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benefit to the goldfield, it was necessary to centralize its operations so as to be able to give a good and complete course of teaching in one place, and the Thames had by far the greatest claim to be that place, both as being the most centrally situated, and as having subscribed most towards the foundation of the school. In order to promote the efficiency of such a central establishment, and render it of immediate service to the whole goldfield, it was proposed by Professor Brown that steps should be taken to get a plant erected in connection with the school capable of treating quantities of ore up to about a ton in weight by a number of different processes, so as to ascertain their respective cost and efficiency. The students of the school would have to work the plant, and would thus get an opportunity of becoming practically and intimately acquainted with all the principal gold- and silver-saving processes in use, and would acquire the knowledge of how to test one process against another fairly, and without that prejudice which so of ten prevents the introduction of new methods. There are so many different classes of ore in the district that there is no one process suitable for all of them, and almost any process will require to be modified to suit local requirements. The necessary modifications might be easily foreseen after experimental trial on a small scale in the School of Mines, whereas if a plant were put up, and then had to be modified or remodelled in accordance with experience, great expense would be incurred. Such a plant would also be a great advantage to the school in the attraction it would prove to ambitious young men anxious to become managers of reduction plants; for the students of the School of Mines, who had had the working of the ores on the small scale, would almost certainly be selected to take charge of the works put up to work on the larger scale afterwards. More especially would this be the case when these very men should have worked out some special variety of a process, and adapted it to the local requirements of some particular mine. Professor Brown explained his views in a lecture delivered at the Thames, on the 6th of January last, to a large and representative audience, who listened with great attention and marked approval, and the opinion was freely expressed that the establishment of such a public experimental testing-plant would be of the greatest service to the gold-mining industry not only on the Thames Goldfield, but also on all the goldfields of the colony, as parcels of ore from all parts could be treated. Once established, such a plant could be made fairly self-supporting, as no mining company would grudge paying a reasonable fee in return for the knowledge that would be gained by the test. The estimated cost of a plant fit to test ores on a sufficiently large scale according to this scheme has been put down at £1,250. In comparing the attendances at the Thames and in the out-districts the very different character of the work done must be borne in mind. In the out-districts, where my visits were only for a fortnight or so, nothing difficult or requiring much application was attempted—only simple tests for minerals, and assays —things that could be understood by anybody. No great demand was therefore made upon the intellectual energies of the pupils. At the Thames, however, my aim has been to do much more permanent and solid work, taxing the brains of the pupils very considerably. There have therefore been formed classes for the study of chemistry, mineralogy, &c, and they have been attended mostly by youths fresh from school and more used to such work. I am glad to say, however, that several of the mine-managers have also regularly attended these classes. Without work, and hard work, very little good can be done. The number of students at the various classes at the Thames was as follows :— 1886. 1887. Lectures on chemistry and metallurgy ... ... 13 ... 3 Practical chemistry ... ... ... ... 15 ... 4 Assaying ... ... ... ... ... 21 ... 12 Drawing ... ... ... ... ... 11 ... 6 Mineralogy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 Mining ... ... ... ... 10 Chemistry class for pupils of public schools ... ... ... ... 120 Total ... ... ... ... 60 ... 158 The lectures on chemistry included a detailed account of the metallurgy of gold, silver, and lead, together with general chemistry. In the practical chemistry class the students are taught the wet methods of analysing minerals and substances, and the more advanced are also taught to make quantitative analyses. Blowpipe-tests for minerals and the general subject of mineralogy are taught in the mineralogy class. This class was only started this year, as last year we had no collection of typical minerals with which to give the necessary practical turn to it. As soon as the collection sent by the Government was received a mineralogy class was formed. Several cases of specimens in the Mechanics' Institute were very kindly handed over to the School of Mines, to amplify the collection and form the nucleus of a mineralogical museum. The work of the assayingclass includes assaying gold-, silver-, and lead-ores by the fire, and assays of gold and silver bullion, and, when possible, melting and refining of gold. The class in drawing is due to the generosity of Mr. E. N. Smith, who kindly offered his services to the committee gratis. His class is progressing very satisfactorily. The Mining Act of 188G requiring that in future mine-managers should pass an examination before getting a certificate, it; was thought desirable to have a class to prepare for it. This very important class has not been so well attended as it ought to bo, but will probably increase as time goes on. A Saturday class in elementary chemistry for pupils attending the public schools has lately been started, and is well attended, the "average attendance so far being about 105. It is hoped that this class will prove a good feeder to the regular classes of the school.