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will shortly be replaced by a plunger. The quantity of water raised per hour is about 8,000 gallons, but the plant is capable of raising double that quantity through a greater height. Machinery for the mine was made by Messrs. Eobey and Co., of Lincoln, England. A 20----horse-power locomotive boiler supplies steam to a double-cylinder engine arranged under the boilers. In addition to the engine-pump, a Worthington duplex pump is attached to supply feedwater to the boiler. The engine-cylinders are 11 in. in diameter and 16 in. stroke, and the drumshaft is driven from the engine-shaft by means of spur gearing. Two drums 5 ft. in diameter and 2 ft. 6 in. wide, loose on their shaft, are fitted with jaw-clutches, and the shaft is extended beyond the drums to carry the pump-crank and pin. The crank is so made as to permit of the pump being worked with a variable stroke of 4 ft., 5 ft., or 6 ft. From the drums two crucible steel-wire ropes pass over pulleys 5 ft. in diameter, fixed at a height of 50 ft. above the shaft-collar. The poppet-legs and bracing are of round blue-gum, other timber used being heart of red-pine, with the exception of guides, which are of kauri. The landing-brace is 20 ft. above the ground-level, and along the northern end of the brace an ore-bin is erected capable of holding 90 tons of quartz. The pit-cages are of steel, with Ormerod's patent disengaging hooks to prevent overwinding, and safety-catches to hold the cages in case of breakage of the winding-rope. Fallers are provided on which the cages rest at the different levels and at the landing-brace. The mine-trucks are of 15-cubie-feet capacity, and those used for transport of quartz to battery 16 cubic feet. From the shaft-head an 18 in. gauge tram-road 37 chains long leads to the battery, where the quartz is tipped on to a grizzly, through which the fine stuff passes on to a shoot, which carries it into an ore-bin'of 90-tons capacity. Quartz which will not pass between the grizzly-bars is deposited on a floor, and is fed into a Blake-Marsden rock-breaker, from which it goes direct into the bin. The floor of this bin is sufficiently steep to allow of the ore passing through bin-gates, which regulate the supply of ore, to two Challenge feeders, and from these it is fed into two mortar-boxes of the Homestake pattern, where it is pulverised by ten head of stamps, the falling weight of each of which is 1,2501b., and the maximum speed ninety-eight drops per minute. The pulp from the mortar-boxes passes over amalgamated copper plates 12 ft. long by 4 ft. 9 in. wide. From these it drops on to another stepped plate 3 ft. long, and then passes through a baffle-box and over a blanket-table 6 ft. long. The blankets are washed out in tubs, and the concentrates thus saved are paddocked for future treatment. A grinding-pan is used for cleaning up, and two Union vanners are now on their way to the mine to be put in operation as soon as they can be erected. For driving the machinery steam is supplied from one of two Cornish boilers 24 ft. long and 6 ft. 6 in. diameter, with 3 ft. 6 in. diameter flue, in which are four Galloway cone-tubes. Feedwater is supplied to the boilers by a Manchester single-ram pump. The engine is a 30-horse-power horizontal high-pressure one, with 15 in. cylinder and 30 in. stroke, and can be driven at eighty revolutions per minute. A counter-shaft driven by an 8 ft. pulley connects the battery, rock-breaker, and clean-up pan with the motive-power, leather belting being used in all cases for the transfer of motion from one shaft to the other. Six-feet fixed pulleys on the cam-shafts, with two keys, are strongly built of wood, and are set in motion from 3 ft. pulleys on the counter-shaft. The battery framework is of the Highbank type, constructed entirely of pitch-pine, the foundations for each mortar-box being of the same timber in eight pieces 12 ft. long, securely bolted together. The battery and machinery were turned out by the Sandycroft Foundry Company, of Chester, England. The boiler, engine, and mill are housed in buildings of corrugated iron on substantial framework of red-pine timber. Water is supplied from tributaries of the Waipori Biver by a race eighteen miles long. In connection with the battery there is a small assay plant and smeltingfurnace, where all ore is tested before being sent to the mill for treatment." Mr. A. E. Inder is superintendent, Mr. G. M. Steedman mine-manager, and Mr. Clement Dixon battery-manager. Bullendale. The old Phoenix Mine, now owned by the Achilles Gold-mines (Limited), is being worked on the lines described by me in my report on the quartz-mines of Otago for 1898. The incline shaft, which is sunk on the north lode, was down 627 ft. (or, say, equal to 500 ft. vertical) at my visit in November last to No. 6 level, which was being driven east and west on the north lode, and it was expected that payable ground would be soon opened up. I was informed that it is intended at an early date to crosscut to the south or old main lode, and also to resume sinkings for a lower level. A new 8 in. Cornish pump (draw-lift and plunger) has been erected. This raises the water to the adit-level. For the year ending the 31st December last 1,275 tons of stone was crushed, for a yield of 795 oz. 16dwt. lgr. of gold; value, £3,063 17s. 3d. Mr. N. C. Morcom, the superintendent, has returned to England. He is succeded by his late assistant, Mr. J. S. Cherry. Mr. Green, Inspector of Mines, accompanied me to the mine. Whilst underground we found great laxity on the part of the men in regard to the handling of explosives, and the requirements of the safety provisions of " The Mining Act, 1898," deliberately violated. During my term of office as Inspector of Mines for the district I had, prior to the regime of the present management, drawn attention to this. As the warnings then given had been disregarded, it was pointed out to the manager that he had no alternative but to prosecute the offenders. Two of the miners were accordingly charged with the offence, and fined by the Stipendiary Magistrate at Queenstown. Mr. Cherry, the superintendent, has kindly given me the following items of interest as to the 31st March last: — " During the past year our principal operations have been confined to the bottom of the mine. The sinking of the incline shaft below No. 5 level was resumed at the end of March, 1899, and continued to a further depth of 110 ft., making a total depth on the underlie of 637 ft. Owing to numerous drawbacks, and the opening-up of the old intermediate level (which is 38 ft. below No. 5, and east of the incline shaft), this work was not accomplished until September. Leaving 10 ft. for a sump, a plat was cut for No. 6, 627 ft. from surface, and levels driven east and west on the course of the lode. Driving west from the incline shaft the forebreast has attained a distance 4—C. 3.