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Leijon and party, the Ngapara, the Earnscleugh No. 1, Chicago, the Enterprise, and Eindlay's two dredges have all been doing well for the past year, whilst Hyde and party's dredge is now undergoing repairs and enlargement of her buckets. Bald Hill Plat. With the exception of a little more than the usual loss of time through scarcity of water, mining here maintains a prosperous condition. Hesson and party, having the largest and most lasting water-supply, obtained fully their average yield, whilst Ewing, Carroll, and Lynch and G. Wilkinson were very little less. Several parties are working on the side of the range and in Mr. Butler's freehold with satisfactory results. Quartz. Two claims are being continuously worked—viz., White's Eeef, owned by Eobert Symes, and the Excelsior, owned by F. W. Gray. Several good erushings were obtained from both during the year, and each of the holders has pegged out more ground. The Excelsior has been offered to a syndicate, which has done a considerable amount of prospecting. The men were knocked off some little time ago, but this, lam informed, was not in consequence of unsatisfactory prospects—indeed, the reverse has been the result—but from a temporary shortness of funds. During the year 2,817 acres has been applied for under special claims and licensed holdings, deposits upon which amounted to £763, whilst 88 acres was applied for under coal leases and licenses; 500 miners' rights were issued; 307 ordinary applications were dealt with; twentysix cases were entered; and the goldfields' revenue amounted to £1,068. Eoxbuegh. Very little alteration has taken place here during the past year. The United Hercules Company has gone into liquidation, but the property has been sold to Mr. John Ewing. The Eoxburgh Amalgamated Company is still doing very well, although the returns were not quite up to those of the previous year. There are several other sluicing claims in this locality doing fairly well. Lower down are the Island Block Company, Golden Eun (late Island Block Extended), E. Stewart and E. Kitto and party, besides others of less importance. These claims were working fairly steadily up to about the end of December, when shortness of water caused them to experience a considerable amount of broken time. Dredging. Dredging generally has been successful during the last year. Two or three have met with reverses, whilst others have got exceedingly good returns. In some reaches of the river the running drift is almost insurmountable, but where this has not to be contended with the amount of gold obtained clearly indicates that the river is by no means worked out. The dredges that may be said to have had the best season are the Golden Gate, the Ettrick, the Otago, Pringle and party, and Bennet and party. Waikaia and Campbell's. A considerable revival in mining has set in in this locality during the last year, and several special claims have been taken up over ground to be worked both by hydraulic sluicing and sinking and driving for quartz. This country lies at the back of the Mount Benger Eange, and is attainable from Switzer's as well as Eoxburgh, although most of the business for many years past has been done at the latter place. It is very high, and the working seasons consequently short, and probably no material results will be accomplished from the late stir until some time in the spring. Twenty-five special claims and licensed holdings were applied for during the year, embracing an area of 1,132 acres, upon which deposits were made of £443; 225 ordinary applications were dealt with, sixty-four of which were opposed ; eighteen cases were set down for hearing ; 345 miners' rights were issued; and the total revenue amounted to £908. I have, &c, The Under-Secretary, Mines Department, Wellington. S. Eenest McCaethy, Warden.

No. 13. Mr. Warden Cabbw to the Undbe-Seoebtaby for Mines, "Wellington. Sic, — Warden's Office, Dunedin, sth June, 1897. I have the honour to forward herewith the annual mining statistics for the Hindon portion of the Otago Mining District. About the usual average number of miners, spread over the district, have been engaged in alluvial mining in and about the neighbourhood of the old workings, earning a livelihood, and in some cases a little more. The Deep Stream Amalgamated Hydraulic Sluicing Company (Limited) has started a mining venture, the success of which will be a matter of considerable importance to the district. The company hold special claims and licensed holdings extending for three or four miles along the Deep Stream, which it is intended to sluice on an extensive scale. The large quantity of water in the ground prevented it being worked without a considerable expenditure of capital on preliminary works. The company have commenced operations with considerable energy, and, besides letting several contracts for ploughing and scoop-work, have seventy wages-men employed in constructing a water-race from the upper part of the Deep Stream to carry twenty heads of water, and this, I understand, will be only a portion of the water intended to be used when the claims are in full work.