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extended a further distance of 150 ft. to intersect the reef. Since this company was formed the work has chiefly been confined to opening up and repairing the levels, which they hope soon to accomplish. This is being done with a view to opening up the reef, some of the shareholders being confident that with good management the mine can be made to pay handsomely. Seven men are employed. Taieua Distkict. Broken Hills Mine. —This property, on which a considerable sum of money was spent by a former company in machinery, prospecting, &c, was put up for sale by public auction, and was purchased by Mr. H. H. Adams on behalf of a syndicate, who at once formed it into a company, . and lost no time in commencing operations in the development of the mine and the erection of a crushing plant. The first work consisted in opening up the large reef which was cut through at No. 2 level by the former company, and on which comparatively little work was done. A drive was carried along north and south from the crosscut on the hanging-wall portion of the lode, the lode being cut through in several places as the drive proceeded, to ascertain its width and value. It was found to be from 26 ft. to 30 ft. in thickness, and from assay-tests made of the ore from time to time it was considered of a payable quality, and the new twenty-stamp battery that was purchased with the mine was erected, and crushing was commenced in the month of February, the mode of treatment being the ordinary wet crushing and amalgamation. After a trial crushing of 600 tons had been put through the mill for the return of 196 oz. of bullion, valued at £287, it was found by assay-tests that only a small percentage of gold was being extracted from the ore, and it was at once decided to stop crushing for a time and erect vats, &c, for the treatment of the tailings by the cyanide process. This work is now in progress, and should be completed in two months' time. In the construction of the plant provision was made in the building and foundation for an additional twenty heads of stampers in the event of their being required. The plant is at present driven by steam-power, as the company were desirous of proving the value of the mine before constructing a water-race for the purpose of driving the machinery by water. In the mine work has been chiefly confined to opening the reef up at No. 1 and No. 2 levels, which are connected with rises for the ore to be passed down to the No. 2 level, which is also connected with the battery incline tramway, and the rises have also been the means of giving good ventilation in the upper portions of the mine. The No. 3 level crosscut is also being extended to intersect the reef at a depth of 70 ft. below the No. 2 level, and it is expected the lode will be met with in this level in about another 80 ft. of driving. When intersected, a connection will be made with the higher workings, and the quartz will then be conveyed down the passes to this level, and thence to the battery. An average of thirty-five men have been employed since operations were commenced. Chelmsford. —This claim is situated on the Pakirarahi No. 1 Block, on the Kauri Timber Company's lease, and about ten miles above the Tairau upper landing. There was some prospecting done on and around this property, and an option was held over the ground for a time ; but when this was given up the promoters of the Chelmsford Company made favourable terms with the Kauri Timber Company, and commenced systematic prospecting on the ground, and in a short time discovered highly payable ore. The directors at once purchased a ten-stamp battery, and three Fraser grinding- and amalgamating-pans, which are now in the course of erection. The motive-power will be water, diverted from a number of small creeks in the immediate vicinity of the mine, the longest branch race being 98 chains, and the fall 330 ft. Five distinct lodes have been discovered, varying from 1 ft. to 4 ft. in thickness, and running parallel to each other, striking nearly north and south, with an easterly underlie. Good assay-tests have been obtained from the different lodes, and 1 ton treated at the School of Mines, Thames, gave a return value of £13, whilst another ton gave £5 10s. Work in the surface-drives on the reefs has been stopped for the present, and a main level is now being extended on No. 1 reef; in the face the reef is 4 ft. thick and of a highly payable character. The country is of a favourable description, and, are there a good facilities for working the mine, the prospects of the company may be considered very encouraging. Bight men are employed in this mine. Prospecting operations are also carried on in the Gem, Mysote, Ivanhoe, Glencoe, arjd Golden Hill Claims, from one to three men being employed on each of them. A fair amount of work has been done for the number of men employed, and reefs have been discovered, from which good dishprospects are obtained. Whabekawa Disteict. Whangamata Gold Go-operation (Limited). —This company has an area of 306 acres, and the mine is under the management of Mr. Hugh McLiver. Operations in the mine have been vigorously carried on during the year, and crushing operations were commenced in June last. Since that date the monthly returns show a steady rate of bullion production. The main reef in the mine has been opened up to a considerable extent from three different levels, which prove it to a depth of over 300 ft. below the crown of the hill. The bulk of the ore treated up to the present time is obtained from the stopes over the back of No. 1 and No. 2 levels, where a payable chute of ore about 300 ft. in length is being operated on. The average width of the reef in these levels is about 5 ft., and it is very easily mined, little or no explosives being required in breaking the reef. Since the connection was made between the shaft and the No. 3 adit-level no pumping or winding is required in the mine, as all the ore is now passed down and along this level to a hopper connected with a horse-tram to the battery. This connection is also an outlet for the drainage of the mine. This crosscut is about 1,400 ft. in length, and was driven from both ends, and at present is being extended as a prospecting-tunnel from the bottom of the shaft in an easterly direction, with a view of intersecting any parallel ore-bodies that may traverse this section of the property. In this level the main reef has also