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extent of 90 ft., from which 3 tons of ore was treated for 4 oz. 3 dwt. of gold ; value, £10 lis. 6d. Two men are employed. Adeline Reefs. —Work of a prospecting character was carried on in this mine with two men. I am informed the claim has lately been sold to Messrs. Bewick, Moreing, and Co. Owharoa. Ohinemuri Syndicate Mine. —■ The work in this mine has been confined to extending the Eliott tunnel, which is now in a distance of 2,300 ft. This tunnel is being driven through the northern end of the syndicate's property, and is crosscutting the country. No reefs have been cut in this tunnel, but in the last few hundred feet nice brown andesite country has been passed through, containing small quartz veins. The tunnel is now penetrating the line of country where it is expected the reef should be met with. A considerable amount of work was done on the surface ahead of the tunnel, and the prospects, it is said, were most encouraging. It is intended to sink a shaft about half-way between the above-mentioned tunnel and the Owharoa shaft, at a point where a nice class of country is going down. Crosscut drives will be put in from the shaft when a depth of 150 ft. has been reached, for the purpose of intersecting the Rising Sun and the other lodes that are known to traverse this part of the property. Eight men are employed. No returns. Rising Sun. —Two men were employed in this mine, the work being confined to extending the low level and prospecting the reef in the upper levels. Several tons of quartz are stacked at the mine, but no crushings have taken place during the period under review. Waitekauri. Waitekauri Mine. —The most important development-works carried on by this company have been as follows :—Golden Cross section : At the No. 5 level of No. 1 shaft (500 ft. below the surface) a crosscut was put in from the shaft and the reef intersected, then driven on for a distance of 200 ft. This is a large body of stone, and the quality is not as good as could be desired ; but it is expected to improve as it is driven upon. There has been a considerable amount of stoping and driving done on the Southern Cross reef, from which a large amount of payable crushing-dirt has been obtained, the reef varying from 3 ft. to 25 ft. in width. At No. 3 level it has been driven on for 136 ft., and No. 4 level for a distance of 208 ft., and on the main reef a large quantity of ore was obtained from the stopes over the back of Nos. 3 and 4 levels. Various crosscuts have been driven into the walls of the main reef at those levels for the purpose of ascertaining if any ore-bodies were to be found striking away or running parallel with it. At No. 4 level, No. 2 shaft (352 ft. below the surface), the crosscut to explore the ground to the north-west of the property is now in a total distance of 424 ft., without anything of a payable character being discovered. The Socket low level is an adit, and has now been driven a distance of 2,610 ft. The ground passed through for some distance back from the face of the drive has been a mixture of clay and boulders, and required very strong timber to keep the drive open. For some distance sets of timber that had only been in for a few weeks had to be taken out and replaced with 15 in. props and cap-pieces. A drive has also been driven from the No. 1 shaft to meet the Socket level, and is now in a distance of 290 ft. In the Komata section the shaft is being sunk, and has now attained a depth of 440 ft. From this shaft chambers have been cut out at Nos. 3 and 4 levels, and a crosscut is now being driven from No. 3 level to intersect the reefs. The eastern low-level crosscut that is being driven towards the Komata shaft is pushed forward with all possible speed, and is now in a total distance of 2,076 ft. To expedite this important work rock-drills are used; the tunnel is consequently being driven more rapidly than it could be done by hand-labour. At the old Waitekauri section steady develop-ment-work has been carried on at the various levels, the principal work in hand at present being confined to the extension of the Horn level 180 ft. below the Queen level. The reefs in this section vary in size from 10 in. to 4 ft. 6 in., and are opened up to a considerable extent, and connected by rises between die different levels. It is said that some of the ore is of a highly payable character. 19,813 tons of ore was treated for 56,458 oz. of bullion, value £49,836 155., 9d.; and £21,775 was paid in dividends, making a total paid in dividends since commencing work of £84,035. 350 men have been employed. Jubilee Mine. —This mine was worked by tributers up to the month of October. They crushed 46 tons of ore, and recovered by amalgamation 17 oz. 13 dwt. of bullion, and by cyanide 321 oz. 15 dwt. of bullion ; value, £257 14s. Four men were employed. Since then the company has had twelve men employed on wages ; the work they have been engaged at has been repairing drives, prospecting, Ac. Waitekauri Cross.- —The company intended to sink the underlay shaft on the reef to a depth of 500 ft. ; it had attained a depth of 180 ft. when an inflow of water came in, and this being more than the pump could cope with the work was abandoned. After this 60 ft. of driving was done on the reef at the 160 ft. level in a southerly direction. Not meeting with success, the claim was protected; but work has been resumed, and preparations are now being made on the surface with a view to sinking a vertical shaft. No returns. Alpha Mine. —The principal work has been directed in extending the main exploring crosscut at the No. 4 level, which has now attained a distance of 1,090 ft. Four reefs have been cut through in this tunnel, varying from 2 ft. to 4 ft. in width, and when subjected to assay-test gave a value of from 18s. to £1 2s. lOd. per ton. This value is barely payable; still, it proves the reefs to be gold-bearing and well worth prospecting. As the work proceeds payable chutes of ore may be met with. Young Neic Zealand. —This claim was protected for a time, but work was resumed in the month of August, and since then the men have been engaged in repairing drives and prospecting, Ac. Four men are employed. No returns. A limited amount of prospecting has been done on the Eclipse, Hunua, Diamond Gully, and Waitekauri King. From one to three men were employed on each claim. No returns.