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depth, and applied for authority to drive a crosscut from the Queen of Beauty shaft; but, the time being inopportune, their request could not be acceded to. Seven men were employed during the few months worked. Thames Mine (James Thomas, mine-manager).—Very little work has been done for the year under review. When the mine was visited in September last five men were working in one of the adit levels, where a 4 in. leader was being worked in a winze. Some good stone was secured in this place some time ago, but the subsequent work proved unprofitable, and operations were suspended. May Queen Mine (W. Baker, mine-manager).—The company have directed most of their attention to the Nos. 5 and 6 levels at the May Queen shaft. At the No. 5 level (627 ft.), in the foot-wall of No. 1 lode, a small leader has been stoped on and.a winze sunk on it to connect with the No. 6 level (720 ft.), thus giving good ventilation and better facilities for working the leader from that level. The leader averaged from 4 in. to 2 in. wide, and most of the gold for the year has been won from it. A winze was sunk on the hanging-wall leader of the No. 4 lode at No. 6 level to a depth of 100 ft., where a connection was made with a crosscut from the Queen of Beauty (Thames-Hauraki) shaft, No. 9 level (8(X) ft.). This connection has materially improved the ventilation in both places, and will facilitate the prospecting of the leader at the two levels named. At the No. 9 level (800 ft.), Queen of Beauty section, a crosscut was driven 410 ft., when the May Queen foot-wall leader, mentioned above, was intersected, and a connection made with the winze. The leader is being driven on east and west. South of the shaft one of the Queen of Beauty lodes has been driven on for a length of 400 ft. In the last 100 ft. good prospects were met with. An average of thirty-eight men were employed during the year, and 429 tons and 410 lb. of picked stone were treated for a return of £3,261 7s. 6d. The mine was inspected during the year, and everything was found to be in a satisfactory state. New Una Mine (James Thomas, mine-manager). —In the early part of the year a little work was done on the Duke reef at the low level, but the ore proving to be unpayable prospecting was commenced in the higher-level section. The mine has been under protection for the greater part of the year. Occidental Mine (W. McConnell, mine-manager).—With a view of cutting a reef worked in the lower level, the company commenced driving in the No. 3 level, but the air became foul and work had to be abandoned here for a time. A lower level was cleaned up, and a connection effected with the No. 3 level, when the ventilation greatly improved. This work will enable prospecting to be resumed at that level and also at the lower levels, where several large lodes are known to exist. Three men were employed. Lord Nelson (James Middleton, mine-manager).—Several rich parcels of ore were mined and treated during the year, but no important works were undertaken. Reliance. —Very little work has been done on this claim. Claremont. —There is nothing fresh to record ; the owner has felt the effects of the general depression, and his returns are considerably lower than they have been for years past. Golden Drop. —Prospecting has been carried out on several small lodes traversing the claim, and, although favourable prospects were occasionally revealed, nothing of a payable character was found. Ballarat. —A large amount of prospecting-work has been carried out, but so far no success has been met with. New Dart (George Comer, mine-manager).—Early in the year three men were employed in the low level, but no'encouraging prospects were encountered and the company discontinued. Since then the mine has been under protection. The winding plant was dismantled and removed to another part of the field. Tributers have been working on the surface lode outcrops, meeting with variable results. Magnet Mine (J. W. O'Sullivan, mine-manager).—Work for the year has chiefly been of a prospecting and development character. Two levels were driven north and south on the lode, and several rises made to test the value and extent of the ore-body. The ore is heavily mineralised, and carries a little value, especially in the mineralised veins. At present some difficulty is being experienced with the ventilation of the mine, as a great height must be attained before a connection is made with the old workings. These workings gave good returns in the past, and the reef which was then worked is now being driven on in the low level. The mine was examined several times during the year. Four men were employed. Day Dawn and Norfolk Mines (W. T. McCormick, mine-manager).—The company confined much of their attention to the undeveloped portion of the property. Stoping on the hanging-wall portion of the Sunbeam lode proved the ore to be low-grade. From the No. 1 west level a crosscut was driven for a distance of 180 ft. south, where the lode was met with. Near the point of intersection a rise was commenced, and at a height of 70 ft. a connection was made with a winze sunk 90 ft. below the upperlevel floor. This greatly improved the ventilation and will give better facilities for handling the ore. From the rise intermediate levels were driven north-east and south-west along the course of the lode, which proved that the lode is much broken and faulted, the lode being from 5 ft. to 10 ft. wide, with irregular values. About 100 fathoms of the lode was stoped out for a return of £1,200. The ore-bodies as a whole proved to be low-grade, better values being met with in the form of pipes. The in-by section of the battery-level tunnel, which had been in disuse for some time, has been cleaned up and repaired for a distance of about 2,000 ft. northwards of the Sunbeam workings. The level has been driven a further distance of 100 ft. on the City of Dunedin lode, which is 6 ft. wide at that point. The Charter Section : From the lode in the upper level ore of good values was won, but the condition of the drives and passes was such that a large expenditure would be necessary to keep them open ; consequently, it was decided to work the remaining ore from the lower level, and for that purpose a drive will be constructed from the City of Dunedin reef and the ore-body tested. Eight hundred and twenty-seven tons of ore was treated for a return of £1,200. Ten men were employed. The mine was examined during the year and found to be in good order.

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