67

a—3

During last year mining operations were confined to the New Find, Loyalty Palace, and New Premier, and other mines, in which there were altogether fourteen wages-men or owners employed, and two tributers. The quantity of quartz from mines crushed for wages-men and owners last year was 840 tons, which yielded 5520z. lldwt. of gold, while 31 tons of stone was crushed for the tributers for a return of 19oz. 15dwt. of gold, and 250 tons of tailings was treated for a yield of 550z. Bdwt. of gold, making a total of 871 tons of quartz crushed and 250 tons of tailings treated for a return of 6270z. Mdwt. of gold, as against 1,929 tons of stone crushed and 592 tons of tailings treated for the previous year, which yielded 2,5150z. of gold. There were also fifteen miners less employed in the field last year than there were the previous year. Although the returns from this field seem to be lessening every year, this is no doubt due to the want of capital, which is required to enable the lodes to be tested at a greater depth. The deepest workings on the field are at the New Find Mine, which are some 320 ft. below the outcrop. The country-rock on each side of the lode, for some distance above this level, was extremely hard, resembling blue indurated sandstone in appearance, but at the far end of the cross-cut, which was constructed to cut this lode, a different class of country was found, showing that underneath this hard strata there is a soft tufaceous sandstone, similar in character to that enclosing the lode in the Crown Mine, Karangahake, at a deep level. There are indications to show that by going down to a greater depth a better class of country for the existence of auriferous lodes will be found ; but in order to do this capital is required, and until such time as attention is especially directed to this field it is likely to dwindle to a condition in which only a few men will be employed. The following statement shows the results of mining operations in the Te Aroha district for the year ended 31st March, 1895 : —

Note.—The areas shown do not include the whole of the land occupied, but only that from which the returns are derived.

Average Number of Men employed. For Owners. For T: :ibuters. jlings. Locality and Name of Mine. Area. E ■ 3 2 a> US !H ■i Gold obtained. Amalgama- r ., tion. Cyanide. V3 o d o .2 u 3 a Gold obtained. o> Gold obtained. Amalgamation. Amalgamation. Piako County. 'aiorongomai and Te Aroha— New Find Werahiko Loyalty Palace .. New Premier Sundries A. R. P. 31 0 36 5 0 0 10 0 0 5 0 0 5 0 0 2 4 2 2 4 1 1 Tons. Oz. dwt. 23 16 17 321 342 8 9 29 0 460 156 11 27 7 15 840 552 11 Oz. dwt. Tons. 15 16 Oz. dwt. 9 17 9 18 Tons. 250 Oz. dwt. 55 8 Totals 56 0 36 14 2 31 19 15 250 55 8