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when it is available, and strip as large an area as possible, so as to be able to quarry the coal for some years. One acre of stripping will expose, say, 30,000 tons of saleable coal. A few days prior to my visit a young man named Harris sustained slight injury to his foot when working at]the coal. My inquiry satisfied me that the cause was purely accidental. Albury Goal-mine, Albury (W. Young, lessee). —-(14/9/97): The seam here is 22 ft. thick, and lies at an angle of 45 degrees. The coal is raised up a shaft (68 ft. deep) by horse-power. The men enter and leave the mine by an incline. Ventilation and general condition of the place are fair. The old workings are not fenced off. No report-books kept. Drew attention to these matters, which the lessee promised would be attended to. Brochley Tunnel. —(l 2/8/97): The Brockley Coal Company (Limited) is now in liquidation, and all work stopped, but it is possible the following information may be of interest: The coals in the district are ordinary brown coals, and the overlying measures appear to correspond. At Brockley they appear to have been violently disturbed, and are found nearly vertical, while on the adjoining property of the Wairiri Coal Company the inclination is about lin3orl in 4. At the former place there has been a flow of dolerite, which now overlies the coal-beds. This covering, when in a molten state, has had the effect of practically distilling the hydrous and volatile constituents of the coal-seams and their associated strata, and the upper seam (which was nearest to the flow of dolerite) has been altered into anthracite coal, or what is practically equivalent to it, and the laminated shale overlying the seam has been correspondingly altered into what may be termed a coarse graphite. In similar manner the clay underlying the coal has been baked like pottery-ware, and coals lower in the geological series, and consequently further away from the heat of the dolerite flow, have been altered to a lesser extent, but sufficient, at all events, to bring them up to the standard of Newcastle (New South Wales) coals. It is said that the outcrop of these Brockley seams can be traced for three or four miles at least. The tunnel (which has been driven through the dolerite) is 8 chains or 9 chains in length, and, although very wet and in bad order, I went in as far as possible and saw the coals. The anthracite seam is about 3 ft. 6 in. thick, and other seams are cut, including the well-known Brockley bed, which is about 4 ft. thick. A wooden tramway a mile and a half long connects the tunnel with the county road, but until the railway is extended from Whitecliffs there does not appear much hope of this mine being able to do a large trade. I was informed that a syndicate contemplate working for local consumption, and in so doing exploit the area of coal which can be won. There appears no question as to the excellence of quality for locomotive and marine use, but the quantity of coal available has not yet been reliably approximated. Kurow (D. Scott, lessee). —(17/9/97) : Entrance to this mine is by adit. The coal is almost vertical. Its general width or thickness is about 15 ft., of which 7 ft. are worked. The present level is some 30 ft. below that formerly worked, and as yet no proper return airway is provided, but Mr. Scott states he will shortly sink a little shaft for ventilation. The present state of the air is not at all bad. Very little timber is used or required. Drew attention to the requirements of the Act as regards keeping report-books, &c. Kurow (W. B. Cairns, owner). —(17/9/97): This pit is on the bank of the Awakino Eiver, and is entered by a dip-drive cut in the coal-seam from the outcrop. Inclination of seam, about lin 2J. The coal is bagged underground and raised by horse-power. Pumping is done by water-wheel power. Only one working-place. Coal is very strong. By cutting the roof (in the coal) archshape very little timber is required. No copies of rules posted, nor report-book kept. Wrote owner calling attention to requirements of Act. Wharekuri, near Kurow. —(l7/9/97) : The coal here is practically vertical. None of the pits are now working, but Mr. D. Sutherland is driving a tunnel to open out a new pit. He has not yet struck the coal. St. Andrews Coal-mine, Papakaio (Thomas Nimmo, owner). —(16/9/97): The seam here is about 8 ft. thick, with a dip of lin 4, and the coal fairly hard. The pillars are being extracted from the rise-workings. This pit was a pleasure to inspect. Everything was found executed in a good workmanlike fashion. Timbering is not much required, but where done it is a credit to the owner. Capital ventilation is maintained, and the second outlet is quite equal to the main entrance. Eegulations are carefully attended to. Prince Alfred Mine, Papakaio (John Willetts, owner). —(16/9/97): This pit is entered from two distinct places, by an adit-level in each case, both adits being connected with the workings, and forming escape outlets as well as haulage and airways. The main roadway is rather thickly timbered, and some ten or twelve sets need renewing: directed attention to this. The coal is of variable thickness (9 ft. to 13 ft.), and intersected with soft patches. Excellent ventilation is maintained, but I cannot say much for the system, or want of system, in which the pit has been laid out and worked. On returning to Dunedin I wrote the owner as to the posting of rules, keeping report-books and plans. Ngapara (William Nimmo, owner). —(18/9/97): Found this pit in very nice order; air good, report-books and plan up to date, rules posted, &c. The seam is a strong thick lignite, and needs very little timber. Demand is limited to the requirements of the locality. Shag Point Colliery, Shag Point (Thomas Shore, manager).—(3/6/97): Accompanied by Mr. T. Shore, I inspected all the workings. These are principally in No. 5 seam, which is from 2 ft. 6 in. to 3 ft. thick. The coal (which is worked on the long-wall system) is of very superior quality. Eoadways and working-places all in good order, and ventilation satisfactory. No. 4 seam is much thicker, but the coal is rather stony, and only two or three places are working in it, the coal being used for steam purposes. A bore-hole is being put down on the beach, just above high-water mark, at a point 24 chains to the south of the shaft, with the object of proving the coal behind a downthrow fault which runs obliquely across the present rise-workings at an angle of about N. 70 W. (magnetic). A 2 ft. seam was passed through at 233 ft. At present in