97

a—3

Queen of the North. —During the greater part of the year this mine was worked on tribute by A. McLean and party, their attention being directed to working on some of the small veins known to contain gold. 5 cwt. of crusbing-dirt was obtained and treated for a return of 24 oz. 15 dwt. gold, valued at £66 9s. 4d. Two men were employed. New Four-in-hand, Tokatea. —This property shows a considerable decrease in the output as compared with the previous year, the results- obtained not being sufficient to enable any dividends being declared. The operations were chiefly confined to driving and stoping on the reef at the intermediate and No. 2 levels ; some prospecting-work has also been carried on over other portions of the property, but up to the present nothing payable has been discovered outside the Pour-in-hand reef, which varies from 1 ft. to 3 ft. in width, and from which 340 tons was broken out and treated at the company's battery for a return of 400 oz. 7 dwt. of gold, valued at £1,165 14s. 3d. Ten men have been employed. New Tandem. —This property, which adjoins the Four-in-hand, was taken up by a syndicate. The work comprises the opening-up and prospecting of the Tandem reef, which is a strong and compact body of stone, varying from 6 in. to 18 in. in width. 3 tons of quartz and 131b. of picked stone were obtained from this reef, which when treated at the Four-in-hand battery gave a return of 22 oz. 2 dwt. of gold, valued at £64 2s. Two men are employed. Sea View (late Success). —This property is at present worked on tribute by Daldy and party. The work is confined to driving and stoping on the No. 1 Success reef at the No. 2 level, which varies from 8 in. to 2 ft. in width where work is in progress, and from which 67 tons of quartz has been broken out and treated for 132 oz. of gold, valued at £382 16s. Four men have been employed. A little prospecting-work has also been done on the New Tokatea, Forest Queen, and Lillis Claims, but nothing of importance is reported to have been discovered. Progress-Castle Bock, Tiki. —A limited amount of work was done in this company's mine in the early part of the year, but, as the returns obtained for some time were not sufficient to pay the working-expenses, the company decided to dispose of the property. The battery of three heads of stamps, &c, was sold to the Big Beetle Company and the claims to Danby and party, who are now working the ground. 74 tons of ore was obtained and treated for 123 oz. 5 dwt. of gold, valued at £295 16s. Four men have been employed. Prospecting-work has also been carried on in this locality in the Pukewhau, Prospero, Ternian's, and Sovereign Claims with from one to three men on each. White Star, Cabbage Bay. —This ground has again been taken up after being unworked for several years, and a company formed for the purpose of thoroughly testing the property. Some of the shareholders who know the ground are confident it can be made to pay, and energetic operations are to be commenced immediately. Cabbage Bay Extended. —Only one man is working on this ground. He crushed 1_ tons for l-|oz. of gold, valued at £4 ss. 6d. Macoronic Mine. —This company has had five men constantly employed in opening up the mine preparatory to the completion of a five-stamp battery that is in course of erection on the mine. The reefs and leaders vary in width from 2 in. to 3 ft., and are striking in a north-north-easterly direction through what appears to be a good channel of country. There has been a large amount of work done for the number of men employed on the different reefs, and a low level has been driven and connections made with the upper levels whereby the quartz will be trucked direct into the battery. The water-race and battery should be completed within the next three months, when crushing will be commenced. This will prove the value of ore in bulk, and it is to be hoped it will turn out as well as anticipated, as the shareholders deserve every success for the persistent manner in which they have carried on the work. Kauri Freehold Gold Estates, Opitonui. —This property, on which a large amount of capital has been expended in the mine, battery, and railway, &c, has unfortunately not turned out as well as the shareholders were led to believe it would do. Operations in the mine were carried on up nearly to the end of the year, when the funds became exhausted, and, the returns obtained from the quartz crushed not being sufficient to meet the working-expenses, the whole of the work was stopped. lam informed an effort is being made to dispose of the property. The necessity for such action is not only unfortunate for the shareholders, but for the people living in this part of the district, as a large number of men have been thrown out of employment through the property turning out a failure. 16,121 tons of ore was treated at the company's mill for a return of 8,351 oz. 11 dwt. of gold, valued at £15,653 6s. 6d. This does not include the final clean-up, which will be included in the incoming year's returns. An average of 120 men was employed by this company. Kuaotunu Disteict. Kuaotunu Syndicate (late Mariposa). —Operations were carried on by the owners till May last, but, as the ore obtained from the different workings was not of sufficient value to meet current expenses, and no available money being forthcoming to carry on prospecting-work to discover other payable chutes of ore, all work on behalf of the owners was stopped. Protection was then applied for and granted for six months. At the expiration of that time the mine was let on tribute to White and party (five men), who are selecting and working portions of the reef at the main adit level, which they are confident will pay. During the time the operations were carried on by the syndicate 1,565 tons of ore was broken out and treated for 680 oz. 5 dwt. of bullion, valued at £1,498 15s. 9d. An average of eight men was employed. Waitaia. —This mine has been continuously at work during the year, with fairly good results; and although it has not reached the point where a sufficient surplus is left over to enable the directors to pay dividends, yet there is nothing unreasonable in expecting this in the near future. 13—C. 3.