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been greatly retarded, and much increased expenditure caused, by the heavy landslip which occurred during the heavy rains in April last. Thousands of tons of debris came down close alongside of the main shaft, smashing the poppet-heads, carrying away the blacksmith's shop and a quantity of tools, and completely destroying all the winding gear. The new winding water-wheel (which was just finished) was also totally destroyed, and the mine for some time was in imminent danger of being flooded. The Hercules Company very kindly allowed the directors the use of their windingwheel, and as soon as a connection was made with wire rope it sufficed to keep the water from rising in the mine until an engine was procured and placed on the ground. New poppet-heads have been erected, and a great amount of extra work had to be done before the mine was got into working-order. The excavation for new water-wheel is completed, and the erection of windingwheel will be at once proceeded with, as it is much cheaper winding with water- than with steampower. A new battery paddock will have to be put up, and also some repairs will be required at head of water-race ; otherwise everything is in good order. The mine at the present time, for permanency, is looking as well as ever it did, and the battery is proving the stone now being obtained to be superior in quality to what it was on higher levels. The winze which has been sunk from No. 6 level proves payable stone to exist at a depth from the surface of 1,260 ft." Hercules. —There have been no returns from this mine during the year. Keep It Dark No. 2 Mine (Area, 50 acres). —Work is not being vigorously carried on. The shaft is 470 ft. in depth, with steam winding machinery. Four men were employed at the time of my visit, but no returns of gold have been received. Golden Treasure Mine (Area, 69 acres). —There are several reefs and blocks of stone running through the ground from 2 ft. to 20 ft. in thickness. None of them have been worked at a greater depth than 300 ft. from the surface. In the south portion of the mine known as the Band of Hope there is a reef which has been worked down 250 ft. from the surface. 108 ft. has been driven on the stone, which is still showing in the face of the drive. There is a winze sunk on the stone from the level 150 ft. At 70 ft. down a drive was put north on the stone, which averaged 6 ft. to 8 ft, in thickness. If this winze were connected with the main shaft it would give 150 ft. of backs to work up. North of the above there is an antimony block of stone on which 100 ft. has been driven. It averages at least 5 ft. in thickness, and contains from 30 to 50 per cent, of antimony. By crushing this stone and running it over blankets it yielded 5 dwt. of gold per ton, and a sample of 5 tons sent to Freiberg gave a return of £23 per ton. There is a very large quantity of this ore opened up and in sight, with gold showing through it, but on account of the heavy sulphide of antimony the gold cannot be saved by the ordinary battery process adopted on this field. To the north of the antimony reef there is another reef 2 ft. to 3 ft. in thickness, which yielded 2 oz. to 3 oz. of gold to the ton. This stone has been worked some distance from the surface. The level of the bottom of the shaft is 100 ft. deeper, and this stone was never cut in it, and no prospecting done to discover it, through want of funds. The northern workings of the mine known as the Westland carry a reef which averages 4 ft. in thickness. A quantity of this stone was crushed, which yielded a value of £2 per ton. The quantity of stone crushed from the mine was 10,053 tons, which yielded 6,149 oz. gold, valued at £24,400. The stone crushed was mixed with large quantities of antimonyore and amalgamated by the ordinary battery process, which saved a very small percentage of the gold. A 25-horse-power winding-engine and boiler is employed ; and a fifteen-stamp battery and two berdans is driven by a 20-horse-power engine and boiler. Murray Creek. Inglewood Extended Mine (Area, 78 acres). — This area includes the mines formerly held by the Inglewood and the Phoenix Companies, with additional ground, joining on to the Golden Fleece and Victoria Mines. In order to bring the mine into profit the lower tunnel already driven 1,500 ft. requires extending 600 ft. to cut other lodes known to exist on the surface and in the upper workings. The proprietor is negotiating for capital to do this work, as well as to sink a shaft below the lowest adit. The Inglewood reef has been worked down from the surface 350 ft., and the Phcenix reef 150 ft from the surface, both reefs producing payable quartz. Another reef in the area, called the North Star reef, was worked down about 70 ft. Very little work has been carried on during the year, two men only being employed. Painkiller District. Dillon Extended Mine (Area, 60 acres). —The reefs in this mine vary from 18 in. to 4 ft. in width. 90 tons of quartz yielded 52 oz. of gold. Four men were employed. Merrijigs District. The Sir Francis Drake Mine has been worked chiefly in the upper or surface blocks. A crushing of 115 tons of quartz yielded 447 oz. of gold, and 60 tons of concentrates were treated for 19 oz. of gold. Seven men were employed. Al and Golden Lead Mines have both been worked on tribute. A crushing of 482 tons of quartz yielded 295 oz. of gold. Five tributers were employed. Cumberland Mine (Area, 90 acres). —This mine is worked from a shaft 531 ft. in depth, with steam winding machinery. The reef is from 3 ft. to 18 ft. in width. Six wages-men were employed for nine months, and afterwards for three months, as tributers. A crushing of 125 tons of quartz yielded 128 oz. of gold ; value, £527 Is. Prospecting was carried on in the Exchange and other claims, but no returns of gold have been received. Inkerman Combined Company's Mine (Area, 206 acres 2 roods 21 perches).—The principal work done in this mine is sinking a main shaft and driving a low level from the Rainy Creek side