,588 os. 10d., making a total of 4,151 tons of quartz crushed, yielding 3,178 oz. llfdwt. gold, having a value of £8,432 Bs. 7d. Thirty-four wages-men and seventy-two tributers were employed. Kuranui Caledonian Mine (Area, 29 acres 3 roods 32 perches; owners, Kuranui Gold-mining Company, Limited). —Operations were carried on at the Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 levels, but through not meeting with success operations were suspended. The mine is now worked on tribute, and sixty men are engaged. The company crushed 180 tons 10 cwt. 1441b. of picked stone, for a yield of 204 oz. 16 dwt. of gold, valued at £550 4s. 10d. ; and the tributers, 412 tons of quartz and 795 lb. of picked stone, for a yield of 1,044 oz. 18 dwt. of gold, valued at £2,792 4s. 2d. New Alburnia Mine (Area, 63 acres 3 roods 20 perches; owners, New Alburnia Gold-mining Company, Limited ; mine-manager, Eobert James). —This mine is principally worked from a shaft, the depth of which is 603 ft., that also being the greatest depth of workings below the surface. The mine is at a depth opened up by an adit-level, the length of which is 2,433 ft., and levels, seven in number, have been driven from the shaft, the average depth between each being about 80 ft. Three reefs have been opened and worked in the mine—viz., Dixon's, Sons of Freedom, and Branch or New reef. The quartz is generally hard and heavily mineralised. The walls are moderately hard and well defined, and the country rock is composed of andesite. A good portion of the work done during the year was really preparatory in order to commence the work of exploration on virgin ground below the No. 5 level. A tubular boiler, &c.—pressure, 901b. per square inch—is used for winding; value, £1,700. There is a twenty-stamp battery, each stamp weighing 5501b., seven berdans, two pans, and two buddies, all driven by a Pelton water-wheel. The quantity of quartz crushed -for the year was 1,385 tons, yielding 253 oz. of gold, for a value of £660. The average number of men employed for the year was forty. There is still a vast extent of untried ground below the Sons of Freedom or adit level and the Moanataiari Tunnel. If a prospecting drive was made from the present end of Moanataiari Tunnel in the direction of this mine, levels at a greater depth from the surface than any ground hitherto worked in the Thames district could be readily prospected, and the testing of deep levels be carried out without the aid of pumping machinery. Operations have also been carried on in the Tudor, Darwin, Freedom, and Golden Drop Mines, but the returns have been inconsiderable. Grahamstown District. Victoria Mine (Area, 41 acres 3 roods 10 perches; owner, Victoria Gold-mining Company; mine-manager, Thomas Movie). —Very little work has been done during the year on this property, which comprises the ground formerly known as the Tuki Mine and the New Prince Imperial Mine. The ground is well opened up, the lowest level in the mine being 562 ft. below the surface ; the other levels are respectively 88 ft., 143 ft., 243 ft., 352 ft., 420 ft., and 492 ft. below the level of the brace. The total quantity of quartz crushed during the year was 131 tons, which returned a yield of gold valued at £158 17s. A party of eight tributers also crushed 145J tons for a yield of 78 oz., valued at £211. Drainage. The deep levels at the Thames continue to be drained by the machinery and pump in the Big Pump shaft, the whole being under the control of the Thames Drainage Board, the members of which are elected by the contributing companies and the Thames Borough and County Councils. The business is conducted in Auckland, at which place the meetings of the Board are held. The following balance-sheet, produced at the annual meeting in January last, shows the financial position of the Board, and also the contributions from the different companies assessed; while the annual report of the manager of the works (Mr. Joseph Brokenshire) gives full details of the past year's operations. Receipts. £ s. d. To Balance ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 346 10 11 Arrears. Assessment. Rebate. Gash received. May Queen Gold-mining £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Company ... 1,000 0 0 166 13 4 833 6 8 Waiotahi 645 0 0 107 9 8 537 10 4 Victoria ... 600 0 0 100 0 0 500 0 0 Kuranui Caledonian 427 0 0 71 3 8 355 16 4 Moanataiari ... 354 0 0 59 0 0 295 0 0 Cardigan 300 0 0 50 0 0 250 0 0 Cambria 250 0 0 41 13 4 208 6 8 Thames Hauraki 240 0 0 40 0 0 200 0 0 Kuranui 90 0 0 15 0 0 75 0 0 Thames Borough Council 30 0 0 Thames County Council 12 10 0 150 0 0 ... 150 0 0 42 10 0 4,056 0 0 651 0 0 3,405 0 0 3,405 0 0 Scrap-iron sold ... ... •■• ■•• ••• ■•■ ••• 20 5 0 Coal sold ' 3 14 Interest on Savings-Bank deposit for year ... ... ... ... 2 11 0 Deposits with tenders — J.J.Craig 50 0 0 P.Maxwell ... ■■• ••• ■•■ ••• ••• ••• 10 0 0 £3,837 8 3 B—C. 3.