d.-3

106

Preservation Inlet. Alpha Mine. —In January last the manager, Mr. John Wilcocks, reported that the track from the mine to the Government tram was completed, and he anticipated getting a stamp battery on to the ground in a few days, and that crushing would be started in the course of three months. The shaft, which is 10 ft. by 4 ft. in diameter, was down 80 ft., and it was proposed to sink a further depth of 50 ft. before opening out. Stone was met with at a depth of 30 ft., which gradually increased in size till it was the full length of the shaft. The stone was over the average quality. It is proposed to erect another ten head of stamps should the prospects of the mine equal anticipation. Tarawera Claim. —This claim has a good-looking reef, 4 ft. in width, on which it is proposed to sink at the 80 ft. level. Cuttle Cove. —Operations are being carried on here to get out a trial crushing of stone. Prospecting has been discontinued at the Olivia Claim, as the reef was not found at a distance where it was expected, but the directors intend to start again in the course of a few weeks. Attention is being paid to the reef situated at Cuttle Cove. Golden Site Mine. —Driving has been carried on on the 200 ft. level, and a considerable amount of quartz met with. The walls are not well defined, but it is hoped that they may improve as the driving proceeds. An uprise will be put in from the 200 ft. level, operations on which will shortly be started. Morning Star Gold-mining Company, Te Oneroa. —The mine-manager, Mr. J. E. Davis, reports progress in this mine to the end of 1897 :— The No. 1b is a new level, and was started in September last, and is driven 121ft. I am driving on the reef formation, but do not expect to get any stone until in past the last rise put up to this level from No. 1a, in about six weeks, when I expect to pick up the old shoot we were working on in the level below. The No. 1a level has been driven 239 ft. There has been no payable gold in this level since October, when the line of reef changed its course to the west. It has now returned to its old course to the south, and, by the appearance of the walls, everything looks as favourable as hitherto for a gold-bearing formation ahead. There have been two rises put through from this level to No. 1b, 156 ft. in height; the first one carried payable stone up to 60 ft., and the second one up to 146 ft. I have stoped out above No. 1a 36 ft. 6 in. in height, 160 ft. in length between mouth of tunnel and first rise ; this is getting shorter every stope. Between first and second rises 23 ft. in height, 170 ft. in length; south of second rise, 29 ft. in height, 75 ft. in length. No. 1 level has been driven 19 ft. 10 in., and discontinued since July. It will have to be pushed forward to get at the stone overhead. I have a rise through south of the mullock-bank to No. Ia level. At 80 ft. I met with payable stone, and it has continued the same up through. This stone is looking very well, and is yet to be taken out. I have stoped in this level north of the mullock-bank to rise through to No. Ia 50 ft. in height, 170 ft. in length. This is where the most of the gold has come from this last six months. I have just finished taking out the floor of No. Ia level, which completes this stope. As the new tunnel at the entrance of this level was getting useless, a contract for a new one was let and finished—total distance, 264 ft.—and connected with old level at No. Ia rise. Nothing has been done to the No. 2 level. A winze has been started 70 ft. from south face, and is down 177 ft.; there was a little gold at starting ; after that I could only find a trace. I have started to open out at the 120 ft. level to drive south. No. 3 cross-cut has been driven 32 ft., but is not in far enough to cut the Morning Star line. I have no payable stone in any of the faces of the levels, but the stopes for this last six months have turned out more stone and gold than I expected, and what I have left in the stopes will, I think, carry me on to Christmas, 1898, and may be poorer or richer, but to all appearances will go about the same, although the daily returns from the battery at present are not so good. The battery is working well, and in good order. Jessica Mine. —A tunnel is being put in, which is intended to be 200 ft. in length.

Summary of Returns from Quartz-mines for Year ending 31st March, 1898.

Name of Company. Ordinary Quartz crushed. Retorted Gold. Estimated Value. Achilles Goldfields (Limited), Bullendale Glenrock Consolidated (Limited), Macetown... Westralia and New Zealand Explorers (Limited), MaceTons cwt. qr. 6,491 0 0 4,545 0 0 1,149 0 0 Oz. dwt. gr. 4,436 0 0 3,196 13 0 507 5 0 town Morning Star Gold-mining Company, Preservation Inlet Cromwell Goldfields (Limited), Bendigo Lawrence Brothers, Bannockburn ... James Lawrence, Bannockburn Golden Gate Gold-mining Company, Bannockburn F. W. Gray, Bald Hill Flat B. T. Symes, Bald Hill Flat Phelan Brothers, Macrae's W. and G. Donaldson, Macrae's H. N. Mills and Sons, Nenthorn (for sundry parties) ... F. H. Perry, Bough Bidge H. F. Knight, Long Gully, via Waipori Mount Highlay Syndicate, near Hyde 3,654 0 0 1,123 10 0 782 0 0 170 0 0 176 0 0 177 0 0 160 0 0 60 0 0 130 0 0 .370 15 0 60 0 0 12 0 0 760 0 0 5,384 11 0 2,457 0 0 143 1 0 57 0 0 95 0 0 244 10 0 143 6 0 91 0 0 32 16 0 329 13 0 15 0 0 3 8 0 165 15 16 £67,900 Totals ... 19,820 5 0 17,301 18 16