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quite as large as it was the previous year, it is sufficient encouragement for the management to push on with the development work, with the object of discovering another rich chute of gold ; and the prospects met with from time to time lead the men that are acquainted with the nature of the gold-bearing country in this locality to believe that an important discovery may be made any day. The work during the year has been chiefly confined to that portion of the mine above the 400 ft. level, and the principal gold-producing reefs have been the cross-reef No. 2, No. 6 reef, and No. 2 reef at the adit-level. The reefs have been driven on for a distance of 1,524 ft., risen on 154 ft., winzes sunk 242 ft., and 4,565 ft. stoped out, from which 2,319 tons 3f cwt. of ore and 2,147 lb. of picked stone have been treated, for the excellent return of 6,208 oz. 14 dwt. of gold. The old Union Beach section of the mine has been drained, the drives, passes, and other parts of the old workings timbered where required, and during the last few months a thousand pounds' worth of gold has been obtained and sold from this section of the mine. This has gone a long way to cover the working-expenses, which may be considered very encouraging, irrespective of any important discoveries that might have been made. There have been 102 men employed on the property. Bunker's Hill. —This company's ground has been continuously worked during the year, employing on an average eight men. The work has been chiefly confined to the 270 ft. level, where gold-bearing leaders of a payable character have been discovered which are likely to pay the cost of opening up the level. During the last few months 160 lb. of picked stone has been treated, for 260 oz. 17 dwt. of gold ; value, £783 Is.; which may be considered very encouraging, as the stone was obtained from the bottom level, where the leaders are intact for some distance. Welcome Find. —Operations in this company's mine have been confined to working on the Just-in-Time reef and on other leaders at the No. 3 level. The Just-in-Time reef is about 20 in. in width, the quartz being of a kindly description for the precious metal. The drive is being extended westward on the above-named reef for the purpose of connecting the winze that is being sunk on the reef from No. 2 level. When this connection is made it will give good ventilation, and as an intermediate level is opened out from the winze it will give better facilities for working, and the stuff broken at the intermediate can then be passed down to No. 3 level, and thus save hauling the dirt up to No. 2 level with a windlass. The company has so far not met with the success they deserved for the amount of work that has been done. A crushing of 26 tons was lately treated, for 58 oz. 9 dwt. gold; value, £164 2s. lid. An average of twelve men have been employed in the mine. f; Golconda Mine; — This company's operations have been limited to developing the mine with three men, and confined to working on the No. 1 leader at the intermediate level. The leader is small, and consequently the amount of crushing-dirt obtained is not very great, and they are depending in a great measure on finding rich patches of specimens. They lately had a crushing of 51 lb. of specimens, for a return of 25 oz. 2 dwt. of gold, the value being £71 10s. Bd. Hauraki No. 2 Mine. —Operations in this mine are now confined to working at the surface levels, but so far they have not been successful in discovering payable quartz, although the reef that is at present being driven upon, which is about 6 in. in thickness, is of a promising character for gold. Two men are employed. The Zealandia Mine. —There has been very little work done in this mine during the year. Hauraki South. —This company has done a considerable amount of work at the 150 ft. level during the year, but, not finding anything payable here, the operations at this level have been suspended, and the column of pumps taken out of the shaft. The operations are now confined to the surface levels, and most of it has been let on tribute. During the year the tributers crushed 29 tons, for 70 oz. 7 dwt. of gold ; value, £218 Is. Bd. Twenty-two men are employed. Blagrove's Mine. —Operations in this company's mine were vigorously carried on" for the first eight months of the year, when the funds became exhausted, and the directors in England found it necessary to consult with the shareholders as to a reconstruction, to find money to carry out the works in progress and other contemplated works to prospect the mine. The mine is equipped with a first-class pumping-engine, with all the necessary appliances for raising the water, and a windingengine, most complete of its kind, with all the safety appliances that are used for raising or lowering of men in the shaft. A considerable amount of work was done in the development of the property. The shaft was sunk a further distance of 48 ft., and enlarged below the 150 ft. level from 6 ft. by 3 ft. to 7 ft. by 4 ft. A good deal of driving has been done on Nos. 1 and 3 reefs, some very rich specimens being obtained in driving eastward on them, and at No. 2 level the No. 3 reef was driven on for some distance, and varied from 6 in. to 4 ft. in thickness, the country here being of a good description for gold-bearing lodes Eich specimens were obtained, but not sufficient to pay. Some driving was also done on No. 2 reef in the old workings, and prospecting drives put in the spurs of the hill. There has been 521 ft. driven on the reefs and leaders, 2,351 ft. of stoping, 164 ft. of rises, 106 ft. of winzes, 510 ft of cross-cut drives, and the main shaft sunk 48 ft. This company's claim comprises 128 acres, and the manager is Henry Battens, who had twenty-four men employed. Kathleen Crown. —This company's claim comprises 92 acres; the manager is Henry Battens, who has had twenty-three men employed. The works that have been carried out during the year have been principally prospecting and opening up the mine. A large amount of work has been done on Argall's reef at the 200 ft. level, and, although the reef varied very much at times, yet it looked promising, as nice pieces of specimens were sometimes obtained, which led the manager to believe that something of importance would be found under the spot where gold was taken out on the surface, but, unfortunately, his hopes were not realised. Driving on No. 1 reef north and south has also been carried on for a considerable distance. In Thompson's section, operations have been continuously pushed foiward on the various reefs and leaders that traverse this section of the mine and as gold was pccasicnally seen in No. 2 and 3 reefs the prospects looked encouraging and an