109

0.—3

Dredges under Removal. Dredges under Removal— continued. Record Reign, from Tuapeka to Berwick. Enterprise Gully, from Naseby to Otama, Mataura. Ophir, from Black's to Central Charlton. Maniototo, from Naseby to Spec Gully. Turakina pontoon?, to Voltaic prospecting. Victoria, Alexandra, to Globe, Waikaka. Pontoons, Victoria Dredge, below Kawarau Bridge, to Kawarau Endeavour, Roxburgh, to Glen-iti, Waikaka. Consolidated, and maohinery to Reeves's Proprietary, West Mount Ida, from Kyeburn Eiver to Tnchholme, Shag River. Dredges Standing. Kyeburn dredge, from Kyeburn to First Taieri Claim, Rock-and- Adams's, at Tuapeka Mouth. Pillar district. Macrae's Flat, at Macrae's Flat. Working Dredges not visited.* At Waitahuna— At Moa Flat — At Cardrona— At Waikaka— Havelook. Ettrick. Rolling Stone. Woolshed No. 2. McCormac's. At Muttontown Gully— At Waimumu— Record. At Miller's Flat— New Alexandra. Waimumu Ibbotson's. Golden Gate. Matau. Waimumu Extended. Perry's. Pringle and party. At Clyde— Waimumu Central. Little Waikaka. Otago. Unity. At Waikaia — Charlton— Golden Treasure. Vincent. Nugget. Charlton Creek. I have, &c, The Under-Secretary for Mines, Wellington. B. E. Green, Inspector of Mines. * Several of these dredges are new. Others were visited by me during the year.—J. Hates, Inspecting Engineer.

WAEDBNS' EEPOETS. Mr. Warden Hutchison to the Under-Secretary for Mines, Wellington. Sir,— Warden's Office, Auckland, 30th April, 1900. I have the honour to transmit herewith the various annual returns in connection with the Puhipuhi Gold-mining District. Prom these it will be sufficiently apparent that this field has made no progress during the year. The only claims now in existence, indeed, are those owned by the Hampton Plains Company, a purely English company which took up these claims in succession to series of owners who held them apparently for purposes purely speculative. And this company, although it took up the claims on the 19th July, 1898, and has not asked for protection, has not, so far as I can discover, done any effective work upon the ground. The statement of the attorney in New Zealand is that "some 13 tons of ore have been extracted and sent to England for treatment, which gave results varying from 5 dwt. to 1 oz. of gold and 10 oz. to 25 oz. of silver to the ton." The company is evidently in the experimental stage only. It employs only from eight to ten men, instead of seventy-four men as prescribed by regulations. A number of miners' rights has been issued, but there is reason to believe that these have been taken out by persons (gum-diggers and others) simply wishing to qualify themselves to take up residence-sites. I have, &c, T. Hutchison, Warden. The Under-Secretary, Mines Department, Wellington.

Mr. Warden Bush to the Under-Secretary for Mines, Wellington. Sir,— Warden's Office, Thames, 25th May, 1900. I have the honour to furnish herewith the usual annual report on the Hauraki Goldfields. It affords me very great pleasure to report a considerable increase in the yield of gold for the year ending December, 1899. The Waihi Mine produced gold of the value of £285,381, as against £272,688 in 1898; the Waitekauri, £74,276, as against £66,585 in 1898; the New Zealand Grown Mines, £67,165, as against £55,488; the New Zealand Talisman, £36,246, as against £32,648 ; the Woodstock, £17,088, as against £15,692; the Waihi-Silverton, £15,498, as against £11,501; the Hikutaia Gold Syndicate, £300 ; Jubilee tributers, £925 ; Waitekauri Extended, £3,749 ; Te Aroha, sundries, £1,865; the Alpha, £777 ; and the Komata Eeefs, £7,659, which is a decrease of £10,136, but it must be explained that this company's yield only represents that for three months; during the rest of the time the battery has been shut down, and a low-level tunnel driven some 3,000 ft. No doubt during the current year this mine will again take its place amongst the gold-producers of the Upper Thames portion of the field. The various mines at the Thames produced gold to the value of £66,553 during 1899, the Tararu Creek Gold-mining Company being responsible for £16,525, the Moanataiari and Kuranui-Caledonian tributers securing £6,748 and £6,694 respectively. Eor the same period the Waiotahi had £4,299 ; Fame and Fortune, £1,889 ; and the Eclipse, £1,174. The Whangamata Gold Corporation netted £7,361 in 1899. The Coromandel mines generally have fallen behind with their gold, the total value for 1899 being £43,444, being £4,340 less than what was produced by the Hauraki Company and the Eoyal Oak Mine alone in 1897. The Hauraki Gold-mining Company are credited with £12,819; the Eoyal Oak with £7,088; the Kapanga with £4,903; Hauraki Associated with £1,801; Bunker's Hill with £1,733 ; Scotty's with £1,613; Mariposa with £2,414 ; the Irene with £1,463; the New