21 
Presidents Address. 
declared to be pure Emery of the best quality by persons 
contemplating a mercantile use of it. 
In this Colony, the importance of mining is so great, that 
many of the functions performed in England by the 
Government School of Mines and its Mining Record Office 
in connection with the Geological Survey, are now under- 
taken (together with various political duties) by a separate 
“ Mining Department ” of the Government, presided over 
by a Mining Minister, as political head, and having Mr. 
R. B. Smyth, who lias twice held the office of Honorary 
Secretary to our Society, as the permanent head. 
This Department has now the entire control of the large 
body of Mining Surveyors appointed by Government, not only 
to perform numerous duties connected with the official 
management of the gold-fields and regulating the entry of 
miners into possession of their claims, but many of them are 
required in addition to furnish various statistical and other 
scientific information touching their various mining districts, 
which are subsequently either published in various forms 
by the Mining Department or retained in the office for 
inspection of enquirers. Several important changes have 
been made lately by the Minister of Mines in the duties of 
the Mining Surveyors, a knowledge of which would pro- 
bably prove of interest to other mining countries. 
Formerly, these officers reported monthly, on the state of 
mining operations in the several mining districts of the 
colony, and forwarded more or less perfect geological and 
mining plans and sections of the progress of the workings, 
which they were expected to keep a record of ; but now 
they are required to make quarterly reports, and if the 
instructions which Mr. Sullivan, the Minister of Mines, has 
issued, be complied with, the quarterly reports will be more 
accurate and comprehensive than those which have hitherto 
been published. By a recent arrangement, the Surveyors 
are required also to report promptly on new discoveries of 
gold. When a “ rush ” takes place, the Mining Surveyor 
furnishes a rough sketch shewing the locality, and gives 
particular information regarding tire nature of the strata, 
the depth of sinking, the character of the adjaceirt rocks, 
and the minerals associated with the gold. He supplies too, 
a description of the country, of the sources of water-supply, 
and of the kinds of timber available for mining purposes. 
The Surveyors are likewise encouraged to collect minerals, 
