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level, and a rise put up 254 ft. to connect with the Horn level. This work has given an outlet, and has greatly improved the ventilation. The Horn level has been extended a further distance of 300 ft., which now enables the company to work the different reefs that traverse the property on the south end of the Old Waitekauri Mine. The development-work of the mine has reached a point which should enable the owners to determine a course to be pursued with their property in the near future. An average of twenty-eight men has been employed. Alpha Gold-mining Company. —This mine was under protection in the early part of the year, on the expiration of which operations were again resumed, the work being chiefly confined to driving and rising on the No. 4 reef at various points with the hope of opening up a payable chute of ore. This has proved unsuccessful, as no payable quartz was met with, and the company now contemplates surrendering the ground after having expended a large sum of money on prospecting and in the erection of a twenty-stamp battery and cyanide plant. It is to be regretted that the enterprise of the company has not been attended with better results. An average of four men was employed. Burbank. —Operations in this mine have been directed to extending the low-level crosscut, which is now m a distance of about 1,100 ft., but up to the present nothing payable has been met with. It was fully expected the Te Ao Marama reef would have been intersected before this if they kept the same course as in the section named in the Komata Company's mine, and in consequence is a great disappointment, especially as the shareholders worked the ground in a systematic manner, and had every faith in something important being found. Six men were employed. Waitekauri King. —This mine has been worked by J. Broadbent and party, who have directed their attention to driving and stoping on No. 1 reef at No. 2 level. The reef has varied from 6 in. to 2 ft. in thickness. 17f tons of quartz was broken out and crushed for a return of 41 oz. 1 dwt. of gold, valued at £58 4s. 4d. An average of three men was employed. A limited amount of prospecting-work has also been carried on in the Young New Zealand, Hunua, Eclipse, and Starlight Claims, but nothing of importance discovered. Ohinemuri Syndicate Claims, Owharoa. — No work has been done on this property during the year. Bising Sun. —Prospecting and development work have been carried on in this property with a limited number of men. The reef operated on varied from 6in. to 6 ft., some of it being of a very kindly description, and in places it is said to contain bullion in payable quantities. A test parcel of half a ton was treated at the Thames School of Mines by the cyanide process for a return of 3 oz. 1 dwt. of bullion, valued at £1 18s. sd. An average of two men was employed. Harvey Claim. —Prospecting-work has been carried on by two men, who are at present putting in a surface level with the expectation of finding the run of gold which was worked successfully some years ago. Very encouraging prospects have been obtained, but nothing of a defined or permanent nature has yet been intersected. Kabangahake. Woodstock Gold-mining Company. — During the first three months of the year operations at the mine and mill were suspended, pending reconstruction of the company. This having been accomplished, another start was made in April to push on the development-work by driving the No. 6 level southwards from the shaft, and by sinking the No. 1 winze from No. 5 level to connect with this level. The No. 6 level at the end of the year had been advanced 730 ft., and the winze from No. 5 level connected therewith at a point about 700 ft. south of the shaft, after sinking and rising 250 ft. Stoping has been in progress since June, ore being broken from over Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5 levels. About 8,000 tons of ore had been broken at the end of the year. Crushing operations were resumed at the end of August, and have been continued without a break since then. At the end of the year 7,814 tons had been treated, yielding bullion to the value of £12,434 7s. The mode of treatment has been the same as heretofore— L viz., crushing through breakers and stamps, amalgamation with Muntz-metal tables, concentration over vanners, and cyanidation of the sands, concentrates, and slimes, the former by percolation, the two latter by agitation. A new steam plant has been installed as an auxiliary to the water-power during the dry season of the year. This plant consists of two 150-horse-power Elephant boilers and a 250----horse-power Corliss engine. These have been set up at the mill, and are so arranged that either the mill or compressors, or both, may be driven by either steam or water, or, if need be, both steam and water power can be coupled together. The plant has had a fortnight's run, and everything works admirably. An average of ninety-one men has been employed. Talisman Consolidated. —Operations in this mine have been vigorously pushed ahead during the year in opening up and developing the property at various points, the principal work being the intersection and exploring of the Talisman main lode at the No. 8 level. This has proved to be a large body of payable quartz varying from 4 ft. to 16 ft. in width, and has been driven on in a southerly direction for a distance of about 500 ft. Stoping operations are proceeding over the back of this level on a block of ground 200 ft. in height between 7 and 8 levels. No. 10 level: On the 26th April negotiations were entered into with the Woodstock Company for the use of that company's No. 3 level, situated at a depth of 200 ft. below No. 8 level, and were brought to a successful arrangement being made, when the company immediately commenced work at this level. The reef here is a large body of ore at least 10 ft. in width. During the period under review crosscuts were put in at intervals to ascertain values, and for nearly 100 ft. assay returns of £2 per ton were obtained, while some isolated patches of very rich ore were met with. The very divergent strike of the reef at this level compared with that in the workings above tends to show that this is either a separate reef or a branch of the main ore-body, but this will be proved as soon as time will permit by crosscutting, &c. A chamber has been cut out and an incline shaft is being sunk on the reef from No. 8 level to connect with