H.—1.

APPENDIX TO REPORT ON THE GOLD FIELDS OF NEW ZEALAND.

WARDENS' REPORTS.

OTAGO GOLD EIELD. No. 1. Mr. Warden Willis to the Undee Seceetaey for Gold Fields. Sic,— Warden's Office, Dunedin, 16th April, 1877. I have the honor to forward herewith statistical returns relating to the Ilindon District of the Otago Gold Fields for the year ended the 31st March last. I regret I have nothing to report favourably of the district since last year. Enterprise in this direction seems to have lapsed altogether, although I fancy there is no want of room for it. The revenue remains the same. I have, &c, Alex. Willis, The Under Secretary for Gold Fields, AVellington. Warden.

No. 2. Mr. AVarden AVillis to the Undee Seceetaey for Gold Fields. Sic,— Warden's Office, Dunedin, 17th April, 1877. I omitted to say in my report that I had visited the supposed new gold field near Outram, and failed to discover it to be of any consequence. I regret that so much prominence should have been giveu to the matter in the papers. I have, &c, Alex. AVillis, The Under Secretary for Gold Fields, Wellington. AVarden.

No. 3. Mr. Warden Simpson to the Under Seceetaey for Gold Fields. Sic— AVarden's Office, Clyde, 25th May, 1877. I have the honor to hand you the statistical returns of the Gold Fields Districts of Queenstown and Arrow for the year ended 31st March, 1877, of which places I have been in charge for a few months. I regret to say that these returns are not so reliable as I could have wished, having, as I had, to obtain the information second-hand, and from any papers that were in the offices, and having been, from press of work, unable to verify them in any way. With the view of having them revised, I forwarded them to Mr. Stratford, the Warden now in charge of the districts, and who had been in charge of the Arrow District for some years, that he might verify and make up the general report thereon; but he declined to have anything to do with them. From inquiries made, I find that the mining population, both in the Queenstown and Arrow Districts, has decreased considerably during the year, particularly in the former. The wet and unfavourable weather for river mining which has prevailed this season may account for it iv some manner, but I am more inclined to think that it is caused by a good many of the alluvial mines beginning to give out, or rather to require an expenditure of capital beyond the command of au ordinary miner to work them profitably. And I regret to say that there is a great want of confidence by capitalists in alluvial mining, caused by the almost invariable non-success of these mines immediately on being converted into companies. That there is much gold yet to be discovered in the Queenstown and Arrow Districts I have not the slightest doubt, but confidence will have to be restored in gold mining as an investment before capital will be risked. Quartz mining is still continued in the Queenstown District, but with only indifferent success. No new reefs have been discovered this year in that district, but the recent discoveries in the Arrow District have caused many to turn their attention to the further prospecting of reefs previously known, but which had not got a fair trial. lam informed that there are some in the neighbourhood of Moke Creek very well worthy of a fair trial. I fear, however, we want the class of miner capable of properly prospecting a reef. The most important discovery that has been on the Otago Gold Fields this year I—H. 1.