15

H.—l

YIELD of GOLD, with Tons of Stone Crushed, at Inangahua during the Year ending 31st March, 1877.

Returns for Rainy Creek since 31st December last are not given. The gold return is correct. The tons in some cases are only approximate. Grey Valley. Fortnightly Courts are held at Ahaura. The regular monthly sittings at Granville have for the present been discontinued, owing to the insignificant nature and extent of the business presented. At the outbreak of the Kumara rush Granville and Half-Ounce were almost drained of their mining population. Many have returned since to their old quarters, where fair wages can always be made by the holders of water rights. In Orwell Creek much interest was felt at the completion of the Napoleon Hill Company's tunnel tail-race. The valley has been repeatedly prospected, but proved too wet for pumping. The work now finished seems to allow of the ground being proved ; and although the results so far do not tally with the inflated reports which preceded a trial, they nevertheless speak well for a very large extent of auriferous country, of which this may be considered the prospecting claim. In Ahaura the revenue for the past year amounted to the sum of £3,124 lis. 4d. The civil cases numbered 157 —£1,599 2s. being sued for. Criminal cases, 82. Warden's Court cases, 12, with 308 applications. At Nelson Creek, a completion of the Hochstetter Lake (Government) Water-race is anxiously awaited. It is hoped that before another year has elapsed a supply of water along its length will be available, and a vast impetus will be thus given to mining in this locality. Already serious complications have arisen from an interference with private rights in its construction, but the questions involved will be fully dealt with in a separate report. In the No Town District, as at Granville, the Kumara exodus has made mining matters very dull. A tunnel tail-race, put in by Campbell and party, has drained a large extent of deep ground close to Joyce's Gully, proving both a deep and shallow lead : both easily workable. A number of Chinamen occupy the old workings, and are gleaning a fair week's wages from ground long abandoned by Europeans. At Cobden, the only subject of interest is the occupation of the ground adjoining the North Beach under agricultural leases. As the report of the Commission of Inquiry appointed to examine into the desirability of withdrawing this tract of country from agricultural or pastoral leasing is already furnished, it is unnecessary for me to advert further to the matter. The district within my charge has exported, during the year ending March 31st, 1877, gold to the value of £191,000, on which a sum of £4,944 3s. 2d. has been paid as duty. This amount has not been included as revenue in the statistical returns furnished from my offices. I have, &o, The Under Secretary for Gold Fields. Edwaed Shaw, Warden.

No. 14. Mr. Warden Shaw to the Undee Seceetaey for Gold Fields. Sic,— Warden's Office, Reefton, 12th May, 1877. I have the honor to forward you a statement of number of cases, &c, in Resident Magistrate's and Warden's Courts, No Town, received by me too late to be embodied in my report. I have, &c, The Under Secretary for Gold Fields, Wellington. Edwabd Shaw, Warden.

Company. Tons Crushed. Ounces of Gold. Dividends. 3-olden Fleece ... vVealth of Nations Energetic Fiery Cross lust in Time ... 3opeful ieep it Dark ... Phoenix So. 2 South ... independent ... Jolden Ledge ... Alexandra lercules Sainy Creek Pulcan 3,940 9.100 8,223 873 470 2,771 3,766 321 1,533 276 120 394 64 1,632 64 15 129 34 130 114 7,684 6,142 4,480 1,423 746 7,237 1,387 293 322 172 30 168 20 167 25 5 8 136 74 109 £ B. 16,800 0 8,125 0 3.900 0 2,400 0 d. 0 0 0 0 19,387 10 0 Perseverance Jnited Band of Hope Caledonian Victoria lalian Gully ... Total 33,969 30,628 50,612 10 0