H.—9,

23

No. Business Licenses at £3 ... ... ... ... ... ... 76 Business Licenses at £2 ... ... ... ... ... ... 19 Eegistrations at ss. ... ... ... ... ... ... 180 Eegistrations at Is. ... ... ... ... ...- ... 273 Mining Leases ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 Extended Claims ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 39 Eetail Licenses at £30 ... ... ... ... ... ... 24 Transfers at £5 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 Conditional Licenses at £20 ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 Conditional Licenses at £12 10s. ... ... ... ... ... 3 Wholesale Licenses at £10 ... ... ... ... ... ... # 2 Bottle Licenses at £15 ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 Bush Licenses at £10 ... ... ... ... ... ... 4 It will bo seen from the above statistics that there is a considerable falling off in the revenue as compared with the previous year. This decrease is not to be attributed to the exhaustion of the gold supply, but to the exodus of those engaged in mining. I have, &c, The Under Secretary for Gold Fields, Wellington. G. G. FitzGeeald, . Warden.

No. 12. Mr. Warden Tizaed to the Undee Seceetaby for Gold Fields. Sib,— Warden's Office, Okarita, 20th April, 1874. I have the honor, in compliance with your circulars of 7th and 10th January last, to forward statistical forms duly filled up, which show the position of the Okarita district on the 31st March last. Having assumed charge of this gold field in February only, I am not in a position to give such a full account of its condition, since the last report made by my predecessor in 1873, as I would otherwise bo enabled to do. But this much I may say in favour of the state of the district, that having left it in 1871, on my return I find but little change has taken place either in the yield of gold, revenue, or population, which for the past year is as follows: —Yield of gold, 4,837 oz. 2 dwts. 3 grs.; revenue, £998 15s.—this is irrespective of gold duty ; present population, 490 souls. It may therefore fairly earn the reputation of having as settled a mining population as any gold field in New Zealand, and, on the whole, all doing well; and considering that, up to a very late period, the mining has been entirely confined to a few sea beaches, it is astonishing how inexhaustible they appear to be, most of them having been worked since 1865. The principal incident which has occurred in the district during the last year was the rush to the Haast River, situated about eighty miles south of Okarita, which drew down there not only most of the miners from this portion of the district, but also a number from other parts. I regret, however, to say the ground did not turn out so good as was anticipated, and most left it; but there is no doubt that when this portion of the Province is made more accessible to miners, it will open ground which will support a considerable mining population, as there is every indication of the country inland being auriferous. The gold, however, seems to be very much scattered and of a rough character, that found being from a pennyweight to 2-ounce nuggets. The most satisfactory feature observable of late in this district is the attention given by miners to working inland, up the Wataroa, Waiho, Oamaru, Cook, and other rivers, penetrating into the country up to the very foot of the ranges; in nearly every instance the ground is found payable; but, the almost insurmountable difficulties exnerienced in conveying provisions from fifteen to twenty-five miles over a most rough country, prevents their extension. As, however, Government is about commencing a road inland, it only requires time to develop country which will hereafter support a large population. This district, containing a coast line of about 145 miles in extent, 100 of which is entirely without population, the auriferous nature of which is undoubted, to say nothing of much good land available for settlement, presents prospects of a very cheering and encouraging nature, and needs only the aid of Government to give the people easy access to it to insure its progress. I have, &c, L. Tizaed, The Under Secretary for Gold Fields, Wellington. Warden.

OTAGO. No. 13. Mr. Warden Caeew to the Under Seceetaet for Gold Fields. Sib,— "Warden's Office, Laurence, 30th April, 1874. In forwarding the enclosed annual statistical returns, made up to the 31st March last, I have the honor to report upon the progress, state, and prospects of the Tuapeka gold field, which has been under my charge since the commencement of the month of June last. The returns show a considerable decrease in the number of miners employed in the district, as compared with former years, which requires explanation. I find, by the last annual statement of my