a—3

6

The following parcels were also treated in the battery during the year, but from their nature did not pass through either the amalgamation or the cyanide process. They simply involved crushing, berdan treatment, and retorting and melting the bullion.

When the experimental plant has not been crushing for the public, the students have on several occasions made use of the battery as a means of gaining practical experience in the different processes of ore-treatment, and have gained thereby, besides considerable information, a confidence in the regulation of machinery which will be invaluable, to them in the future The shutting-down of most of the mines under protection has had the effect of causing a 'number of students to leave the district in search of work, but, although the number of individual students attending the classes has been somewhat less this year than last, the total attendances at the classes have been greater this year owing to students each taking more subjects of instruction, and consequently taking fuller advantage of the opportunities afforded by the school. The following table shows the attendances at the various classes : —

Table of Attendances for the Year ending 31st March, 1901.

The annual examinations were held during the second and third weeks of December, 1900, and were supervised by myself and my assistant, Mr. W. H. Baker, B.Sc. The papers, prepared and printed in Wellington, were received each day from Mr. Coutts, Inspector of Mines, at the hour appointed for the examination, and the answers handed in by the candidates were sealed in separate envelopes at the close of the examination and forwarded on to the examiners in Wellington. The examiners were Mr. Hayes, Inspecting Engineer of Mines; Mr. Aston, Government Analyst ; Mr. Alexander McKay, F.G.S., Government Geologist; Mr. C. H. Pierard; and the Surveyor-General. The results were satisfactory, although the percentages obtained in some of the subjects were not as high as in some previous years. This was especially noticeable in the case of elementary chemistry, for which there was a new examiner. The paper set was beyond the capacity of those attending the class, which is held on Saturday, free to public-school pupils, and they were unable to attempt much of the paper. It is extremely gratifying that the attendance at the Saturday science class maintains a high average, for from these students the school hopes to draw much of the material upon which it is to work in the future. Many of the pupils will no doubt take up other work, in which they will probably be assisted to some extent by the elementary science they become acquainted with at these clssses, but others will in due course attend the regular classes of the school in mining, chemistry, metallurgy, &c, and they will be all the better for the groundwork now being laid by the instruction they are receiving every week.

iwner, ;c, am 'i;rict. Weight. Yield in Bullion. Value. N. Woodward, Thames ■rloucester, Thames School of Mines, Thames ilonowai, Waiomo /Ionowai, Waiomo Sheet Anchor, Omahu ... iheet Anchor, Omahu ... likurangi 51b. specimens 7 lb. specimens 20 lb. retort 3501b. slags 150 lb slags 53|-oz. amalgam 31 oz. amalgam 1,6801b. fireclay Oz. dwt. gr. 3 2 0 2 10 0 0 18 0 9 0 0 14 9 0 13 6 0 7 12 0 £ s. d. 8 7 6 6 5 0 2 3 2 2 14 0 5 16 0 21 19 0 12 10 0

1900. 1901. Name of Subject. First Term. Second Term. Third Term. First Term. Eegistered students — General and mining geology Mineralogy and blowpipe Land-and mine-surveying ... Mathematics Mining and applied mechanics Metallurgy of gold and silver Practical chemistry Theoretical chemistry Practical assaying ... . . ... Mechanical drawing 6 6 17 17 17 9 1.0 26 20 22 JH 26 28 34 24 7 7 15 19 15 19 22 18 21 16 12 7 11 11 I] 21 20 20 19 14 14 14 13 Total ... Saturday science class 149 45 214 50 162 70 107 50 Total attendance at classes 194 264 232 157 Individual registered students 50 70 50 36 Total individual students ,.. 95 120 120 Rβ