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APPENDIX TO REPORT ON THE GOLD FIELDS OF NEW ZEALAND.

WARDENS' REPORT.

1 * AUCKLAND GOLD FIELDS. No. 1.

Mr. Warden Keddell to the Under Secretart for Gold Fields. Sir, — Warden's Office, Coromandel, 25th May, 1878. I have the honor herewith to forward the statistical returns called for in your circular letter, and to submit the following general report on the leading features of the mining industry, and tho progress made in the Northern Division of the Hauraki Gold-mining District during the year ending 31st March, 1878. lam sorry to have to record a very barren result for the year's labour. Amongst the leading mines there has been no contribution to the small amount of gold shown in the accompanying returns. Some from the Union Beach and Tokatea, the Royal Oak, the Pride of Tokatea, Kapanga, Bismarck, Golden Point, and those holdings known in last year's report as the Palmerston and the lona, have yielded no amount worth recording; but, although these returns show a falling off from the last year's yield, I believe that the district has made some progress, and I am certain it has begun the present year under very favourable auspices. A great deal of labour has been expended on work that makes very little show, but which nevertheless takes up a great deal of time, and is only appreciated when followed up by a favourable result. I refer to prospecting, though the term is not usually applied to researches on old ground; but it is not inapplicable to the cases I allude to. During the last quarter of the year 1877, several parties of miners gave their attention to ground in the vicinity of the junction of the Driving and Main Creeks, which had been occupied over and over again before under various owners, and which was known to be intersected by many gold-bearing leaders. After much desultory work and careful tracing of golden prospects to the reefs, some three or four claims were taken up. Of these, that known as "the Corby " stands first. From this claim, in February, they obtained 66G oz. of gold from one stope 20 feet high and 20 feet long, on a reef averaging 2 feet. Since then this yield has been greatly exceeded, but I have not given it a place under the heading of " certain parcels " (in Return No. 547), as it more properly belongs to the statistics of the current than the past year. This claim forms the centre of another group, which first depended in a great measure on the " Corby " prospects; but, since their development so far, other reefs have been cut sufficient to encourage their owners, even should the " Corby " run out of their ground. From this portion of the field I anticipate good things during this year, and, in fact, the impetus the district has received from the Corby success, and the good prospects of the neighbouring claims, is already apparent. Besides these, which might with propriety be called new claims, on the Matawai, in the Tiki District, a new company has leased from the owner a piece of ground formerly worked as " The Golden Belt " and other claims, on which ground they have secured by purchase a valuable battery plant, long unused, but which I hope to see contributing to our resources now. This ground is private property, and the battery has been idle only on account of the difficulty in arranging preliminaries with the owners. AVith respect to the progress made in old established mines, I will enumerate them in the order of last year's report. The Kapanga Gold-mining Company. —Since March, 1877, their operations have been confined to sinking and driving on the course of the reef, at and under the 300-foot level. The main winze on the Coromandel shoot has been sunk on the underlie of tho reef 120 feet. The water-wheel referred to last year works admirably, and winds and pumps this portion of the works to the 300-foot level. Whilst sinking this winze, and driving on the reef right and left 70 to 80 feet in length, some very rich specimen stone and good payable general stuff was obtained. At a distance of 400 feet from the top of this winze, in a northerly direction, in what is known as the " Albion " shoot, specimens and average crushing quartz was obtained for 120 feet of the above distance. Unfortunately, when in full swing, and the mine nearly opened up for regular steady work, with a good prospect of regular returns, the company's capital became exhausted, and all labour, save that absolutely necessary to keep the mine dry, was suspended, and for the past six months no advance has been made. During this time, and more especially lately, the Directory in London have repeatedly assured their manager of their intention to procure the requisite capital, and their thorough confidence I—H. 4.