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Keep-it-Dark Claim. —This claim has been worked by W. McNeil and party, who have had three men employed on the mine for some time past, the work being confined to driving on the small leaders that have been intersected in the No. 1 level, from which 16 cwt. of stone was treated at the Hauraki Associated battery for a return of 11 oz. 7 dwt. of gold; value, £30 4s. 3d. The Baden-Powell Claim is worked by the same party, and the leaders are similar to those in the Keep-it-Dark Claim. From this claim 1| cwt. of general quartz and 122 lb. of specimens were treated for 41 oz. 14 dwt. of gold; value, £114 13s. 6d. Lilly Claim. —Two men employed in this claim. They have cut through several leaders in surface-drives driven by them, and, although good dish-prospects can be obtained in the creek close to where they are working, yet so far no payable quartz has been met with. A trial parcel of 2 tons was put through the battery for 1 oz. 2 dwt. of gold ; value, £3 os. 6d. There are also eight men prospecting in this district. No important finds have been reported by, nor returns received from, them. Waikoromiko District. Four-in-hand Mine. —Operations in this company's mine have been vigorously pushed ahead, the work being chiefly confined to driving and stoping on the reef above No. 1 and No. 2 fevels where the reef maintains an average width of 2 ft. throughout, and has yielded a little over gold to the ton. Although no rich chute of ore has been met with, excellent hauls of specimens have been obtained from time to time as the work proceeded. A rise has been put up over the back of No. 2 level, and a connection made with No. 1 level, the distance between the two levels being 70 ft. ; and from this rise an intermediate level has been started, and driving is now proceeding on the reef, which is looking well, gold being freely seen in the stone in breaking out the quartz. A surface-level is being driven with a view to getting under a run of gold worked in the Cuirassier section, and prospecting has been done on other portions of the property, but nothing of importance discovered. 824 tons of ore was treated for 1,317 oz. 18 dwt. of gold ; value, £3,768 17s. 3d., out of which £1,125 was paid in dividends, making a total of £2,250 paid in dividends since commencing work. Twenty-one men are employed. Lillis Mine is situated on the Kauri Freehold Estates Company's property, and is worked by tributers, two men being employed, who are working on small leaders on the surface-levels. They crushed one-third of a ton for 5 oz. 15 dwt. of gold ; value, £13 19s. Neiu Trilby Mine. —This claim contains 5 acres of ground, and is worked by two men, who are engaged in working on leaders from 1 in. to 3 in. in thickness. Only the best of the quartz is sent to the battery for treatment. 2 tons of ore was treated for 99 oz. of gold ; value, £290 ss. 9d. Forest Queen (Area, 20 acres). —This is owned by a syndicate, who have confined the operations in the mine to working on the leaders at the surface, No. 2, and low levels. At No. 2 level the Mclsaacs reef was intersected about 190 ft. in from the mouth of the tunnel. It was driven on for a distance of 140 ft., and from the stopes on the back of this level some very good ore was obtained, but, owing to the mine being situated a distance of six miles from an available crushing plant, only the best of the ore was selected for treatment. As good ore was found in the floor of this level, it was decided to put in a level 100 ft. lower to intersect the reef, but after driving it 116 ft. the funds ran out, which was to be regretted, as the country-rock was of a very favourable description, and other leaders that are known to exist may have been met with at any time. 4 tons of ore was treated for 79 oz. 7 dwt.; value, £235 6s. 4d. Three men employed. Tokatea. Boyal Oak of Hauraki (Limited).— This property was granted protection in April, and was closed down until the month of May, when work was again resumed with twenty men, but at the end of August the number of men was increased to forty. The principal work carried on during the last nine months has been the further development of the property, the main drives on the tribute lode being extended east and west. The main rise from No. 5 level is being continued, and the management expect to complete the connection with No. 3 level about the end of January, 1901, when intermediate levels will be driven off from the rise, and the block of ground (189 ft. in depth) between the said levels will be thoroughly proved, and from which payable results are expected. During the course of developments a leader, now known as " Turubull's leader," was discovered, and a large amount of driving and stoping has been done on it with most satisfactory results. The company is now being reconstructed, and a vigorous course of development has been decided upon; therefore a much larger number of men is likely to be employed in the next few months. 282 tons of quartz and 1,004 lb. of specimens were treated for 591 oz. 2 dwt. ; value, £1,487 12s. Forty men were employed. Hauraki Associated Mine. —The company's operations on the Rainbow and Foot-wall leaders at No. 3 level, from which payable ore was fully expected, did not give as good results as anticipated. As all the capital of the company had been called up, and there was no money in hand to proceed with further development-work, the directors decided to stop operations on their own account, and let portions of the mine on tribute until the company could be reconstructed. Although the tributers have not discovered anything of importance, yet they have been successful in producing some payable ore, and sufficient to meet the expenses incurred in breaking and treating it. 24 tons of quartz was treated for 153 oz. of gold ; value, £425 19s. 4d. An average of eight men have been employed. Harbour View Mine. —This mine is worked by tributers, their operations being directed to working on the leaders that are opened up, and from which rich specimens have been obtained. As they are not opening up what might be considered new ground, the chances of any important discovery is remote. 14 tons of stone was crushed for 52 oz. 12 dwt. of gold ; value, £144 13s,