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Naseby. The position is much the same as at date of last report. There are sixteen claims worked by hydraulic elevating and twelve by ground-sluicing, giving employment to sixty European and twenty Chinese miners. No new ground has been opened up, and there is little or no prospecting going on. MIDDLEMARCH. Mining has been slack during the year ; some of the old alluvial claims have been abandoned. A quartz claim has been opened up at Mount Ross. There are two prospecting parties at present at work at Barewood. Macrae's. During the year ended mining has remained in much the same position as the previous year, with the exception that two or three small quartz-mining properties have shut down, chiefly on account of the short supply of water during the year. The Golden Point Mine has had a most successful year, and has produced a large amount of gold and scheelite. The price of the latter has gone steadily up, and at the end of the year it was worth £1 15s. per unit in Hamburg. The tungsten-mine has been working steadily during the year, and the returns are good. This property suffered very much from scarcity of water during the latter part of the year. A considerable amount of prospecting was done during the year ; but from want of capital, and probably from want of enterprise in some cases, nothing permanent came of the work done. Patearoa. On the Lammerlaws and Upper Taieri, Reid and party have taken up a claim some distance above the Canadian Flat, and are at present constructing a water-race. When this is completed sluicing will be proceeded with. Henderson and party, who recently purchased what is known as " Pettigrew's old claim," are also bringing in a new race of considerable length, and intend erecting a suitable plant. The Canadian Flat, or Taieri Falls Sluicing Company, who hold one of the best water-rights in New Zealand, are having the works pushed ahead with all speed, and at considerable cost. On a section of the main head-race iron piping is to be put in to convey the water over most of the rough and unsuitable country for an open race. An extensive hydraulic plant is now on the ground, and will be put together. At the Serpentine, Messrs. Carr and Duncan have met with success in their new venture. They have a nice little hydraulic plant at work, and while the water-supply held out good payable gold was obtained. The Messrs. Cogan during the year also put in a small hydraulic plant on their property, but the returns so far have been rather poor. All these claims, being at a high altitude, suffer considerably from want of water and severe frosts. The average working-year is not more than six months. Coming down to lower country, towards Linburn, we find Messrs. Adam and McDonald, who have been all summer taking up a rock tail-race to get at some deeper ground back in the flat, into which payable gold has already been traced. Nearer Sowburn, Johnston Bros, continue to do well in their old claim when water is plentiful. More plant is added every year and extra storage for water provided for. McLean and party, after two years' hard work, got their new race completed at end of December, and when their plant arrives at the claim it will not take long to get things in order and ready for sluicing when water is available. The Patearoa Hydraulic Sluicing Company continues to secure rich returns ; work is kept going night and day. A 2,000-candle power electric light has been installed during the year, and gives great satisfaction. At Hamilton's very little mining has been done this year, the water-supply falling off early in the spring. It is a great pity this spot, proved so well to hold highly payable gold, has to lie idle for want of water. Matakanui. The Undaunted Gold-mining Company won during the year gold to the value of £2,679 15s. 5d., and declared dividends to the amount of £750. The Tinker's Gold-mining Company obtained 700 oz. of gold for the past year, and paid in dividends 2s. 3d. a share. Number of men employed, eight. The Matakanui Gold-mining Company obtained a yield of 433 oz. of gold for the year's work, and paid in dividends £524 15s. 6d. Number of men employed, seven. The Mount Morgan Gold-mining Company obtained, I am informed, satisfactory returns for the year. Number of men employed, four. The year, on the whole, has been exceptionally dry, which retarded sluicing operations greatly. St. Bathan's. Mining has made satisfactory progress in this locality during the past year. There was a good supply of water until the end of June, and the winter was so mild, with so little frost, that many of the claims continued operations right through the season. The spring has been the driest known here since the opening of the goldfields, and the outlook for a supply of water during the summer months