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Milton. Last Chance Quartz-mine, Canada Reef (Thomas Park, Owner), (Area of claim, 53 acres). —25/5/05 : The reef strikes east and west and dips to the south. The width between walls is 7 ft. The quartz is highly oxidized and very friable, explosives not being required to assist in breaking out the lodematerial. The shaft was sunk in the hanging-wall to a depth of 90 ft., and operations are being conducted to the rise of the shaft level, all the quartz being wound up the shaft. Ventilation is maintained through passes to the surface. A good class of timber obtained from Southland is used in the mine. Suitable ladders are provided in the shaft. The ten-head battery affords ample crushing-power. Crushing during the year has resulted in an average of 10 dwt. per ton of quartz being saved by amalgamation. The sands are saved with a view to future treatment by cyanide. Ten men are employed about the property. Rules posted. 26/10/05 : The mine was revisited on this date, when everything was found to be in good working-order. Ocean View Reef, Table Hill, Milton (C. Johnston and party).—2s/5/05 : The success attendant upon operations at the Last Chance Mine has stimulated others to prospect the known reefs in this locality. Johnston and party are engaged prospecting the above line of reef and are taking out a trial crushing. 26/10/05 :An extension of the Ocean View Reef has been unearthed —found beneath several feet of overlying clay —and parcels of quartz totalling 123 tons have been crushed from time to time in Park Bros.' battery. Unlike the friable quartz in the Canada Reef, the stone in this reef is hard, compact, and comparatively low grade. Prospecting. —Other prospectors in the Table Hill district are James Smith and R. Keen, both of whom have done a considerable amount of prospecting-work on the reefs of the district. As Park Bros.' ten-head battery is the only one available in the district, these prospectors find it a difficult matter to get parcels of stone tested. Park's battery is water-driven, and the drought during the season has prevented continuous crushing from taking place. The reef-system of this district deserves more attention being given to it. Macrae's. Bonanza Mine, Macrae's (L. O. Beal, jun., Owner). —Operations have been at a standstill throughout the year. Tait and Party's Mine, Mount Highlay. —27/2/05 : Thomas Tait and others took up an area on Matheson's run, Mount Highlay. The property is on the Mount Highlay line of reef and contains quartz carrying payable gold and scheelite. The necessary arrangements are being made to put an up-to-date crushing and concentrating plant on the property. New Zealand Gold and Tungsten Company, Mount Highlay (Area, 100 acres). —Messrs. W. and G. Donaldsons, proprietors of the Golden Point Mine, have acquired possession of Tait and party's property and portion of Nunn's Mount Highlay Mine, and are proceeding to develop their lease. The machine-site has been excavated, and the erection of the necessary plant is being proceeded with. The plant consists of one Mason rock-breaker for rough crushing, one Blake-Marsden for fine crushing, one 5 ft. Huntingdon mill, and one Wilfley table of the newest pattern. The proprietors prefer the Huntingdon mill for crushing quartz containing scheelite, having found by experience that the scheelite does not slime as readily in the mill as in the stamper-battery. Power will be supplied in the meantime by the Sintz oil-engine, but a Marshall engine and boiler will be installed in the near future. Highlay Gold and Scheelite Mining Company, Mount Highlay (J. 0. Gilmour, Secretary, Dunback), (Area of claim, 20 acres). —This private company bought out Nunn and party, proprietors of Mount Highlay Mine. The property is to be worked for gold and scheelite. The crushing plant (late Mills and party's United) consists of a five-head battery, water-driven. Golden Bar Quartz-mine, Stoneburn (D. Peddie, Manager), (Area, 49 acres). —28/2/05 : The shareholders in this property are all residents of Macrae's. This mine is being worked on good lines. Timber is plentifully used in the stopes and levels. Ventilation good. Rules posted. Explosives well stored and carefully handled. Eleven men are employed in and about the mine and battery. The tailings from the five-head battery are being treated by a cyanide plant managed by A. Tomlinson, a certificated battery-manager. Latest advice from this mine is to the effect that the extension of the main level has opened out a further payable shoot of stone. Cockerill's Freehold, Macrae's. —28/2/05 : Some attention has been directed to this property, the lodes on which are said to contain payable quartz and also scheelite of good quality, Gilivern Mine, Dunback Hill, Stoneburn (Alfred G. Davies, Owner). —Apparently very little work has been done on this property during the year. Golden Point Quartz-mine, Macrae's (W. and G. Donaldson, Owners; W. Donaldson, Minemanager), (Area, 87 acres).—27/2/05 : The mine is being worked on the usual safe lines. Timber is freely used in the levels and stopes. The stoped ground is filled in as work progresses. Ventilation good. The crushing plant and concentrating appliances are being driven by water-power, but power is supplied by a 16-horse power Marshall boiler and 14-horse power Marshall engine during dry seasons. Scheelite is still procured and prepared for the fofeign market, 55 tons having been obtained during the year. Twenty-seven men are employed in and about the mine and battery. Ounce Reef, Murphy's Creek, Macrae's.—2B/2/05 : The original owners of this area, Spiers and Ross, allowed the lease to lapse. The area was then acquired by W. Lidstone and party; and a start has been made to scope out the payable quartz. The reef is small, and the stoped ground is filled in from the hanging-wall. A fair supply of props is kept on the ground. Scheelite occurs in small quantities in the quartz, and it is collected and, I.understand, disposed of locally. Maritana Reef, Golden Point, Macrae's (C. McGill, Owner), (Area, 19 acres).—Several small parallel reefs outcrop on this property, and carry values in gold and scheelite. The installation of an oil-engine to provide power when water is scaice has proved a wise step. Crushing can now be carried