43

C—3

West Tokatea Gold-mining Company. —This company's operations for the last nine months have been on a limited scale, work being solely confined to the No. 2 level. Two men have been employed in opening up blocks of ground on the Nos. 3 and 4 leaders, and the prospects met with have been of a very satisfactory character. No stoping on the leaders has been done, as the company are awaiting the erection of their three-stamp battery and two berdans, which will be finished by the end of February next, when crushing will be commenced, and sufficient men will be put on to break out quartz to keep the mill constantly running. Five men have been employed. Queen of the North. —This mine is worked by tributers, who have been employed working on the small leaders that run through the property. As only a limited amount of quartz is broken out, the quantity of ore crushed is small after it is selected. Couch and Howes (tributers) crushed 3 tons for 32 oz. 4 dwt. of gold ; value, £88 lis. Tokatea Consols Mine. —This mine was under protection for the greater part of the nine months, and very little work of any kind has been done on the property for some considerable time. When the mine was sold it was fully expected that work would be more vigorously proceeded with than for some time past, but this has not been the case. Of late nothing has been heard of any systematic scheme to develop the property. East Tokatea Mine. —This mine is still being worked on tribute by Silke and Oliver, their attention being directed to following up the small leaders, from which a large amount of specimen stone has been obtained from time to time. They had 5 tons of ore and picked stone treated for 48 oz. 5 dwt. of gold ; value, £124 ss. lOd. Two men employed. Hauraki Gem Mine. —This mine is worked on tribute by Gunn and party, who have been prospecting and working on the small leaders, but they have not been successful in making any important discovery, and have received very little for their labour. They crushed 3J tons for 7 oz. of gold ; value, £18 4s. Scotty's Mine. —This company's operations have not given as good results as could be desired for the large amount of money that has been expended in developing the mine. The men for some time past were mostly employed on Scotty's reef at the Corby level, where excellent stone was occasionally obtained, and the indications were such as to lead the management to believe that a rich chute of ore was going to be met with as the drives advanced. As no important discovery was made (all the available money for development-work being expended, and sufficient gold not being obtained from the mine to meet the current working-expenses), instructions were received to close the mine down until the directors gave the shareholders an opportunity of considering the advisability of reconstructing the company or otherwise. The company crushed 101 tons 1 cwt. of ore for 217 oz. 18 dwt. of gold ; value, £639 lis. 3d. Seventeen men were employed. Neiv Hauraki Gold Properties. —This mine, which is better known as the " Success," has been steadily worked till within the last month, when instructions were received to close down the mine, the reason given being the want of funds. This is to be regretted, as the company has expended a very large sum of money in searching for the precious metal. Although rich specimens were obtained occasionally, and the prospects appeared most encouraging at times, yet it invariably ended in disappointment. As the country-rock is hard, the leaders that carry the gold in most cases are very thin, and of a very patchy nature. The company's operations were latterly directed to developing the Success branch leader at No. 3 level, where a small quantity of good ore was broken out, and 1601b. of the selected ore crushed for 79 oz. 17 dwt. of goid ; value, £232 10s. 2d. Twelve men were employed. Glencoe Mine. —This mine is situated near the Triumph battery, at the head of Paul's Creek, and is worked by A. H. McNeil and.party, who have discovered several reefs carrying gold, varying from 9 in. to 5 ft. in thickness. They have driven on what is termed the No. 1 reef 10 ft., and obtained good prospects ; also driven on No. 2 reef 30 ft., sunk on it 7 ft. and stoped out over the level 12 ft. by 25 ft.; and have crushed 1 ton of quartz for 16 oz. 7 dwt. of gold; value, £46 19s. lOd. They now intend to put in a low level to intersect the reefs about 60 ft. below the present drive. There are a few other men working in this locality who remove from place to place. Karaka Block. Poneke 2 and 3. —There has been little or no work done on this property for some time past. PUKEMAUKUKU. Aiken's Freehold. —The mine is being steadily worked by three men, who are employed in prospecting on the various reefs running through the property. It is said excellent prospects are obtained, but no gold returns have been received for some considerable time. Preece's Point Mine. —There has been little or no work done on this property for some time past. Tiki District. Progress-Castle Bock. —A considerable amount of work has been done in development on the Progress-Castle Rock and Reynold's reefs. The former has not proved as good as anticipated, and consequently operations on it have been suspended for a time. The work in hand is being directed to opening up Reynold's reef in the Matawai section. A rise has been put up from the bottom level with a view to proving the reef upwards; after rising a few feet the reef began to improve, and opened out to 15 in. in thickness, showing gold freely in the stone. Stoping operations were then commenced from the rise (on the reef) over the back of the level northwards, and here encouraging results are being obtained. The drive on the reef at the bottom level is also being extended north, and is looking exceedingly well. 180 tons of quartz and 135 lb. of specimens were treated for 188oz. Bdwt. of gold; value, £555 10s. 2d. An average of seven men were employed.