31

a—3

NORTH ISLAND. Puhipuhi. The most northerly field in the Auckland District is at Puhipuhi. The locality of the reefs already discovered is in the vicinity of the Table-land, or flat top of the main range. There is, however, a tract of country between this and Helena Bay which is known to contain quartz reefs, but has hitherto not been sufficiently prospected on account of its rugged and broken nature and the dense bush with which it is covered. In the older worked portion of the field too much has been expended in experimenting with different modes of treatment, whilst exploration of the ground and opening up and prospecting reefs have been neglected. It would be wiser to ascertain what extent of ground is available, and how far the reefs and lodes may contain the metals, and what would be the value per ton, and demonstrate without doubt that sufficient quantities of ore can be readily got at, than to erect machinery and afterwards find that there was not sufficient value in the ore to cover the cost of mining and treatment. The possibilities of the district are very great ; the large reefs already discovered and the character of the quartz, which in most eases carries gold and silver, show they are worthy of being thoroughly tested. It only requires a discovery of undoubted payable quartz to give an impetus to the prosecution of prospecting. The mode of treatment suitable will soon follow when the presence of valuable ore in question is determined. The following abstract shows the land held for mining purposes in this district: —

Abstract of Licenses for Special Claims issued from the Warden's Office at Whangarei, in the Puhipuhi Mining District, and registered on or before the 31st March, 1897, in the Books of the Mining Registrar at Whangarei.

Name. jocality in which Operations are being carried on. Share Capital. British Office. Royal Standard Gold-mines Scotty's Hauraki Gold-mining Company Southern Star Gold-mines Success Gold-mines Taitapu Gold Estates Tararu Creek Gold-mining Company .. Thames Hauraki Goldfields Tokatea Consols Tokatea of Hauraki Triumph Hauraki Gold-mines Union Waihi Gold-mining Company .. United New Zealand Exploration Victor Waihou Gold-mining Company Waihi Consolidated Gold-mines Waihi Gold-mining Company Waihi Grand Junction Waihi Proprietary Company Waihi Silverton Extended Waihi Gladstone Waitaia Gold-mines Waitekauri Consolidated Gold-mines Waitekauri Central Waitekauri Cross Waitekauri Extended Waitekauri Gold Waitekauri United Whangamata Proprietary Woodstock Wharekiraupunga Coromandel Nelson Thames Coromandel Waihi '.'. General Karangahake .. Waihi £ 200,000 100,000 75,000 50,000 175,000 95,000 300,000 100,000 150,000 100,000 200,000 250,000 170,000 200,000 160,000 150,000 175,000 60,000 100,000 100,000 120,000 65,000 100,000 130,000 150,000 150,000 200,000 150,000 43, Threadneedle Street. 63 and 64, New Broad Street. 63 and 64, New Broad Street. Dashwood House. 9, St. Mildred's Court. Dashwood House. 54, Old Broad Street. 45 and 46, Broad Street Avenue 63 and 64, New Broad Street. Finsbury House. 11, Abchurch Lane. 22, Austinfriars. 63 and 64, New Broad Street. 39, Lombard Street. 11, Abchtirch Lane. 18, Finsbury Circus. Bishopsgate Street House, E.C. 23, College Hill, E.C. 8, Old Jewry. 82, Gordon Street, Glasgow. Swan Chambers, E.C. 63, New Broad Street. 19a, Coleman Street. 63 and 64, New Broad Street. 11, Abchurch Lane. Finsbury House, E.C. College Hill Chambers. 6, Drapers' Gardens. General Waihi General Waitekauri Whangamata .. Karangahake ..

Date of License. Area. Locality. Block. Survey District. Name of Claim. Name of Eegistered Owner. 12/2/96 A. B. P. 100 0 0 Puhipuhi State Forest Ditto III. Hukerenui No. 1 British .. British Gold- and Silver-mining Co. 12/2/96 12/2/96 12/2/96 8/7/96 8/7/96 8/7/96 8/7/96 8/7/96 8/7/96 8/7/96 11/9/96 11/9/96 11/9/96 21/12/96 23/12/96 23/12/96 23/12/96 100 0 0 94 2 12 96 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 III. III. III. III. III. III., IV. III. III. III. III. III. III. III. III. III. III. III. No. 2 British .. Plymouth Rock Silver Fleece .. New Puhipuhi.. North British .. Norma Mikado Pinafore Success Waimarie Dr. Jim Cecil Rhodes Success Extended NorthBritishExt. North Star North Star Ext. Uitlander New Puhipuhi Gold-mining Co. M. W. Armstrong. William Carter. British Gold- and Silver-mining Co. Edwin Edwards. James Harrison. Waimarie Gold- and Silver-mining Co. Dr. Jim Gold- and Silver-mining Co. James Harrison. M. W. Armstrong. William Bailey. George Edwin Alderton.