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been the case for the past ten years—driving and stoping on the reefs and leaders between Nos. 1, 2, and 3 levels in the main shaft, and on the large reef between Nos. 1 and 2 levels in the Mary Ann shaft. The mill consists of twenty-one stamps, 6 cwt. each, and five berdans, and is driven by a 16-horse-power steam-engine. Twenty stamps were run for three hundred days, crushing 1,613 tons of quartz. This is the only mill on the Thames driven by steam-power, all the others using water-power. The gold obtained was 2,057 oz. 5 dwt., value £5,606 os. Id., for the company, and 261 tons, for 342 oz. 4 dwt., value £932 95., for tributers. Twenty-one wages-men and four tributers were employed. Nonpareil Mine (Area, 21 acres). —This mine includes the ground formerly known as the Little Maggie, and is now held by an Auckland company. A considerable amount of work has been done in cross-cutting and driving on the reef, but no returns of gold have been made since the company acquired the ground. Eight men were employed. Cambria Mine (Area, 15 acres 2 roods 17 perches).-—This mine was worked by the Cambria Gold-mining Company until December last, when it was disposed of to the Anglo-Continental Gold Syndicate, who will add it to the Moanataiari Mine. The following extract from the account of the annual meeting held shows the transactions, and gives an account of the yield of gold for the year up to that date : — Receipts. £ s. d. Disbursements. £ s. d. Calls received .. .. .. .. 1,711 17 2 Bank overdraft from last year .. .. 556 12 5 Gold won from 128 loads quartz, yielding Wages paid at the mine .. .. 956 4 0 203 oz. 7 dwt. gold, for .. .. 552 12 4 General charges, including mining rePublic crushing .. .. .. 227 6 0 quisites .. .. .. .. 795 14 0 Old copper sold for .. .. .. 12 16 0 Battery charges, including wages .. 264 19 7 Bank overdraft at this date .. .. 68 18 6 £2,573 10 0 £2,573 10 0 On the 20th November ultimo your directors received from the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders called for the purpose full authority to dispose of the company's property. Thereafter they received an offer from the Anglo-Continental Gold Syndicate (Limited) of 7,450 shares fully paid up to £1 in the Moanataiari Gold-mining Company (Limited) for the company's property. The offer was duly considered in your interest, and was accepted on condition that the shares are placed on the Moanataiari colonial register as soon as the scrip can be received from London. When the directors receive the scrip, which will give one share in the Moanataiari for every six held in the Cambria, the property will be handed over, and the shares will be duly allotted. Your directors consider that they have done as well as could be expected, as the operations at the mine involved making calls to work at a greater depth, which requires capital. For the present year 93 tons 10 cwt. of quartz was crushed, for 154 oz. 5 dwt. gold; value, £408 15s. Eight men were employed. West Coast Mine. —The mine is worked by the owner, Mr. John Northey. His operations are chiefly confined to working small veins in the upper portion of the ground. 25 tons of quartz was crushed, for a yield of 17 oz. 10 dwt., valued at £46 7s. 6d. Two men were employed. Fame and Fortune Mine (Area, 71 acres 3 roods 19 perches). —This mine is now the property of the Hauraki Golden Age, an English company. The chief work clone during the year has been driving on and opening up the reefs at four different levels. The Golden Age reef, being a large body, is being cut through in different places to ascertain the width of quartz and value preparatory to the erection of a new battery and aerial tramway from the mine to the mill. The new mill is to consist of forty stamps and two stone-breakers, to be driven by both steam- and water-power. The method of treatment of the tailings after passing over amalgamation copper-plates has not yet been decided on. A parcel of 27 tons was crushed, for 6 oz. 3 dwt.; value, £16 ss. lid. Fifteen men were employed. Prospecting has also been carried on in the New Caledonia, Cumberland, and Cumberland Extended Claims. Waiokaraka District. The Queen of Beauty section of the Thames-Hauraki Goldfields Mine consists of an area of 47 acres. The chief work carried on during the year has been enlarging the shaft to a depth of 425 ft., and in making preparations for the erection of the new machinery and pump. Forty men were employed. The importance of this work towards the development of the reefs at deep levels cannot be overestimated. The plant which is being erected is of a substantial and efficient character, and shows the intention of the owners to provide ample power for drainage of the country to a depth of 2,000 ft. The cost of the undertaking will be great, and the subsidy of £25,000 provided by the Government is being fairly earned, the amount already paid towards the work being £2,593 lis. Id. The advantages from the drainage of this portion of the field as the sinking progresses will be first realised by the May Queen Company, which, as soon as the shaft is completed to a depth of 650 ft., will be enabled to open a new level and work a large block of ground under the rich quartz taken out at the No. 4 level. The following description of the works and new machinery, furnished by Mr. H. A. Gordon, who is supervising, will be of interest as showing the requirements for the construction of an extensive plant suitable for deep mining and drainage : — This company has widened the Queen of Beauty shaft to a depth of 426 ft., the dimensions of the shaft being 17 ft. 6 in. long by 8 ft. 6 in. in the clear. It is timbered with frames of 16 in. by 12 in. heart of kauri timber. These frames are placed 4 ft. apart, with upright studdles in the corners of 16 in. square, and lagged behind the frames with 2 in. planking. At 300 ft. the shaft is widened out to 17 ft. 6 in. by 16 ft. 6 in., to provide for space at the change of lifts, which takes place at every 327 ft. At one end of the shaft there is a division of 8 ft. 6 in. by 4 ft. 6 in. to provide for the winding compartments. A new set of poppet-heads is erected, having caps each capable of 10—C. 3.
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