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mittee assured me that after the experience we have had of the last two Exhibitions in London, he does not anticipate any difficulty in stirring up exhibitors to transmit articles in time. The chairman, Mr. Heaphy, however, pointed out that at the present time the presence of a large body of troops had diverted all trade more or less from the usual channels, and that so much work was being done under contracts that there would be great difficulty in inducing exhibitors to come forward. He further stated that there are fewer facilities for communicating and forwarding collections, &c., from the more remote though undisturbed districts, as the coasting vessels are nearly all engaged, directly or indirectly, in the Commissariat service, while the native disturbances completely close some of the most interesting districts of the Province.

On the whole, therefore, I am inclined to think that a very considerable expenditure and energetic action on the part of the local authorities will alone enable Auckland to take that prominent position in the Exhibition which is her due. The mineral wealth of some parts of the Province is well ascertained. The copper mines at Kawau and Barrier Island were at one time worked to some extent, and though now abandoned, they could be easily represented in the Exhibition by suitable specimens and plans of the workings. Through the attention of the Government, I was enabled to pay a visit to Coromandel, and to examine the auriferous district there. Although belonging to a very different class of diggings as regards extent from those we are accustomed to in Otago, they have yet proved highly remunerative to some of the parties which have worked them steadily, and especially where they have avoided launching into the reckless prospecting schemes which appear to have been too frequently adopted, and which, I have no doubt by the want of success, have caused the real value of the auriferous lands to be much underrated.

Gold was first discovered in the year 1852, but it was not till ten years afterwards that it was worked in earnest. The formation does not resemble anything in the south of New Zealand, but is analogous to the Grass Valley district in California, and Wood’s Point in Australia. The superficial drifts are here almost wholly wanting, and in a very short time the small quantity of alluvial gold that was to be found in the bed of the stream was washed out. It is a most delightful district, bordering on a land-locked harbour, where, owing to the facilities for procuring food, if gold were plentiful, a digger’s life would be luxurious. During the first rush of population to this place several townships were laid out, and the land was readily bought. Now, however, the white population is only 300 persons, of whom 81 held miners’ rights during the past half-year. The native adult population numbers 341.

Excluding the yield from alluvial diggings, the quantity of gold which has been extracted from the reefs during the last two years amounts to 8422 ozs., but of this 7800 ozs. have been obtained by two companies alone. One of these, known as No. 5, has now divided among the shareholders the sum of £11,050 sterling without having ever made any call; the expenses of working and management, amounting to £3000, has been invariably paid by the yield.

The same auriferous rocks that occur in the neighbourhood of Coromandel, extend for an unknown distance in a southerly direction; but the present native disturbances have hitherto prevented the examination of the country.

A sub-committee has been appointed at Coromandel, and I strongly urged that they should endeavour if possible to exhibit the mineral specimens and characteristic rocks of this very interesting district exhibited, so that the mining population in the south might have an opportunity of comparing and being familiar with their appearances; also, that plans and sections of the different mines should be prepared and exhibited. The Coromandel district, in common with a great part of the Province of Auckland, abounds in timber trees of large size, and of the most varied and useful qualities. The proper exhibition of these will, however, require a very considerable expenditure, as, from circumstances I have already alluded to, the mills, when in operation, are greatly engaged in contract work, and would grudge sparing the necessary time and labour. The Auckland cabinet makers have long been famous for their excellent and artistic workmanship, and a great display of inlaid and fancy furniture may therefore be expected. Several machines for the cleaning of the native flax have also been invented in Auckland, and if the local committee can only induce the different inventors of machines for this purpose to exhibit and compare the different points of each, I have no doubt it will be the first step towards the discovery of a method by which this valuable but refractory raw material can be turned to account.

The brown coals of various parts of the Province of Auckland have now been extensively used, and it will be most instructive to have samples of them exhibited in order to compare the quality with those of our own abundant deposits, which I fear are rather too much underrated.

Freestones, marbles, limestones, cements, and a variety of clays, are also known to exist in various parts of the Province of Auckland, all of which the Local Committees will recognise as fit articles for contribution.

The subjects of the representation of the state of the surveys, &c., by the exhibition of maps and plans, was suggested, but the land system appears so complicated, and the results of the General Government surveys so confused with those proper to the Provincial Government, while, owing to the pressure on account of the war, the departments are so overworked at present that no special maps can probably be prepared. Some excellent unpublished maps are, however, in the possession of the Government, the exhibition of which would be a very great boon indeed.

From Auckland I proceeded to Hawke’s Bay, where the short time at my disposal only permitted of my remaining a few hours. The character of the Province, controlled by similarity of climate, approaches more to that of the Southern Provinces than any other part of the North Island. There, owing to the prevalence of bush and low scrub, the settler is required to expend a greater amount of labour and capital before he can obtain a profitable return.

Being essentially a pastoral country, its resources have not yet been sufficiently explored, and although it is well known that in the mountainous country towards the interior there are indications of mineral wealth, it can hardly be expected that these will be represented in the first New Zealand Exhibition; while the districts along the coast consists of newer tertiary strata, which can afford but little of economic value.

His Honor the Superintendent having appointed a very efficient Local Committee, and being himself anxious that the Province should be worthily represented, I believe that no effort will be spared to effect the object. The principal exhibits will be of wools from a variety of breeds of sheep, as this important subject has, I understand, received more attention than is general in other parts of New Zealand.

Collections of rocks and of the fossil remains which are very abundantly imbedded in the tertiary strata, specimens of the woods of the interior, illustrative maps, and plans of the country, along with sketches and photographs, will constitute the principal exhibits of this Province, and probably a fine display of articles of native manufacture.

In Wellington, his Honor the Superintendent has appointed an influential Local Committee, and as great interest is taken there in the success of the Exhibition, the Commissioners may feel assured that the resources of the Province will be well represented. It embraces the pastoral district of the Wairarapa Valley and the Coast Ranges, and the fertile and hilly grounds in the neighbourhood of Port Nicholson, and the extensive and wooded plains of which Wanganui is the centre. This indicates that the principal exhibits will be of wool, timber, and agricultural products. A valuable collection of articles from