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At the Golden Sands sluicing claim the elevator and treatment plant were shifted about half a mile north of the former set-up, the pipe-line was extended, and sluicing recommenced near the end of 1938. The two 12 in. gravel-pumps which were installed at Nokomai in 1937 continued to operate satisfactorily in 1938 and recovered 1,239 oz. of gold, valued at £9,067. Gravel-pumps were in use also at Little Waikaka, Macrae's, the " 55" Mine at Tuapeka Mouth, Pleasant Valley near Roxburgh, and at Glenore. The two pumps at Macrae's handled 153,100 cubic yards of material in 1938, from which 1,420 oz. of gold, valued at £10,441, was recovered. At the Bell-Hooper claim, near Cromwell, work has ceased and the plant has been sold. A little driving was done early in the year at Cornish Point and again towards the end of the year. Some driving has also been done by another small party nearby, and they have sunk a vertical shaft, to the bottom of which the driving is now directed. Six claims were worked in the Shotover River in 1938, and three parties continued to operate on Skippers Creek. V. MINERALS OTHER THAN GOLD. Iron. In 1938 the State Iron and Steel Department commenced a thorough investigation of the Onekaka field by means of many drives and boreholes. The investigation is still in progress. No limonite was produced. Near Kamo, North Auckland, 835 tons of limonite, valued at £2,630, was mined in 1938, and used chiefly for gas-purification. At Okaihau, North Auckland, a farther 383 tons of limonite, valued at £1,036, was won. Both these deposits of limonite are said to contain a very small percentage of cobalt. Asbestos. No asbestos was produced from the Upper Takaka field during 1938. Sulphur. No work was done on any of the sulphur deposits during the year. Manganese. In the Auckland district 90 tons of manganese ore, valued at £450, was mined near Clevedon ; and about two miles south of the ore being worked, another area is being prospected. Quicksilver. From the Mercury Mines (N.Z.), Ltd's mine at Puhipuhi 7601b. of mercury, valued at £190, was obtained. Tungsten. From the Glenorchy, Macrae's, and Waipori districts 44 tons 12 cwt. of scheelite was produced. Some of this has not yet been sold. From the Wakamarina district a further production of 1 ton 1 cwt. 3 qr. was obtained. Silver. With the gold recovered by the Clutha dredge, 269 oz. of silver, valued at £29 10s. 9d., was won. From the bullion recovered by four West Coast dredges, silver amounting to 533 oz., valued at £47, was obtained. Platinum. Together with the gold recovered at a sluicing claim at Orepuki, Southland, 1 oz. 6 dwt. of platinum, valued at £7 Bs. lid., was saved. Silica Sand. From Hyde, Central Otago, and Mount Somers, Canterbury, 1,356 tons of silica sand, valued at £997, was produced in 1938. Silica was obtained also from two mines in the Wanganui district. Fuller's Earth and Kieselguiir. At Kamo, North Auckland, 56 tons of Fuller's earth and 76 cubic yards of kieselguhr or diatomaceous earth were obtained. Petroleum. Since the passing of the Petroleum Act, 1937, practically all the possible oil-bearing land in New Zealand has been taken up under license. The New Zealand Petroleum Co., Ltd., imported from the United States a large boring-rig 136 ft. high and set it up at the Totangi Dome, near Gisborne. Boring commenced on 12th October, 1938, the hole being started 24 in. in diameter. The first string of casing (18| in. diameter) was cemented at 171 ft., the hole being continued from that depth 17 in. in diameter to 2,715 ft., when a line of 13§ in. casing was cemented in. Below that depth the hole was continued 12J in. in diameter. Near

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