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and this company commenced where the Bunker's Hill Company left off, after arranging with them to have the privilege of working through their ground on certain conditions. After starting work, a large slide was met with which cut off the reef downwards from the intermediate level, but the length on the lode extended as risen on ; this has been successfully worked up till now, and there yet remains a large block of ground on the lode to work out. The company contemplates opening up the lode on the northern side of the fault at no distant date from the Welcome Find shaft which is their own property. 60 tons of ore and 239 lb. of specimens were treated for 636 oz. 1 dwt. of gold, value, £1,947 3s. 6d. Ten men were employed. Kapanga Special Quartz Claim. —This property has been worked during the past year by tributers. The work done was on the Kapanga and Scotty's reefs, respectively 15 ft. and 25 ft. above the Driving Creek level. 468 tons of ore was treated, producing 154 oz. 1 dwt. of gold, realizing £378 18s. Bd. An average of five men were employed. New Hero Mine. —This mine has lately been taken up, and comprises the hill known as Murphy's, in the Upper Township, Coromandel, where Murphy in the very early days obtained some very rich specimens from two distinct lodes. As these were only worked on the surface, several persons formed a good opinion of the ground and the gold going down. A syndicate was formed for the purpose of testing the lodes at a greater depth from a low level which was put in by another syndicate some years ago. Although the tunnel was put in a distance of 750 ft., the lodes that were worked above were not intersected, and the present shareholders are of opinion they would not cross the tunnel, and therefore decided to drive a crosscut at right angles to the tunnel at 650 ft. in, so as to cut the lodes on the underlie ; this is now being done, and the country is all that could be desired. So far nothing of importance has been met with. Two men are employed. Ruby Claim. —This ground has been steadily prospected with two men during the year, the operations being chiefly confined to extending a prospecting level in a north-east direction, with the expectation of intersecting at a depth on the underlie some of the offshoot leads from the Main Tokatea reef (or blow), from some of which (in the early days) fair returns were obtained at higher levels. Up to the present nothing payable has been discovered. Golden Spark Mine. —This ground was taken up in the early part of the year by a syndicate whose operations were principally confined to driving a low level from the bed of the Whakaroa Stream for the purpose of intersecting the Bright Smile and other leaders which had been operated on by previous owners at higher levels with good results. After driving this level a distance of about 220 ft., the Golden Spark leader was intersected, and is at present being opened up east and west of the crosscut preparatory to stoping. Gold has been frequently seen in the stone, and the leader varies from 3 in. to 10 in. in thickness. A rise has also been put up on this leader at a point which connects with a winze previously sunk from the level above. This gives good facilities for working the block of ground, and drains off the water from the upper workings. It is also the means of giving good ventilation. During the year a small parcel of 5 cwt. of ore was treated at the School of Mines battery for a return of 3 oz. of gold, value, £8 12s. 6d. Five men are employed. Hauraki No. 2.—Operations in this mine have been steadily carried on with two men, the work being solely confined to prospecting the different leaders from the surface level where the No. 2 leader has been exploited to a fair extent, and averages about 5 in. in width. Up to the present nothing of a payable character has been discovered. South Kapanga Mine. —Work of a prospecting nature was carried on in this ground during the greater part of the year, but as nothing payable was found, and the,funds ran out, operations were stopped pending the raising of further capital to carry on the work. No returns of gold have been obtained. Kathleen Crown Mine. —The only work done on this property during the year has been confined to surface levels, where only a limited amount of tributing was carried on, and from which 2 tons of quartz was obtained and treated for a return of 7 oz. 8 dwt. of gold, valued approximately at £22 4s. Sea View Special Quartz Claim. —The principal work done for the past year has been by tributers working in a level known as the No. 3 Smithy level, and the level above it. The quantity of ore raised has been 62 tons, which yielded 154 oz. 19 dwt. of gold, value, £423 os. 7d. The work proposed to be carried out during the present year (1904) will be conducted on the same lines. I might mention that in the adjacent property, last worked as " The New Hauraki Gold Properties (Limited) " a large reef exists, which in all probability is a continuation of the Tokatea Big reef. No doubt, in course of time, the prevailing system of diamond boring will lead to this reef being proved at greater depth, and if this is successful, it is natural to think that similar work may be undertaken in the Sea View Special Quartz Claim. A considerable amount of work has been done in this claim by an English company, but without success. There are probabilities of tributers making discoveries in the upper levels of the Sea View as their tribute developments advance. Harbour View Mine. —This ground, which was previously taken up and worked by a syndicate, was, in the early part of the year, taken over by a company, who have since secured the adjoining property known as the Pride (late Hauraki Associated). The work in the mine for some time was directed to extending the No. 5 level in the Harbour View section, where the Simpson leader was intersected, and on which a rise was put to the number 4 level a height of 75 ft. on the underlie. This has opened up a large block of ground on the leader which varies from 3 in. to 10 in. in width, and at times produces picked stone of fair quality. Stoping is also being carried on from an intermediate level from the rise. On the cross-leader work is being done at No. 4 level, and a limited amount of crushing-dirt obtained. It is the manager's intention to extend this level into the Pride section, to prospect and develop the various leaders from which a considerable quantity of gold was obtained by the previous owners. During the year tons of quartz and 155 lb. of picked stone was treated for a return of 185 oz. 5 dwt. of gold, value, £483 ss. Id. An average of seven men were employed