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shaft that was put down at Brunner, will strike the Dobson Bluff seam again, where there is an apparent upthrow, remains yet to be proved. The whole of the coal from the Kaitangata Mine is of a bright black appearance, and makes a splendid household coal, burning away to a fine ash and keeps alight as long as any particles remain unconsumed. The Castle Hill Colliery adjoins the Kaitangata Mine and belongs to an English company. The works have been several years in progress, but are now nearing completion. A shaft was sunk to a depth of 430 ft., when a stratum of fine sand full of water was met with, which increased the cost and difficulty of sinking so much that all works were suspended in this direction, as it looked at that time that the coal was dipping at such a high inclination that the shaft would have had to be sunk to a great depth before reaching the coal. A dip-incline heading was then constructed, going back under the hill for a length of 2,100 ft., on an inclination of 1 in 4J, where it struck the coal at a vertical depth of 460 ft. below the level of the top of the shaft, and the mine is now being opened out from this both to the rise and to the dip towards the shaft, where it is expected to get a better quality of coal than was first cut at the end of the dip bending from the surface. A chamber with brick lining has been constructed below, in which is erected a large three-throw pump, which is worked with a flexible-wire-rope belt. The haulage, which is on the endless-rope system, is completed, and the air-shaft and ventilating-furnace have been constructed on the most modern system, and in a thorough substantial manner. The whole of the machinery and plant are of the best description, and well-erected and fitted up with all the most modern appliances in use at collieries. Shaking-screens have been erected to separate the coal into four different classes. A branch railway has been constructed to the Kaitangata line, and arrangement made with the Kaitangata Company to carry the coal on its railway to Stirling, where it joins on to the main line of railway from Dunedin to Invercargill. At the mine a large siding has been constructed for the storage of empty and full railway-wagons, with trappers and everything complete. When once the whole of the works are completed and the mine properly opened out a large output may be expected if the company can find a ready-market for the coal, which is of similar quality to that in the Kaitangata Mine, although it has not quite so bright an appearance. During the last year 9,275 tons o_f coal were raised, and sixty men were employed about the mine and works. Southland. The Hokonui Mine is in the locality of Winton. The mine is worked from a dip-incline plane, but recently a bore has been put down with the view of testing the depth that will have to be sunk. The strata gone through in the bore is said to be a compact laminated mudstone, and fine layer of sand. The depth to the coal at this place is about 350 ft. During the last year 12,690 tons of coal was raised, which is brown coal of a good quality, and finds a ready market in Southland for household and industrial purposes. The only other mine in the district is the Nightcaps, where the output has been over 10,000 tons for the year. It has been worked now for a considerable number of years, with a fair output. The coal is of fair quality and of a good thickness for working. During the past year 10,738 tons were raised, and there were twenty-eight men employed. The following statement will show the mines in the colony where the output has exceeded 9,000 tons for the past year, with the number of men employed in and about the mines, and the average output for every man employed : —

It is evident from the output and the number of men employed at the Shag Point and Mokihinui Mines that a large amount of dead work has been done, either in the construction of new works or in the development of the mine.

Name of Mine. Output for Year 1894. Number of Men employed. Average Output per Man for the Year. Westport Colliery Grey Valley Brunner ... Kaitangata ... Taupiri Extended Blackball ... Allandale Walton Park Shag Point ... Taupiri Eeserve Kiripaka Hokanui Hikurangi Waikato Nightcaps Mokihinui Tons. 215,770 121,185 67,091 30,426 27,060 19,442 19,282 15,082 13,877 13.655 12,690 11,801 11,278 10,738 10,742 336 308 173 61 96 41 53 89 42 32 32 24 29 28 59 Tons. 642 393 388 498 282 474 364 169 330 427 397 491 388 383 182