C—3.

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looking leaders have been opened up, they have not been successful in discovering what might be termed a rich chute of ore. A trial crushing of 2-f tons broken from these leaders was treated for a return of 1 oz. 19 dwt. of gold, valued at £5 13s. 9d. Two men are employed. Forest Queen Mine (Area, 50 acres). —Operations in this mine during the greater part of the year were carried on by the owners, Messrs. Home and Johnson, who have done a good deal of work in prospecting and opening up the different reefs that have been intersected in the property. The work was principally confined to developing the reef at the No. 2 level, where it has been opened up to a fair extent, but is very irregular in size, varying from a few inches to 3 ft., but at times makes exceedingly good stone. During the year 1 ton of quartz and 71 lb. of picked stone was treated for a return of 57 oz. 5 dwt. of gold, valued at £126 lis. lOd. An amalgamation has now taken place with the Holly Branch Claim, which adjoins the Forest Queen, and a new scheme of development-works is to be carried out. A ten-head stamp-battery, which was formerly on the Three Brothers Mine, is to be erected, for which preparations are being made. The management consider that a large quantity of payable ore can be obtained from the property if it can be conveyed cheaply to a battery. From four to six men have been employed on both sections. Prospecting operations are also carried on in the Federal, Clarion, Victory, Lilly, Nordenfeldt, and Napier Claims, with two men on each, some of which had small returns, but nothing of importance. Boyal Oak, Tokatea. —This mine was continuously worked up till the month of March, when operations were stopped owing to the capital of the company being exhausted, and it was found necessary to obtain six months' protection to give time to enable the company to reconstruct, so as to raise money to further develop the mine, which will no doubt be forthcoming, as the property is still considered a valuable one, although the gold returns show a considerable decrease as compared with the previous year. This can only be accounted for by the reefs being of a patchy nature, and should work be proceeded with, a rich chute of gold may be obtained at any time. There has been a large amount of work done in the mine during the year in driving, rising, and stoping on the reefs and leaders, from which 1,042 tons of general ore and 235 lb. of picked stone was treated at the company's mill for 2,001 oz. 13 dwt. of gold, valued at £5,117 3s. 6d. An average of fifty-five men were employed in the mine and battery. Hauraki Associated Mtwe.—This mine, which is situated on the eastern side of the Tokatea Eange, has been continuously worked during the year. The mine is worked from three main levels, which are 500 ft., 700 ft., and 850 ft. in length respectively, with 100 ft. of backs between the levels. The principal development-work during the year has been extending the No. 3 level to a point 800 ft. from the mouth, where it was decided to make a connection with the No. 2 level, which was accomplished by rising 40 ft. and sinking 60 ft., which provides good ventilation throughout the workings. The necessary ventilation to enable No. 3 level to be driven the required distance and to rise the 40 ft. was obtained by erecting a small furnace at the mouth of the level, which was connected with air-pipes from the face, which acted very satisfactorily, no water for other methods being available. Operations on the ore-bodies during the year have been principally confined to the foot-wall and Rainbow End leaders. The foot-wall leader is very small, varying from 1 in. to 4 in., but it has produced a fair amount of stone of good quality. The Rainbow End lead is a larger body of stone, varying from 6 in. to 3 ft., and has also produced ore of a payable quality. In opening up on these leaders in the No. 3 level 60 ft. of driving and 350 ft. of stoping has been done on the foot-wall, and 70 ft. of driving and 480 ft. of stoping on the Eainbow End. Since the connection was made between the No. 2 and No. 3 levels all the ore coming from different parts of the mine is passed down and conveyed along the No. 3 level to the hopper; from here it is carted to the battery, which is situated on the flat at the foot of the range, a distance of about three miles. During the year 100 tons of quartz was treated from the mine at the company's battery for a return of 674 oz. 4 dwt. of gold, valued at £1,917 15s. 7d. The average number of men employed during the year was nineteen wages-men and five tributers, whose operations have been confined to the No. 1 and surface levels. Harbour View Mine (Area, 63 acres). —This mine has been principally worked by tributers during the year, their operations being confined to working on the small leaders, from which patches of good stone are obtained. Prom four to six men have been employed during the year, who treated 3 tons 12f cwt. of quartz at the Hauraki Associated battery for a return of 46 oz. 10 dwt. of gold, valued at £130 18s. lid. West Tokatea Mine (30 acres). —Operations in this mine have been steadily carried on during the year, the work being mostly confined to developing the reef at the No. 1 and No. 2 levels. The reefs vary from 2 in. to 1 ft. in width, and have been opened up to a fair extent in the different levels, but so far no very rich chute of ore has been discovered. During the year 17 tons of quartz was treated for a return of 36 oz. 6 dwt. of gold, valued at £103 12s. Seven men were employed during the year. Queen of the North. —This mine has been partly worked by tributers during the year, no crushings having taken place on behalf of the company. On an average six men have been employed, but at present only four tributers are working the mine, and are extending the roadlevel for the purpose of opening up a new block of ground on some of the small leaders, from which good stone was obtained at different times, but so far they have had no crushings during the year. 3 tons 5 cwt. 36 lb. of stone was crushed at the Hauraki Associated battery by the previous tributers for a return of 17 oz. 16 dwt. of gold, valued at £51 3s. 6d. Tokatea Consols Mine (Area, 30 acres). —Only a limited amount of work has been done in this mine during the year. At present the mine is under absolute protection pending the completion of arrangements that are being made to raise further capital to carry on the development of the mine, in which a considerable amount of work has been done. Six reefs, varying from a few inches up to 4 ft. in width, have been operated on in the different levels, but so far they appear to be of a very