C—4b.

4

Table B— continued.

Prom Table B above it is seen that the total number that attended the lectures was, for the whole colony, 3,870: being for the North Island, 1,030; Otago, 1,685; West Coast, 1,155: total, 3,870. The number for the West Coast would have been very much larger had I had time, as in the previous year, to visit the important mining communities of Lyell, Nelson Creek, Brunner, Paroa, Charlestown, Westport, and Waimangaroa. It would have been doubled had I also visited Denniston, and the Nelson and Collingwood District. I left Dunedin by steamer with Messrs. Montgomery, McLymont, and Goodlet on the 9th November. We arrived at Auckland on the 17th, and on the following day proceeded to the Thames. I had telegraphed from Wellington to Colonel Eraser, M.H.E., and Warden Kenrick, at the Thames, and on my arrival there found that all necessary arrangements had been made to enable me to commence work at once. The Academy of Music, the largest hall at the Thames, was placed at my disposal during my stay. In the opening lecture, delivered to a very large and appreciative audience on the 18th November, I explained the objects of my mission and the nature and scope of the various classes and courses of lectures which my colleagues and myself were prepared to carry on during our stay. At the close of the lecture I opened a roll of membership for the classes at a fee of 10s. for each member, entitling to the privilege of attending all the classes and lectures. The large number that joined and paid the fee enabled me to dispense with fees at the other centres subsequently visited, provided the local authorities placed at my disposal a hall, schoolroom, or other building suitable for the accommodation of the classes. The work carried on in the classes at the Thames was of the following nature :— I. Mr. Montgomery opened his blowpipe class every morning at 8 o'clock, taking the students in two relays, up to 11 or 12 o'clock, and again another relay from 6t07 in the evening. In these blowpipe classes, which I regard as an important feature of the programme, Mr. Montgomery seated his students along each side of a table about 25ft. in length. He provided each student

Locality. Iiprtnres- Black Testing Exhibition : Lectures. uiacK. Black and Goodlet. Assaying Class: Fenton. Testing Class: McLymont. Testing Class: Goodlet. No. Attend. 1 100 1 25 1 180 1 120 1 80 1 160 1 80 1 140 1 140 1 70 1 60 No. Attend. No. Attend. No. Attend. No. Attend. lillespie's lapourika toss .. iimu .. Lanieri lokitika Itafiord Cumara rreymouth teefton Joatman's 1 180 1 120 1 80 1 160 1 80 1 140 1 140 1 70 1 60 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 20 to 40 30 to 50 30 to 50 30 to 50 40 to 50 40 to 60 40 to 50 40 to 50 30 to 50 1 week 150 1 attend. 100 2 weeks 60 7 70 11 1,155 9 1,030 10 290 to 450 10 310 70

Lecture: : Black. Testing Exhi' and G< jition: Black todlet. Testing Class : McLymont. Locality. No. of Lectures. No. of Attendances. No. of Exhibitions. No, of Attendances. No. of Classmeetings. No. of Attendances. )repuki Jiverton Invercargill Jueenstown Skipper's, Phoenix Skipper's Point .. trrowtown tfaeetown 5embroke Cromwell Bannockburn Slyde Uexandra 3 1 1 3 2 1 3 1 1 2 2 1 1 90 120 150 60 80 70 50 45 40 50 90 60 60 3 1 3 2 1 3 1 90 120 60 80 70 50 45 2 2 1 1 50 90 60 60 2 weeks 2 „ 20 to 40 Totals 22 965 20 775 2 weeks 20 to 40 Slack's linker's it. Bathan's Taseby .. jawrence Sluespur Vaitahuna Gully Vaitahuna Vaipori ?eviot 1 1 1 2 2 2 50 70 90 70 150 80 1 1 1 2 2 2 50 70 90 70 150 80 5 25* 50 80 120 180 1 week 1 „ 1 1 i l 90 120 i 1 90 120 Totals 11 720 11 720 15 455 * Class ml'