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estimated at 2,500 persons ; of these, about one hundred are Chinese, who are mostly located at Westbrook and Greenstone. Greenstone. During the past year mining operations have been steadily carried on, but in an uneventful way. No new ground has been opened up, and nothing of any importance has occurred to bring under notice. The miners seem to be contented with their earnings., and the population remains much as at the date of last annual report. Eeturn of cases disposed of in the Magistrate's and Warden's Courts, Kumara, for the year ending the 31st March, 1895 : Civil, 118 ; criminal, 53 ; Warden's, 37. The revenue for the year, amounting to £661 6s. 5d., collected in the Kumara Court, is made up as follows : Warden's department, £590 14s. 5d.; Magistrate's department, £70 125.: total, £661 6s. sd. Particulars of revenue collected in the Warden's Court for the year ending 31st March, 1895 :—- ---£ s. d. Miners' rights ... ... ... ... ... ... 302 0 0 Business licenses ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 0 0 Water-races ... ... ... ... ... ... 500 Eegistrations ... ... ... ... ... ... 23 5 0 Eents ... ... ... ... ... ... 134 8 0 Fees and fines ... ... ... ... ... ... 22 0 0 Miscellaneous ... ... ... ... ... ... 92 1 5 590 14 5 Number of mining applications lodged during the above-named period, 275. Geeymodth. No change of any great importance, viewed from a gold-mining standpoint, has taken place in the prospects of this portion of my district during the past twelve months, unless it be the discovery by Messrs. Curtis and party of what promises to be a highly-payable reef on the Paparoa Eange, in the locality known as Langdon's. This locality, though, if I mistake not, at a higher level than that now being opened up, was the scene of quartz-reefing operations many years ago which were by no means of a profitable nature, not a few Greymouth residents having anything but pleasant reminiscences of the same. Messrs. Curtis and party have reason to hope that their find is possessed of that which was previously wanting in quartz-reefing ventures at Langdon's—viz., a well-defined reef of some continuity combined with richness of stone ; and it is to be hoped that their expectations will be realised. At the time of the discovery they were employed in the Julian Mine, which they held on tribute. Whilst putting the battery in order they noticed surface indications of a reef; these being followed up resulted in a reef from 2ft. to 4ft. in thickness being traced. A tunnel was then started by them about 30ft. below the outcrop, and after driving a distance of about 65ft. the reef was cut. Since then, they inform me that they have driven 45ft. along the reef, and have taken out three trial crushings, with the following results : No. 1, a parcel of 2 tons taken from the outcrop, yielded 17Joz. per ton ; No. 2, a parcel of 1 ton taken from where the reef was cut in the tunnel, yielded lloz.; No. 3, -J ton taken from the face at the end of the drive, yielded 15oz. Arrangements have, I understand, been concluded for the purchase of the crushing plant belonging to the Specimen Hill Company, at Boatman's, near Eeefton, and it is also intended to construct an aerial tramway. It is expected that this claim will be in working-order in about four months. Five other licensed holdings were granted in this locality, but little or no work is being done on them, I am informed. The Julian Company have had three men employed putting in a prospecting drive, the object of their search being Curtis's reef. This drive was started about 2 chains south of Curtis's tunnel, and is now in about 160 ft. Water was tapped recently, and, this being considered an indication of the presence of a reef, the company expect to strike one any day. This year's work includes the erection of a small battery, a small aerial tramway from the drive to the battery, and a large wooden water-wheel. So far as alluvial mining is concerned, there is nothing special to report. A slight improvement appears to have been noticed at Barrytown, where three new races have been brought on to some of the terraces, providing employment for twelve extra men. There has likewise been a slight increase in the population. A number of fresh claims has been taken up at Fiji Terrace and Coal Creek by miners from the Brunner Mine, who have been compelled to seek this means of obtaining a livelihood owing to the slackness in the coal trade and consequent dearth of employment. Maori Gully and its surroundings support about fifty miners, all of whom are old residents. This portion of the district has suffered somewhat from want of water, the races brought on to the low ground, which is now mostly worked out, being useless so far as the high terraces now being worked are concerned, and insufficient rainfall to make up for the want of a permanent watersupply. The terrace which was being prospected at Dunganville at the date of my last report proved a failure. There is no material alteration in the number employed mining, still a slight diminution in the gold-yield has been noticed. Marsden and surroundings report no very apparent change. A stationary population succeeding in earning a livelihood is all that may be said of it. The South Beach, Paroa, and Butherglen maintain between them a not very large mining population. The only claim worked on a scale of any magnitude is the Leviathan. This party has for some time past been engaged bringing up a tail-race, which is, I believe, about completed, and they expect to find themselves owners of a good claim.