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important find was daily expected here. During the month of June the sinking of the main shaft was resumed, the work being let on contract;. The cost of sinking 100 ft. was £522 10s., and the total depth of the shaft is now 305 ft. A chamber is cut out and timbered at a depth of 250 ft., and another chamber at what is termed the 300 ft. level; and driving is now proceeding at the latter level for the purpose of intersecting the reefs, and as the country is more favourable at this level it is fully expected payable ore will be met with when the reef is cut. The Golden Pah. —-This company have now got their winding and pumping plants completed, and everything in connection with the mine is now in good order. Development works are in progress on the various leaders that traverse the mine at the 60-ft., 80-ft., 130-ft., and 193-ft. levels. The Pacific and road levels have been driven a distance of 3,500 ft. The prospects of the mine look more promising than they have done for some time, as during the last four months 35 tons of ore and 57 lb. of picked stone have been treated for 104 oz. 4 dwt. of gold, and value £312 12s. There have been thirty-one men employed in the mine. Hauraki Main Lodes. —This company did a large amount of prospecting work in the shape of driving at the 180-ft. level of their shaft, but, not being successful in discovering any payable lodes, they decided to stop operations for a time, and then applied to the Warden for absolute protection. Kathleen Mine. —This company has done some excellent prospecting work, and, although they have so far not been successful in finding payable ore, yet the shareholders have every confidence that something good will be found, as the claim is well situated, being in close proximity to where the rich chutes of ore have been taken out of the Hauraki Company's Mine. The principal development work in progress at present is the sinking of the shaft, which is nearly down to where the 300-ft. level is to be opened out; and a crosscut is being driven easterly at the 200-ft. level, where the manager hopes to meet with something of importance. Hauraki North. —This company has three men at present employed sinking a winze on the Hauraki North reef, from the surface, but no important discovery has been made. There has been very little work done in this mine during the year. Trig Hill. —This ground has been worked by a party of tributers, at the surface levels, who crushed a parcel of 4 tons for 8 oz. 14 dwt. of gold. Two men were employed. Wynyardton Mine. —This ground has been worked the greater part of the year by a party of four tributers, who have crushed 31 tons of ore for 52 oz. 11 dwt. of gold, value £153 ss. 4d. Pbeecb's Point. Preece's Point Mine. —ln the early part of the year the company had men on the engine pumping the water out of the mine, but for several months past there has been little or no work done, pending the reconstruction of the company to raise capital to develop the property. The Golden Shore. —There was a considerable amount of work done by this company in the beginning of the year, but after sinking the shaft to a depth of 137 ft., and trying the reef at this level and the 75 ft. level, a crushing of 6 tons of quartz treated only gave 2 oz. 16 dwt. of gold, and, this not coming up to their expectations, work was suspended for a time. Opitonui. , Kauri Freehold Gold Estates. —This company have done a very large amount of work on the different sections of the property. In the Lanigan section an adit-level has been driven on the reef for a distance of 1,600 ft., the reef varying from 3 ft. to 7 ft. in thickness, and what is termed " Lanigan's shaft," near the mouth of the above-named drive, has been sunk to a depth of 250 ft., and from this shaft three levels have been opened out. The works in progress are : Driving east and west at No. 3 level to intersect the reef, carrying a stope on the reef along the back of No. 2 level, and sinking a winze from No. 2to No. 3 level on the reef. In the Hilda section an adit-level has been driven on the reef for a distance of 800 ft. The average thickness of the reef in this drive is 6 ft. A stope is being carried along on the back of this level, rails are being laid down, and other preparations are being made for stoping out the reef above this level, and shafts have been put down on the reef from the surface to this level to be used for running down stuff to fill in the stopes. In the Maiden section a shaft has been sunk to a depth of 150 ft. and two levels opened out from it—No. lat a depth of 65 ft. from the surface, and No. 2 at a depth of 125 ft. The reef is cut in No. 1 level and driven on 25 ft., the reef here being about 3 ft. 6 in. in thickness. A crosscut is being driven at No. 2 level for the purpose of intersecting the reef; No. 2 adit-level has been driven on the reef for a distance of 600 ft. and this reef will average 5 ft. 6 in. in thickness. Carvell's section : The reef that runs through this section is considered a cross-lode, which strikes from the Maiden reef to Lanigan's. A shaft has been sunk on this section to a depth of 70 ft., and a drive put in on the reef at the 70 ft. level for a distance of 300 ft. This reef is about 4 ft. in thickness. The work had to be suspended here for a time on account of the temporary pumpingplant not being capable of competing with the water, and in consequence more powerful machinery is being erected. The forty-stamp battery and gold-saving appliances will be completed in the course of another month, and as the mill is connected with the mine by a light railway for conveying the quartz from the mine to the mill, and as hoppers and everything are ready at the mine, no time will be lost before crushing is commenced. Kuaotunu. Mariposa Mine. —This company's claim comprises 101 acres, and there has been an average of thirty-three men continuously employed during the year. A considerable amount of prospecting and development work has been done on the property, from the low level up to the outcrop of the reefs, a height of 469 ft. There has been 1,127 ft. of driving done, 129 ft. of sinking, 279 ft. of rises, and 2 944 ft. of stoping during the year. The principal work in progress is the sinking of the 6—C. 3A.