C—3.

undertaken so far has been with a view to testing several of the reefs, notably the Homeward Bound and Garibaldi reefs. Several levels have been driven, and satisfactory results are said to have been attained. The installation of the necessary aerial tramways is now being proceeded with, are to be made of the quartz in the Tipperary battery before expenditure is incurred in the erection of new batteries. Anderson, Hannah, and party's Quartz-mine, Scanlan's Gully. —This private party has been engaged during the year in taking out quartz and crushing it in their battery. The reef is narrow, but the stone evidently pays to mine. Crushing operations were hampered during the summer owing to scarcity of water for motive power. Cromwell. Come-in-Time Quartz-mine, Bendigo. —A number of local residents formed a company and acquired an interest in the property known as the Cromwell Proprietary Mine. The battery was shifted to a reef known and worked formerly as the Come-in-Time. In reality this so-called reef appears to be a wide belt of highly mineralised country rock. Small tests of this material gave favourable indications, and it was expected that payable returns would be obtained by wholesale treatment. Such, however, was not the case. Alia Quartz-mine, Bendigo (J. A. Cameron and party, owners). —This mine has been tried several times for gold, and abandoned. The discovery of scheelite in the reef has led to an effort being made to reopen the mine and to place it on a payable basis. There is no machinery on the property as yet. This is a property which requires careful development before much expenditure is incurred. General. —Several areas were taken up with the expectation that the operations of the Come-in-Time would be successful. Bannockburn. Quartz-mining may be characterized as absolutely dead on the Carrick Range. The reason is difficult to find. The reefs are narrow, but they are very numerous, and the existence of highly mineralised quartz amenable to chemical treatment is known. It is to be regretted that the battery belonging to the Go-by Quartz-mine was shifted from this district during the year. Bald Hill Flat. Advance Mine, Obelisk Range (R. T. Symes, owner). —I am pleased to report that operations have been attended with success during the year. This plucky miner has great faith in this range, and deserves reward for his perseverance. Surface prospecting is usually carried out by sluicing with, water, F and when the reef is exposed it is stoped out. There are two small batteries on the property. A Wilfley concentrating- able has been installed to save the pyrites, of which there is a large percentage in the stone treated. The pyrites are valuable, and are shipped away to Australian smelting-works. Alexandra. Conroy's Gully Reef. —John Robertson continues to get some stone out and to crush it in his 5-head battery when water is available. Some of the quartz is rich, and much of the lade-material pays for mining and crushing. The want of a suitable water-supply is a great drawback to this particular locality. Terry and Everitfs Quartz-mine, Conroy's Gully. —These men have been at work for some time, and have sunk a shaft 50 ft. in depth on a narrow reef. A battery has been shifted from Rough Ridge and is now lying on the claim, ready for re-erection. Roxburgh. Parker's Reefing Company, Campbell's Gully. —Aided by a Government subsidy, a small waterdriven winding plant was erected, and the shaft was sunk to a depth of 41 ft. Operations are to be continued and the shaft is to be sunk to a depth of 60 ft., and a level is to be driven to catch the shoot of stone. This work is purely of a prospecting nature. Day's Reef, Campbell's Gully. —Like Parker's reef, this reef is situated at a very high altitude, which renders mining operations very expensive. Tests made of this stone give favourable indications, and a party of Roxburgh re idents intend to open up this reef. Serpentine. Cogan's Reef (John Cogan, owner). —Several shafts were put down upon this reef to a depth of 30 ft. Aided by a small subsidy from the Mines Department, Cogan sank another shaft, which has proved a fair length of shoot. The property is now in the hands of a Dunedin broker, with a view to the flotation of a company to work the mine. There are several lines of reef in this district, all worthy of systematic prospecting. Waipori. This district was once the centre of great activity in quartz-mining, but this form of mining is now at a standstill. There was some talk of the Canton Mine being reopened, but no decided move has yet been made. Milton. Canada Reef Mine, Table Hill. —This reef has not been reopened. Some uniformly payable stone was taken from this mine during the period it was being worked, but the shoot of stone was short. It is quite probable that payable stone would be found at greater depth. Several men continue to prospect in the locality, and to crush the quartz obtained in the Canada Reefs battery. Hindon. There.is nothing of a progressive nature to record from this district, which at one time gave promise of becoming an important quartz-mining centre.

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