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calculate the quantity of gold per cubic yard is, in many instances, valueless ; but if only onetwentieth part of the gold be found distributed in the material that was said to be in the samples shown me, the venture will be very remunerative. The following shows the weight of gold got from the samples given me from the prospects referred to: — Grs. No. 1 prospect, from Native lease ... ... ... ... 0-50 gold. No. 2 prospect, from Native lease ... ... ... ... 0-35 „ Mud-flat prospects ... ... ... ... ... ... 0-27 „ No. 1 Tunnel, from Parapara River ... ... ... ... 0-70 „ No. 2 Tunnel, „ „ „ ... ... ... ... 1-30 „ No. 3 Tunnel, „ „ „ ... ... ... ... 1-10 „ No. 4 Tunnel, „ „ „ ... ... ... ... 1-20 „ These were each said to have been obtained from a tin-dishful of drift, which could not be more than 151b. weight; therefore the average of the whole of these would be equal to over 7dwt. per cubic yard. This shows that these prospects were not promiscuously taken, for this yield would pay for driving-out the ground, and also pay for carting the drift some distance to water to wash it. The present company will do a great deal in opening out this field afresh, and thus some further valuable mining properties are likely to be taken up in this district. West Coast District. Westport. There are a good many miners employed on the ocean beaches on the north of the Buller Eiver, who depend entirely on the state of the ocean-beach. Sometimes it is covered with a heavy deposit of shingle and sand, and at other times this beach is bare, and covered with nothing but a thin layer of black sand ; it is only when this occurs that the miners can make fair wages. On the south side of the Buller River, there are four localities where extensive gold-mining operations are being carried on —namely, Addison's Flat, Croninville, Charleston, and the ocean-beach between the Totara River and Charleston. At Addison's Flat, there is a large area of auriferous drift. Some of the leads in this locality have been worked for the last twenty-six years, and very rich auriferous deposits have been found. The whole of this flat, as well as Croninville and the Charleston Flat, has at one time been under sea-level, as the gold is found in ancient sea-beach sand and drift. The general character of the workings are sluicing, with water-balances to haul up the stone and tailings, while the muddy water is carried away in underground tail-races. Two claims —the Fair Maid and Gladstone, and Mace and Bassett's —were worked on the hydraulic elevating principle; but the Gladstone Company, during last year, was put in liquidation, and the whole of their valuable plant, reservoir, and waterraces were sold to Messrs. McDonald and Lampfert, of Westport, for £400, no work has been done here since. Mace and Bassett are still carrying on hydraulic-sluicing operations, it is said, with payable results. Carmody and party are said to have one of the best claims on the flat. This party have been working here for the last seventeen years, and it is stated in a prospectus, recently issued by the Shamrock Lead Company, that gold has been sold by the shareholders of this claim to the value of £25,709, the claim is still continuing to give good returns for working. During last year they have been shifting their plant forward and repairing their water-races, &c, having erected a set of Guthrie's gold-saving tables, they are now commencing mining operations again. They are working on what is termed the town-lead, from which a large quantity of gold has been obtained. Shamrock Company. —The syndicate who own the mining property under the name of the Shamrock Lead are trying to form a company with a capital of £12,000 of £1 each, of which five thousand shares fully paid up is to be given to the syndicate, the balance of the capital being for completing a water-race and erecting a hydraulic plant. A water-race has been constructed from the Totara River for about three miles, and there is yet about one mile twenty-six chains to complete the race to the ground proposed to be worked. When this race is completed it will be at an elevation of about 350 ft. above the workings. This lead, which is a continuation of the same one on which Carmody and party are working, was worked in the early days as far as the water would permit; but as the lead got into deep ground the water became too heavy to contend with, and to drain this ground a tunnel tail-race was constructed for a long distance, but when completed it was found to be too shallow to be of any use; it was likewise badly constructed, portions of it caved in, and were never repaired. This led to the abandonment of the ground for many years. It is said that the depth of the ground is from 30ft. to 80ft., and it is intended to work it on the hydraulic elevating principle. Judging from the large amount of work done in trying to get into this ground in the ealry days, there seems to be a fair prospect of it being made to give fair returns with a good systematic method of working. There are several parties of miners working on the different leads, all of whom are said to be making fair wages. Some new ground was opened up about throe years ago by Minogue and party between the old leads and the ocean beach, about two miles nearer Westport than Mace and Bassett's claim. It is said that the claims being worked on this lead are giving very good returns. At Croninville there are some very fair claims, but they are not giving such good returns as formerly. At Charleston the ground is gradually getting poorer; but great expectations are formed that there are still large areas on the flat which will pay for working with a good supply of water, which is being brought in by the County Council, to which body the Argyle Water-race was handed over by the Government. Blackball. Gold has been found in this locality for a number of years, but the difficulty of access has prevented the place being properly explored. A horse-track has now been constructed from Kinsella