N.Z. CBOWNG.M.CO. Circulars received in Auckland on Wednesday from Glasgow, give par ticulars of the terms on which the New Zoaland Exploration Company has taken oxer the Crown Miiie. Local holders of Crown shares receive 13s 6d cash on each original share held by them, and also share for share in the ' new company, which is registered as the New Zealand Crown. Mines Com pany (limited). WAIHI PROPERTIES. At a meeting of shareholders in the Waitete, Waitete Extended and Robin Hood properties, held on Tuesday in Auckland, it was decided to form a no liability company with a capital of £3,000 in 60,000 shares at Is each. The following appointments were made .-—Directors,' Messrs W. Gorrie, James Smith, E. Bell, J, J. Craig, and J. T. Julian ; legal manager, Mr H. Gilfillan, jun. : banker's, Bank of New Zealand; auditor, Mr'F. L. Prime,; solicitor. Mr W. E. Bruce. •' PUHIPUHL Quite a number of prospectors are now out on the fields. The late heavy rains have retarded their operations considerably, and made the Airline rood very muddy. The Bay of Islands County Council are cordroying the soft portion of the road, which runs through ' the Uitlander special claim, near the big reef. ■ This has made a great improvement, Mr French's furnace (at the British Gold and Silver Mining Company's ground) is in a fair way of completion. Although protected, there are a large number cf men employed on this pro perty. They have ..some very.nice looking stone in the Waipu paddock. The Wairaai Gold and Silver Mining Company are working, and the Dr Jim have several men employed open ing up their reefs. All the old work ings are now pegged off, and persons wishing to take up land have to go and look for the raef s before doing 80. BOOM COME TO STAY. Mr Gordon, late inspecting engineer of the Mines Department, has been interviewed by the "Times" repre sentative in connection with the north- crn goldfields, which are just now the subject of considerable interest here. > Mr Gordon's remarks are chiefly, of a general character. He thinks, the boom has come to stay, but points out that foreign capital is sensitive, likes steady investments, and abhors wild cat schemes. He considers the Bill amending the Mining Act now before the Goldfields Committee is calculated

to frighten capital. 