C—3.

56

Hape District: .Anchor Mine (Area, 196-J- acres; owner, Ethel Eeef Gold-mining Company, Limited; minemanager, George Gill). —This mine is worked from an adit-level the length of which is 400 ft., and the greatest depth of workings below the surface is 150 ft. There are five levels opened. Driving and rising operations have been carried on on the Jupiter, Stevenson, Souvenir, and Nellie reefs. The Jupiter is a large body of quartz, averaging about 20 ft. in width, the other reefs ranging from 18 in. to 6 ft. The prospecting battery has been kept constantly at work treating parcels of quartz broken indiscriminately from the reefs as they were developed, so as to ascertain the average value. During the month of July 66 tons of quartz broken down in this way was treated under the ordinary process for a return of gold valued at £98, while the tailings give an assay-value of from 9s. to 17s. per ton. Plans have now been prepared for the erection of the 20-head battery which has been stored on the ground for some time past. The new mill will be fitted up with the most suitable gold-saving appliances for the treatment of the class of ore found in the mine. The battery, which is driven by steam, consists of four heads of stamps, 850 lb. each, and three berdans. This battery is merely used for testing purposes at present. The total quantity of quartz crushed for the year was 655 tons 861b., for a yield of 176 oz. lOdwt., valued at £467 14s. 9d. Two wages-men were employed. . Some prospecting has also been carried on in other portions of the Hape district, and at Otunui. Kirikiri District. Fleming's Mine. —A considerable amount of work has been done in this mine during the year. A 4-stamp battery was also erected, which crushed 77 tons of quartz and 15 lb. of picked stone, giving a yield of 108 oz. 7 dwt. of gold, valued at £292 19s. 9d. Eight men were employed. Mr. Fleming has since given an option over the property. Puriri District. Empress of India Mine (Area, 85 acres). —A fair amount of work was done here in the early part of the year, but the option-holders afterwards abandoned the property. Fifty tons of ore was crushed, for a yield of 34 oz. of gold, valued at £91 16s. Puriri Gold Estates. —Very little work has been done here during the year. Tairua District. Neavesville.' —Very little work has been done in this locality lately, but a party of tributers are now engaged in repairing McLiver's battery, preparatory to commencing operations shortly. Broken Hills Mine. —Prospecting operations have been carried on during the year, but there is no record of any return of gold. Albert Mine. —A limited amount of work was done here in the early part of the year. Mining matters may be said to be at a standstill in the Puriri, Neavesville, and Tairua districts, and very little energy has been displayed during the past term. Whangamata District. Wentworth Mine. —The company working this mine have done a considerable amount of prospecting for the year, and are endeavouring to effect amalgamation with adjoining claims. Preparations have also been made for the erection of a crushing plant. Twenty men were employed. A considerable amount of prospecting has been done in the Whangamata district, but no discoveries of any note have been recorded. Wharekawa District. Whangamata Gold Go-operation, Limited (Area, 306 acres 1 rood 7 perches; owner, the Whangamata Gold Co-operation, Limited; mine-manager, Hugh McLiver). — This company is now the owner of the mine formerly known as the Whangamata Gold Proprietary Mine. The property consists of four special claims—viz., the Wharekawa (94 acres and 17 perches), Luck at Last (100 acres), Luck at Last Extended (100 acres), and Triangle (12 acres and 30 perches); total area, 306 acres 1 rood 7 perches. The mine being situated at an altitude of from 500 ft. to 800 ft., has necessitated driving an adit-level 1,400 ft. in length. Two other levels have also been driven on the reef, No. 2 being 200 ft. above the adit and No. 1 77 ft. above No. 2. The height from No. 1 level to the surface varies. The width of the main reef is from 3 ft. to 17 ft., and it consists of whitish quartzose matter generally of a banded structure, and containing finely divided gold and bluish veins of sulphides of silver. The country-rock and walls are of decomposed andesite of a favourable kind. The chief development works during the year have been driving on the reef at the three different levels, aggregating 2,000 ft., and the completion of the adit-level. Winzes have also been sunk on the reef between the levels, and a considerable quantity of quartz is now available for being stoped out. A reduction-works, consisting of two rock-breakers, one revolving ore-drier, two No. 5 Krupp mills, twelve cyanide-vats (20 ft. diameter), six berdans, and the usual accessories, is in course of erection on the property, and is expected to be completed within two months. A water-race 10,000 ft. in length is also nearing completion. The motive-power for the machinery is provided by a 6 ft. diameter Pelton wheel, and a 3 ft. Pelton operates a dynamo for electric lighting. The vertical fall between the terminus of the flume and the Pelton wheels measures 153 ft. Tunnels along the line of water-race aggregate 10,000 ft., and the flume is carried over several gullies by substantial trestlework. The average number of wages-men and contractors for mill, water-race, &c, employed during the year was 125.