C—3.

Southern Queen. —Work has been carried on in the No. 2 level on the Atlantic reef, which is well defined. A rise was made connecting Nos. 1 and 2 levels, which grea.tly improved the ventilation. Six men were employed. West Coast Mine. —Very little work has been done on this claim. Trafalgar. —The main level crosscut has been extended some distance without anything of importance being disclosed. Progress Syndicate. —This syndicate has reopened some old drives in the locality of Karaka Creek, and commenced prospecting both in the mine and on the surface, meeting with, unsatisfactory results. Subsequently operations were suspended. Two men were employed. Weymouth Claim. —During the past year a new adit level was started with a view to cutting a newlode said to exist on the property. As the work proceeded nothing of importance was revealed, and very little has been done since. New Sylvia (F. Stone, mine-manager).—Operations have been confined to the low level, which has been driven a total distance of 1,706 ft., and a reef 6 ft. wide intersected. The ore is heavily mineralised, and is said to carry good values. This lode has been driven on. north and south 93 ft. and 53 ft. respectively, and retains its width for the whole distance. There is a large block of ore available for stoping between the low level and the floor of the old workings, 180 ft. overhead. The length of the block has not been ascertained. The ore is a sulphide, and will require special treatment. The mine was inspected during the year, and everything found to be satisfactory. Nine men were employed. Watchman (G. A. Hill, mine-manager). —There are several well-defined ore-bodies running through this property which have been driven on and tested, but found to be disappointing. The Windfall reef is the largest of these ore-bodies, and most attention is confined to it. One hundred feet was driven on the line of reef in. an easterly direction. The reef is very wide, with ribs of payable ore runningthrough it, but generally speaking it is poor. A little work has been done on the No. I and Silver Crown lodes, but the results met with were not encouraging. Five men were employed. Halcyon Mine. —Two men were employed in an old drive on a reef, and were meeting with good prospects. A low level was driven to enable the lode to be worked more economically, and it was estimated that about 250 ft. of driving would intersect the lode. This will give better means of ingress and egress, besides improving the ventilation. Bonanza Mine. —The claim is situated near the Shellback Creek, adjoining the Waitangi Company's ground. Operations for the year have chiefly been of a prospecting character. A drive was driven a total distance of 700 ft. through good altered andesite rock, but no reefs were met with. Several small quartz through, but they were of little value. Late in the year the company applied for protection, which was granted. There has been some talk of the Bonanza Company amalgamating with the Waitangi Company, the intention being to drive a low level from the shores of the Thames Gulf —a very commendabletproposition if carried into effect, because the ore-bodies would be proved at a greater depth than hasjjhitherto been attempted. The total amount of driving estimated to make a connection with the Waitangi workings is 2,000 ft. This would provide ample means of ventilation, and also allow the prospecting of any lodes discovered. Otanui Mascotte. —Operations are being conducted at a depth of 104 ft. The owner is driving under the old workings on the Eureka reef, from which gold was obtained a few years back. A crosscut has already been driven a distance of 380 ft., and some 200 ft. yet remains to be driven before the reef is reached. Dixon's Consolidated. —The property situated in Tinker's Gully was formerly a part of the Norfolk Gold-mining Company's ground. The present owners, after cleaning and repairing the old drive and repairing a rise for the establishment of ventilation, commenced driving a level with the hope of cutting one or more of the reefs outcropping on the property. So far nothing of importance has been met with. Four men were employed during the year. Temple Bar. —A considerable amount of prospecting has been done on the reef at the low level, and a connection made with the higher level by a rise, which has greatly improved the ventilation. The ore, however, is low-grade, and late in the year the company closed down owing to the lack of sufficient capital. Scandinavian Mine (W. Goldsworthy, mine-manager).—A fair amount of work of a prospecting character has been done on Lowrie's reef at a lower level than was attempted during previous years, and a connection effected with the old mine-workings. The reef has been driven on north and south for a distance of 200 ft., the width of the lode varying from 5 ft. to 12 ft. The ore looks promising, but so far nothing payable has been disclosed. The mine was examined during the year, and found to be in good order. Waitangi Consolidated (W. J. Adams, mine-manager).—At the low level the main reef was driven on for some distance ; a rise is now being made to connect with the No. 2 (upper) level. In the drive and rise some fine telluride ore was met with, and picked stone showing free gold was also noticed and secured. The mine was examined during the year, and everything found to be satisfactory ; the ventilation, which is induced by means of a water-blast and a line of pipes, was fair. Mahara Royal. —This property was abandoned during the year, and the winding plant removed tojjanother part of the district. Waiomo. Monowai Mine (William Cook, mine-manager).—This claim was formerly held by Mr. H. H. Adams, and, prior to the Ferguson|Syndicate acquiring an option over it, was under protection. After carrying out a certain amount of systematic prospecting and testing samples of ore from a well-defined reef from which the old company secured valuable ore in the surface levels, the syndicate purchased

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