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West Coast. —This claim is still worked by the owner, Mr. John Northey, who directs his attention to driving and stoping on small leaders in the surface levels, and from which he has broken out and treated 14 tons of quartz for a return of 96 oz. 16 dwt. of gold, valued at £242. Two men have been employed. Ballarat Claim. —Operations were carried on in this mine by the owner, Mr. J. Britt. The work consisted of driving and sinking on a small leader, from which he obtained 9 tons of quartz, yielding 36 oz. 14 dwt. of gold, valued at £108 Is. 4d. Prospecting operations have been carried on to a small extent in the Little Mabel, We Two, and Little Maggie Claims, but so far nothing of importance has been met with. Kuranui-Caledonian. —This company had five men constantly employed in prospecting on the Duke's reef at the Hazelbank level. There is a considerable amount of untried ground in this portion of the mine. A distance of 163 ft. was driven on the reef; the prospects for the first 60 ft. were of an encouraging nature, as colours and dabs of gold were freely seen in the quartz in breaking it out. Three stopes were carried along the back of the level, but, unfortunately, although the reef maintained its size and appearance, no gold could be seen. Fourteen loads of quartz broken out of the reef yielded 14 oz. 11 dwt. of gold, valued at £41 6s. lOd. In addition to this, a considerable amount of work has been done on a lead adjoining at the same level, and known as Smith's lead. Eight loads of quartz treated yielded 6oz. melted gold, valued at £16 19s. As this was not payable, the men have been removed to try a leader at No. 1 level, in the vicinity of where the " big patch " was obtained in the Caledonian section in 1870. This lead will average 2 in. in width, and as far as can be seen the country-rock is the same as where the rich gold was obtained, consequently there is every reason to believe rich stone will be found here. There has also been a large number of tributers engaged in working on various leaders in the different sections of the mine, from the No. 3 level up to the surface. The tributers crushed 58,5 loads for a return of 1,317 oz. 7 dwt., valued at £3,581 3s. 3d.; and the company twenty-two loads for 20 oz. 11 dwt., valued at £58 ss. lOd. An average of seven wages-men and fifty tributers was employed. Moanataiari. —With the exception of keeping the main levels in repair, the mine has been entirely worked by tributers from the tunnel level to the surface. 1,311-J tons of ore from the various leaders was treated for a yield of 2,453 oz. 10 dwt., valued at £6,744 ss. Bd. Fifty-four tributers and three wages-men were employed. Kuranui. —This company has done a considerable amount of work in repairing levels and opening up new ground, and have been driving for some time past on promising lodes between the Eureka and Moanataiari slides, adjacent to where very rich gold was obtained in the early days of the goldfield. The manager is very sanguine that an important discovery will be made in the locality they are at present working. 35 tons of ore was treated for 57 oz. 2 dwt. of gold, valued at £98 Bs. 6d. An average of twelve men was employed. New Whau. —This mine was under protection during the first part of the year, and since then the amount of work done has been very limited, and nothing payable was found. 6 tons of quartz was crushed for 4 oz. 1 dwt. of gold, valued at £8 16s. lid. New Alburnia. —Only a limited amount of work has been done on this mine during the year, and the company is in liquidation. An average of four men was employed tributing on various leaders, from which 19-J tons of quartz was treated for a return of 26 oz. 11 dwt. of gold, valued at £73 10s. Id. Golden Drop. —Two men have been employed on this ground, their attention being directed to driving on some small leaders in the surface levels, and from which they crushed 7 tons for 28 oz. 11 dwt. of gold, valued at £70 Is. sd. Tararu Gold-mine (formerly Tararit Greek). —The principal work carried on underground has been the extension of the Day Dawn crosscut at the battery level a further distance of 570 ft., making the total length 752 ft. This crosscut is 8 ft. by 8 ft., and is being driven with a view to opening up the eastern portion of the mine at the deep level, practically 700 ft. below the surface. The south drive on the Dunedin reef at the Dunedin level has been driven 185 ft. south of the fault, and the old level timbered for 200 ft. The Sunbeam workings from the battery level have been reopened to a height of 300 ft. and a connection made with the old Sunbeam workings. A new six-drill air-compressor has been installed and connections made, and an additional boiler has been purchased and placed in position. For some time past no work has been done in the mine, pending arrangements being made to raise more capital to carry out the projected works that were in progress when the mine was closed down. 200 tons of ore was treated, which yielded 35 oz. 11 dwt. of gold, valued at £83 7s. An average of twenty men was employed whilst the mine was at work. Eclipse. —Operations in this mine during the year were principally confined to driving and stoping at and above Nos. 1 and 2 levels on the No. 1 and cross reefs. These reefs varied from 3 ft. to 8 ft. in width, and produced good payable ore for the greater part of the year ; but as the payable ore became exhausted it was found necessary to stop all work in this section of the mine, and drive a low level to open up the mine at a greater depth. This should have been undertaken earlier, when the upper levels were being worked on good ore. 3,857 tons of quartz was treated at the company's battery for a return of 1,418 oz. 9 dwt. of gold, valued at £3,917 12s. 6d. An average of sixteen men was employed. Prospecting-work has been intermittently carried on in this locality in the Argosy, Temple Bar, and Iron Cap Claims, from which small returns have been obtained, but no permanent work has been undertaken. Puru Consolidated, Puru.- —This mine was worked on tribute during the greater part of the year by Mr. G. Tettley and party, but through the block of ground becoming unpayable the tribute was given up, and since then the company has been working it on their own account, directing

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