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the yield of gold per cubic yard has been so small that ground-sluicing with an ample supply of water was the only means of dealing with the gravels and extracting enough gold to pay for working. Another feature in connection with the field is that, in addition to the leads of gold lying near the surface, it has been shown that there exist deeper leads, the result of older beach concentration, and it is probable that some of these may be profitably worked by mining from tunnels. Several parties are employed in drives put in from the face of the terrace, those drives being made with just enough fall for drainage, and the leads of wash are worked in the ordinary way of alluvial mining. A low-level prospecting tunnel, 7 chains to the southward of No. 3 channel, has also been driven to test the deeper ground, and the presence of a lead of gold-bearing wash has been demonstrated. The owners have been subsidised by Government in doing this work, and further assistance is promised for more extensive operations towards ascertaining the value of what has already been found, and also in continuing the prospecting-tunnel towards Kapitea Hill, where the "blue reef," or marine bottom, rises nearer the surface. A hopeful anticipation of proving the nature of deposits under the Kumara terraces, and of finding deeper leads of gold, is shared by nearly all who have been mining on the field ; and efforts continue to be directed to that end, but prospecting-works of this kind can only be from drainage-tunnels. The vast quantities of water with which the whole of the ground is charged must preclude shaft-sinking until drainage is effected. The gradual exhaustion of the leads of payable gold-bearing wash amenable to hydraulic sluicing will permit of some of the water from the race being applied to other purposes, and it is evident that considerable time must elapse before the gold in this district is exhausted. The accompanying map of Kumara Goldfield furnishes full information about the channels and other matters.

Parties now at Work.

Parties. Men. No. 2 channel ... 2 7 No. 3 channel ... ... ... ... ... ••• 6 27 No. 4 main tail-race ... ... ... ••• ••• 3 18 Private tail-race... ■ ... ... ... -•• ••• 10 53 Total ... 21 105 Supplied from Kumara Eace ... ... ... ••• 17 81 Supplied from private races ... ... ... ••• 4 24 Total ... ... ... ... ... 21 105

No. Name of Party. "T3 . * W *o>.'2 ° oS A ?■* j3 a <d fl -101 i «> rH CO o w a OO 00 M o . CQ co M o o 2 A a no ft co 55 S |-s:s -S CS rj m go c3 At I*.* IS os e3 8 8 «' rjO Race from which Water is supplied. l 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 No. 2 channel — Dillon and party Williams and party No. 3 channel— Light and party Neame and party O'Connell and party Harris and party Neville and party Coninghan and party No. 4 main tail-race — Cullen and party Long Tunnel Company ... Quinn and party Private races— Lee and party ... Shrives and party Carlsson and party Shroder and party Bowden and party Marshall and party Moynihan and party Arnerich and party Pascoe and party Carlsson and party Preparing to sluice into private race-— McGrath and party 4 3 5 3 5 5 4 5 6 7 5 In. 6 4 6 5 8 7 8 64 7 6f 8 In. 26 32 22 22 22 22 22 22 24 26 24 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 10 10 22 14 Cub. yd. 60 40 60 50 64 56 64 65 98 148 112 Kumara Eace. a a tt if tt it Private race. tt 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 5 4 4 4 4 8 4 6 4 8 12 10 9 8 8 8 8 7 8 24 30 30 26 24 24 24 24 26 22 12 10 12 10 10 10 22 15 12 12 96 120 120 90 80 96 176 120 84 96 Kumara Eace. it tt it it Private race. it Kumara Eace. 1 10 5 20 Private race.