15

H.—7

Revenue. Pees and Fines of Resident £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Magistrate's Court ... 55G 17 0 ... 304 1 6 ... BGO 18 6 Provincial Account ... 1,727 15 3 ... 3,440 10 6 ... 5,168 5 9 Provincial Treasurer ... 1,010 5 1 ... 1,026 8 6 ... 2,036 13 7 Gold Exported peom Westpoet. Gold. . Duty. Year ending 31st March, 1871 ... 56,155 oz. 12 dwts. 0 grs. ... £7,019 9 0 1872 ... 53,935 „ 6 „ 7 „ ... 6,741 18 10 „ „ 1873 ... 37,543 „ 4 „ 22 „ ... 4,348 16 6

No. 6. Mr. Warden Charles Broad to the Hnder Secretary for Gold Fields. Sir,— Reefton, 12th May, 1873. I have the honor to forward herewith the various returns called for in your circular of February last. I also append a plan of my district, prepared by Mr. Woolley, the surveyor, to whom both the Government and the public are deeply indebted for the promptitude and energy with which during the past twelvemonths he has cleared off the large array of gold mining and agricultural lease applications which had been awaiting survey. I append also a copy of my report to the Provincial Council, which embodies nearly all the information I could give with reference to the district for the past year. Since that report, Anderson's Claim has had another crushing, 6b'o tons quartz, yielding 913 oz. of gold; and the Just in Time and the Fiery Cross Claims, at Boatman's, have struck the reef excessively rich, and machinery is in course of erection for the purposes of these claims. The roads constructed last year by the Government have proved of immense service in opening up the country. Several agricultural leases have been applied for along the line of road ; the cost of carriage has been reduced, and easy access secured to the rapidly developing reefs between the Lyell and Reefton. It is most desirable that the rich auriferous country between the Lyell and the Matakitaki should also be made available by the construction of a road. In fact, I know of no work of more importance, not only to my particular district or to the Province of Nelson, but to the Colony generally. The fine agricultural country in the Upper Buller, around Lake Rotoiti, the numerous gullies, creeks, and terraces for miles known to be auriferous, present unequalled inducements for settlement. I have, &c, The Secretary for Gold Fields, Wellington. Charles Broad, Warden. Warden's Annual Report.—lnangahua District. At the date of my last report the district was only in its infancy; so far as Murray Creek was concerned, no crushings had taken place, though very large and extravagant notions had been formed as to the richness of the reefs. This led to'a considerable amount of wild speculation; a large number of leases were applied for in every possible direction ; shares in claims not even tested changed hands at high prices ; a very large township sprang up, and then people waited for the realization of their expectations. Where such a state of matters existed, everything being at fever heat, it is not to be wondered at that many have been doomed to disappointment. But, on the other hand, the value of the reefs, and the importance of their discovery, have been fully established. The statistics appended will show that the various crushings have yielded an average of over an ounce to the ton, and when it is remembered that considerable difficulty has been experienced in obtaining and placing machinery on the ground, that the long continuance of dry weather has suspended operations, and that in Victoria some 4 or 5 dwts. to the ton has been considered a payable yield, I think the result must be considered as highly satisfactory. And if to this fact be added the quantity of alluvial gold now being obtained in Rainy Creek, Murray Creek, Soldier's Creek, Devil's Creek, Redman's, Painkiller, Lyell Creek, Matakitaki, &c. ; the excellent timber through the district; the large deposits of coal, antimony, and other metals ; the great quantity of ground available for agriculture, a large quantity of which is under cultivation, —I think it must be conceded that a most valuable tract of country has been opened up by the discovery of the reefs. The machinery at present erected, and now in full working order, is as under : — Cost. 1. Ajax Company, Shiels's, fifteen heads, steam ... ... ... £7,000 2. Westland Crushing Company, fifteen heads, steam ... ... ... 5,000 3. Anderson's Company, fifteen heads, water ... ... ... 5,500 4. Wealth of Nations Company, fifteen heads, water ... ... ... 6,000 5. Energetic Company, ten heads, water ... ... ... ... 3,000 C. Band of Hope Company, ten heads, water ... ... ... 5,000 7. Murray Creek Cement Company, six heads, water ... ... ... 5,000 8. Alpine Company, eight heads, water ... ... ... ... 4,000 Total ... ... ... ... ... ... £40,500 To these tliare will shortly be added machinery at Boatman's Creek, which is being erected jointly by the Just in Time and Fiery Cross Claims, and a small battery which is being erected by Carroll and Cairns, of the Little Wonder Claim, at the Eight-Mile, near the Lyell, when crushing will be carried on for the claims in the vicinity.