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battery were let to a party of tributers, who, judging from the appearance of the workings and the nature of the returns secured, are of opinion that they can make wages. Two hundred and three tons of ore were put through the mill, which produced 280 oz. 16 dwt. of gold, valued at £715 17s. Three men have been employed. Kuaotunu. —The Waitaia Mines (Limited): During the year this property has been steadily worked, the output being 1,119 tons of quartz yielding 2,033 oz. of gold valued at £6,063, this being an increase of £1,526 on the last year's production. Twenty-one men have been employed. Handsworth Mine : Two men are still employed on this claim, but the results for the year have not been as good as they were in the former one ; however, the owner is sanguine of better success shortly. The Otama Mine : This property, which adjoins the Handsworth, has been worked during the year with three men. Some very rich stone was secured in the low level, and it was expected that a payable block was being opened up, but in rising a disappointment was met with owing to the gold not carrying up as good on the level. One hundred and eleven tons of ore was treated for 160 oz. 19 dwt. of gold, valued at £410 10s. 9d. The Great Mercury Mine : Two men are all that are at present employed on this mine. The works undertaken during the year have all proved disappointing, and so far nothing satisfactory has resulted from the labour expended, although 250 ft. of driving has been done in very hard country. Thames.— The New Moanataiari Gold-mining Company (Limited) : The new Moanataiari Mine was formerly part of the old Alburnia, but is now worked by a separate company, called the New Moanataiari. The main work in this mine for the past year has been opening up and prospecting near the shaft on the Cambria Lode. At the 400 ft. level very good prospects were met with, payable ore being found in a winze sunk 65 ft. A large quantity of ore was broken out from about this winze, and crushed at the company's battery. After working for some time it was decided to put in a low level, which will enable the reef to be worked at a greater advantage. Driving is being carried on on the Cambria Reef westwards to where there is a block of untried ground on the dip of the Waiotahi and Prince Imperial Lodes. The Kuranui-Caledonian Gold-mining Company (Limited) : During the year this mine has been worked mainly by tributers, only five wages-men being employed. The tributers took out some nice stone from the several leaders worked on. These leaders all bend towards the Cambria Lode, and this fact, coupled with the find in the Waiotahi Mine adjoining, has enabled the company to reconstruct and raise sufficient capital to put in a crosscut from No. 4 level 120 ft. below the Waiotahi No. 4 level. The crosscut will be driven 600 ft., and connection for air made by means of a winze which is now being sunk from the Red Queen shaft. Strong colours of gold have been seen in this winze. When this work is completed there is every reason to believe that the company will have a good payable block of ground, A borehole was sunk at the mouth of the Long Drive tunnel to a depth of 1,500 ft., but|nothing|of|any importance was discovered. Old Alburnia Gold-mining Company (Limited) : In this mine the main work has been the extension of the Moanataiari tunnel, which has been extended 710 ft. The kindly nature of the quartz met with in the No. 1 and No. 2 reefs induced the company to drive on them and send some 130-odd tons to the battery, but it did not turn out as well as was expected and driving the long tunnel was resumed, the driving of which to a position beneath where a good run of gold-bearing ore was met with in the Alburnia some years ago was the main object for which the company was formed. The Victoria Mine : Tributers worked this mine for the greater part of the year, but did not do very well. Lately the directors decided to do some work on the Mariner's Lode, but up to the end of the year nothing had been discovered of a payable nature. A borehole sunk on the foreshore to a depth of 1,016 ft. went almost wholly through broken country, and it was decided to cease boring. It was intended to bore on other parts of the ground, but the proposal has not been given effect to. The Kuranui Mine : Six men have been employed continuously on this ground opening up the Tributer's Lode and working on the leaders in the Shellback tunnel, but nothing payable has been found. The Fame and Fortune Mine : Eleven tributers have been employed in working on the various leaders, but were not very successful. The West Coast, Ballarat, and some other small claims have been worked in the vicinity, but 1 nothing of any consequence has been discovered. I learn that the owners made a fair|wage, and are content to continue working their respective properties. The Nonpareil Mine : Tributers only have been employed in this mine, working on the Wade and Liverpool Boys Reefs. They treated 150 loads of quartz for a return of £645 10s. 3d. The Waiotahi Mine : The prospects of this mine improved greatly during the last month of the year. When opening out a chamber at the back of No. 4 level, rich ore was met with. A crosscut was driven in an easterly direction for the purpose of intersecting the Waiotahi main reef, and to connect with a winze and thus supply air. About 80 ft. from the chamber the hanging-wall of the reef was struck, and found to contain very rich stone in the mineralised portion. The reef varies from 15 ft. to 20 ft. in thickness. This discovery, if it proves a payable chute and not a patch, will have a great effect on the prosperity of the place ; in fact the closing days of the year were marked with a feeling of hopefulness not experienced for a good many years. The New Saxon Gold-mining Company (Limited) : The New Saxon Mine is composed of part of the May Queen Hauraki and the Cardigan. Work has been going on from the Saxon shaft in the Cardigan Section on a leader about 8 in. in 'thickness. Gold has been seen frequently when breaking down, but as yet no crushing has taken place, so that the value of the general dirt cannot be obtained. The manager is confident that it will prove payable. From other parts of the mine 221 tons was treated, and 138 oz. 7 dwt. obtained, valued at £339 10s.