71

a—s

Kennedy Bay District. Prospecting operations in this part of the field have not been carried on with as much vigour during the year as was anticipated. It was thought, through the Hauraki Associated battery being available for the treatment of parcels of ore for prospectors and others, that prospecting operations would be more energetically carried on than has been the case. In the Maccaronie Mine, which is situated at Mata Mataharakeke, Mr. T. Barron and party have done a considerable amount of work in prospecting, and have discovered and opened up several leaders varying from a few inches to 2 ft. in width, some of which give very encouraging prospects. At present their attention is directed to prospecting and opening up one of the larger lodes which has lately been intersected, and from which good dish-prospects are obtained. It is their intention to have a few tons of this ore treated to ascertain its value previous to the contemplated erection of a small battery. Three men are employed. Bose Mine (Area, 5 acres ; owner, Mr. A. McNeil). —This claim has been the principal goldproducer in this locality. During the year 10 tons of quartz and 67 lb. of stone were treated at the Hauraki Associated battery for a return of 54 oz. 15 dwt. of gold, of an estimated value of £150 lis. 3d. Prom two to three men have been employed. A limited amount of prospecting was carried on for some time on the Evening Star, Bay View, and other mines, which have now been abandoned, but unfortunately nothing of a payable description was discovered. Sluicing operations on a small scale are also carried on in the Harataunga Stream by Whitehead and party, who are the owners of a sluicing claim on the creek. 500 tons of washdirt was put through the box for 5 oz. of gold, valued at £3 ss. 6d. per ounce. Dyer and party also hold a sluicing claim on the same creek, and obtain a little gold occasionally. Other sluicing claims have been taken up on the Waikoromiko branch, from which it is probable a fair amount of gold will be obtained. Lewis and party, owners of the Waikoromiko Sluicing Claim, treated a small parcel of 54 lb. of stone obtained from their mine at the Hauraki Associated battery for a return of 10 oz. 13 dwt. of gold, valued at £34 lis. 3d. Henderson and party have also taken up a sluicing claim on this creek, but no returns have been made up to the present. So far the sluicing operations carried on in this locality have not been very successful for the parties concerned ; but, as very rich pieces of stone have been picked up in these creeks in several places at different times, there is also the chance of a good discovery being made. From eighteen to twenty-two men have been employed in this locality during the year. Waikoromiko District. New Four-in-hand Mine (Area, 247 acres; owner, New Four-in-hand Gold-mining Company, Limited). —This mine is under the management of Mr. Thomas Radford, jun. Operations have been steadily carried on during the year, with very satisfactory results. The work has been chiefly confined to driving and stoping on the leader and reef at the No. 1 level in the Four-in-hand section of the property. The leader averages about 3 in. in width, and in some places it has been very rich. Some very good hauls of specimen stone have been obtained in driving on this leader southwards, which junctioned with the main reef, which has averaged a thickness of 18 in., and it is from this reef that the bulk of the crushing-dirt is being obtained. Although no great deposit of gold has been found in this reef, it has been very consistent, and patches of good specimen stone have been frequently met with. The country encasing the reef and leader is a very firm class of andesite, and in places along the course of the reef diorite frequently makes close to both walls. A small amount of driving has been done at No. 2 level of the same section, the reef being of about the same appearance as in the upper level. In the other sections of the property a little prospecting has been done, but nothing of a permanent character has yet been undertaken. The battery which was in course of erection by the company in the early part of the year was completed, and crushing operations started in May, from which time payable returns have been obtained from the mine. The battery, which is driven by steam-power, consists of five head of stamps and two berdans, also a small testing plant of two stamps, and is connected with the mine by an aerial tramway, and the whole of the plant is working in a very satisfactory manner. The mode of treatment is wet crushing and amalgamation, the ore being free-milling. During the period the battery has been running, up to the 31st March, 993 tons of quartz were put through for a return of 2,194 oz. 8 dwt. of gold, valued at £6,345 19s. 9d., which must be considered very satisfactory for the shareholders. Further developments have been effected On the other sections of the property, in some of which gold-bearing reefs have already been opened up. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that this mine will become one of the principal gold-producers in the district. The work during the year, which has been mostly confined to the Four-in-hand section, consists of 234 ft. of driving, a rise put through to surface 129 ft., and 155 fathoms of stoping, exclusive of some prospecting operations on the other sections of the property. Twenty-three men are at present employed. Lillis Mine. —This property is situated on the dividing-ridge of the Waikoromiko and Whangapoua watershed, and is owned by the Kauri Freehold Gold Estates Company. It is worked on tribute by Lillis and Eyan, who have tried a portion of the ground for a considerable time with fair success. Their attention has been chiefly directed to working on some small leads and stringers which they have opened up in the higher levels, and from which very good returns have been obtained in proportion to the quantity of ore treated. Only 1 ton of ore has been treated during the year for a return of 41 oz. 9 dwt. of gold, valued at £124 7s. Two men are employed. Waikoromiko Mine (Area, 5 acres). —This claim is worked by the owners, Mclsaacs and Goodall, who have done a good deal of work in prospecting the ground, and, although some nice-