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boiler to drive the battery, and has only sufficient water for boiler-feed and battery-tables. Goldsaving appliances consist of the ordinary silvered plates. Being surface stone it is fairly free-mill-ing, but assays of the tailings show that a considerable percentage of the gold was escaping over the tables. The tailings are being saved for future treatment. Maritana Reef, Macrae's (M. C. McGill).—(l3/8/1902): Erecting a six-head battery on the Maritana reef. This is to be driven by an overshot water-wheel, 16 ft. in diameter. The battery will be completed in a month, and will then be started. The reef has an average width of 3 ft., and shows up on the surface close to the creek-bed in an open-cut. A few tons will be easily obtained, but the dip of the stone will carry it below the level of the creek. Only a small quantity of scheelite is present in the stone. The battery has since been completed, and several trial crushings have been made. The battery works well, but owing to the scarcity of water in the creek continuous operations were impossible. During the coming winter a plentiful supply of water will be obtainable, but as a safeguard against future dry seasons a suitable oil-engine will be procured. The crushings have proved the quartz payably auriferous but highly refractory. Assays of the concentrates have proved them to be very valuable. The crushed material will require closer treatment than that afforded by a spread of quicksilver tables. Mr. McGill has had considerable reefing experience in South Africa and elsewhere, and anticipates that he will have no difficulty in making the mine pay well. Barewood. Barewood Gold-mining Company, Barewood (W. C. Hitchcock, manager).—(26/3/1902): Work in this mine is confined to extending the 125 ft. level and stoping out the reef above. The mine is in good working-order ; the level, passes, and travel ling-ways are secure and well timbered. Air is plentifully distributed throughout the working-faces. Work is carried on in two shifts, each shift having two men in the stopes and two in the level. Eight miners, two truckers, and two enginedrivers are employed. A chute of quartz, averaging 10 in. in thickness and (as picked stone) giving 1 oz. to the ton, has been opened up for 300 ft. in length. In the stopes there are 80 ft. of backs over 50 ft. length of stope, and over the level there are 110 ft. of backs for 60 ft. of length. In conjunction with this stone there are other ends, so that there is evidently stone in sight for two years' work. On account of the barren quartz broken down with it, the good stone is reduced to about 12 dwt. in the crushing. Rules posted and report-book to date. A secure magazine for explosives has been built a short distance from the mine. The battery, under' the charge of Mr. Wolters, has been working full time this year. Battery staff consists of manager, driver, and two feeders. Scarcity of water and smallness of crushing plant are drawbacks to this mine A trial is being made of the concentrates, but the result is not available as yet. Machine-register book not at the battery. (3/12/1902): During the past year stoping has gone on continuously in the mine. The 125 ft. level was also extended until the stone gave out in the face. The mine is in good order, and there is a good supply of timber on hand. Below the intermediate level the shaft is standing full of water. Should operations be carried on from the low level, a heavierwinding and pumping plant will be required. Eleven men are employed. All passes, ladderways, and travelling-roads are in good order, as are all surface arrangements, magazine, &c. The battery works full time when the water-supply is adequate. Report-book up to date. As a result of the treatment of the tailings the company expects to pay wages and expenses out of the treatment of tailings and concentrates. Oswald Mosley, miner, met with an accident on the 22nd October. He was at the windlass over the sump winding a bucket of dirt, when his hand slipped, and the windlass-handle reversing struck him on the face, causing subsequent loss of left eye. Sutton. The Sutton Quartz-mine, Matarae (James Hunter). —(26/9/1902): Tunnel 350 ft. to face. Driving west on what is known as " the little reef," which is expected to junction with the " big " reef a short distance ahead. Walls 3 ft. to 4 ft. apart, lying at angle of 45°. Slippery backs or headers had latterly been coming in at the face, and on the 22nd instant Samuel Stevens, who worked alone, had been caught by a stone and pinned to the floor, where he remained for some four hours ere being released by Mr. D. Ross, manager of the adjoining sluicing claim. Preservation Inlet. Venus (late Mavourneen), Crawfish Island, (F. G. Cray, Dunedin). —(17/5/1902): 29 acres. An outcrop of quartz above high-water mark on the north side of the island on the beach where Messrs. Cullen and Clark, in the year 1890, obtained rich specimen pieces of stone and gold intermixed. Line of reef, north-west and south-east; underlay, west. A new shaft 6 ft. by 4 ft. (centred) has been sunk 73 ft. on the underlay, but being filled with water at this date I was unable to go down. Mr. J. Hawkins, who sank the shaft, informs me that the stone was 4 ft. in width near the top, but bunchy, and at 35 ft. ran into stringers of quartz only, which gave out entirely at 48 ft., from which point to the bottom of the shaft no stone was struck. A few tons of stone is stacked at the mouth of the shaft, but apparently no work has been done for several months. A small shaft had been sunk near-by from which 3 tons of stone was taken, and crushed at the Morning Star battery in December, 1900, the yield from which is said to have been at the rate of 16 dwt. of gold per ton. New Venus (late Monte Christo), Crawfish Island (McQueen and party, Dunedin). —(17/5/1902): 22 acres. What is termed the main reef crops out on the north-west side of the island on McKenzie's Beach, and at about 150 ft. west a leader which carried rich specimen gold on the surface was worked on the beach in the years 1894-95. Attempts were then and since made to sink and drive on the leader, as evidenced by indications of three old shafts on the beach and a drive into the hillside. The shafts are wrecked, and the entrance to the drive is fallen in, and they afford little information at