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below the collar of the Old Pump shaft. On the Cure No. 4 a distance of 300 ft. was driven, but the reef was very irregular and the country disturbed, consequently no gold was seen ; however, in the Cure No. 6 reef, in a winze sunk on the boundary, gold was carried down to a depth of 75 ft., also in a drive driven from the bottom of this winze for a distance of 80 ft. This is just about the depth the pump is draining this mine, therefore sinking could not be continued. The quartz won from this lode yielded 4| oz. to the load. A drive has also been recently started on the Specimen leader between Nos. 2 and 3 levels, underneath the point where the famous Caledonian patch was discovered in 1871 ; so far the indications met with are of a favourable character. From the above it will be seen the best results have been obtained from the winzes sunk below. Under this level it is all virgin ground ; consequently the directors are most anxious to try the lower levels, for which purpose they are conserving the funds, only sufficient men being employed to comply with the labour conditions as set down in the Mining Act. During the year 37 tons of quartz was treated, for a yield of 139 oz. 12 dwt., valued at £401 75., whilst an average of sixteen men were employed. Moanataiari. —The work carried on in this mine during the past year has been solely of a prospecting character. The main drive or south crosscut at the 400 ft. level was continued, and is now in a distance of 700 ft. from the foot-wall of the Cambria reef, and a total distance of 1,640 ft. from the main winding shaft. The country passed through is all mild sandstone, but no solid quartz of any kind was intersected. The crosscut will probably be further extended, with the hope of meeting the eastern continuation of the lode system from the Waiotahi and Victoria Mines. A winze on the Cambria reef was sunk to a depth of 100 ft. below No. 3 level; in this work it was hoped the downward continuation of the rich mineral ore-shoot worked so successfully on and below the level would be picked up. So far nothing of importance has been found, although gold has been seen in the solid stone, and from small veins of quartz on the hanging-wall a few pounds of picked stone has been secured, showing the existence of the precious metal even at this depth, 750 ft. below the surface. Direct communication has been obtained through the upper workings with the Cambria shaft, thus securing thorough ventilation for the further development of that section of the mine when capital is obtained. There has been no ore treated by the company during the year, but the tributers have mined and crushed 43J tons for the return of 86 oz. 3 dwt.; value, £233 18s. 4d. During the year twelve men were employed. Old Alburnia. —The work in this mine has been confined to extending the Moanataiari main tunnel, and a distance of 680 ft. has been driven, making the total distance from the starting-point driven by the present company 2,107 ft. During the year a reef 4 ft. in thickness was intersected and driven on 16 ft. on the right-hand side of the tunnel, but it proved to be of very low value and work was discontinued on it. Two other small formations of quartz and clay mixed were passed through, but nothing of any importance has been discovered yet. The tunnel is still being continued in the same direction with a view to intersecting the Alburnia and other reefs that traverse through this part of the property, and from which a large amount of gold was obtained in the upper levels. The company treated for the year 134J tons, for a yield of 350 oz., valued at £899 3s. sd. The average number of men employed during the year was ten wages-men and fifteen tributers. Kuranui Mine. —The principal operations carried out in this mine during the past year have been the connecting of the top workings with the battery through the Teutonic level and testing some of the reefs east of the main slide, also prospecting some of the leaders at the battery-level. So far the results of the crushings taken from the reefs east of the slide have not proved payable, although a good deal of fine gold was seen in the stone when breaking it out, yet assays made of the ore when going through the mill proved that there is very little weight or value in this fine showy gold. Latterly the operations have been confined to prospecting at the battery-level on what is known as Barry's leader, but so far no payable ore has come to hand, although the leader looks promising in places and is in a very good channel of country. The other work in hand is prospecting a leader north-east of the Shotover shaft, not far from where Hunt and party obtained their rich patch of gold. The company has now got the battery in working-order and is trying some of the old stopes and surface dirt, as some of these old stopes have proved payable in the past. Summary of work done during the year : Total distance driven on leaders and reefs, 275 ft. ; crosscutting, 278 ft. ; rising and sinking, 214 ft. ; and about 70 fathoms of stoping. The company treated for the year 140 tons 2 qr. 4 lb. of ore, for a yield of 32 oz. 16 dwt. ; value, £87 3s. 9d. Victoria Mine. —The principal work done during the year has been the extension of the crosscut at No. 4 level for the purpose of intersecting the various reefs worked with such great success in the Waiotahi Company's mine at the levels above, but unfortunately for this company no reefs of a payable character have been met with in this drive, which was driven a total distance of 1,100 ft. from what was formerly known as the Prince Imperial shaft. Driving and rising were carried on on Nos. 1, 2, 5, 6 reefs without success, and development-work is still proceeding with a view to finding a new shoot of payable ore, the work at present being chiefly confined to the No. 1 reef at No. 4 level. Communication was effected with this No. 4 level and the No. 3 level in the Tookey shaft, which has given excellent ventilation and also made an outlet should it be required. At No. 3 level stoping was done on the Victoria reef west of the crosscut, but after a considerable amount of work had been done nothing payable was found and operations at this part were suspended. In stoping on the No. 1 Victoria reef above and below the intermediate level a fair amount of highly payable quartz was obtained. A total of 175 tons of quartz was treated for 252 oz. 12 dwt. of gold ; value, £706 6s. Bd. An average of thirteen men were employed. Thames Gold-mining Comfany (formerly Fame and Fortune and Nonpareil). —The operations in this company's mine were first directed to opening the various reefs and leaders from the Moanataiari main tunnel. Some years ago a crosscut drive was put in 300 ft. from the tunnel towards the Nonpareil, where a large reef was intersected, and the first work after taking over the above-named mines

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