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Golden Bel, Gold-mining Company, Tairua.- Work in this mine has been eoniiued chietiv * ° Ck ° f '"' L ; Wl '-i Cl ' is eX| ' , ' < "" 1 '" be l' ilva,)k ' iN """' bein S above INo. 1 level. Ihere are tour men employed. _ Golden Hills, Tairua (Mr. J. M. Agnew, owner).—Work has been confined to stoping on the mam reel above No. 1 level. The 140 tons of ore treated produced gold valued at £1,241 Os. 9d. I'IAKO COUNTY. Bendigo Gold-mining Company. Waiorongomad.—Five men are employed testing various sections of the Bendigo lode, but so far nothing payable has been discovered" Hardy's Mine. Waiorongomai.—so work has been done in this mine during the year but it is expected that capital will shortly be available to develop the low level. OOROMANDEL COUNTY. Old Hauraki Gold-mining Company. Coromandei. This mine was closed down for several years. A new company was recently formed, and sufficient capital is now available to test the reef-system at a greater depth. All the machinery has been overhauled, and a start made lo unwater the Old Hauraki shaft, It has not yet been decided whether Ibis company will deepen the old shaft or sink a prospecting-shaft from the lioor of the 400 ft. level/where rich specimen stone was obtained. Marshal, Foch Claim.—A small syndicate has been formed to test what is known as the Mount Welcome lode by driving north and south upon it from the low level. There are also a number of claims held and being worked, but none call for special mention. TAURANGA COUNTY. Mn/r's Gold Reefs, Te Puke. —During the year work has been confined to stoping above No. I level, widening out and timbering at the low' level, and rising to connect with the surface for filling purposes. Practically all the ore developed at No. 1 level has been sloped out. At the low level a leading stope has been taken along for 200 ft., ami at the intermediate level 80 ft. has been driven on ore expected to contain payable values. Crushing commenced early in May, and from 4,100 tons of ore treated gold valued at £17,703 7s. 6d. was obtained. Unfortunately, early in January this year the mill was burni down. It is intended, however, to replace it with a 20-head stamp mill purchased from the Harrier Reefs Gold-mining Company, and this plant is now being removed to Te Puke. Accidents. No fatal accidents occurred during the year in the metal-mines under my supervision. Two serious accidents were reported, and they are briefly described hereunder :— sth July: Charles A. Dickson and his mate were employed draining a surface tunnel at the Waihi Grand Junction for filling. Two sets had been put in at the mouth of the tunnel, which was only 20 ft. from the surface. On account of the country being apparently firm, side slabs were not used. At the time of the accident Dickson was filling a truck at the mouth of the tunnel, when a large block of mullock came away from the side between the sets and struck him on the hip. No bones were broken, bill the hip was badly bruised. Ist September : Dunlop and his mate R. Preecc had been engaged prospecting for several weeks, and. finding some good stone on an old tip. decided to investigate as to where it came from. They therefore entered an old drive of the Magnet Extended, Thames, where there had been no work done for over twenty-five years, and in which for over 100 ft. the water had been dammed back to a depth of 2 ft. Finding the leader. Dunlop began picking some stone into a bag held by his mate. He had only struck a few blows when a large flake came away and struck him on the back and shoulder, thereby dislocating his collar-bone and severely bruising his back. North Auckland Inspection Dis-trict (Mr. Boyd Bennie, Inspector of Mines). New Zealand, Quicksilver Mines (Limited), Puhipuhi. -Dining the year work at the mine sisted of mining and treating the ore previously developed. For that period 650 tons of ore was treated for a return of £2,793 155.. the mercury being sold at ss. per pound at Auckland. It is estimated there are about 1,000 tons of ore in sight ready for minirg. the value of which is a little less than the ore previously mined. With careful treatment this ore may give a little profit over working-expenses, as with the present plant it is stated only 50 per cent, of the values are saved. The mine was inspected several times during the year, and I found that mining was carried on with great care and that timber-supplies were adequate for present requirements. Supplies of mining-timber, however, in the near future will be a real difficulty, as a settler in the district has been allowed to remove standing dead kauri, totara, and rimu timber for milling purposes in nowise connected with mining or his own requirements. ■Toffre Claim (Messrs. Collins Bros., owners).—! visited the mine in February and April, when the owners were driving an adil level with a view lo intersecting an ore deposit '-which was seen outcropping some little distance to the north-east. In April the ore-body had been out into, but was not a well-defined deposil of cinnabar. Since that visit the owners have left the mine to seek employment elsewhere and to give them an opportunity of raising capital for the future development of their claim. McLeod's Claim. —This mine has apparently been closed down (luring the whole of the year. Several claims have been granted mi the mining field, but at present the New Zealand Quick-silver-mining Company is the only mining company doing any work.