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Shotover. The principal dredging operations in this locality is carried on by the Sew Hoy Company, at the Big Beach and at Arthur's Point. This company has had three steam-dredges continuously at work last year, with very good results. When these dredges were first constructed it was found necessary to make a great many alterations in the washing appliances before they were got to work satisfactorily. In my last report it was mentioned that Mr. Gore, of Dunedin, one of the directors, was constructing a shaking-table, to separate the stones and shingle from the sand. The shakingtable was said to work very well, and attain the end for which it was constructed; but the wear-and-tear on it was considerable, and its use was discontinued. This company have been getting fairly good returns during last year, and have paid several dividends to the shareholders. Sandhills Company. —This is the only dredge in the colony which is worked by electricity. It has now been at work for about two years, but the result of the dredging operations has not, so far, been encouraging. When they commenced dredging operations first the dredge was down the river about a mile and a half from the house where the electric generators were placed, and the current was carried from the generators to the dredge by a small copper wire suspended on poles; but on my recent visit the dredge had worked a channel up the bed of the river to above the place where the generators are placed. Some of tho old miners in the district attribute the failure of this company to their persistently following up the centre of the stream, and not working the shallow beaches on the sides. The river-bed is a considerable width where this dredge is placed, and it is said that very rich gold was got on and near the beaches, but that on these beaches, although only having a comparatively small depth of drift gravel, the ground was so porous that the water came in so fast when trying to work the ground by paddocking that the gold could not be obtained. A spoon-dredge was afterwards worked on these beaches with success. The place where the dredge is now working is likely to prove remunerative, and, if so, there is a large extent of river-bed ahead of it where there has been very little working done since the early days. The working-expenses in connection with this dredge, including wear-and-tear, is said not to exceed £35 per week, which is equal to the value of about 9oz. of gold. The high elevation of the bed of the Shotover at this place, and having their water-supply for driving the generators at a further elevation of about 550 ft., there is always a few months in the year that dredging operations cannot be carried on, owing to the severe frost, which cuts off the water-supply entirely. ARTESIAN WELL BORING, MANIOTOTO PLAINS. Although the boring at Eweburn has not been successful in striking an artesian water-supply, it is interesting to know tho different strata gone through. A diagram showing this is annexed hereto, which shows the different strata to a depth of 504 ft. Eecently, however, on my examination of this bore, which is now down 575 ft., small rounded quartz-pebbles were being forced up the boro by the pressure of water from the force-pump used; and on washing a prospect on a shovel, the material from tho bore-hole at the depth mentioned, a comparatively large speck of gold was obtained, thus showing that there is auriferous drift at a depth of 575 ft. below the surface, and that probably it belongs to the same description of drift as that found in St. Bathan's basin and at Matakanui and Tinkers'. So long as the bore is on alluvial-drift there is still a probability of a porous stratum being found, where water may yet be got. The contractor had on the 16th of June last, which was the date of my visit, still 75ft. to bore to complete his contract. The probabilities of getting a flowing well are, however, now very remote.

GEOLOGICAL EXPLOEATIONS OF THE NOETHEEN PAET OF WESTLAND. By Alexander McKay, F.G.S., Mining Geologist. Last year, in conjunction with Messrs. Gordon and Gow, I visited the northern part of the Westland District of the South Island, with the object of determining the site of a prospecting-shaft intended to prove the deeper ground of Larrikin's Flat, near Kumara. At the same time, in company of Mr. Gordon, I had an opportunity of examining some parts of the Greenstone Valley, and saw several of the more extensive gold-workings that are being or have been carried on in that part of the district. We also together visited Eoss and its neighbourhood, and examined the Cedar Creek reefs, on the eastern slope of Mount Greenland. With Mr. Gow, I examined the Teremakau Valley as far as Jackson's; and I had also the opportunity of seeing various places of interest in the nearer vicinity of Kumara. Subsequently I reported on the main subject, and principal object of my visit to Westland. This report was in due course published ; but in the course of the different examinations and investigations it was deemed necessary to make in connection with the correct placing of the prospecting-shaft, much general geology had to be discussed between Mr. Gordon and myself, which to many might appear to have no very direct connection with the end and object of our deliberations. In my report I therefore but barely touched on the subject of the general geology of the northern part of the Westland District : but afterwards, in a further report addressed to the Director of the New Zealand Geological Survey, this subject was dealt with at some length. At the time of writing this, my actual knowledge of the geology of the district dealt with was somewhat circumscribed, and the results were those common to an imperfect knowledge of the subject dealt with. I had previously, in 1875-76, accompanied Mr. Cox, late AssistantGeologist, on a geological expedition from the northern to the southern limits of tho County of Westland, and the information thus acquired, together with what I drew from the writings of Hochstetter, Haast, Hector, and Hutton, the " Handbook of New Zealand Mines," and other sources, enabled me to draw up a general account of the geology of the northern part of Westland. This was printed in the volume of reports published by the Geological Department for the year 1891-92, but in the meantime I had again been directed to make a more extended examination, especially towards the east, in the more mountainous parts of the district. This work has been effected as