C—2.

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Grand Junction Mine (J. L. Gilmour, Manager).—The Waihi Co. has continued throughout the year to work the Grand Junction area. Exploration work, stoping, and trucking were carried out on five of the Waihi Gold-mining Co.'s levels extending into Junction Co.'s eastern section—namely, levels 9 to 13 inclusive. An exhaustive exploration of the ground on Waihi Co.'s No. 9 level extension above the Dominion lode blocks was carried out, but the ore-body was found not to live up to this level. It is thought possible, however, that other and separate ore-bodies may exist farther to the east, and investigation is being made in that direction. The " Weeks Dominion " block, on the Dominion lode, situated north of the Empire lode, continued to supply ore of excellent grade each month, and several other stopes were profitably worked. No work was done in the Grand Junction western section. The company's main shaft, situated in the eastern section, was kept in good repair. Under arrangement with the attorney of the company in New Zealand, all the pump columns, pipes, and electric cables were brought to the surface, as were the rails and pipes from all levels not in use. A. total of 1,219 ft. of driving, cross-cutting, rising, and winzing was done. At 31st December the ore reserves amounted to 14,778 tons. Some 9,877-67 long tons of ore were won, which yielded bullion to the value of £30,753 2s. 2d. The amount of gold produced was 5,570 oz. 16 dwt. 14 gr., valued at £23,397 9s. 9d., and of silver 73,556 oz. 4 dwt. 5 gr., valued at £7,355 12s. sd. The average number of men employed was thirty-six. Rising Sun Mine, Owharoa. —No active mining was done during the year. The Rising Sun Co., having exhausted its finances and not being able to raise further funds, went into liquidation, and the mine and plant were sold to an Auckland syndicate, which has now in hand the formation of a new company, to be known as Gold Dawn Gold-mines, Ltd., to give the property another trial. Grown Claim, Karangahake (A. H. Meagher, Owner). —The adit mentioned in last year's report, which was started with a view to cutting what was known as the Retreat reef, was continued to 200 ft. without any reef being located. A further adit was put in for 40 ft. at a higher elevation without any more satisfactory result. From a small leader near the top of the spur the elaimholder took, however, some 5 tons of quartz, which on treatment at the Thames School of Mines yielded 22 oz. gold, valued at £43 16s. 4d. New Talisman Claim, Karangahake (R. Schulzki, Owner). —The elaimholder carried out a good deal of further work in the way of trenches and shallow drives without locating anything of value. The Imperial, Earl of Glasgow, and Macwall Claims in the Karangahake area were all idle for the year. New Zealand Crown Mine, Karangahake. —No mining was done, but a clean-up around the old battery yielded 6£ tons of material, which on treatment returned 160 oz. 14 dwt. 10 gr. gold, valued at £313 12s. 4d., and 62 oz. 4 dwt. silver, valued at £5 os. 9d. Maoriland Gold-mining Co., Waite/aauri. —ln the early part of the year stoping operations were continued on the small footwall leader of the Maoriland reef, and 24 tons of ore were won, which yielded on treatment 44 oz. 6 dwt. gold, valued at £128 17s. Id. The leader having then been worked out, attention was turned to the reopening of the old United tunnel. This was put in repair to a point 924 ft. from the portal, and a start was made to pick up the north drive on a reef that had been intersected in the old days at that point and driven on for some distance to the north. It is believed that payable values were showing in the end of this drive when work was stopped years ago. Ohinemuri Gold and Silver Mines, Ltd., Maratoto (W. M. McConachie, Manager).—Development in this mine was carried on energetically throughout the year. In the Silverstream adit, No. 3 level, the south drive on the Camoola reef was extended a further 440 ft., making a total distance of 897 ft. from the F crosscut, or 2,122 ft. from the main crosscut. It is claimed that payable values occurred intermittently during this driving. In the Telluride adit, No. 4 level, the drive southward on the Camoola reef was advanced a further 653 ft., making a total distance of 928 ft. from the main crosscut. At a point about 370 ft. from the main crosscut, a crosscut was projected westward with a view to locating the Silver Queen reef. This body was met with at about 125 ft., and was driven on in a south-westerly direction for about 170 ft., where the formation was cut off by a fault. This reef is said to have been up to 10 ft. in width and to contain high-grade hessite ore. From the fault a crosscut was put in westerly in search of the Julia reef, but this reef was not met with, although the crosscut was carried sufficiently far to reach it. Connection was made between Nos. 3 and 4 levels on the Camoola reef by means of two winzes, and on the Silver Queen reef a rise was also put up to connect with a winze from No. 3 level. A small stope was opened up on the Camoola reef in No. 3 level at a point about 750 ft. from the main crosscut, but was not more than about 30 ft. in length. On No. 4 level on the same reef another stope about 60 ft. in length was opened up near No. 1 winze. The renovation and bringing up-to-date of the treatment plant, consisting of twenty head of stamps, four tube mills, and cyanide plant, was completed about the end of October, and crushing was begun. During the last two months of the year some 2,020 tons of ore were treated for a return of 84 oz. 16 dwt. 6 gr. gold, valued at £356 4s. 3d., and 9,533 oz. 10 dwt. silver, valued at £953 7s. equal to a,n extraction of 12s. lid. per ton. The whole of the ore treated came from the Camoola reef, being partly ore that had been saved and stacked during the driving on the reef on No. 3 level, and partly-ore taken from the two small stopes referred to on Nos. 3 and 4 levels respectively. Hauraki-Alaska Gold-mining Co., Ltd. (A. Bird, Manager). —The erection of the ten-stamp battery on this Neavesville Mine was completed during the year, and the treatment of some test parcels of ore, totalling 174 tons, quarried mainly from one face on the hillside, was carried out. The returns were not, however, very satisfactory, only 13 oz. 14 dwt. gold, valued at £26 4s. 3d., being recovered, which was equal to a return of only 3s. per ton. A further 37 oz. 16 dwt. gold, valued at £39 155., were obtained by scaling the plates of the old battery. The tests referred to represented the only work done on the property for the best part of the year. New Waiotahi Gold-mine, Thames. —The work in this mine for the year consisted mainly in carrying in, from a point about 200 ft. from the portal of the main adit, a branch drive in northerly direction towards the Moanataiari Co.'s boundary ; nothing of any value was met with in this drive. Subsequently, 10 acres of ground was obtained on tribute from the adjoining Moanataiari Co., and, from the drive already referred to, a further 140 ft. was driven in a north-easterly direction into the area, but no reef of any value was located. From various parts of the mine some 5 tons of quartz were collected, which on treatment yielded 19 oz. 2 dwt. gold, valued at £48 6s. Id. Five men on an average were employed. Alburnia Gold-mining Co., Ltd., Thames (J. H. Benney, Manager).—On the Norwegian level the drive north on the main Orlando lode from the crosscut at the winze was driven 167 ft., making a total of 217 ft. The drive was on reef about 3 ft. in width and fairly heavily mineralized. Dabs of gold were seen in the ore for the whole distance, and a few pounds of picked stone were secured. The crosscut west from drive north on main Orlando lode to the drive north of hanging-wall branch, Orlando lode, was driven 15 ft., mainly for ventilation. No. 2 winze on hangingwall branch of Orlando lode, 10 ft. south of No. 2 rise, was sunk for 10 ft. on reef averaging about 4 ft. in width and showing a little gold. No. 1 winze on cross-leader from drive north on main hanging-wall branch of Orlando lode was sunk 8 ft. A rise on the cross-leader from drive north on hanging-wall branch of Orlando lode was risen 68 ft. to total of 80 ft. on stone averaging 15 in. Dabs of gold were seen in the ore and a few pounds of picked stone secured. The crosscut east from top of rise on footwall dropper of Sons of Freedom reef was extended 24 ft. to total of 40 ft. AC 30 ft. in, a leader 6 in. wide was cut and driven on for 35 ft., but no gold was seen. The drive south on main Sons of Freedom reef from crosscut east at top of rise on dropper was driven 5 ft., to total of 25 ft., on reef 4 ft. wide, but carrying no gold. The drive north on the same reef was driven 15 ft. on stone of the same width, but also valueless. A rise on the main Sons of Freedom reef was put up 30 ft. where it holed into