H.—4

9

December. —The yield of gold is superior to that of several months previous. As this is the first decade of the gold field, appended are the returns of gold for the last ten years since the field has been in operation, viz.:—

Year. Produce. Value. Ozs. £ 1867 ... 6,637 ... ... 20,700 1868 ... 53,611 ... ... 168,074 1869 ... 132,454 ... ... 435,687 1870 ... 85,534 ... ... 319,146 1871 ... 330,326 ... ... 1,188,708 1872 ... 143,036 ... ... 357,108 1873 ... 119,449 ... ... 426,589 1874 ... 110,216 ... ... 289,372 1875 ... 98,937 ... ... 259,709 1876 ... 95,600 ... ... 250,949 1877 ... 123,534 ... ... 336,306 Total ... 1,299,334 £4,052,348

January, 1878. —The Alburnia is still getting good gold ; the specimen lode, four inches in width, is worked. Moanataiari returned 438 oz. for 540 tons. Queen of Beauty gave 250 oz. Old Whau have paid a dividend of 2s. per share, the result of percentages from tributes let in the ground. From Ohinemuri district some satisfactory yields have been obtained. Smile of Fortune crushed 50 tons for 35 oz ; Waitekauri gave 87 oz.; Young New Zealand, 128 oz. In this month the principal mines keep holiday for fourteen days, the result being a great reduction in the produce. The Alburnia paid a dividend of 7s. 6d., besides adding to the reserve, already £7,500. Moanataiari keep up a steady return, paying another dividend. Caledonia gave, for 16 tons, 28 oz. Cure obtained the handsome return of 400 oz. from 90 tons. Driving in the Pumping Association at the 640-feet level, continued, and promising reefs cut. Prince Imperial has been getting stone yielding 3 oz. per ton, or, for 66 tons, obtained 92 oz. February.—This month produced well from the Alburnia, Prince Imperial, Waiotahi, Queen of Beauty, and several tributes. Although the Moanataiari has fallen off, the rock-drill, however, has worked well, driving 150 feet in the month, although some of the rock has been exceptionally hard. Queen of May gave 280 oz. Prince Imperial, from 145 tons, gave 153 oz. Waiotahi, from 200 tons, gave 366 oz. Owharoa, from 200 tons, gave 139 oz. March.—This month has maintained its average production, without any very rich finds to swell the total. The returns are from steady crushings from various mines, tributes, and small holdings, much being taken from old ground taken out and more vigorously worked than formerly. The Kuranui Company have let the greater part of their ground on tribute, reserving the work of prospecting at the lower levels by the company. The total amount of quartz crushed from all sources in the mine has been 3,523 tons, which yielded 5,908 oz. of gold, or an average of I oz. 13 dwt. 13 gr. per ton ; of this yield 5,489 oz. were derived from tributers ; the percentage yielded to the company being £3,585 3s. 9d.; this, together with £523 12s. received for gold on company's account, makes a total of £4,108 15s. 9d., being a slight decrease on the previous year.

MONTHLY RETURN of GOLD from 31st March, 1877, to 31st March, 1878.

Months. Gold. 1877. oz. dwt. gr. April 1st to 30th ... ... ... ... ... 11,96112 1 May 1st to 31st ... ... ... ... ... 10,823 10 1 June 1st to 30th ... ... ... ... ... 12,77111 0 July 1st to 30th ... ... ... ... ... 8,358 6 6 August 1st to 31st ... ... ... ... ... 8,875 14 10 September 1st to 30th ... ... ... ... ... 7,992 10 6 October 1st to 31st .;. ... ... ... ... 9,201 0 0 November 1st to 30th ... ... ... ... ... 7,377 7 10 December 1st to 30th ... ... ... ... ... 11,011 0 0 1878. January 1st to 30th ... ... ... ... ... 2,842 2 12 February 1st to 28th ... ... ... ... ... 7,907 0 0 March 1st to 31st ... ... ... ... ... 8,857 7 2 107,979 1 0