G.—s

18

It will be seen from this table that the total cost of these works has been £344,553 16s. Bd, the total receipts from sales of water £118,564 18s. 7d., and the value of gold duty obtained through, the working of claims by their construction £23,214 10s., making a total of £141,769 Bs. 7d.; while the expenditure on maintenance has been £90,592 15s. 3d. : leaving a profit to the colony of £51,176 13s. 4d. during the ten years they have been in operation. The Mount Ida still shows a loss, even on this basis, of £508 3s. 7d. MINING GENERALLY. COBOMANDBL. Mining in this district is in a healthier condition than it has been for several years. There are three large companies that have taken up mines here —namely, the Kapanga, Coromandel, and another company who have purchased the ground adjoining the Success Company. All these companies are formed with English capital, and have set to work in prospecting the ground and erecting machinery, which shows that these mines are intended to bo worked systematically and on commercial principles. This is the only way in which mining can be made to pay. The system of taking up ground and holding it for whatever traffic can be done in shares is ruinous to mining as an industry, and brings it into disrepute among those who are seeking a venture where they can embark their capital with safety. There are a good many miners yet working on the Tokatea Eange, making fair wages, notwithstanding that it is riddled with drives and adits. The peculiar character of this goldfield is that the best gold is got in small veins intersecting the tufa rock in every direction. Sometimes these veins are like the blade of a knife, and sometimes widening out to 4in. in thickness. Claims that have from time to time been given up as being worked out are again taken up by other miners, and made to pay for working. Every small quartz leader or vein is followed up, and in many instances months are spent in driving without coming on a patch of gold-bearing stone. The Tokatea Eange is a portion of the Coromandel field which is well suited for small parties of miners. When auriferous quartz is found in these small veins they generally yield from 7oz. to lloz. of gold per ton, and, the veins being small and rich, there is no necessity of having heavy crushihg-'machinery erected, nor is there any need of persons going to the expense of erecting machinery of their own for the small amount of quartz obtained. Every one gets out a few tons, and sends it to the custom mill at the foot of the range. It will be seen from the following statement, showing the amount of quartz crushed and the yield of gold therefrom, that the Tokatea Eange is still a rich place, which will be likely to support a good mining population for many years yet to come. There was 57 tons of quartz crushed from six claims, which yielded 1,0150z. 9dwt. of gold, or an average of 17oz. 14dwt. of gold per ton.

Also, the following is the year's return from other small claims, where the quantity crushed is not known :— Oz. dwt. Golden Crown ... ... ... ... ... 25 4 Sterling Castle ... ... ... ... ... 29 10 Kennedy Bay View ... ... ... ... ... 13 17 Earl ... ... ... ... ... ... 29 10 City of Glasgow ... ... ... ... ... 65 8 Sunrise ... ... ... ... ... .... 8 12 Total ... ... ... ... 172 1 Tokaiea Company. —This company's mine is now let in different portions to tributers, who pay the company 20 per cent, of the gold they obtain. At the time of my visit there were sixteen tributers at work, principally on the side of the range facing Coromandel, about 60 chains in an easterly direction from Harbour View. These tributers have to bag their quartz and carry it up the range on their backs for 300 ft., and down for a similar distance to the road constructed round, the southern side of the range from the saddle. All these tributers send their quartz to the custom mill on the Coromandel side of the range. There is a large reef running through this company's ground, but it carries very little gold near the surface. Some very rich stone was got in this lode on the third, fourth and fifth levels; but, on a lower level being constructed to cut the reef, it became broken up, and the place where the stone was expected showed the lode-walls plainly, rbut instead of containing quartz it was filled with mullock between the walls. Since this company took up the mine dividends amounting to £63,625 have been paid to the shareholders. During last year 26 tons of quartz was crushed, which yielded 1,0270z. of gold, or nearly 40oz. to the ton.

Name of Claim. Amount of Quartz got or crushed. Yieia of Gold from Quartz. lachclor's iob Boy oung American ... Tons cwt. 7 5 18 0 6 15 5 0 5 0 15 0 Oz."«" dwt. 253' 0 211 14 120 6 128 12 115 17 186 0 rera ... [ueen of the North laipawa Total ... 57 0 1,015 9