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crosscut is now 627 ft. long, and it is expected that the reef will be cut at about 800 ft., at a depth of 270 ft. from the surface. There are several reefs traversing the Anchor ground, the chief one being the Jupiter, which in places is 40 ft. wide, carrying quartz heavily mineralised with ironpyrites, sulphide of antimony, and zincblende. The quartz on the average is too low grade to work, but the reef has branches which in places carry very rich ore, the gold being found generally and plainly visible in the stone. Besides the Jupiter reef there are leaders of the specimen class that have been more or less worked. The Stevenson's leader is 6 in. to 18 in. wide, and carries very rich ore ; Prescott's leader is from 4 in. to 8 in. wide, and carries very rich ore, but heavily mineralised ; the September leader is 2 in. to 10 in. wide, and carries specimen ore. The Anchor is opened by five crosscut adit-levels, the Anchor level being the main working-level. This cuts the reef at 450 ft. in and 295 ft. vertically below the surface. The following mine-work has been done during the year : Anchor and Mascotte—Driving on reefs and leaders, 1,628 ft.; sinking, 104 ft.; rising, 153 ft. ; crosscutting, 506 ft.; stoping, 306 ft. Lord Nelson—Driving on reefs, 65 ft.; crosscutting, 627 ft. The company own a small testing plant of four stamps, and a ten-head stampbattery in the course of construction. 374 tons of quartz was treated at the company's mill for 116 oz. 3dwt. of gold, valued at £303 3s. Bd. An average of thirty-two men have been employed. Kieikiei. Fleming's Mine. —This mine has been continuously worked during the year. Operations have been carried on in both the Horse-shoe and Filly sections of the property, where a good deal of work has been done in prospecting and developing the various reefs and leaders, which vary from lin. to 10 in. in thickness, and from which 54 tons of quartz was broken out and treated at the four-stamp battery for a return of 139 oz. 18dwt. of gold, valued at £384 14s. 6d. Six men were employed. Puriri Gold Estates. —This company was formed in London two years ago to take over the claims known as the Beresford, Perseverance, and others, comprising an area of 224 acres, situated on the western fall of the main range, and distant about two miles from the Township of Puriri. A main level was started for the purpose of cutting a large reef outcropping on the Mandoline section, but when it had advanced 133 ft. extremely hard country was met with, and in consequence this work was discontinued and the mine protected for a time. When the protection expired operations were directed in starting No. 1 level higher up the hill than the former level to intersect the same reef, and is in a distance of 475 ft. Three small reefs were intersected in this level, ranging from 8 in. to 2 ft. The first proved to be a portion of the large outcrop referred to, and was driven on westward for a distance of 183 ft. The reef widened, out to 4 ft., and assay-tests of the stone gave as much as £2 9s. per ton. Driving has now been commenced on the same reef from the crosscut east. A crushing of 20 tons from the 2 ft. reef proved disappointing, as the bullion obtained was only worth £10 19s. 6d. Various other prospecting-works have been done on the property, but so far no payable quartz has been obtained. An average of seven men have been employed. Orion Mine. —This company was formed in June last to take over the Lucky Chance Special Claim (late Joker), and previous to its formation a very large amount of prospecting-work had been done on the property. Three levels were opened up, and two reefs driven on for a distance of 2,500 ft., the reefs varying from 18 in. to 5 ft. in thickness. Since the formation of the company an aerial tramway, hoppers, &c, have been erected for half a mile in length, from the mine to the battery, at a cost of £750, which has considerably reduced the transport of quartz to the mill. When this was completed 207 tons of quartz was treated for 59 oz. 3 dwt. of gold, valued at £131 18s., which has been very disappointing. Miner's Bight Claim. —This mine has been continuously worked during the year with four men, the work consisting of driving and stoping on small leaders, varying from 2 in. to 6 in. At the surface adit-levels 92 tons of quartz has been treated for a return of 137 oz. 5 dwt. of gold, valued at £350 15s. Id., which is considered payable for the time they were in getting it out. Omahu. Sheet Anchor. —This claim was taken up by Tilsley Brothers, and has been worked with from four to six men. The reef is from 4 ft. to 5 ft. thick, and test crushing at the School of Mines has given excellent results. The reef has very little underlie, the deepest covering on it, so far as it is proven, being not more than 30 ft. There is a large amount of clay and quartz mixed on the outcrop, which contains a fair percentage of gold that they consider will pay to crush. A twostamp battery was erected, with the necessary amalgamation appliances ; but this has not turned out a success, and they now propose erecting additional stamps, &c. 33-J- tons of quartz has been treated from this mine for 291 oz. of bullion, valued at £202 Bs. sd. Klondike Mine.—, From time to time a good deal of surface-prospecting has been done on this mine, which was formerly known as the Nancy. Good dish-prospects can be obtained from the loose soil on the surface, and in one of the trenches there was the formation of a 3 ft. reef, but this was not what could be called quartz, as it was hard country-rock, with iron seams running through it which contained a fair percentage of gold. Two and sometimes three men have been employed. Golden Belt Mine, Neavesville. —This property consists of the Golden Belt, Venus, and Golden Arrow, and comprises 36 acres. A battery is erected on the mine, which includes thirty head of stamps, nine berdans, and other necessary appliances for the treatment of the ore by the ordinary process—wet crushing and amalgamation. There has only been a limited amount of work done on this property for the last twelve years. Four levels have been driven, and the reef sloped out for about 400 ft. m length. A low level has been driven for a distance of 580 ft., and this has to be 11—C. 3.