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to report that little or no progress has been made in mining matters in the said district during the year. Quartz-mining in the vicinity of the Hindon Village has been still represented by Sheppard and party, whose output for the year has been about 150 tons, yielding a similar average to that of last year—viz., from 7dwt. to lOdwt. to the ton; while at Barewood, Wolter and party are still working steadily on a well-defined reef, having raised and crushed upwards of 900 tons of quartz during the year, the yield varying from sdwt. to 12dwt. per ton. The Barewood Company has been wound up, and the property is now in the hands of a new party, who are taking active steps to develop the mine; and it is expected that during the ensuing year favourable results will be obtained. Alluvial mining is almost at a standstill, although there are several miners making a precarious living amongst the old and abandoned workings. Harris and party, who were constructing a large tail-race in Style's Gully, as referred to in my last year's report, have for the present ceased working. Altogether there are fewer miners than there were, but the number of agricultural settlers remain about the same. I have, &c, The Under-Secretary of Mines, Wellington. E. W. Caeew, Warden.

No. 16. Mr. Warden Bawson to the Undeb-Seceetaey of Mines, Wellington. Sic, — Warden's Office, Invercargill, 2nd May, 1894. I have the honour to forward herewith the annual returns, and to submit the following report on mining matters in the sub-districts under my charge, for the year ended 31st March, 1894 :— Oeepuki. In this locality there is nothing fresh to report, Alluvial mining has been steadily carried on as usual, and the yield of gold has been about the same as for the previous year. Bound Hill. Most of the Europeans on this alluvial field are employed by the Bound Hill Mining Company. The little natural fall there was on this field has, as stated in my previous reports, been mostly sludged up, so that very little of the ground can be now worked, excepting by means of hydraulic appliances such as the company possesses. A number of Chinese miners have left the field recently, probably for this reason. The company has sluiced a large area of ground during the year with satisfactory results. The yield of gold from Orepuki and Bound Hill for the year is over 5,3000z. Peesebvation Inlet. As none of the reefing claims taken up over twelve months ago have yet got a battery to work it is impossible to form any opinion as to what the future of this field is likely to be. Several very rich out-crops of reef, it is said, have been found on Crayfish Island —a small island close to Coal Island. On the former island, also, highly satisfactory results have been obtained from alluvial claims near the beach, but auriferous ground is very limited in extent. The Golden Site Quartz-mining Company is pushing on the erection of its battery. When this is in full work we shall be able to form an opinion as to the value of the Preservation Inlet quartz reefs. Crushing will commence in about a fortnight. Wyndham. Mining matters in this district have been almost at a standstill during the past year. The Waipapa Creek Dredging Company is in liquidation, and Dr. Burns, of Dunedin, has had the dredge on lease during the greater part of the year. Owing, however, to a dispute with the company operations have entirely ceased for some months. The Six-mile Beach Dredging Company has been bought out by Mr. E. S. Vernon, who has surrendered the greater part of his special claim. Mr. J. F. Brunton is managing the claim for him, and is actively prosecuting dredging operations. The only other mining of note is the the venture of Kirkness and party, who have started to make a water-race, nine miles long, at an estimated cost of £700, with the object of sluicing on the Waipapa Beach. Boring for coal has been going on for some time past at Waikawa, but, though a considerable distance has been bored, a payable seam of coal has not yet been struck. I have, &c, The Under-Secretary of Mines, Wellington. C. E. Bawson, Warden.

No. 17. Mr. J. Gow, Inspector of Mines, to the Undeb-Seceetaby of Mines, Wellington. Sic, — Dunedin, 2nd April, 1894. I have the honour to submit the following remarks on the claims visited by me during the past year: — Blue Spur Gold-mining Company.- —(18/5/93): It is now about two years since any reference was made to this claim in my animal report. At that time a tunnel was in course of construction and nearly completed from the level of the bottom of Gabriel's Gully through a ridge of rock between the gully bottom and the cement-hill, where the bottom forms a "pot-hole," 39ft. below the level of the tunnel. This tunnel, when completed, did good service by draining off a large