OE NEW ZEALAND.

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to advantage. Many of the claims are paying handsome dividends, and I believe there is a large area not yet prospected that will pay at least wages. A commonage of 9,500 acres has been thrown open around the township for grazing purposes and agricultural leases have been taken up on the Waikaia Flat to the extent of about 900 acres. The Nokomai Eiver, situate to the west of the Garvie Mountains, which was first discovered in September, 1862, and has since been the scene of two or three large rushes, will, I believe, be one of the most permanent of the Otago gold fields, though the population at present is chiefly Chinese. The workings are on the river flat and terraces on the west side of the same. The Paddy's Alley terraces on the Mataura Eiver, opposite the township of Athol, have been proved to be rich sluicing ground, but there is no water, nor can it be brought on under a large outlay. A company has been formed for the purpose of working the Nokomai flat about a mile and a half above its junction with the Mataura, and as the gold has been traced into the flat in several places, I do not see why, with proper appliances for drainage, the ground should not be worked to advantage. The Waikaka, about eighteen miles south of Switzer's township, has a population of about two hundred souls, half Chinese. The system of working is box sluicing, though a water race to carry about twelve heads of water has been brought in, with one stretch of fluming over a saddle about one mile in length and ten to thirty feet in height; but the difficulty of disposing of the tailings till the flats are worked out has been a drawback to its success. The Waikaia, situate from twelve to twenty-five miles north of Switzers, with a population of fifty or sixty persons working in the bed and banks of the Waikaia River and its tributaries, Gow's Creek and the White Comb ; the former at the south end of the Waikaia Bush, and the latter at the north end. The population is a permanent one, the system of large claims (the whole district having been proclaimed as open to be taken up in acre claims), having, I believe, caused the people to settle down and make homes; a large proportion are married men with families, though so scattered that many cannot take advantage of the excellent Government school established at the township. The yield of gold for the year ending 31st March, 1872, is difficult to estimate accurately, as the gold from Nokomai is sold in Invercargill and Queenstown, but may be estimated for the year at about 2,5000z5. A good deal of the Waikaka gold is sold at Tapanui and Invercargill. The gold forwarded by escort by the branch of the Bank of Otago at Switzer's was 9000ozs, and 6400zs taken to Invercargill by one storekeeper here. I believe lam under the mark when estimating the total from the district at 12,5000z5. John Nugent Wood, Warden. Switzers, Otago. •

No. 24. Mr. Warden Heney Eogbes to Undee-Secretaey for Golds Fields. Warden's Office, Sic,— Orepuki, 15th May, 1872. I have the honor to forward herewith statistics of the Orepuki and Longwood gold field, and to report that there has been a slight increase in the number of miners engaged here during the last twelve months. At one period there were a number of Chinese who appeared to be doing well, but from two cases of fraud on the part of the leading men, by which both Chinese and Europeans were serious losers, they have left this place, except a small number. There has been an addition to the number of races of four, bringing in sixteen more heads of water and extending on an average six miles each. All the water available is now in, until the supplies across the ranges are tried for, viz., the Waiau to the north and the Burapurakino to the east, but these will be works of a most expensive character, and although what is known of the extent of this gold field renders it certain that they will be payable, our population is at present too small to induce such an expenditure as would be necessary. No applications have been made for loans under the Public Works Act. The most costly of the races here being under the amount which would render the assistance desirable. The yield of gold during the past summer has been smaller than usual, in consequenc of the dry weather, but otherwise there has been an increase in the value of this district by extension of works such as races, sludge channels, and the more permanent settlement of the miners. I have, &c„ The Under-Secretary for Gold Fields. Heney Rogees, Warden.