o.—B.

34

Bald Hill Flat. Advance Mine, Obelisk Range (R. T. Symes, owner). —Mr. Symes has spent many years in the search for a rich chute of quartz. Most of the stone obtained from driving and surface sluicing has been payable. A better class of stone has been met with recently in the Advance Mine, and this has led to renewed attention being given to this reefing field, from whiclvTvery rich quartz has been obtained in former workings. Alexandra. Conroy's Gutty Reef. —John Robertson continues to obtain surface quartz from this area, which he crushes in the five-head battery when water is available for power purposes. Day Dawn Reef. —Attention has been given to this reef, but operations have not so far exceeded the prospecting stage. This property has been under option to a Wellington syndicate. Roxburgh. Parker's Reefing Company, Campbell's Gully. —This company has been aided by a Government subsidy to open up the mine and test its value. This season is being devoted to erection of necessary winding and pumping plant. Timber is also being procured from the Waikaia Bush. The locality is snow-bound in the winter months, and sinking operations will be gone on with next spring. Serpentine. Cogan's Reef (John Cogan, owner). —This reef is found outcropping on the surface for a considerable distance, and shows gold in stone from shallow trenches. Shafts require to be sunk to prove continuation in quantity and quality at depth. Cogan's battery is situated in the district. German Jack's, Golden Gully, and Golden Belt Mines continue unworked. Waipori. Quartz-mining was at a standstill for several years in this district. The antimony-mine on the Lammerlaws was reopened, and this led to attention being given to the reefs. Negotiations were entered into with a view to securing the 0. P. Q. property from the present holder, while the adjoining property, known as the Canton, was pegged out by Pearsall and others. It is hoped that this movement will be productive of permanent results. Milton. Canada Reef Mine, Table Hill (Canada Reefing Company, owners; R. M. McDonald, manager).— During the early part of the year Park Bros, continued to work this property. It was then sold to the above company, and operations were devoted to taking out the block of stone opened up by the extension of the shaft to the 120 ft. level. This block proved to be narrower, and was soon worked out, while prospecting operations failed to open up payable stone above that level. Funds to deepen the shaft still further, to open up on another portion of the property, not being available, the mine has been closed down in the meantime. Ocean View Reef, Table Hill. —J. Hawkins prospected this reef considerably, and took out stone, but, owing to the dryness of the season, was unable to get the stone crushed at the Canada Reefing Company's battery. Other prospectors in the district were similarly hampered in their operations. Hindon. Mr. Parker continues to prospect in this district, in which several other prospectors are at work. Nenthorn. This field has attracted considerable attention lately, no doubt owing to the results obtained in the Macrae's and Mount Highlay districts. Macrae's. Golden Point Quartz-mine (W. and G. Donaldson, owners). —This property continued to be worked during the year on the usual lines, with good results. The mine is generally well developed, and timber is well used. Explosives carefully handled. The crushing and concentrating plant is in good order. A large cyanide plant is now in course of erection for treatment of the battery sands, which are being saved. A large amount of scheelite is produced from this mine. About fifteen men find employment in the mine and battery. New Zealand Gold and Tungsten Mine, Mount Highlay (W. and G. Donaldson, owners). —The quartz is mined from the opencast on this property. A self-acting ground tram-line is used to convey the stone to the battery. In addition to the ordinary gold-saving appliances, there is a concentrating plant to save scheelite, of which there is large percentage in this stone. A lignite-pit has been opened within a short distance from the mine, to provide fuel for the steam-power plant. About thirteen men are employed. Highlay Gold and Scheelite Mine, Mount Highlay (W. and G. Donaldson, owners). —The former owners, Messrs. Gilmour and Matheson, installed a producer-gas plant, which was only a partial success. The mine and plant were then sold to Messrs. Donaldson Bros., who removed the battery from this site and added it to the plant already in operation at the New Zealand Gold and Tungsten Mine. General. —Considerable attention has been given to the Mount Highlay district, and a number of areas have been taken up for gold and scheelite. Tait and party have their property under offer to a Melbourne company.