Exhibit 2.1





                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER



                          Dated as of December 8, 1996,



                                      Among



                            HOMESTAKE MINING COMPANY



                                   HMGLD CORP.



                                       and



                        SANTA FE PACIFIC GOLD CORPORATION





























                                                     TABLE OF CONTENTS



                                                                                                          Page

                                                                                                                      
Parties and Recitals......................................................................................   1
           
                                    ARTICLE I

                                   The Merger

SECTION 1.01. 
The Merger................................................................................................   2
SECTION 1.02.
Closing...................................................................................................   2
SECTION 1.03.
Effective Time of the Merger..............................................................................   2
SECTION 1.04.
Effects of the Merger.....................................................................................   3
SECTION 1.05.
Certificate of Incorporation and
                             By-laws......................................................................   3
SECTION 1.06.
Directors.................................................................................................   3
SECTION 1.07.
Officers..................................................................................................   3


                                   ARTICLE II

                Effect of the Merger on the Capital Stock of the
               Constituent Corporations; Exchange of Certificates

SECTION 2.01.
Effect on Capital Stock...................................................................................   4
SECTION 2.02.
Exchange of Certificates..................................................................................   5


                                   ARTICLE III

                         Representations and Warranties

SECTION 3.01.
Representations and Warranties of the
                             Company......................................................................  10
SECTION 3.02.
Representations and Warranties of
                             Parent and Sub...............................................................  26





                                                                              2


                                   ARTICLE IV

                    Covenants Relating to Conduct of Business

                                                                                                            
SECTION 4.01.
Conduct of Business.......................................................................................  41
SECTION 4.02.
No Solicitation by the Company............................................................................  48
SECTION 4.03.   No Solicitation by Parent ................................................................  50


   
                                    ARTICLE V

                              Additional Agreements


SECTION 5.01.
Preparation of Form S-4 and the Proxy
                             Statement; Company's Stockholders'
                             Meeting and Parent's Stockholders'
                             Meeting...................................................................... 52
SECTION 5.02.
Letter of the Company's Accountants....................................................................... 55
SECTION 5.03.
Letter of Parent's Accountants............................................................................ 55
SECTION 5.04.
Access to Information;
                             Confidentiality.............................................................. 55
SECTION 5.05.
Reasonable Efforts; Notification.......................................................................... 55
SECTION 5.06.
Rights Agreement; Consequences if
                             Rights Triggered ............................................................ 57
SECTION 5.07.
Company Employee Stock Options............................................................................ 58
SECTION 5.08.
Benefit Plans............................................................................................. 60
SECTION 5.09.
Indemnification........................................................................................... 61
SECTION 5.10.
Fees and Expenses......................................................................................... 62
SECTION 5.11.
Public Announcements...................................................................................... 62
 SECTION 5.12.
Tax and Accounting Treatment.............................................................................. 62
SECTION 5.13.
Affiliates................................................................................................ 62
SECTION 5.14.
Stock Exchange Listing.................................................................................... 63
 SECTION 5.15.
Parent Board of Directors................................................................................. 63
SECTION 5.16.
Parent Officers........................................................................................... 64




                                                                             3  



                                   ARTICLE VI

                              Conditions Precedent


                                                                                                       
SECTION 6.01.
Conditions to Each Party's Obligation
                             To Effect the Merger......................................................... 65
SECTION 6.02.
Conditions to Obligations of Parent
                             and Sub...................................................................... 66
SECTION 6.03.
Conditions to Obligation of the
                             Company...................................................................... 68



                                   ARTICLE VII

                        Termination, Amendment and Waiver
SECTION 7.01.
Termination............................................................................................... 69
SECTION 7.02.
Effect of Termination..................................................................................... 71
SECTION 7.03.
Amendment................................................................................................. 73
SECTION 7.04.
Extension; Waiver......................................................................................... 73
SECTION 7.05.
Procedure for Termination, Amendment,
                             Extension or Waiver.......................................................... 74



                                                                             4


                                  ARTICLE VIII

                               General Provisions

                                                                                                         

SECTION 8.01.
Nonsurvival of Representations and
                             Warranties................................................................... 74
SECTION 8.02.
Notices................................................................................................... 74
SECTION 8.03.
Definitions............................................................................................... 76
SECTION 8.04.
Interpretation............................................................................................ 76
SECTION 8.05.
Severability.............................................................................................. 76
SECTION 8.06.
Counterparts.............................................................................................. 77
SECTION 8.07.
Entire Agreement; No Third-Party
                             Beneficiaries................................................................ 77
SECTION 8.08.
Governing Law............................................................................................. 77
SECTION 8.09.
Assignment................................................................................................ 77
SECTION 8.10.
Enforcement............................................................................................... 77


Exhibit A -- Form of Company Affiliate Letter
Exhibit B -- Form of Parent Affiliate Letter














                     Location of Defined Terms in Agreement


Term                                                  Location in Agreement

"affiliate"                                                   ss.8.03
"Amendment to Parent's
  Certificate of Designation"                                 ss.3.02(d)
"Amendment to Parent's Restated
  Certificate of Incorporation"                               ss.3.02(d)
"Certificate of Merger                                        ss.1.03
"Certificates"                                                ss.2.02(b)
"Closing Date"                                                ss.1.02
"Common Shares Trust"                                         ss.2.02(e)
"Company Benefit Plans"                                       ss.3.01(i)
"Company Capital Stock"                                       ss.3.01(c)
"Company Common Stock"                                         Recitals
"Company Disclosure Letter"                                   ss.3.01(b)
"Company Employee Stock
  Options"                                                    ss.3.01(c)
"Company Employee Stock
  Plans                                                       ss.3.01(c)
"Company Material Adverse
  Effect"                                                     ss.3.01(a)
"Company Property"                                            ss.3.01(u)
"Company Rights"                                              ss.3.01(c)
"Company Rights Agreement"                                    ss.3.01(c)
"Company SEC Documents"                                       ss.3.01(e)
"Company Series A Preferred
  Stock"                                                      ss.3.01(c)
"Company Significant
  Subsidiary"                                                 ss.3.01(a)
"Company Stock Plans"                                         ss.5.08(a)
"Company Stockholder
  Approval"                                                   ss.3.01(k)
"Company Subsidiary"                                          ss.4.02(a)
"Company's Stockholders'
  Meeting"                                                    ss.5.01(b)
"Confidentiality Agreement"                                   ss.5.04


                                                                              2


"Conversion Number"                                            Recitals
"Contract"                                                    ss.3.01(d)
"DGCL"                                                        ss.1.01
"D&O Insurance"                                               ss.5.09
"Effective Time of the
  Merger"                                                     ss.1.03
"Environmental Law"                                           ss.3.01(r)
"ERISA"                                                       ss.3.01(j)
"Excess Shares"                                               ss.2.2(e)
"Exchange Act"                                                ss.3.01(d)
"Exchange Agent"                                              ss.2.02(a)
"Filed Company SEC
  Documents"                                                  ss.3.01(g)
"Filed Parent SEC
  Documents"                                                  ss.3.02(g)
"Form S-4"                                                    ss.3.01(f)
"Governmental Entity"                                         ss.3.01(d)
"Hazardous Substances"                                        ss.3.01(r)
"HSR Act"                                                     ss.3.01(d)
"LSARs"                                                       ss.4.01(a)
"Liens"                                                       ss.3.01(b)
"Material Breach"                                             ss.7.02(e)
"Maximum Period"                                              ss.5.09
"NYSE"                                                        ss.2.02(e)
"Options"                                                     ss.3.01(c)
"Parent Benefit Plans"                                        ss.3.02(i)
"Parent Common Stock"                                         Recitals
"Parent Convertible Notes"                                    ss.3.02(c)
"Parent Disclosure Letter"                                    ss.3.02(b)
"Parent Employee Stock
  Plans"                                                      ss.3.02(c)
"Parent Employee Stock
  Options"                                                    ss.3.02(c)
"Parent LSARs"                                                ss.5.01(a)
"Parent Material Adverse
  Effect"                                                     ss.3.02(a)
"Parent Phantom Stock Options"                                ss.5.07(a)
"Parent Property"                                             ss.3.02(v)
"Parent Rights"                                               ss.3.02(c)
"Parent Rights Agreement"                                     ss.3.02(c)




                                                                              3


"Parent SARs"                                                ss.5.01(a)
"Parent SEC Documents"                                       ss.3.02(e)
"Parent Series A Preferred
  Stock"                                                     ss.3.02(c)
"Parent Significant
  Subsidiary                                                 ss.3.02(a)
"Parent Stockholder
  Approval"                                                  ss.3.02(k)
"Parent Subsidiary"                                          ss.3.02(a)
"Parent Takeover Proposal"                                   ss.4.03(a)
"Parent's Stockholders'
  Meeting"                                                   ss.5.01(c)
"Permits"                                                    ss.3.01(d)
"person"                                                     ss.8.03
"Phantom Stock Options"                                      ss.5.07(a)
"Primary Company Executives"                                 ss.3.01(p)
"Prime"                                                      ss.3.02(c)
"Primary Parent Executives"                                  ss.3.02(p)
"Proxy Statement"                                            ss.3.01(d)
"qualified stock options"                                    ss.5.07(a)
"SARs"                                                       ss.4.01(a)
"SEC"                                                        ss.3.01(a)
"Securities Act"                                             ss.3.01(e)
"SMCRA"                                                      ss.3.01(r)
"subsidiary"                                                 ss.8.03
"Surviving Corporation"                                       Recitals
"Tax Returns"                                                ss.3.01(n)
"Taxes"                                                      ss.3.01(n)










                                    AGREEMENT  AND  PLAN OF  MERGER  dated as of
                           December 8, 1996, among HOMESTAKE  MINING COMPANY,  a
                           Delaware  corporation  ("Parent"),   HMGLD  CORP.,  a
                           Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of
                           Parent   ("Sub"),   and   SANTA   FE   PACIFIC   GOLD
                           CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the "Company").


                  WHEREAS the respective Boards of Directors of Parent,  Sub and
the Company have  approved  the merger of Sub into the Company  (the  "Merger"),
upon the terms  and  subject  to the  conditions  set  forth in this  Agreement,
whereby each issued and outstanding  share of common stock,  par value $0.01 per
share,  of the Company  (the  "Company  Common  Stock"),  not owned  directly or
indirectly by Parent or the Company, will be converted into the right to receive
1.115 (as  adjusted  pursuant to  Sections  2.01(d)  and 5.06,  the  "Conversion
Number") fully paid and  nonassessable  shares of common stock,  par value $1.00
per share, of Parent (the "Parent Common Stock");

                  WHEREAS  Parent,  Sub and the Company  desire to make  certain
representations,  warranties,  covenants and  agreements in connection  with the
Merger and also to prescribe various conditions to the Merger;

                  WHEREAS for Federal  income tax  purposes it is intended  that
the Merger qualify as a  reorganization  within the meaning of Section 368(a) of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"); and

                  WHEREAS  for  accounting  purposes,  it is  intended  that the
Merger be accounted for as a pooling of interests under United States  generally
accepted accounting principles ("GAAP").








                                                                              2



                  NOW,  THEREFORE,  in  consideration  of  the  representations,
warranties,  covenants and agreements  contained in this Agreement,  the parties
agree as follows:


                                    ARTICLE I

                                   The Merger

                  SECTION  1.01.  The Merger.  Upon the terms and subject to the
conditions  set forth in this  Agreement,  and in  accordance  with the Delaware
General  Corporation  Law (the  "DGCL"),  Sub shall be merged  with and into the
Company  at the  Effective  Time of the Merger  (as  defined  in Section  1.03).
Following the Merger,  the separate  corporate  existence of Sub shall cease and
the  Company  shall  continue  as  the  surviving  corporation  (the  "Surviving
Corporation")  and shall  succeed  to and  assume  all the  rights,  properties,
liabilities  and obligations of Sub in accordance with the DGCL. At the election
of Parent,  any direct or  indirect  wholly  owned  subsidiary  of Parent may be
substituted  for  Sub as a  constituent  corporation  in the  Merger;  provided,
however,  that  such  substitution  has no  impact  on the  satisfaction  of the
conditions set forth in Sections 6.02(d) and 6.03(d). In such event, the parties
agree to execute an appropriate  amendment to this Agreement in order to reflect
such substitution.

                  SECTION  1.02.  Closing.  Upon the  terms and  subject  to the
conditions of this Agreement,  the closing of the Merger (the  "Closing")  shall
take place at 10:00 a.m. on a date to be specified by the parties (the  "Closing
Date"),  which shall be no later than the second business day after satisfaction
of the  conditions set forth in Section 6.01 (other than the condition set forth
in Sections  6.01(d) and  6.01(e)),  at the offices of Cravath,  Swaine & Moore,
Worldwide  Plaza,  825 Eighth Avenue,  New York, NY 10019,  unless another time,
date or place is agreed to in writing by the parties hereto.

                  SECTION 1.03.  Effective Time of the Merger.  Upon
the Closing,  the parties shall file with the Secretary of State of the State of
Delaware a  certificate  of merger or other  appropriate  documents (in any such
case,  the  "Certificate  of Merger")  executed in accordance  with the relevant
provisions  of the  DGCL  and  shall  make  all  other  filings,  recordings  or
publications  required under the DGCL in connection with the Merger.  The Merger
shall become







                                                                             3



effective  at such time as the  Certificate  of Merger  is duly  filed  with the
Delaware  Secretary of State, or at such other time as the parties may agree and
specify in the  Certificate  of Merger  (the time the Merger  becomes  effective
being the "Effective Time of the Merger").

                  SECTION 1.04.  Effects of the Merger.

                  (a)  The Merger shall have the effects set forth in Section
259 of the DGCL.

                  (b) The Merger shall not result in any acceleration of vesting
of the  outstanding  non-employee  Director share rights of Parent granted under
the Parent Employee Stock Plans (as defined in Section 3.02(c)) that are held by
directors  of Parent who continue as members of the Board of Directors of Parent
after the Effective Time of the Merger.

                  (c) The Merger  shall not result in any change in the terms of
the outstanding  Parent  Employee Stock Options (as defined in Section  3.02(c))
granted under the Parent Employee Stock Plans.

                  SECTION 1.05.  Certificate of Incorporation  and By-laws.  (a)
The Amended and Restated  Certificate  of  Incorporation  of the Company,  as in
effect  immediately  prior to the  Effective  Time of the  Merger,  shall be the
Certificate  of  Incorporation  of the Surviving  Corporation  until  thereafter
changed or amended as provided therein or by applicable law.

                  (b) The By-laws of the Company as in effect  immediately prior
to the  Effective  Time of the  Merger  shall be the  By-laws  of the  Surviving
Corporation  until  thereafter  changed  or amended  as  provided  therein or by
applicable law.

                  SECTION 1.06. Directors. The individuals who are the directors
of Sub  immediately  prior  to the  Effective  Time of the  Merger  shall be the
directors  of the  Surviving  Corporation  until  thereafter  they  cease  to be
directors in accordance with the DGCL and the Certificate of  Incorporation  and
By-laws of the Surviving Corporation.

                  SECTION 1.07.  Officers.  The individuals who are
the  officers  of the Company  immediately  prior to the  Effective  Time of the
Merger shall be the officers of the Surviving  Corporation until thereafter they
cease to be







                                                                             4



officers in accordance  with the DGCL and the Certificate of  Incorporation  and
By-laws of the Surviving Corporation.

                                   ARTICLE II

                Effect of the Merger on the Capital Stock of the
               Constituent Corporations; Exchange of Certificates


                  SECTION  2.01.  Effect on Capital  Stock.  As of the Effective
Time of the  Merger,  by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part
of the  holder of any shares of  Company  Common  Stock or any shares of capital
stock of Sub:

                  (a) Capital Stock of Sub. Each issued and outstanding share of
         capital stock of Sub shall be converted  into and become one fully paid
         and nonassessable  share of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of
         the Surviving Corporation.

                  (b)  Cancelation  of Treasury  Stock and Parent-  Owned Stock.
         Each share of Company  Common  Stock that is owned by the Company or by
         any wholly  owned  subsidiary  of the Company and each share of Company
         Common  Stock that is owned by Parent,  Sub or any other  wholly  owned
         subsidiary  of Parent shall  automatically  be canceled and retired and
         shall cease to exist, and no Parent Common Stock or other consideration
         shall be delivered in exchange therefor.

                  (c)  Conversion of Company  Common  Stock.  Subject to Section
         2.02(e),  each issued and  outstanding  share of Company  Common  Stock
         (other than shares to be canceled in accordance  with Section  2.01(b))
         shall be converted into the right to receive the  Conversion  Number of
         fully paid and  nonassessable  shares of Parent Common Stock. As of the
         Effective  Time of the Merger,  all such shares of Company Common Stock
         shall no longer be outstanding and shall  automatically be canceled and
         retired  and shall  cease to exist,  and each  holder of a  certificate
         representing  any such  shares of Company  Common  Stock shall cease to
         have any rights with respect thereto,  except the right to receive upon
         the  surrender  of such  certificates,  certificates  representing  the
         shares of Parent Common Stock, any cash in lieu of fractional shares of
         Parent Common








                                                                            5


 

         Stock and any dividends to the extent provided in Section 2.02(c) to be
         issued  or  paid  in  consideration  therefor  upon  surrender  of such
         certificate in accordance with Section 2.02, without interest.

                  (d)  Adjustment  of  Conversion  Number.  In  addition  to any
         adjustment in the Conversion Number pursuant to Section 5.06(a), in the
         event of any  split,  combination  or  reclassification  of any  Parent
         Capital Stock or any issuance or the  authorization  of any issuance of
         any other  securities  in  exchange  or in  substitution  for shares of
         Parent  Capital  Stock at any time  during the period  from the date of
         this  Agreement to the  Effective  Time of the Merger,  the Company and
         Parent  shall  make such  adjustment  to the  Conversion  Number as the
         Company and Parent shall  mutually agree so as to preserve the economic
         benefits  that the Company and Parent each  reasonably  expected on the
         date of this  Agreement to receive as a result of the  consummation  of
         the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

                  SECTION 2.02.  Exchange of  Certificates.  (a) Exchange Agent.
Immediately  following  the Effective  Time of the Merger,  Parent shall deposit
with The First  National  Bank of Boston or such other bank or trust  company as
may be  designated  by Parent and the Company (the  "Exchange  Agent"),  for the
benefit of the  holders of shares of  Company  Common  Stock,  for  exchange  in
accordance  with this  Article II,  through  the  Exchange  Agent,  certificates
representing  the shares of Parent  Common Stock (such  shares of Parent  Common
Stock,  together with any dividends or distributions with respect thereto with a
record date after the Effective Time of the Merger,  being hereinafter  referred
to as the  "Exchange  Fund")  issuable  pursuant to Section 2.01 in exchange for
outstanding shares of Company Common Stock.

                  (b) Exchange  Procedures.  As soon as  reasonably  practicable
after the Effective  Time of the Merger,  the Exchange  Agent shall mail to each
holder of record of a certificate or  certificates  (the  "Certificates")  which
immediately  prior to the Effective Time of the Merger  represented  outstanding
shares of Company  Common Stock,  other than shares to be canceled or retired in
accordance  with  Section  2.01(b),  (i) a letter of  transmittal  (which  shall
specify  that  delivery  shall be  effected,  and risk of loss and  title to the
Certificates  shall pass, only upon delivery of the Certificates to the Exchange
Agent and shall








                                                                           6



 

be in such form and have such other provisions as Parent may reasonably specify)
and (ii)  instructions for use in effecting the surrender of the Certificates in
exchange for  certificates  representing  shares of Parent  Common  Stock.  Upon
surrender of a  Certificate  for  cancelation  to the Exchange  Agent or to such
other agent or agents as may be appointed by Parent,  together  with such letter
of  transmittal,  duly executed,  and such other  documents as may reasonably be
required by the Exchange Agent, the holder of such Certificate shall be entitled
to receive in exchange therefor a certificate  representing that number of whole
shares of  Parent  Common  Stock  which  such  holder  has the right to  receive
pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  this  Article  II,  and  the  Certificate  so
surrendered shall forthwith be canceled. In the event of a transfer of ownership
of Company Common Stock which is not  registered in the transfer  records of the
Company, a certificate representing the proper number of shares of Parent Common
Stock  may be  issued  to a person  other  than  the  person  in whose  name the
Certificate so surrendered is registered,  if such Certificate shall be properly
endorsed or otherwise  be in proper form for transfer and the person  requesting
such  payment  shall pay any  transfer or other taxes  required by reason of the
issuance of shares of Parent Common Stock to a person other than the  registered
holder of such  Certificate or establish to the satisfaction of Parent that such
tax has been paid or is not  applicable.  Until  surrendered as  contemplated by
this  Section  2.02,  each  Certificate  shall be deemed  at any time  after the
Effective  Time of the Merger to  represent  only the right to receive upon such
surrender the certificate representing the appropriate number of whole shares of
Parent  Common  Stock,  cash in lieu of any  fractional  shares of Parent Common
Stock  and  any  dividends  to  the  extent   provided  in  Section  2.02(c)  as
contemplated  by this Section  2.02.  No interest will be paid or will accrue on
any cash payable in lieu of any fractional shares of Parent Common Stock.

                  (c)  Distributions  with  Respect to  Unexchanged  Shares.  No
dividends  or other  distributions  with  respect to Parent  Common Stock with a
record date after the  Effective  Time of the Merger shall be paid to the holder
of any  unsurrendered  Certificate  with respect to the shares of Parent  Common
Stock  represented  thereby,  and no cash payment in lieu of  fractional  shares
shall be paid to any such holder pursuant to Section 2.02(e) until the surrender
of such Certificate in accordance with this Article II. Subject to the effect of
applicable laws, following







                                                                           7





surrender  of any such  Certificate,  there  shall be paid to the  holder of the
certificate  representing whole shares of Parent Common Stock issued in exchange
therefor, without interest, (i) at the time of such surrender, the amount of any
cash payable in lieu of a fractional  share of Parent Common Stock to which such
holder is entitled  pursuant to Section  2.02(e) and the amount of  dividends or
other  distributions  with a record date after the Effective  Time of the Merger
theretofore  paid with respect to such whole shares of Parent Common Stock,  and
(ii)  at the  appropriate  payment  date,  the  amount  of  dividends  or  other
distributions  with a record  date  after the  Effective  Time of the Merger but
prior to such surrender and a payment date subsequent to such surrender  payable
with respect to such whole shares of Parent Common Stock.

                  (d) No Further  Ownership  Rights in Company Common Stock. All
shares  of Parent  Common  Stock  issued  upon the  surrender  for  exchange  of
Certificates in accordance with the terms of this Article II (including any cash
paid pursuant to Section 2.02(c) or 2.02(e)) shall be deemed to have been issued
(and  paid) in full  satisfaction  of all  rights  pertaining  to the  shares of
Company  Common Stock  theretofore  represented by such  Certificates,  subject,
however, to the Surviving Corporation's  obligation to pay any dividends or make
any other  distributions  with a record date prior to the Effective  Time of the
Merger  which may have been  declared  or made by the  Company on such shares of
Company Common Stock in accordance  with the terms of this Agreement or prior to
the date of this  Agreement and which remain unpaid at the Effective Time of the
Merger,  and there shall be no further  registration  of  transfers on the stock
transfer  books of the  Surviving  Corporation  of the shares of Company  Common
Stock which were  outstanding  immediately  prior to the  Effective  Time of the
Merger.  If, after the Effective Time of the Merger,  Certificates are presented
to the Surviving Corporation or the Exchange Agent for any reason, they shall be
canceled  and  exchanged  as provided in this  Article II,  except as  otherwise
provided by law.

                  (e)  No  Fractional  Shares.  (i)  No  certificates  or  scrip
representing  fractional  shares of Parent Common Stock shall be issued upon the
surrender for exchange of  Certificates,  and such  fractional  share  interests
shall not entitle the owner thereof to vote or to any rights of a stockholder of
Parent.










                                                                          8





                  (ii) As promptly as  practicable  following the Effective Time
of the Merger,  the Exchange Agent shall  determine the excess of (x) the number
of shares of Parent  Common  Stock  delivered  to the  Exchange  Agent by Parent
pursuant to Section  2.02(a)  over (y) the  aggregate  number of whole shares of
Parent Common Stock to be distributed to holders of the Certificates pursuant to
Section 2.02(b) (such excess being herein called the "Excess  Shares").  As soon
as practicable  after the Effective Time of the Merger,  the Exchange  Agent, as
agent for the holders of the Certificates,  shall sell the Excess Shares at then
prevailing  prices on the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") all in the manner
provided in paragraph (iii) of this Section 2.02(e).

                  (iii)  The sale of the  Excess  Shares by the  Exchange  Agent
shall be executed on the NYSE  through one or more member  firms of the NYSE and
shall be executed in round lots to the extent  practicable.  The  proceeds  from
such sale or sales  available for  distribution  to the holders of  Certificates
shall be  reduced by the  compensation  payable  to the  Exchange  Agent and the
expenses  incurred by the Exchange  Agent, in each case, in connection with such
sale or sales of the Excess Shares, including all related commissions,  transfer
taxes and other out-of-pocket  transaction costs. Until the net proceeds of such
sale or sales have been  distributed  to the  holders of the  Certificates,  the
Exchange  Agent  shall  hold  such  proceeds  in trust  for the  holders  of the
Certificates (the "Common Shares Trust"). The Exchange Agent shall determine the
portion of the Common Shares Trust to which each holder of a  Certificate  shall
be entitled,  if any, by  multiplying  the amount of the  aggregate net proceeds
comprising the Common Shares Trust by a fraction,  the numerator of which is the
amount of the fractional share interest to which such holder of a Certificate is
entitled and the  denominator  of which is the  aggregate  amount of  fractional
share interests to which all holders of the Certificates are entitled.

                  (iv) As soon as  practicable  after the  determination  of the
amount of cash,  if any,  to be paid to holders of  Certificates  in lieu of any
fractional  share  interests,  the  Exchange  Agent  shall make  available  such
amounts,  without interest, to such holders of Certificates who have surrendered
their Certificates in accordance with this Article II.











                                                                          9










                  (f) Termination of Exchange Fund and Common Shares Trust.  Any
portion of the Exchange Fund and Common Shares Trust which remains undistributed
to the holders of  Certificates  for six months after the Effective  Time of the
Merger  shall  be  delivered  to  Parent,   upon  demand,  and  any  holders  of
Certificates  who have not  theretofore  complied  with  this  Article  II shall
thereafter  look only to Parent  for  payment of their  claim for Parent  Common
Stock,  any cash in lieu of  fractional  shares of Parent  Common  Stock and any
dividends or distributions with respect to Parent Common Stock.

                  (g) No  Liability.  None of Parent,  Sub,  the  Company or the
Exchange  Agent shall be liable to any person in respect of any shares of Parent
Common Stock (or dividends or  distributions  with respect thereto) or cash from
the  Exchange  Fund or the Common  Shares Trust  delivered to a public  official
pursuant to any applicable  abandoned  property,  escheat or similar law. If any
Certificates  shall not have been  surrendered  prior to seven  years  after the
Effective Time of the Merger (or immediately prior to such earlier date on which
any shares of Parent  Common  Stock,  any cash in lieu of  fractional  shares of
Parent  Common Stock or any  dividends or  distributions  with respect to Parent
Common Stock in respect of such Certificate would otherwise escheat to or become
the property of any  Governmental  Entity (as defined in Section  3.01(d)),  any
such shares,  cash,  dividends or  distributions  in respect of such Certificate
shall,  to the extent  permitted by applicable  law,  become the property of the
Surviving  Corporation,  free and clear of all claims or  interest of any person
previously entitled thereto.

                  (h)  Investment of Exchange Fund and Common Shares Trust.  The
Exchange  Agent shall invest any cash  included in the Exchange  Fund and Common
Shares Trust,  as directed by Parent,  on a daily basis.  Any interest and other
income resulting from such investments shall be paid to Parent.












                                                                           10










                                   ARTICLE III

                         Representations and Warranties

                  SECTION 3.01.  Representations  and Warranties of the Company.
The Company represents and warrants to Parent and Sub as follows:

                  (a)  Organization,  Standing and Corporate Power.  Each of the
         Company  and  each  Company  Significant   Subsidiary  (as  hereinafter
         defined)  is a  corporation,  partnership  or other  legal  entity duly
         organized,  validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the
         jurisdiction  in which it is organized and has the requisite  power and
         authority to carry on its business as now being conducted.  Each of the
         Company and each of its subsidiaries  (each a "Company  Subsidiary") is
         duly  qualified or licensed to do business  and is in good  standing in
         each  jurisdiction in which the nature of its business or the ownership
         or leasing of its  properties  makes such  qualification  or  licensing
         necessary,  other than in such jurisdictions where the failure to be so
         qualified or licensed  (individually or in the aggregate) would not (i)
         have a material adverse effect on the business,  properties,  financial
         condition  or results of  operations  of the  Company  and the  Company
         Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (other than effects relating to the gold
         mining  industry  in  general),   or  (ii)  prevent  the  Company  from
         performing its  obligations  under this Agreement (a "Company  Material
         Adverse Effect"). The Company has made available to Parent complete and
         correct copies of its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
         and  By-laws  and the  certificates  of  incorporation  and  by-laws or
         comparable   organization   documents   of  the   Company   Significant
         Subsidiaries,  in each case as amended  to the date of this  Agreement.
         For  purposes of this  Agreement,  a "Company  Significant  Subsidiary"
         means any Company Subsidiary that constitutes a significant  subsidiary
         of the Company within the meaning of Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X of the
         Securities and Exchange  Commission (the "SEC").  The Company is not in
         violation of any provision of its Amended and Restated  Certificate  of
         Incorporation or By-laws,  and no Company Subsidiary is in violation of
         any  provisions  of  its  certificate  of  incorporation,   by-laws  or
         comparable organizational documents, except to the extent that










                                                                           11










         such violations  would not,  individually  or in the aggregate,  have a
         Company Material Adverse Effect.

                  (b) Company  Subsidiaries.  Section 3.01(b) of the letter from
         the Company, dated the date of this Agreement, addressed to Parent (the
         "Company Disclosure Letter") lists each Company Significant  Subsidiary
         and  the  ownership  or  interest  therein  of  the  Company.  All  the
         outstanding  shares  of  capital  stock  of  each  Company  Significant
         Subsidiary   have  been   validly   issued   and  are  fully  paid  and
         nonassessable  and,  except  as set  forth in  Section  3.01(b)  of the
         Company  Disclosure  Letter,  are  owned  by the  Company,  by  another
         subsidiary  of  the  Company  or by the  Company  and  another  Company
         Subsidiary,  free and clear of all  pledges,  claims,  liens,  charges,
         encumbrances  and security  interests of any kind or nature  whatsoever
         (collectively,  "Liens").  Except for the capital  stock of the Company
         Subsidiaries  and  except  for the  ownership  interests  set  forth in
         Section 3.01(b) of the Company  Disclosure Letter, the Company does not
         own,  directly  or  indirectly,  any capital  stock or other  ownership
         interest,  with a fair  market  value as of the date of this  Agreement
         greater than $25,000,000, in any person.

                  (c) Capital  Structure.  The  authorized  capital stock of the
         Company (the "Company Capital Stock") consists of 500,000,000 shares of
         Company  Common Stock and  50,000,000  shares of preferred  stock,  par
         value  $0.01 per  share.  Pursuant  to a  Certificate  of  Designation,
         Preferences  and  Rights  of  Series A Junior  Participating  Preferred
         Stock,  on January  26,  1995,  the Board of  Directors  of the Company
         created a series of 1,500,000  shares of preferred stock  designated as
         the "Series A Junior  Participating  Preferred Stock",  par value $0.01
         per share (the "Company  Series A Preferred  Stock"),  which shares are
         issuable in  connection  with the rights to purchase  shares of Company
         Series A  Preferred  Stock  (the  "Company  Rights")  that were  issued
         pursuant to the Rights  Agreement  dated  February 13, 1995 (as amended
         from time to time, the "Company Rights Agreement"), between the Company
         and Harris Trust and Savings  Bank,  as Rights  Agent.  At the close of
         business on December 5, 1996: (i) 131,459,422  shares of Company Common
         Stock were  outstanding,  all of which were validly issued,  fully paid
         and  nonassessable,  and no shares of Company Series A Preferred Stock,
         or of any other series of preferred stock of the Company,










                                                                            12










         were  outstanding;  (ii) no shares of Company Common Stock were held by
         the Company in its treasury;  (iii) 1,521,912  shares of Company Common
         Stock were  issuable  upon the  exercise  of  outstanding  employee  or
         outside  director stock options (the "Company  Employee Stock Options")
         that were granted  pursuant to the Company's  employee  stock plans set
         forth in Section 3.01(c) of the Company Disclosure Letter (the "Company
         Employee Stock Plans");  and (iv) 1,500,000  shares of Company Series A
         Preferred  Stock were  reserved  for  issuance in  connection  with the
         Company Rights.  Except as set forth above, at the close of business on
         December 5, 1996, no shares of capital stock or other voting securities
         of the Company were issued, reserved for issuance or outstanding. There
         are not any  bonds,  debentures,  notes  or other  indebtedness  of the
         Company having the right to vote (or convertible  into, or exchangeable
         for,  securities  having  the  right to vote) on any  matters  on which
         stockholders  of the Company  must vote.  Except as set forth above and
         except  as set  forth in  Section  3.01(c)  of the  Company  Disclosure
         Letter,  as of the date of this  Agreement,  there are not any options,
         warrants,  calls,  rights,  commitments,  agreements,  arrangements  or
         undertakings of any kind (collectively, "Options") to which the Company
         or any Company  Subsidiary  is a party or by which any of them is bound
         relating to the issued or unissued  capital stock of the Company or any
         Company Subsidiary, or obligating the Company or any Company Subsidiary
         to issue, transfer,  grant or sell any shares of capital stock or other
         equity interests in, or securities  convertible or exchangeable for any
         capital stock or other equity  interests in, the Company or any Company
         Subsidiary  or  obligating  the  Company or any Company  Subsidiary  to
         issue,  grant,  extend or enter  into any such  Options.  All shares of
         Company  Common Stock that are subject to issuance as  aforesaid,  upon
         issuance  on the  terms  and  conditions  specified  in the  instrument
         pursuant to which they are issuable,  will be duly authorized,  validly
         issued,  fully paid and  nonassessable.  Except as set forth in Section
         3.01(c)  of the  Company  Disclosure  Letter,  as of the  date  of this
         Agreement, there are not any outstanding contractual obligations of the
         Company or any Company  Subsidiary to  repurchase,  redeem or otherwise
         acquire  any shares of  capital  stock of the  Company  or any  Company
         Subsidiary, or make any material investment (in










                                                                          13










         the form of a loan, capital contribution or otherwise)
         in, any Company Subsidiary or any other person.

                  (d) Authority; Noncontravention. The Company has all requisite
         corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and, subject
         to the Company Stockholder Approval (as defined in Section 3.01(k)), to
         consummate the transactions  contemplated by this Agreement.  The Board
         of Directors of the Company has unanimously approved this Agreement and
         the  transactions  contemplated by this Agreement,  and has resolved to
         recommend  to the  Company's  stockholders  that they give the  Company
         Stockholder  Approval.  The execution and delivery of this Agreement by
         the Company  and the  consummation  by the Company of the  transactions
         contemplated  by  this  Agreement  have  been  duly  authorized  by all
         necessary  corporate action on the part of the Company,  subject to the
         Company Stockholder Approval. This Agreement has been duly executed and
         delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and binding obligation
         of the Company,  enforceable against the Company in accordance with its
         terms. Except as set forth in Section 3.01(d) of the Company Disclosure
         Letter,  the execution and delivery of this Agreement does not, and the
         consummation  of the  transactions  contemplated  by this Agreement and
         compliance  with the provisions of this  Agreement  will not,  conflict
         with, or result in any violation of, or default (with or without notice
         or lapse of time,  or both) under,  or give rise to a right of consent,
         termination, purchase, cancelation or acceleration of any obligation or
         to loss of any  property,  rights or benefits  under,  or result in the
         imposition  of  any  additional  obligation  under,  or  result  in the
         creation  of any  Lien  upon any of the  properties  or  assets  of the
         Company or any Company  Subsidiary  under, (i) the Amended and Restated
         Certificate  of   Incorporation  or  By-laws  of  the  Company  or  the
         comparable organizational documents of any Company Subsidiary, (ii) any
         contract, instrument,  permit, concession,  franchise, license, loan or
         credit  agreement,  note,  bond,  mortgage,  indenture,  lease or other
         property  agreement,  partnership  or joint venture  agreement or other
         legally  binding  agreement,  whether  oral or written (a  "Contract"),
         applicable to the Company or any Company Subsidiary or their respective
         properties or assets or (iii) subject to the  governmental  filings and
         other  matters  referred to in the  following  sentence,  any judgment,
         order, decree,










                                                                           14










         statute,  law, ordinance,  rule or regulation applicable to the Company
         or any Company  Subsidiary  or their  respective  properties or assets,
         other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii),  any such conflicts,
         violations,  defaults,  rights  or Liens  that  individually  or in the
         aggregate would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect. No consent,
         approval,  order or authorization  of, or registration,  declaration or
         filing  with,  any  Federal,  state or local  government  or any court,
         administrative agency or commission or other governmental  authority or
         agency,  domestic or  foreign,  including  the  European  Community  (a
         "Governmental  Entity"),  is required by or with respect to the Company
         or any Company Subsidiary in connection with the execution and delivery
         of this Agreement by the Company or the  consummation by the Company of
         the  transactions  contemplated by this  Agreement,  except for (i) the
         filing of a premerger notification and report form by the Company under
         the  Hart-Scott-Rodino  Antitrust  Improvements  Act of 1976  (the "HSR
         Act"),  (ii) the  filing  with the SEC of (A) a joint  proxy  statement
         relating to the meetings of the Company's stockholders and the Parent's
         stockholders  to  be  held  in  connection  with  the  Merger  and  the
         transactions contemplated by this Agreement (as amended or supplemented
         from time to time, the "Proxy  Statement"),  and (B) such reports under
         Section 12 or 13(a) of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
         (the  "Exchange  Act"),  as may be  required  in  connection  with this
         Agreement and the  transactions  contemplated by this Agreement,  (iii)
         the filing of the Certificate of Merger with the Delaware  Secretary of
         State and appropriate  documents with the relevant authorities of other
         states in which the Company is  qualified  to do  business,  (iv) those
         that may be required  solely by reason of Parent's or Sub's (as opposed
         to any other third party's)  participation  in the Merger and the other
         transactions   contemplated  by  this  Agreement  and  (v)  such  other
         consents,    approvals,    orders,    authorizations,    registrations,
         declarations and filings, including under applicable Environmental Laws
         (as defined in Section 3.01(r)),  (x) as may be required under the laws
         of any foreign  country in which the Company or any Company  Subsidiary
         conducts any  business or owns any  property or assets,  (y) as are set
         forth in Section 3.01(d) of the Company  Disclosure Letter or (z) that,
         if not obtained or made,  would not,  individually or in the aggregate,
         have a Company Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth










                                                                          15










         in Section 3.01(d) of the Company  Disclosure  Letter,  the Company and
         the  Company   Subsidiaries   possess  all  certificates,   franchises,
         licenses, permits, authorizations and approvals issued to or granted by
         Governmental Entities (collectively,  "Permits"), including pursuant to
         any  Environmental  Law,  necessary to conduct  their  business as such
         business is currently conducted or is expected to be conducted,  except
         for such  Permits,  the lack of possession of which has not, and is not
         reasonably expected to have, a Company Material Adverse Effect.  Except
         as set forth in Section 3.01(d) of the Company  Disclosure  Letter, (i)
         all  such  Permits  are  validly  held by the  Company  or the  Company
         Subsidiaries,  and  the  Company  and  the  Company  Subsidiaries  have
         complied in all respects with all terms and conditions thereof,  except
         for such  instances  where the failure to validly  hold such Permits or
         the failure to have  complied  with such  Permits  has not,  and is not
         reasonably  expected to have, a Company Material  Adverse Effect,  (ii)
         none of such  Permits  will be  subject  to  suspension,  modification,
         revocation  or  nonrenewal as a result of the execution and delivery of
         this  Agreement  or the  consummation  of the  Merger,  other than such
         Permits  the   suspension,   modification   or   nonrenewal  of  which,
         individually or in the aggregate, have not had and could not reasonably
         be expected to have a Company  Material  Adverse Effect and (iii) since
         December 31, 1995,  neither the Company nor any Company  Subsidiary has
         received any written warning,  notice,  notice of violation or probable
         violation, notice of revocation, or other written communication from or
         on behalf of any Governmental Entity, alleging (A) any violation of any
         such Permit or (B) that the Company or any Company Subsidiary  requires
         any Permit  required for its  business,  as such  business is currently
         conducted, that is not currently held by it.

                  (e) SEC Documents;  Undisclosed  Liabilities.  The Company has
         filed all required  reports,  schedules,  forms,  statements  and other
         documents  with  the SEC  since  January  1,  1995  (the  "Company  SEC
         Documents").  As of its date, each Company SEC Document complied in all
         material  respects with the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933
         (the  "Securities  Act"),  or the Exchange Act, as the case may be, and
         the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated  thereunder applicable
         to such Company SEC Documents. None of the










                                                                          16










         Company SEC Documents  contains any untrue statement of a material fact
         or omits to state a  material  fact  required  to be stated  therein or
         necessary  in  order to make the  statements  therein,  in light of the
         circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except to the
         extent that such statements have been modified or superseded by a later
         filed Company SEC Document.  The consolidated  financial  statements of
         the Company  included in the Company SEC Documents comply as to form in
         all material respects with applicable  accounting  requirements and the
         published rules and regulations of the SEC with respect  thereto,  have
         been  prepared  in  accordance  with  generally   accepted   accounting
         principles (except, in the case of unaudited  statements,  as permitted
         by Form 10-Q of the SEC)  applied  on a  consistent  basis  during  the
         periods  involved (except as may be indicated in the notes thereto) and
         fairly present the consolidated financial position of the Company as of
         the dates thereof and the  consolidated  results of its  operations and
         cash  flows  for  the  periods  then  ended  (subject,  in the  case of
         unaudited statements, to normal year-end audit adjustments).  Except as
         set forth in the Filed  Company  SEC  Documents  (as defined in Section
         3.01(g)),  neither  the  Company  nor any  Company  Subsidiary  has any
         liabilities or obligations of any nature  (whether  accrued,  absolute,
         contingent  or  otherwise)  required by generally  accepted  accounting
         principles  to be set  forth  on a  consolidated  balance  sheet of the
         Company  and the  consolidated  Company  Subsidiaries  or in the  notes
         thereto and which,  individually or in the aggregate,  could reasonably
         be expected to have a Company Material  Adverse Effect,  other than any
         such  liabilities or obligations  that were required to be set forth in
         the  Company's  Quarterly  Report  on Form 10-Q for the  quarter  ended
         September 30, 1996. None of the Company  Subsidiaries is subject to the
         informational reporting requirements of Section 13 of the Exchange Act.

                  (f) Information Supplied.  None of the information supplied or
         to be  supplied  by the  Company  for  inclusion  or  incorporation  by
         reference  in (i) the  registration  statement  on Form S-4 to be filed
         with the SEC by Parent in connection with the issuance of Parent Common
         Stock in the Merger (the "Form S-4") will,  at the time the Form S-4 is
         filed with the SEC, at any time it is amended or supplemented or at the
         time it










                                                                           17










         becomes   effective  under  the  Securities  Act,  contain  any  untrue
         statement  of a  material  fact or  omit to  state  any  material  fact
         required  to be stated  therein  or  necessary  to make the  statements
         therein not  misleading,  or (ii) the Proxy Statement will, at the date
         the Proxy  Statement is first mailed to the Company's  stockholders  or
         Parent's  stockholders  or at the time of the  Company's  Stockholders'
         Meeting (as defined in Section  5.01(b)) or the Parent's  Stockholders'
         Meeting (as defined in Section  5.01(c)),  contain any untrue statement
         of a material  fact or omit to state any material  fact  required to be
         stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
         light of the  circumstances  under which they are made, not misleading.
         The Proxy  Statement  will comply as to form in all  material  respects
         with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations
         promulgated  thereunder,  except that no  representation or warranty is
         made by the Company with respect to statements  made or incorporated by
         reference  therein based on  information  supplied by Parent or Sub for
         inclusion or incorporation by reference in the Proxy Statement.

                  (g) Absence of Certain Changes or Events.  Except as disclosed
         in the Company SEC Documents filed and publicly  available prior to the
         date of this  Agreement  (the  "Filed  Company  SEC  Documents"),  from
         December  31,  1995,  to the date of this  Agreement,  the  Company has
         conducted its business only in the ordinary course, and:

                           (i) during the period from September 30, 1996, to the
                  date of this Agreement,  there has not been any event, change,
                  effect or development which, individually or in the aggregate,
                  has had or is, so far as reasonably can be foreseen, likely to
                  have, a Company Material Adverse Effect;

                         (ii) during the period from  December 31, 1995,  to the
                  date of this Agreement,  there has not been except for regular
                  annual  dividends  not in excess of $0.05 per share of Company
                  Common Stock,  with customary  record and payment  dates,  any
                  declaration, setting aside or payment of any dividend or other
                  distribution (whether in cash, stock or property) with respect
                  to any shares of Company Capital Stock;










                                                                           18











                       (iii) during the period from  December  31, 1995,  to the
                  date  of  this  Agreement,  there  has  not  been  any  split,
                  combination or  reclassification  of any Company Capital Stock
                  or any  issuance or the  authorization  of any issuance of any
                  other  securities in exchange or in substitution for shares of
                  Company Capital Stock;

                         (iv) during the period from  December 31, 1995,  to the
                  date of this Agreement, there has not been except as disclosed
                  in Section 3.01(g) of the Company  Disclosure  Letter, (A) any
                  granting  by the  Company  or any  Company  Subsidiary  to any
                  executive officer of the Company or any Company  Subsidiary of
                  any increase in compensation, except in the ordinary course of
                  business  consistent  with prior  practice or as was  required
                  under  employment  agreements  in effect as of the date of the
                  most recent audited financial statements included in the Filed
                  Company SEC Documents,  (B) any granting by the Company or any
                  Company  Subsidiary  to  any  such  executive  officer  of any
                  increase  in  severance  or  termination  pay,  except  as was
                  required  under  any  employment,   severance  or  termination
                  agreements in effect as of the date of the most recent audited
                  financial   statements  included  in  the  Filed  Company  SEC
                  Documents  or (C) any  entry  by the  Company  or any  Company
                  Subsidiary  into  any  employment,  severance  or  termination
                  agreement with any such executive officer; and

                           (v) during the period from  December 31, 1995, to the
                  date of this  Agreement,  there  has not  been any  change  in
                  accounting methods,  principles or practices by the Company or
                  any Company Significant  Subsidiary  materially  affecting its
                  assets,  liabilities  or business,  except insofar as may have
                  been  required by a change in  generally  accepted  accounting
                  principles.

                  (h)  Litigation.  Except as disclosed in the Filed Company SEC
         Documents or in Section 3.01(h) of the Company Disclosure Letter, there
         is no suit,  action or  proceeding  pending or, to the knowledge of the
         Company,  threatened against the Company or any Company Subsidiary (and
         the Company does not have any reasonable basis to expect any such suit,
         action or










                                                                            19










         proceeding to be commenced)  that,  individually  or in the  aggregate,
         could reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect,
         and there is not any judgment, decree, injunction, rule or order of any
         Governmental  Entity or arbitrator  outstanding  against the Company or
         any Company Subsidiary  having, or which,  insofar as reasonably can be
         foreseen,  in the future  would  have,  any  Company  Material  Adverse
         Effect.  As of the date of this  Agreement,  except as disclosed in the
         Filed  Company  SEC  Documents  or in Section  3.01(h)  of the  Company
         Disclosure Letter,  there is no suit, action or proceeding pending, or,
         to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against the Company or any
         Company  Subsidiary (and the Company does not have any reasonable basis
         to expect any such suit,  action or proceeding  to be commenced)  that,
         individually  or in the  aggregate,  could  reasonably  be  expected to
         prevent or delay in any material respect the consummation of the Merger
         or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

                  (i) Absence of Changes in Benefit  Plans.  Except as disclosed
         in the Filed Company SEC Documents or in Section 3.01(i) of the Company
         Disclosure Letter,  since the date of the most recent audited financial
         statements included in the Filed Company SEC Documents and prior to the
         date of this Agreement, there has not been any adoption or amendment in
         any material  respect by the Company or any Company  Subsidiary  of any
         collective bargaining agreement or any bonus, pension,  profit sharing,
         deferred compensation,  incentive compensation,  stock ownership, stock
         purchase, stock option, phantom stock, retirement, vacation, severance,
         disability,  death  benefit,  hospitalization,  medical or other  plan,
         arrangement or understanding (whether or not legally binding) providing
         benefits to any current or former employee,  officer or director of the
         Company  or any  Company  Subsidiary  (collectively,  "Company  Benefit
         Plans").

                  (j) ERISA Compliance. Except as described in the Filed Company
         SEC Documents or in Section 3.01(j) of the Company Disclosure Letter or
         as would not have a Company Material  Adverse Effect,  (i) all employee
         benefit plans or programs  maintained for the benefit of the current or
         former employees or directors of the Company or any Company  Subsidiary
         that are sponsored, maintained or contributed to by the Company or any










                                                                            20










         Company Subsidiary, or with respect to which the Company or any Company
         Subsidiary  has any  liability,  including  any  such  plan  that is an
         "employee  benefit  plan" as defined in  Section  3(3) of the  Employee
         Retirement  Income  Security Act of 1974  ("ERISA"),  are in compliance
         with all applicable  requirements of law, including ERISA and the Code,
         and  (ii)  neither  the  Company  nor any  Company  Subsidiary  has any
         liabilities  or obligations  with respect to any such employee  benefit
         plans or programs, whether accrued, contingent or otherwise, nor to the
         knowledge  of the  Company  are any  such  liabilities  or  obligations
         expected to be incurred.  Except as set forth in Section 3.01(j) of the
         Company  Disclosure  Letter,  the execution of, and  performance of the
         transactions  contemplated by, this Agreement will not (either alone or
         upon the occurrence of any additional or subsequent  events) constitute
         an event under any benefit plan,  policy,  arrangement  or agreement or
         any trust or loan that will or may result in any  payment  (whether  of
         severance pay or otherwise), acceleration, forgiveness of indebtedness,
         vesting,  distribution,  increase  in benefits  or  obligation  to fund
         benefits with respect to any employee. The only severance agreements or
         severance   policies   applicable   to  the   Company  or  the  Company
         Subsidiaries are the agreements and policies  specifically set forth in
         Section 3.01(j) of the Company Disclosure Letter.

                  (k) Voting  Requirements.  The  approval  and adoption of this
         Agreement  by the  holders of a majority of the  outstanding  shares of
         Company Common Stock (the "Company  Stockholder  Approval") is the only
         vote of the  holders  of any class or series of Company  Capital  Stock
         necessary to approve this Agreement and the  transactions  contemplated
         by this Agreement.

                  (l)  Brokers;  Schedule  of Fees and  Expenses.  Except as set
         forth in Section 3.01(l) of the Company  Disclosure  Letter, no broker,
         investment banker, financial advisor or other person is entitled to any
         broker's,  finder's,  financial  advisor's  or  other  similar  fee  or
         commission in connection  with the  transactions  contemplated  by this
         Agreement based upon  arrangements made by or on behalf of the Company.
         The Company has made  available to Parent true and  complete  copies of
         all agreements  that are referred to in Section  3.01(l) of the Company
         Disclosure Letter and










                                                                           21










         all indemnification and other  agreements related to the engagement of 
         the persons so listed.

                  (m) Opinion of Financial Advisor. The Company has received the
         opinion of SBC Warburg Inc.,  dated the date of this Agreement,  to the
         effect that, as of such date, the  consideration  to be received in the
         Merger  by  the  Company's   stockholders  is  fair  to  the  Company's
         stockholders  from a  financial  point of view,  a signed copy of which
         opinion has been delivered to Parent.

                  (n) Taxes.  (i) The Company and each Company  Subsidiary  have
         timely filed (or have had timely filed on their behalf) or will file or
         cause  to be  timely  filed,  all  material  Tax  Returns  required  by
         applicable  law  to be  filed  by  any of  them  prior  to or as of the
         Effective  Time of the Merger.  All such  material  Tax Returns are, or
         will be at the  time of  filing,  true,  complete  and  correct  in all
         material respects.

                (ii) The Company and each Company  Subsidiary have paid (or have
         had  paid on their  behalf)  or,  where  payment  is not yet due,  have
         established (or have had established on their behalf and for their sole
         benefit and recourse) or will  establish or cause to be  established on
         or before the Effective Time of the Merger an adequate  accrual for the
         payment of all Taxes due with respect to any period  ending prior to or
         as of the Effective Time of the Merger, except where the failure to pay
         or establish  adequate reserves has not had and would not reasonably be
         expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

            (iii)  Except  as set  forth  in  Section  3.01(n)  of  the  Company
         Disclosure  Letter,  no  deficiencies  for any material Taxes have been
         proposed,  asserted  or  assessed  against  the  Company or any Company
         Subsidiary,  and no requests for waivers of the time to assess any such
         material  Taxes are  pending.  The  Federal  income Tax  Returns of the
         Company and each Company  Subsidiary  consolidated  in such Tax Returns
         have been  examined  by and  settled  with the United  States  Internal
         Revenue Service for all years through 1985.

                  (iv) The Company has no reason to believe that any  conditions
         exist that could  reasonably  be  expected  to prevent  the Merger from
         qualifying as a










                                                                           22










         reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code.

               (v) For purposes of this  Agreement,  the  following  terms shall
         have the following meanings:

                           (A) "Taxes" shall mean all Federal,  state, local and
                  foreign  taxes,  and other  assessments  of a  similar  nature
                  (whether imposed directly or through  withholding),  including
                  any  interest,  additions  to  tax,  or  penalties  applicable
                  thereto.

                           (B) "Tax  Returns"  shall  mean all  Federal,  state,
                  local  and  foreign  tax  returns,  declarations,  statements,
                  reports,  schedules,  forms and  information  returns  and any
                  amended tax return relating to Taxes.

                  (o) Compliance with Laws.  Neither the Company nor any Company
         Subsidiary  has  violated  or failed to comply with any  statute,  law,
         ordinance,   regulation,   rule,  judgment,  decree  or  order  of  any
         Governmental  Entity  applicable to its business or operations,  except
         for violations and failures to comply that could not,  individually  or
         in the  aggregate,  reasonably  be  expected  to  result  in a  Company
         Material Adverse Effect.

                  (p) No Excess Parachute Payments. Other than payments that may
         be made  to the  persons  listed  in  Section  3.01(p)  of the  Company
         Disclosure Letter (the "Primary Company  Executives"),  any amount that
         could be  received  (whether  in cash or  property  or the  vesting  of
         property) as a result of any of the  transactions  contemplated by this
         Agreement by any employee, officer or director of the Company or any of
         its  affiliates  who is a  "disqualified  individual"  (as such term is
         defined in proposed  Treasury  Regulation  Section  1.280G-1) under any
         employment,  severance or  termination  agreement,  other  compensation
         arrangement  or Company  Benefit Plan  currently in effect would not be
         characterized as an "excess parachute payment" (as such term is defined
         in Section 280G(b)(1) of the Code). Set forth in Section 3.01(p) of the
         Company  Disclosure  Letter is (i) the  estimated  maximum  amount that
         could be paid to each  Primary  Company  Executive  as a result  of the
         transactions  contemplated  by this  Agreement  under  all  employment,
         severance and termination agreements, other










                                                                        23









         compensation arrangements and Company Benefit Plans currently in effect
         and  (ii) the  "base  amount"  (as  such  term is  defined  in  Section
         280G(b)(3) of the Code) for each Primary Company  Executive  calculated
         as of the date of this Agreement.

                  (q) Accounting  Matters.  Neither the Company nor, to its best
         knowledge,  any of its  affiliates,  has  taken or  agreed  to take any
         action that (without  giving effect to any action taken or agreed to be
         taken by Parent or any of its  affiliates)  would  prevent  Parent from
         accounting for the business combination to be effected by the Merger as
         a pooling of interests.

                  (r) Environmental  Matters. (i) Except as set forth in Section
         3.01(r)  of the  Company  Disclosure  Letter  and except for items that
         could not, in all such cases taken  individually  or in the  aggregate,
         reasonably be expected to result in a Company  Material Adverse Effect,
         neither the Company nor any Company  Subsidiary  has (x) placed,  held,
         located, released,  transported or disposed of any Hazardous Substances
         (as defined  below) on,  under,  from or at any of the Company's or any
         Company   Subsidiary's  current  or  former  properties  or  any  other
         properties  or (y) any  knowledge  or reason to know of the presence of
         any  Hazardous  Substances  on, under or at any of the Company's or any
         Company Subsidiary's current or former properties or any other property
         but arising from the Company's or any Company  Subsidiary's  current or
         former properties.  For purposes of this Agreement, the term "Hazardous
         Substance" shall mean any materials or substances  (including asbestos,
         buried  contaminants,   chemicals,  flammable  explosives,  radioactive
         materials, petroleum and petroleum products) defined as, or included in
         the  definition  of,  "hazardous   substances",   "hazardous   wastes",
         "hazardous  materials" or "toxic  substances"  under any  Environmental
         Law. For purposes of this Agreement, the term "Environmental Law" shall
         mean any federal, state, provincial, regional, territorial,  municipal,
         local or foreign statute, code, ordinance,  rule,  regulation,  policy,
         permit,  consent,  approval,  license,  judgment,  order, writ, decree,
         injunction  or  other   authorization,   relating  to:  (A)  emissions,
         discharges,  releases or  threatened  releases of Hazardous  Substances
         into  the  natural  or  workplace   environment,   including,   without
         limitation,  ambient air, soil,  sediments,  land surface,  subsurface,
         surface










                                                                           24










         water,  groundwater,  tailings  ponds  or  settling  lagoons;  (B)  the
         generation, treatment, storage, disposal, use, handling, manufacturing,
         transportation or shipment of Hazardous  Substances;  or (C) protection
         of health or safety or the environment, handling, treatment or disposal
         of solid waste, or operation or reclamation of mines.

             (ii) Except for items that  individually  or in the aggregate could
         not  reasonably  be  expected to result in a Company  Material  Adverse
         Effect or as  disclosed  in Section  3.01(r) of the Company  Disclosure
         Letter, the Company and the Company Subsidiaries are in compliance with
         the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation  Act, 30 U.S.C.  ss. 1201 et
         seq.  (the  "SMCRA")  and any state law  comparable  to SMCRA  under 30
         U.S.C. ss. 1253, and neither the Company nor any Company  Subsidiary is
         subject  to  any  reclamation  obligation  or  other  site  restoration
         obligation under any Environmental Law.

            (iii) Except for items that  individually  or in the aggregate could
         not  reasonably  be  expected to result in a Company  Material  Adverse
         Effect or as set forth in  Section  3.01(r) of the  Company  Disclosure
         Letter, no Environmental Law imposes any obligation upon the Company or
         any  Company  Subsidiary  arising  out  of or  as a  condition  to  any
         transaction  contemplated by this Agreement,  including any requirement
         to modify or to transfer any permit or license, any requirement to file
         any notice or other submission with any Governmental Entity, the filing
         of any notice,  acknowledgement or covenant in any land records, or the
         modification  of or provision of notice  under any  agreement,  consent
         order or consent decree.

                  (s) State  Takeover  Statutes.  The Board of  Directors of the
         Company has approved the Merger and this  Agreement,  and such approval
         is sufficient to render  inapplicable to the Merger, this Agreement and
         the  transactions  contemplated  by this  Agreement,  the provisions of
         Section 203 of the DGCL.  To the best of the  Company's  knowledge,  no
         other state takeover  statute or similar statute or regulation  applies
         or  purports  to  apply to the  Merger,  this  Agreement  or any of the
         transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

                  (t)  Rights Agreement.  The Company has taken all  necessary 
         action to (i) render the Company Rights










                                                                            25









         inapplicable to the Merger and the other  transactions  contemplated by
         this  Agreement and (ii) ensure that (x) neither  Parent nor any of its
         affiliates  is an  Acquiring  Person (as defined in the Company  Rights
         Agreement), (y) none of a Distribution Date, Shares Acquisition Date or
         Triggering  Event  (each as defined in the  Company  Rights  Agreement)
         shall occur by reason of the  approval,  execution  or delivery of this
         Agreement,  the  announcement  or  consummation  of the  Merger  or the
         consummation  of any of the  other  transactions  contemplated  by this
         Agreement and (z) the Company Rights shall expire  immediately prior to
         the Effective Time of the Merger.

                  (u) Dispositions of Company  Property.  Except as described in
         the Filed  Company SEC  Documents or in Section  3.01(u) of the Company
         Disclosure Letter, since December 31, 1995, neither the Company nor any
         Company Subsidiary has sold or disposed of or ceased to hold or own any
         personal property,  real property,  any interest or rights with respect
         to real property  (including  exploration  or production  rights),  any
         interest  in a joint  venture  or other  assets  or  properties  of the
         Company or any  Company  Subsidiary  ("Company  Property"),  other than
         sales and  dispositions  of raw  materials,  obsolete  equipment,  mine
         output and other inventories,  and any interests or rights with respect
         to real property  having an  individual  fair market value of less than
         $10,000,000 of the Company or any Company  Subsidiary,  in each case in
         the ordinary course of business,  consistent with past practice. Except
         as set forth in Section 3.01(u) of the Company  Disclosure  Letter,  no
         Company  Property whose fair market value on the date of this Agreement
         is  greater  than  $10,000,000  is  subject  to  any  pending  sale  or
         disposition transaction.

                  (v) Absence of Reduction in Reserves and Mineralized Material.
         There  has  been no  material  reduction  in the  aggregate  amount  of
         reserves  or in the  aggregate  amount of  mineralized  material of the
         Company  and the  Company  Subsidiaries,  taken  as a  whole,  from the
         amounts set forth in the Company's  1995 annual report to  shareholders
         except for (i) such  reductions  in reserves  that have  resulted  from
         production in the ordinary  course of business and (ii) such reductions
         in mineralized  material that have resulted from  reclassifications  of
         mineralized material as reserves.










                                                                           26











                  (w) Development Projects. The Company has no reason to believe
         that (i) the estimated production capacity for each of the time periods
         set forth in Section  3.01(w) of the  Company  Disclosure  Letter  with
         respect to the four  development  projects  described in the  Company's
         Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended  December 31, 1995
         will not be reached  during such time  periods,  or (ii) the  estimated
         costs set forth in Section  3.01(w) of the  Company  Disclosure  Letter
         with respect to each such development project will be exceeded.

                  SECTION 3.02.  Representations and Warranties of Parent and
         Sub.  Parent and Sub represent and warrant to the Company as follows:

                  (a)  Organization,  Standing  and  Corporate  Power.  Each  of
         Parent,  Sub and each Parent  Significant  Subsidiary  (as  hereinafter
         defined)  is a  corporation,  partnership  or other  legal  entity duly
         organized,  validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the
         jurisdiction  in which it is organized and has the requisite  power and
         authority  to carry on its  business  as now being  conducted.  Each of
         Parent,  Sub  and  each  of  Parent's   subsidiaries  (each  a  "Parent
         Subsidiary")  is duly  qualified  or licensed to do business  and is in
         good standing in each  jurisdiction in which the nature of its business
         or the ownership or leasing of its properties makes such  qualification
         or  licensing  necessary,  other than in such  jurisdictions  where the
         failure  to  be so  qualified  or  licensed  (individually  or  in  the
         aggregate)  would  not  (i)  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on the
         business,  properties,  financial condition or results of operations of
         Parent  and the  Parent  Subsidiaries,  taken  as a whole  (other  than
         effects  relating to the gold  mining  industry  in  general),  or (ii)
         prevent Parent from performing its obligations  under this Agreement (a
         "Parent  Material  Adverse  Effect").  Parent has made available to the
         Company  complete  and correct  copies of its Restated  Certificate  of
         Incorporation and By-laws, the Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws
         of Sub and the certificates of incorporation  and by-laws or comparable
         organizational  documents of the Parent  Significant  Subsidiaries,  in
         each case as amended to the date of this  Agreement.  For  purposes  of
         this  Agreement,  a "Parent  Significant  Subsidiary"  means any Parent
         Subsidiary that constitutes a significant subsidiary of










                                                                            27










         Parent  within the meaning of Rule 1-02 of  Regulation  S-X of the SEC.
         Neither  Parent  nor  Sub  is in  violation  of  any  provision  of its
         certificate of incorporation or by-laws, and no Parent Subsidiary is in
         violation  of any  provisions  of  its  certificate  of  incorporation,
         by-laws or comparable  organizational  documents,  except to the extent
         that such violations would not, individually or in the aggregate,  have
         a Parent Material Adverse Effect.

                  (b) Parent  Subsidiaries.  Section  3.02(b) of the letter from
         Parent, dated the date of this Agreement, addressed to the Company (the
         "Parent Disclosure  Letter") lists each Parent  Significant  Subsidiary
         and the ownership or interest  therein of Parent.  All the  outstanding
         shares of capital stock of each Parent Significant Subsidiary have been
         validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable  and, except as set
         forth in Section 3.02(b) of the Parent Disclosure  Letter, are owned by
         Parent, by another subsidiary of Parent or by Parent and another Parent
         Subsidiary,  free and clear of all Liens.  Except for the capital stock
         of the Parent  Subsidiaries and except for the ownership  interests set
         forth in Section 3.02(b) of the Parent Disclosure  Letter,  Parent does
         not own,  directly or indirectly,  any capital stock or other ownership
         interest,  with a fair  market  value as of the date of this  Agreement
         greater than $25,000,000, in any person.

                  (c) Capital  Structure.  Except as otherwise  contemplated  by
         this  Agreement,  the  authorized  capital stock of Parent (the "Parent
         Capital Stock")  consists of 250,000,000  shares of Parent Common Stock
         and 10,000,000  shares of preferred  stock,  par value $1.00 per share.
         Pursuant to a  Certificate  of  Designation  of Series A  Participating
         Cumulative Preferred Stock, on October 16, 1987, the Board of Directors
         of Parent  created  a series of  1,250,000  shares of  preferred  stock
         designated as the "Series A Participating  Cumulative Preferred Stock",
         par value $1.00 per share,  which  series was  increased  to  2,500,000
         shares by an amendment to such  Certificate of  Designation  filed with
         the  Secretary  of State of the State of  Delaware on June 4, 1993 (the
         "Parent  Series A  Preferred  Stock").  The  shares of Parent  Series A
         Preferred  Stock are issuable in connection with the rights to purchase
         shares of Parent  Series A Preferred  Stock (the "Parent  Rights") that
         were issued pursuant to the Rights










                                                                           28










         Agreement  dated  October 16, 1987 (as amended  from time to time,  the
         "Parent Rights Agreement"),  between Parent and The First National Bank
         of  Boston.  At  the  close  of  business  on  December  4,  1996:  (i)
         146,672,452  shares of Parent  Common  Stock were  outstanding,  all of
         which were validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable,  and no shares
         of Parent Series A Preferred Stock, or of any other series of preferred
         stock of Parent, were outstanding;  (ii) 12,250 shares of Parent Common
         Stock were held by Parent in its treasury;  (iii)  8,602,526  shares of
         Parent Common Stock were  reserved for issuance in connection  with the
         granting of Directors share rights and upon the exercise of outstanding
         employee stock options (the "Parent  Employee Stock Options") that were
         granted  pursuant  to the  Parent's  employee  stock plans set forth in
         Section 3.02(c) of the Parent  Disclosure  Letter (the "Parent Employee
         Stock Plans"); (iv) 2,500,000 shares of Parent Series A Preferred Stock
         were reserved for issuance in connection  with the Parent  Rights;  and
         (v) 6,504,000  shares of Parent Common Stock were reserved for issuance
         upon the conversion of Parent's 5.5% Convertible Subordinated Notes due
         June 23, 2000 (the  "Parent  Convertible  Notes").  Except as set forth
         above,  at the close of  business  on  December  4, 1996,  no shares of
         capital  stock  or other  voting  securities  of  Parent  were  issued,
         reserved for issuance or outstanding.  Except as set forth above, there
         are not any bonds,  debentures,  notes or other  indebtedness of Parent
         having the right to vote (or  convertible  into, or  exchangeable  for,
         securities   having  the  right  to  vote)  on  any  matters  on  which
         stockholders  of the Company  must vote.  Except as set forth above and
         except as set forth in Section 3.02(c) of the Parent Disclosure Letter,
         as of the date of this  Agreement,  there are not any  Options to which
         Parent or any Parent  Subsidiary  is a party or by which any of them is
         bound relating to the issued or unissued capital stock of Parent or any
         Parent  Subsidiary,  or obligating  Parent or any Parent  Subsidiary to
         issue,  transfer,  grant or sell any shares of  capital  stock or other
         equity interests in, or securities  convertible or exchangeable for any
         capital  stock or other  equity  interests  in,  Parent  or any  Parent
         Subsidiary  or  obligating  Parent or any Parent  Subsidiary  to issue,
         grant,  extend or enter  into any such  Options.  All  shares of Parent
         Common Stock that are subject to issuance as  aforesaid,  upon issuance
         on the terms and conditions specified in the










                                                                           29










         instrument   pursuant  to  which  they  are  issuable,   will  be  duly
         authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. All shares of
         Parent  Common  Stock that are  subject  to  issuance  pursuant  to the
         Merger,  upon  issuance  pursuant  to  this  Agreement,  will  be  duly
         authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Except as set
         forth in Section  3.02(c) of the Parent  Disclosure  Letter,  as of the
         date of this  Agreement,  there  are  not any  outstanding  contractual
         obligations of Parent or any Parent Subsidiary to repurchase, redeem or
         otherwise  acquire any shares of capital  stock of Parent or any Parent
         Subsidiary,  or make any  material  investment  (in the form of a loan,
         capital  contribution  or otherwise)  in, any Parent  Subsidiary or any
         other person. As of the date of this Agreement,  the authorized capital
         stock of Sub  consists of 100 shares of common  stock,  par value $0.01
         per share,  all of which have been validly  issued,  are fully paid and
         nonassessable and are owned by Parent free and clear of any Lien.

                  (d)  Authority;  Noncontravention.  Parent  and Sub  have  all
         requisite  corporate  power and authority to enter into this  Agreement
         and, subject to the Parent Stockholder  Approval (as defined in Section
         3.02(k))  and  the  filing  of  an   amendment  to  Parent's   Restated
         Certificate of Incorporation to increase the authorized  Parent Capital
         Stock   (the   "Amendment   to   Parent's   Restated   Certificate   of
         Incorporation")  and  of  an  amendment  to  Parent's   Certificate  of
         Designation of Series A  Participating  Cumulative  Preferred  Stock to
         increase the number of shares of Parent's  preferred stock constituting
         Parent Series A Preferred Stock (the "Amendment to Parent's Certificate
         of Designation"),  to consummate the transactions  contemplated by this
         Agreement. The Board of Directors of Parent has approved this Agreement
         and the transactions  contemplated by this Agreement,  and has resolved
         to  recommend  to  Parent's  stockholders  that  they  give the  Parent
         Stockholder Approval.  The execution and delivery of this Agreement and
         the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, in
         each case by Parent or by Parent and Sub, as the case may be, have been
         duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of Parent
         and Sub, subject to the Parent  Stockholder  Approval and the filing of
         the Amendment to Parent's Restated Certificate of Incorporation and the
         Amendment to Parent's Restated










                                                                           30










         Certificate of  Designation.  This Agreement has been duly executed and
         delivered by Parent and Sub, respectively,  and constitutes a valid and
         binding obligation of Parent and Sub, respectively, enforceable against
         each such party in  accordance  with its terms.  Except as set forth in
         Section  3.02(d) of the Parent  Disclosure  Letter,  the  execution and
         delivery  of this  Agreement  does  not,  and the  consummation  of the
         transactions  contemplated  by this Agreement and  compliance  with the
         provisions of this Agreement will not,  conflict with, or result in any
         violation of, or default  (with or without  notice or lapse of time, or
         both) under, or give rise to a right of consent, termination, purchase,
         cancelation  or  acceleration  of  any  obligation  or to  loss  of any
         property,  rights or benefits under, or result in the imposition of any
         additional obligation under, or result in the creation of any Lien upon
         any of the  properties  or assets of  Parent,  Sub or any other  Parent
         Subsidiary  under,  (i) the Restated  Certificate of  Incorporation  or
         By-laws of Parent, the certificate of incorporation and by-laws of Sub,
         or the comparable  organizational  documents of any Parent  Subsidiary,
         (ii)  any  Contract  applicable  to  Parent,  Sub or any  other  Parent
         Subsidiary or their respective properties or assets or (iii) subject to
         the governmental filings and other matters referred to in the following
         sentence, any judgment, order, decree, statute, law, ordinance, rule or
         regulation  applicable to Parent, Sub or any other Parent Subsidiary or
         their  respective  properties  or assets,  other  than,  in the case of
         clauses  (ii) and  (iii),  any such  conflicts,  violations,  defaults,
         rights or Liens that  individually or in the aggregate would not have a
         Parent  Material  Adverse  Effect.  No  consent,   approval,  order  or
         authorization  of, or  registration,  declaration  or filing with,  any
         Governmental  Entity is required by or with  respect to Parent,  Sub or
         any other  Parent  Subsidiary  in  connection  with the  execution  and
         delivery of this Agreement by Parent or Sub, as the case may be, or the
         consummation by Parent or Sub, as the case may be, of the  transactions
         contemplated  by  this  Agreement,  except  for  (i)  the  filing  of a
         premerger  notification  and report  form by Parent  under the HSR Act,
         (ii) the filing with the SEC of (A) the Proxy  Statement,  and (B) such
         reports  under Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act, as may be required in
         connection  with this Agreement and the  transactions  contemplated  by
         this Agreement, (iii) the filing of the










                                                                          31










         Certificate of Merger,  the Amendment to Parent's Restated  Certificate
         of Incorporation and the Amendment to Parent's Restated  Certificate of
         Designation  with  the  Delaware  Secretary  of State  and  appropriate
         documents with the relevant authorities of other states in which Parent
         is qualified to do business,  (iv) those that may be required solely by
         reason  of the  Company's  (as  opposed  to any  other  third  party's)
         participation in the Merger and the other transactions  contemplated by
         this  Agreement  and  (v)  such  other  consents,   approvals,  orders,
         authorizations,  registrations,  declarations  and  filings,  including
         under applicable  Environmental  Laws, (x) as may be required under the
         laws of any foreign  country in which  Parent or any Parent  Subsidiary
         conducts any  business or owns any  property or assets,  (y) as are set
         forth in Section 3.02(d) of the Parent  Disclosure  Letter or (z) that,
         if not obtained or made,  would not,  individually or in the aggregate,
         have a Parent Material  Adverse Effect.  Except as set forth in Section
         3.02(d)  of  the  Parent  Disclosure  Letter,  Parent  and  the  Parent
         Subsidiaries   possess   all   Permits,   including   pursuant  to  any
         Environmental Law, necessary to conduct their business as such business
         is currently conducted or is expected to be conducted,  except for such
         Permits, the lack of possession of which has not, and is not reasonably
         expected to have, a Parent Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth
         in  Section  3.02(d)  of the  Parent  Disclosure  Letter,  (i) all such
         Permits  are  validly  held by Parent or the Parent  Subsidiaries,  and
         Parent and the Parent  Subsidiaries  have complied in all respects with
         all terms and conditions  thereof,  except for such instances where the
         failure to validly  hold such  Permits or the failure to have  complied
         with such  Permits has not, and is not  reasonably  expected to have, a
         Parent  Material  Adverse  Effect,  (ii) none of such  Permits  will be
         subject to  suspension,  modification,  revocation  or  nonrenewal as a
         result  of  the  execution  and  delivery  of  this  Agreement  or  the
         consummation  of the Merger,  other than such  Permits the  suspension,
         modification or nonrenewal of which,  individually or in the aggregate,
         have not had and  could not  reasonably  be  expected  to have a Parent
         Material  Adverse  Effect and (iii) since  December 31,  1995,  neither
         Parent nor any Parent  Subsidiary  has  received  any written  warning,
         notice,   notice  of  violation  or  probable   violation,   notice  of
         revocation, or other written communication from or on










                                                                           32










         behalf of any Governmental  Entity,  alleging (A) any violation of such
         Permit or (B) that Parent or any Parent Subsidiary  requires any Permit
         required for its business, as such business is currently conducted that
         is not currently held by it.

                  (e) SEC Documents;  Undisclosed Liabilities.  Parent has filed
         all required reports,  schedules, forms, statements and other documents
         with the SEC since January 1, 1995 (the "Parent SEC Documents").  As of
         its date,  each Parent SEC Document  complied in all material  respects
         with the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as the
         case may be,  and the  rules  and  regulations  of the SEC  promulgated
         thereunder applicable to such Parent SEC Documents.  None of the Parent
         SEC Documents contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits
         to state a material fact required to be stated  therein or necessary in
         order to make the  statements  therein,  in light of the  circumstances
         under which they were made, not  misleading,  except to the extent that
         such  statements  have been  modified  or  superseded  by a later filed
         Parent SEC Document.  The consolidated  financial  statements of Parent
         included in the Parent SEC Documents  comply as to form in all material
         respects  with  applicable  accounting  requirements  and the published
         rules  and  regulations  of the SEC with  respect  thereto,  have  been
         prepared in accordance with generally  accepted  accounting  principles
         (except, in the case of unaudited statements, as permitted by Form 10-Q
         of the SEC) applied on a consistent  basis during the periods  involved
         (except as may be  indicated in the notes  thereto) and fairly  present
         the consolidated  financial  position of Parent as of the dates thereof
         and the  consolidated  results of its operations and cash flows for the
         periods then ended (subject,  in the case of unaudited  statements,  to
         normal  year-end audit  adjustments).  Except as set forth in the Filed
         Parent SEC Documents (as defined in Section  3.02(g)),  neither  Parent
         nor any Parent  Subsidiary  has any  liabilities  or obligations of any
         nature (whether accrued, absolute, contingent or otherwise) required by
         generally  accepted  accounting   principles  to  be  set  forth  on  a
         consolidated  balance  sheet  of  Parent  and the  consolidated  Parent
         Subsidiaries or in the notes thereto and which,  individually or in the
         aggregate,  could  reasonably  be  expected  to have a Parent  Material
         Adverse Effect,










                                                                           33










         other than any such liabilities or obligations that were required to be
         set forth in  Parents'  Quarterly  Report on Form 10-Q for the  quarter
         ended September 30, 1996. None of the Parent Subsidiaries is subject to
         the informational  reporting requirements of Section 13 of the Exchange
         Act.

                  (f) Information Supplied.  None of the information supplied or
         to be  supplied  by Parent or Sub for  inclusion  or  incorporation  by
         reference  in (i) the Form S-4 will,  at the time the Form S-4 is filed
         with the SEC, at any time it is amended or  supplemented or at the time
         it becomes  effective  under the  Securities  Act,  contain  any untrue
         statement  of a  material  fact or  omit to  state  any  material  fact
         required  to be stated  therein  or  necessary  to make the  statements
         therein not  misleading,  or (ii) the Proxy Statement will, at the date
         the Proxy  Statement is first mailed to the Company's  stockholders  or
         Parent's  stockholders  or at the time of the  Company's  Stockholders'
         Meeting  or the  Parent's  Stockholders'  Meeting,  contain  any untrue
         statement  of a  material  fact or  omit to  state  any  material  fact
         required  to be  stated  therein  or  necessary  in  order  to make the
         statements  therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are
         made,  not  misleading.  The  Form S-4  will  comply  as to form in all
         material  respects  with the  requirements  of the Exchange Act and the
         rules  and   regulations   promulgated   thereunder,   except  that  no
         representation  or  warranty  is made by Parent or Sub with  respect to
         statements  made  or   incorporated  by  reference   therein  based  on
         information  supplied by the Company for inclusion or  incorporation by
         reference in the Form S-4.

                  (g) Absence of Certain Changes or Events.  Except as disclosed
         in the Parent SEC Documents  filed and publicly  available prior to the
         date of  this  Agreement  (the  "Filed  Parent  SEC  Documents"),  from
         December 31, 1995, to the date of this Agreement,  Parent has conducted
         its business only in the ordinary course, and:

                           (i) during the period from September 30, 1996, to the
                  date of this Agreement,  there has not been any event, change,
                  effect or development which, individually or in the aggregate,
                  has had or, so far as reasonably can be foreseen, is likely to
                  have, a Parent Material Adverse Effect;










                                                                           34











                         (ii) during the period from  December 31, 1995,  to the
                  date of this Agreement,  there has not been except for regular
                  quarterly dividends not in excess of $0.05 per share of Parent
                  Common Stock,  with customary  record and payment  dates,  any
                  declaration, setting aside or payment of any dividend or other
                  distribution (whether in cash, stock or property) with respect
                  to any shares of Parent Capital Stock;

                       (iii) during the period from  December  31, 1995,  to the
                  date  of  this  Agreement,  there  has  not  been  any  split,
                  combination or reclassification of any Parent Capital Stock or
                  any issuance or the authorization of any issuance of any other
                  securities in exchange or in substitution for shares of Parent
                  Capital Stock;

                         (iv) during the period from  December 31, 1995,  to the
                  date of this Agreement, there has not been except as disclosed
                  in Section 3.02(g) of the Parent  Disclosure  Letter,  (A) any
                  granting by Parent or any Parent  Subsidiary  to any executive
                  officer of Parent or any Parent  Subsidiary of any increase in
                  compensation,  except  in  the  ordinary  course  of  business
                  consistent  with  prior  practice  or as  was  required  under
                  employment  agreements  in  effect  as of the date of the most
                  recent  audited  financial  statements  included  in the Filed
                  Parent SEC Documents, (B) any granting by Parent or any Parent
                  Subsidiary  to any such  executive  officer of any increase in
                  severance or termination pay, except as was required under any
                  employment,  severance or termination  agreements in effect as
                  of the date of the most recent  audited  financial  statements
                  included in the Filed Parent SEC Documents or (C) any entry by
                  Parent or any Parent Subsidiary into any employment, severance
                  or termination agreement with any such executive officer; and

                           (v) during the period from  December 31, 1995, to the
                  date of this  Agreement,  there  has not  been any  change  in
                  accounting  methods,  principles or practices by Parent or any
                  Parent Significant Subsidiary materially affecting its assets,
                  liabilities or business, except insofar as may










                                                                           35










                  have been required by a change in generally
                  accepted accounting principles.

                  (h)  Litigation.  Except as  disclosed in the Filed Parent SEC
         Documents or in Section 3.02(h) of the Parent Disclosure Letter,  there
         is no suit,  action  or  proceeding  pending  or, to the  knowledge  of
         Parent,  threatened against Parent or any Parent Subsidiary (and Parent
         does not have any reasonable  basis to expect any such suit,  action or
         proceeding to be commenced)  that,  individually  or in the  aggregate,
         could  reasonably be expected to have a Parent Material Adverse Effect,
         and there is not any judgment, decree, injunction, rule or order of any
         Governmental  Entity or arbitrator  outstanding  against  Parent or any
         Parent  Subsidiary  having,  or which,  insofar  as  reasonably  can be
         foreseen, in the future would have, any Parent Material Adverse Effect.
         As of the date of this  Agreement,  except  as  disclosed  in the Filed
         Parent SEC  Documents  or in Section  3.02(h) of the Parent  Disclosure
         Letter,  there is no suit,  action or  proceeding  pending,  or, to the
         knowledge  of  Parent,   threatened,   against  Parent  or  any  Parent
         Subsidiary (and Parent does not have any reasonable basis to expect any
         such suit, action or proceeding to be commenced) that,  individually or
         in the aggregate,  could  reasonably be expected to prevent or delay in
         any material respect the consummation of the Merger or the transactions
         contemplated by this Agreement.

                  (i) Absence of Changes in Benefit  Plans.  Except as disclosed
         in the Filed Parent SEC  Documents or in Section  3.02(i) of the Parent
         Disclosure Letter,  since the date of the most recent audited financial
         statements  included in the Filed Parent SEC Documents and prior to the
         date of this Agreement, there has not been any adoption or amendment in
         any  material  respect  by  Parent  or  any  Parent  Subsidiary  of any
         collective bargaining agreement or any bonus, pension,  profit sharing,
         deferred compensation,  incentive compensation,  stock ownership, stock
         purchase, stock option, phantom stock, retirement, vacation, severance,
         disability,  death  benefit,  hospitalization,  medical or other  plan,
         arrangement or understanding (whether or not legally binding) providing
         benefits  to any  current or former  employee,  officer or  director of
         Parent or any Parent Subsidiary (collectively, "Parent Benefit Plans").











                                                                           36










                  (j) ERISA Compliance.  Except as described in the Filed Parent
         SEC Documents or in Section 3.02(j) of the Parent  Disclosure Letter or
         as would not have a Parent Material  Adverse  Effect,  (i) all employee
         benefit plans or programs  maintained for the benefit of the current or
         former  employees or directors of Parent or any Parent  Subsidiary that
         are  sponsored,  maintained or  contributed  to by Parent or any Parent
         Subsidiary,  or with respect to which  Parent or any Parent  Subsidiary
         has any liability, including any such plan that is an "employee benefit
         plan" as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA,  are in compliance  with all
         applicable  requirements of law, including ERISA and the Code, and (ii)
         neither  Parent  nor  any  Parent  Subsidiary  has any  liabilities  or
         obligations  with  respect  to  any  such  employee  benefit  plans  or
         programs,  whether  accrued,   contingent  or  otherwise,  nor  to  the
         knowledge of Parent are any such liabilities or obligations expected to
         be  incurred.  Except as set forth in  Section  3.02(j)  of the  Parent
         Disclosure   Letter,   the  execution  of,  and   performance   of  the
         transactions  contemplated by, this Agreement will not (either alone or
         upon the occurrence of any additional or subsequent  events) constitute
         an event under any benefit plan,  policy,  arrangement  or agreement or
         any trust or loan that will or may result in any  payment  (whether  of
         severance pay or otherwise), acceleration, forgiveness of indebtedness,
         vesting,  distribution,  increase  in benefits  or  obligation  to fund
         benefits with respect to any employee. The only severance agreements or
         severance policies  applicable to Parent or the Parent Subsidiaries are
         the agreements and policies  specifically  set forth in Section 3.02(j)
         of the Parent Disclosure Letter.

                  (k) Voting  Requirements.  The (A)  approval  and  adoption by
         Parent's  stockholders of the issuance of shares of Parent Common Stock
         pursuant  to the Merger as  required  by Rule 312 of the New York Stock
         Exchange  and  (B)  approval  by  the  holders  of a  majority  of  the
         outstanding  shares  of  Parent  Common  Stock of an  amendment  to the
         Restated  Certificate of Incorporation of Parent to increase the number
         of authorized shares of Parent Common Stock (collectively,  the "Parent
         Stockholder  Approval")  are the only votes of the holders of any class
         or series of Parent  Capital Stock  necessary to approve this Agreement
         and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.











                                                                          37










                  (l)  Brokers;  Schedule  of Fees and  Expenses.  Except as set
         forth in Section 3.02(l) of the Parent  Disclosure  Letter,  no broker,
         investment banker, financial advisor or other person is entitled to any
         broker's,  finder's,  financial  advisor's  or  other  similar  fee  or
         commission in connection  with the  transactions  contemplated  by this
         Agreement  based  upon  arrangements  made by or on behalf of Parent or
         Sub.  Parent has made available to the Company true and complete copies
         of all agreements that are referred to in Section 3.02(l) of the Parent
         Disclosure Letter and all  indemnification and other agreements related
         to the engagement of the persons so listed.

                  (m) Opinion of  Financial  Advisor.  Parent has  received  the
         opinion of Dillon,  Read & Co. Inc.,  dated the date of this Agreement,
         to the effect that, as of such date, the  Conversion  Number is fair to
         Parent's  stockholders from a financial point of view, a signed copy of
         which opinion has been delivered to the Company.

                  (n) Taxes.  (i) Parent and each Parent  Subsidiary have timely
         filed (or have had timely filed on their  behalf) or will file or cause
         to be timely filed, all material Tax Returns required by applicable law
         to be filed by any of them prior to or as of the Effective  Time of the
         Merger.  All such  material  Tax Returns are, or will be at the time of
         filing, true, complete and correct in all material respects.

                (ii)  Parent and each Parent  Subsidiary  have paid (or have had
         paid  on  their  behalf)  or,  where  payment  is  not  yet  due,  have
         established (or have had established on their behalf and for their sole
         benefit and recourse) or will  establish or cause to be  established on
         or before the Effective Time of the Merger an adequate  accrual for the
         payment of all Taxes due with respect to any period  ending prior to or
         as of the Effective Time of the Merger, except where the failure to pay
         or establish  adequate reserves has not had and would not reasonably be
         expected to have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.

            (iii)  Except  as  set  forth  in  Section  3.02(n)  of  the  Parent
         Disclosure  Letter,  no  deficiencies  for any material Taxes have been
         proposed, asserted or assessed against Parent or any Parent Subsidiary,
         and no requests for waivers of the time to assess any such










                                                                          38










         material  Taxes are pending.  The Federal  income Tax Returns of Parent
         and each Parent  Subsidiary  consolidated in such Tax Returns have been
         examined by and settled with the United States Internal Revenue Service
         for all years through 1991.

                  (iv) Parent has no reason to believe that any conditions exist
         that could reasonably be expected to prevent the Merger from qualifying
         as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code.

                           (o)  Compliance  with  Laws.  Neither  Parent nor any
                  Parent  Subsidiary  has  violated or failed to comply with any
                  statute, law, ordinance, regulation, rule, judgment, decree or
                  order of any Governmental Entity applicable to its business or
                  operations,  except for violations and failures to comply that
                  could not,  individually  or in the  aggregate,  reasonably be
                  expected to result in a Parent Material Adverse Effect.

                  (p) No Excess Parachute Payments. Other than payments that may
         be  made  to the  persons  listed  in  Section  3.02(p)  of the  Parent
         Disclosure  Letter (the "Primary Parent  Executives"),  any amount that
         could be  received  (whether  in cash or  property  or the  vesting  of
         property) as a result of any of the  transactions  contemplated by this
         Agreement by any employee,  officer or director of Parent or any of its
         affiliates who is a "disqualified  individual" (as such term is defined
         in proposed Treasury Regulation Section 1.280G-1) under any employment,
         severance or termination agreement,  other compensation  arrangement or
         Parent Benefit Plan currently in effect would not be  characterized  as
         an  "excess  parachute  payment"  (as such term is  defined  in Section
         280G(b)(1)  of the Code).  Set forth in  Section  3.02(p) of the Parent
         Disclosure  Letter is (i) the  estimated  maximum  amount that could be
         paid to each Primary Parent  Executive as a result of the  transactions
         contemplated  by this  Agreement  under all  employment,  severance and
         termination  agreements,  other  compensation  arrangements  and Parent
         Benefit  Plans  currently in effect and (ii) the "base amount" (as such
         term is  defined in Section  280G(b)(3)  of the Code) for each  Primary
         Parent Executive calculated as of the date of this Agreement.

                  (q)  Accounting Matters.  Neither Parent nor, to
         its best knowledge, any of its affiliates, has taken or










                                                                           39










         agreed to take any action  that  (without  giving  effect to any action
         taken or agreed to be taken by the  Company  or any of its  affiliates)
         would prevent Parent from accounting for the business combination to be
         effected by the Merger as a pooling of interests.

                  (r) Environmental  Matters. (i) Except as set forth in Section
         3.02(r) of the Parent Disclosure Letter and except for items that could
         not,  in  all  such  cases  taken  individually  or in  the  aggregate,
         reasonably be expected to result in a Parent  Material  Adverse Effect,
         neither Parent nor any Parent Subsidiary has (x) placed, held, located,
         released,  transported  or disposed  of any  Hazardous  Substances  on,
         under, from or at any of Parent's or any Parent Subsidiary's current or
         former  properties  or any other  properties  or (y) any  knowledge  or
         reason to know of the presence of any Hazardous Substances on, under or
         at any of  Parent's  or  any  Parent  Subsidiary's  current  or  former
         properties  or any other  property  but  arising  from  Parent's or any
         Parent Subsidiary's current or former properties.

             (ii) Except for items that  individually  or in the aggregate could
         not  reasonably  be  expected  to result in a Parent  Material  Adverse
         Effect or as  disclosed  in Section  3.02(r)  of the Parent  Disclosure
         Letter,  Parent and the Parent  Subsidiaries are in compliance with the
         SMCRA and any state law  comparable to SMCRA under 30 U.S.C.  ss. 1253,
         and  neither  Parent  nor  any  Parent  Subsidiary  is  subject  to any
         reclamation  obligation or other site restoration  obligation under any
         Environmental Law.

            (iii) Except for items that  individually  or in the aggregate could
         not  reasonably  be  expected  to result in a Parent  Material  Adverse
         Effect or as set forth in  Section  3.02(r)  of the  Parent  Disclosure
         Letter,  no Environmental Law imposes any obligation upon Parent or any
         Parent  Subsidiary  arising out of or as a condition to any transaction
         contemplated by this Agreement,  including any requirement to modify or
         to transfer any permit or license,  any  requirement to file any notice
         or other  submission with any  Governmental  Entity,  the filing of any
         notice,  acknowledgement  or  covenant  in  any  land  records,  or the
         modification  of or provision of notice  under any  agreement,  consent
         order or consent decree.










                                                                           40











                  (s)  State  Takeover  Statutes.  To the  best of the  Parent's
         knowledge,  no state takeover  statute or similar statute or regulation
         applies or purports to apply to the Merger,  this  Agreement  or any of
         the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

                  (t) Rights Agreement. Parent has taken all necessary action to
         (i) render the Parent Rights  inapplicable  to the Merger and the other
         transactions  contemplated  by this  Agreement and (ii) ensure that (x)
         neither the Company nor any of its  affiliates  is an Acquiring  Person
         (as  defined  in  the  Parent  Rights  Agreement)  and  (y)  none  of a
         Distribution Date, Share Acquisition Date, Triggering Event or Business
         Combination  (each as  defined in the Parent  Rights  Agreement)  shall
         occur  by  reason  of the  approval,  execution  or  delivery  of  this
         Agreement,  the  announcement  or  consummation  of the  Merger  or the
         consummation  of any of the  other  transactions  contemplated  by this
         Agreement.

                  (u)  Dispositions of Parent  Property.  Except as described in
         the Filed  Parent SEC  Documents  or in  Section  3.02(u) of the Parent
         Disclosure  Letter,  since  December 31, 1995,  neither  Parent nor any
         Parent  Subsidiary has sold or disposed of or ceased to hold or own any
         personal  property,  real  property,  any  interest  in or rights  with
         respect to real property (including  exploration or production rights),
         any interest in a joint venture or other assets or properties of Parent
         or any  Parent  Subsidiary  ("Parent  Property"),  other than sales and
         dispositions  of raw  materials,  obsolete  equipment,  mine output and
         other  inventories,  and any  interests  or rights with respect to real
         property   having  an  individual   fair  market  value  of  less  than
         $10,000,000  of Parent or any  Parent  Subsidiary,  in each case in the
         ordinary course of business,  consistent with past practice.  Except as
         set forth in Section 3.02(u) of the Parent Disclosure Letter, no Parent
         Property  whose  fair  market  value on the date of this  Agreement  is
         greater than  $10,000,000 is subject to any pending sale or disposition
         transaction.

                  (v)  Absence of Reduction in Reserves and
         Mineralized Material.  There has been no material
         reduction in the aggregate amount of reserves or in the
         aggregate amount of mineralized material of Parent and
         the Parent Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from the










                                                                          41








         amounts set forth in Parent's 1995 annual report to shareholders except
         for (i) such  reductions in reserves that have resulted from production
         in the  ordinary  course  of  business  and  (ii)  such  reductions  in
         mineralized  material  that have  resulted  from  reclassifications  of
         mineralized material as reserves.

                  (w) Development Projects. Parent has no reason to believe that
         (i) the estimated  production capacity for each of the time periods set
         forth in Section 3.02(w) of the Parent  Disclosure  Letter with respect
         to the development  project described in Parent's Annual Report on Form
         10-K for the fiscal  year ended  December  31, 1995 will not be reached
         during  such time  periods,  or (ii) the  estimated  costs set forth in
         Section  3.02(w) of the Parent  Disclosure  Letter with respect to each
         such development project will be exceeded.

                  (x) Interim  Operations  of Sub. Sub was formed solely for the
         purpose of engaging in the transactions  contemplated by this Agreement
         and has  not  engaged  in any  business  activities  or  conducted  any
         operations other than in connection with the transactions  contemplated
         by this Agreement.


                                   ARTICLE IV

                    Covenants Relating to Conduct of Business

                  SECTION 4.01. Conduct of Business.  (a) Conduct of Business by
the Company.  During the period from the date of this Agreement to the Effective
Time of the Merger, the Company shall, and shall cause the Company  Subsidiaries
to,  carry on their  respective  businesses  in the usual,  regular and ordinary
course  in  substantially  the  same  manner  as  heretofore  conducted  and  in
compliance in all material  respects with all  applicable  laws and  regulations
and, to the extent  consistent  therewith,  use  reasonable  efforts to preserve
intact their  current  business  organizations,  keep  available the services of
their  current  officers and  employees and preserve  their  relationships  with
customers,  suppliers,  licensors,  licensees,  distributors  and others  having
business  dealings with them.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing,
during the period from the date of this  Agreement to the Effective  Time of the
Merger, except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement or as set










                                                                          42










forth in Section 4.01(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter, or otherwise approved
in writing by Parent,  the Company  shall not,  and shall not permit any Company
Subsidiary to:

                  (i) (x) declare,  set aside or pay any  dividends  on, or make
         any other  distributions in respect of, any of its capital stock, other
         than dividends and  distributions  by a direct or indirect wholly owned
         Company  Subsidiary to its parent and regular  annual cash dividends on
         the Company  Common Stock in an amount not in excess of $0.05 per share
         per annum, (y) split, combine or reclassify any of its capital stock or
         issue or authorize the issuance of any other  securities in respect of,
         in lieu of or in  substitution  for shares of its capital stock, or (z)
         purchase,  redeem or otherwise  acquire any shares of capital  stock of
         the Company or any Company  Subsidiary or any other securities  thereof
         or any rights,  warrants or options to acquire any such shares or other
         securities;

                (ii) issue,  deliver,  sell, grant, pledge or otherwise encumber
         any shares of its capital  stock,  any other voting  securities  or any
         securities  convertible  into,  any  rights,  warrants  or  options  to
         acquire, any such shares, voting securities or convertible  securities,
         any phantom stock options ("Phantom Stock Options") under the Company's
         Phantom Stock Option Plan, or any restricted stock,  performance units,
         performance shares, stock appreciation rights ("SARs") or limited stock
         appreciation  rights  ("LSARs") under the Company's Long Term Incentive
         Stock Plan  (other than (x) the  issuance  of shares of Company  Common
         Stock (and  associated  Company  Rights)  upon the  exercise of Company
         Employee Stock Options outstanding on the date of this Agreement and in
         accordance  with  their  present  terms,  (y) the  issuance  of Company
         Capital Stock  pursuant to the Company  Rights  Agreement)  and (z) the
         grant of  additional  Company  Employee  Stock  Options,  Phantom Stock
         Options,  SARs and LSARs in the ordinary course of business  consistent
         with  past  practice  to  employees  of the  Company  and  the  Company
         Subsidiaries  covering not more than an aggregate of 600,000  shares of
         Company  Common  Stock  and  equivalents  and,  in the case of  Company
         Employee  Stock  Options,  the  issuance of Company  Common  Stock (and
         associated  Company Rights) upon the exercise thereof,  but only if and
         to the extent that the terms of such Company  Employee  Stock  Options,
         Phantom Stock Options, SARs and LSARs provide










                                                                           43










         that the consummation by the Company of the  transactions  contemplated
         by this Agreement will not result in the acceleration of vesting or the
         exercisability  of such Company  Employee Stock Options,  Phantom Stock
         Options, SARs and LSARs;

              (iii) amend its  certificate  of  incorporation,  by-laws or other
         comparable  charter  or  organizational  documents,   except  for  such
         amendments  to its  certificate  of  incorporation,  by-laws  and other
         comparable  charter  or  organizational  documents  that do not have an
         adverse affect on the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

                (iv) acquire or agree to acquire (x) by merging or consolidating
         with, or by  purchasing a  substantial  portion of the assets of, or by
         any other manner, any business or any corporation, partnership, limited
         liability  company,  joint  venture,   association  or  other  business
         organization  or division  thereof or (y) any assets that are material,
         individually  or in the  aggregate,  to the  Company  and  the  Company
         Subsidiaries taken as a whole;

                  (v) sell, lease,  license,  mortgage or otherwise  encumber or
         subject to any Lien or otherwise  dispose of any Company Property other
         than (A) sales and  dispositions of interests or rights with respect to
         real property having an aggregate fair market value on the date of this
         Agreement of less than $20,000,000, raw materials,  obsolete equipment,
         mine output and other inventories, in each case only if in the ordinary
         course of business consistent with past practice,  and (B) encumbrances
         and  Liens  that  are  incurred  in the  ordinary  course  of  business
         consistent with past practice;

                (vi) (y) incur any  indebtedness for borrowed money or guarantee
         any  such  indebtedness  of  another  person,  issue  or sell  any debt
         securities  or warrants or other rights to acquire any debt  securities
         of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, guarantee any debt securities
         of another  person,  enter into any "keep well" or other  agreement  to
         maintain any financial  statement  condition of another person or enter
         into  any  arrangement  having  the  economic  effect  of  any  of  the
         foregoing,  except for short-term  borrowings  incurred in the ordinary
         course of business consistent with past practice, or (z) make










                                                                           44










         any loans,  advances  (other  than any  advances  to  employees  in the
         ordinary course of business  consistent with prior practice) or capital
         contributions  to, or investments  in, any other person,  other than to
         the Company or any direct or indirect wholly owned Company Subsidiary;

              (vii)  make or  agree  to  make  any new  capital  expenditure  or
         expenditures that, in the aggregate, are in excess of $25,000,000 above
         the aggregate amount currently budgeted by the Company, as disclosed in
         Section 4.01(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter;

            (viii) make any material Tax  election or settle or  compromise  any
         material Tax liability or refund, except to the extent already provided
         for in the Filed Company SEC Documents;

                (ix) except  pursuant to existing  employment  agreements  or as
         required by applicable laws, (A) increase the  compensation  payable or
         to become payable to its executive officers or employees, (B) grant any
         severance  or  termination  pay to,  or enter  into any  employment  or
         severance  agreement with, any director,  executive officer or employee
         of the Company or any Company Subsidiary (other than in accordance with
         Company  Benefit  Plans as in effect on the date of this  Agreement) or
         (C) establish,  adopt,  enter into or amend in any material  respect or
         take any  action  to  accelerate  any  rights  or  benefits  under  any
         collective bargaining agreement or Company Benefit Plan;

                  (x) without limiting the generality of clause (ix) above, make
         any  amendment to any Company  Employee  Stock Plan as a result of this
         Agreement or in contemplation of the Merger;

                (xi) terminate or amend on terms less favorable to
         the Company any agreement filed as an exhibit to any
         Company SEC Document; or

              (xii) authorize any of, or commit or agree to take
         any of, the foregoing actions.

                  (b) Conduct of Business by Parent.  During the period from the
date of this  Agreement to the Effective Time of the Merger,  Parent shall,  and
shall cause the Parent Subsidiaries to, carry on their respective  businesses in
the










                                                                           45










usual,  regular  and  ordinary  course  in  substantially  the  same  manner  as
heretofore  conducted  and in  compliance  in all  material  respects  with  all
applicable laws and regulations  and, to the extent  consistent  therewith,  use
reasonable efforts to preserve intact their current business organizations, keep
available  the services of their  current  officers and  employees  and preserve
their   relationships   with   customers,   suppliers,   licensors,   licensees,
distributors and others having business dealings with them. Without limiting the
generality of the  foregoing,  during the period from the date of this Agreement
to the Effective Time of the Merger,  except as expressly  contemplated  by this
Agreement or as set forth in Section 4.01(b) of the Parent Disclosure Letter, or
otherwise  approved in writing by the  Company,  Parent shall not, and shall not
permit any Parent Subsidiary to:

                  (i) (x) declare,  set aside or pay any  dividends  on, or make
         any other  distributions in respect of, any of its capital stock, other
         than dividends and  distributions  by a direct or indirect wholly owned
         Parent Subsidiary to its parent and regular quarterly cash dividends on
         the Parent  Common  Stock in an amount not in excess of $0.05 per share
         per quarter,  (y) split, combine or reclassify any of its capital stock
         or issue or authorize  the issuance of any other  securities in respect
         of, in lieu of or in  substitution  for shares of its capital stock, or
         (z) purchase,  redeem or otherwise  acquire any shares of capital stock
         of Parent or any Parent  Subsidiary or any other securities  thereof or
         any  rights,  warrants  or options to acquire  any such shares or other
         securities;

                (ii) issue,  deliver,  sell, grant, pledge or otherwise encumber
         any shares of its capital  stock,  any other voting  securities  or any
         securities  convertible  into,  any  rights,  warrants  or  options  to
         acquire, any such shares,  voting securities or convertible  securities
         or any share  appreciation  rights or share rights under  Parent's 1996
         Stock  Option and Share  Rights Plan  (other  than (w) the  issuance of
         shares of  Parent  Common  Stock  (and  associated  Parent  Rights)  in
         connection  with Directors share rights and upon the exercise of Parent
         Employee Stock Options outstanding on the date of this Agreement and in
         accordance  with their  present  terms,  (x) the  issuance of shares of
         Parent Common Stock (and  associated  Parent Rights) upon conversion of
         the Parent  Convertible Notes, (y) the issuance of Parent Capital Stock
         pursuant to the Parent










                                                                          46










         Rights Agreement) and (z) the grant of additional Parent Employee Stock
         Options  in the  ordinary  course  of  business  consistent  with  past
         practice to  employees of Parent and the Parent  Subsidiaries  covering
         not more than 600,000 shares of Parent Common Stock and the issuance of
         Parent Common Stock (and  associated  Parent  Rights) upon the exercise
         thereof,  but only if and to the extent  that the terms of such  Parent
         Employee Stock Options  provide that the  consummation by Parent of the
         transactions  contemplated  by this  Agreement  will not  result in the
         acceleration of vesting or the  exercisability  of such Parent Employee
         Stock Options;

              (iii) amend its  certificate  of  incorporation,  by-laws or other
         comparable  charter  or  organizational  documents,   except  for  such
         amendments  to its  certificate  of  incorporation,  by-laws  and other
         comparable  charter  or  organizational  documents  that do not have an
         adverse affect on the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

                (iv) acquire or agree to acquire (x) by merging or consolidating
         with, or by  purchasing a  substantial  portion of the assets of, or by
         any other manner, any business or any corporation, partnership, limited
         liability  company,  joint  venture,   association  or  other  business
         organization  or division  thereof or (y) any assets that are material,
         individually  or in  the  aggregate,  to  the  Parent  and  the  Parent
         Subsidiaries taken as a whole;

                  (v) sell, lease,  license,  mortgage or otherwise  encumber or
         subject to any Lien or otherwise  dispose of any Parent  Property other
         than (A) sales and  dispositions of interests or rights with respect to
         real property having an aggregate fair market value on the date of this
         Agreement of less than $20,000,000, raw materials,  obsolete equipment,
         mine output and other inventories, in each case only if in the ordinary
         course of business consistent with past practice,  and (B) encumbrances
         and  Liens  that  are  incurred  in the  ordinary  course  of  business
         consistent with past practice;

                (vi) (y) incur any  indebtedness for borrowed money or guarantee
         any  such  indebtedness  of  another  person,  issue  or sell  any debt
         securities  or warrants or other rights to acquire any debt  securities
         of Parent or any










                                                                          47










         Parent  Subsidiary,  guarantee any debt  securities of another  person,
         enter into any "keep well" or other agreement to maintain any financial
         statement  condition  of another  person or enter into any  arrangement
         having  the  economic  effect  of  any  of the  foregoing,  except  for
         short-term  borrowings  incurred  in the  ordinary  course of  business
         consistent with past practice,  or (z) make any loans,  advances (other
         than  advances  to  employees  in  the  ordinary   course  of  business
         consistent  with  prior  practice)  or  capital  contributions  to,  or
         investments in, any other person, other than to Parent or any direct or
         indirect wholly owned Parent Subsidiary;

              (vii)  make or  agree  to  make  any new  capital  expenditure  or
         expenditures that, in the aggregate, are in excess of $25,000,000 above
         the  aggregate  amount  currently  budgeted by Parent,  as disclosed in
         Section 4.01(b) of the Parent Disclosure Letter;

            (viii) make any material Tax  election or settle or  compromise  any
         material Tax liability or refund, except to the extent already provided
         for in the Filed Parent SEC Documents;

                (ix) except  pursuant to existing  employment  agreements  or as
         required by applicable laws, (A) increase the  compensation  payable or
         to become payable to its executive officers or employees, (B) grant any
         severance  or  termination  pay to,  or enter  into any  employment  or
         severance  agreement with, any director,  executive officer or employee
         of Parent or any  Parent  Subsidiary  (other  than in  accordance  with
         Parent Benefit Plans as in effect on the date of this Agreement) or (C)
         establish,  adopt,  enter into or amend in any material respect or take
         any action to accelerate  any rights or benefits  under any  collective
         bargaining agreement or Parent Benefit Plan;

                  (x) without limiting the generality of clause (ix) above, make
         any  amendment  to any Parent  Employee  Stock Plan as a result of this
         Agreement or in contemplation of the Merger;

                (xi) terminate or amend on terms less favorable to
         Parent any agreement filed as an exhibit to any Parent
         SEC Document; or











                                                                          48










              (xii) authorize any of, or commit or agree to take
         any of, the foregoing actions.

                  (c) Other Actions.  Except as expressly  permitted by Sections
4.02, 4.03, 5.01(d) or 5.01(e),  the Company and Parent shall not, and shall not
permit any of their  respective  subsidiaries to, take any action that would, or
that could  reasonably be expected to, result in (i) any of the  representations
and  warranties of such party set forth in this  Agreement that are qualified as
to materiality  becoming untrue, (ii) any of such representations and warranties
that are not so qualified  becoming untrue in any material  respect or (iii) any
of the conditions to the Merger set forth in Article VI not being satisfied.

                  (d) Advice of Changes.  The Company and Parent shall  promptly
advise the other party orally and in writing of any change or event  having,  or
which,  insofar as can  reasonably be foreseen,  would have, a Company  Material
Adverse Effect or a Parent Material Adverse Effect, as
applicable.

                  SECTION 4.02. No Solicitation by the Company.  (a) The Company
shall not, nor shall it permit any Company Subsidiary to, nor shall it authorize
or permit  any  officer,  director  or  employee  of or any  investment  banker,
attorney,  accountant or other advisor or representative  of, the Company or any
Company Subsidiary to, (i) solicit,  initiate or encourage the submission of any
Company Takeover Proposal (as defined below), (ii) enter into any agreement with
respect  to any  Company  Takeover  Proposal  or (iii)  provide  any  non-public
information  regarding  the  Company  to  any  third  party  or  engage  in  any
negotiations or substantive  discussions in connection with any Company Takeover
Proposal;   provided,  however,  that  (A)  prior  to  receipt  of  the  Company
Stockholder  Approval,  the  Company  may,  in  response  to a Company  Takeover
Proposal that was not solicited by the Company and that did not otherwise result
from a breach  of this  Section  4.02(a),  provide  any  non-public  information
regarding itself to any third party or engage in any negotiations or substantive
discussions with such person regarding any Company  Takeover  Proposal,  in each
case only if the Company's  Board of Directors  determines in good faith,  after
consultation with counsel and its financial advisors,  that failing to take such
action would create a reasonable possibility of a breach of the fiduciary duties
of the Company's Board of Directors, and (B) nothing contained in this Agreement
shall prevent the Company or its










                                                                          49










Board of Directors from complying with Rule 14e-2 promulgated under the Exchange
Act with regard to a Company Takeover Proposal or prevent the Company's Board of
Directors from taking any action permitted by Section 5.01(d).  Without limiting
the foregoing, it is understood that any violation of the restrictions set forth
in the preceding sentence by any executive officer of the Company or any Company
Subsidiary or any investment  banker,  attorney,  accountant or other advisor or
representative  of the  Company or any Company  Subsidiary,  whether or not such
person is purporting  to act on behalf of the Company or any Company  Subsidiary
or  otherwise,  shall be deemed to be a breach of this  Section  4.02(a)  by the
Company.  For purposes of this Agreement,  "Company Takeover Proposal" means any
proposal for a merger, consolidation or other business combination involving the
Company or a Company Significant  Subsidiary or any proposal or offer to acquire
in any  manner,  directly  or  indirectly,  more than 30% of any class of voting
securities  of the Company or of a Company  Significant  Subsidiary  (other than
where such Company  Significant  Subsidiary's  securities directly or indirectly
represent an economic interest in less than 30% of the assets of the Company and
the Company  Subsidiaries,  taken as a whole),  including  any proposal or offer
relating to the acquisition by the Company or a Company  Significant  Subsidiary
in any manner,  directly or  indirectly,  of any securities or assets of another
person in consideration for the issuance of more than 30% of any class of voting
securities  of the Company or of a Company  Significant  Subsidiary  (other than
where such Company  Significant  Subsidiary's  securities directly or indirectly
represent an economic interest in less than 30% of the assets of the Company and
the  Company  Subsidiaries,   taken  as  a  whole),  or  assets  representing  a
substantial  portion of the assets of the Company and the Company  Subsidiaries,
taken as a whole,  other than the  transactions  contemplated by this Agreement.
The Company shall, and shall cause each Company Subsidiary to, immediately cease
and cause to be terminated any existing activities,  discussions or negotiations
by the Company,  any Company Subsidiary or any officer,  director or employee of
or investment  banker,  attorney,  accountant or other advisor or representative
of, the Company or any Company Subsidiary, with any parties conducted heretofore
with  respect to any of the  foregoing.  Any action  taken by the  Company,  any
Company  Subsidiary  or any officer,  director or employee of or any  investment
banker, attorney,  accountant or other advisor or representative of, the Company
or any Company Subsidiary with or with respect to










                                                                           50










any such  party on or  prior  to  November  28,  1996,  shall be  deemed  not to
constitute a violation  of this  Section  4.02(a) and shall not in and of itself
constitute the solicitation of a Company Takeover  Proposal even if such actions
result in any such party making a Company  Takeover  Proposal  after the date of
this Agreement.

                  (b) Subject to Section 5.01(d), neither the Board of Directors
of the Company  nor any  committee  thereof  shall (i)  withdraw  or modify,  or
propose  to  withdraw  or  modify,  in a manner  adverse  to Parent or Sub,  the
adoption and  approval by such Board of Directors or any such  committee of this
Agreement or the Merger or (ii) approve or  recommend,  or propose to approve or
recommend, any Company Takeover Proposal.

                  (c) The Company  promptly  shall advise  Parent  orally and in
writing of the receipt of any Company  Takeover  Proposal  and of the receipt of
any inquiry with respect to or which the Company reasonably  believes could lead
to any Company  Takeover  Proposal.  The Company  promptly  shall advise  Parent
orally and in  writing of the  identity  of the person  making any such  Company
Takeover  Proposal  or inquiry  and of the  material  terms of any such  Company
Takeover  Proposal  and of any  changes  thereto;  provided,  however,  that the
Company's  Board  of  Directors  shall  have  determined  in good  faith,  after
consultation with counsel, that taking such action would not create a reasonable
possibility  of a breach  of the  fiduciary  duties  of the  Company's  Board of
Directors,  except  that  in  all  events  prior  to  exercising  its  right  of
termination  pursuant to Section  7.01(d) the Company shall  endeavor to provide
Parent with a reasonable opportunity to respond to any Company Takeover Proposal
which the Company otherwise may wish to accept.

                  SECTION 4.03. No Solicitation by Parent. (a) Parent shall not,
nor shall it permit any Parent  Subsidiary  to, nor shall it authorize or permit
any  officer,  director  or  employee  of or any  investment  banker,  attorney,
accountant  or  other  advisor  or  representative  of,  Parent  or  any  Parent
Subsidiary  to, (i) solicit,  initiate or encourage the submission of any Parent
Takeover Proposal (as defined below), (ii) enter into any agreement with respect
to any Parent  Takeover  Proposal or (iii)  provide any  non-public  information
regarding Parent to any third party or engage in any negotiations or substantive
discussions in connection with any Parent Takeover Proposal;  provided, however,
that (A) prior to receipt of the Parent Stockholder Approval,










                                                                          51










Parent may, in response to a Parent Takeover  Proposal that was not solicited by
Parent and that did not otherwise  result from a breach of this Section 4.03(a),
provide any non-public information regarding itself to any third party or engage
in any  negotiations or substantive  discussions  with such person regarding any
Parent  Takeover  Proposal,  in each case only if  Parent's  Board of  Directors
determines  in good faith,  after  consultation  with counsel and its  financial
advisors, that failing to take such action would create a reasonable possibility
of a breach of the  fiduciary  duties of Parent's  Board of  Directors,  and (B)
nothing  contained  in this  Agreement  shall  prevent  Parent  or its  Board of
Directors from complying with Rule 14e-2 promulgated under the Exchange Act with
regard to a Parent Takeover Proposal or prevent Parent's Board of Directors from
taking any action permitted by Section 5.01(e).  Without limiting the foregoing,
it is  understood  that  any  violation  of the  restrictions  set  forth in the
preceding  sentence by any executive  officer of Parent or any Parent Subsidiary
or  any   investment   banker,   attorney,   accountant   or  other  advisor  or
representative of Parent or any Parent Subsidiary, whether or not such person is
purporting  to act on behalf of Parent or any Parent  Subsidiary  or  otherwise,
shall be deemed to be a breach of this Section  4.03(a) by Parent.  For purposes
of this Agreement,  "Parent Takeover  Proposal" means any proposal for a merger,
consolidation  or  other  business  combination  involving  Parent  or a  Parent
Significant  Subsidiary  or any  proposal  or offer to  acquire  in any  manner,
directly  or  indirectly,  more than 30% of any class of  voting  securities  of
Parent or of a Parent  Significant  Subsidiary  (other  than where  such  Parent
Significant Subsidiary's securities directly or indirectly represent an economic
interest  in less than 30% of the assets of Parent and the Parent  Subsidiaries,
taken as a whole),  including any proposal or offer relating to the  acquisition
by  Parent  or a  Parent  Significant  Subsidiary  in any  manner,  directly  or
indirectly,  of any securities or assets of another person in consideration  for
the issuance of more than 30% of any class of voting  securities of Parent or of
a Parent  Significant  Subsidiary  (other  than  where such  Parent  Significant
Subsidiary's securities directly or indirectly represent an economic interest in
less than 30% of the assets of Parent and the  Parent  Subsidiaries,  taken as a
whole), or assets representing a substantial portion of the assets of Parent and
the  Parent  Subsidiaries,  taken  as  a  whole,  other  than  the  transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing,  any proposal or
offer to acquire in any manner, directly or indirectly, any










                                                                           52










of the voting  securities of Prime not owned by Parent or any Parent  Subsidiary
shall not constitute a Parent Takeover  Proposal.  Parent shall, and shall cause
each Parent  Subsidiary  to,  immediately  cease and cause to be terminated  any
existing   activities,   discussions  or  negotiations  by  Parent,  any  Parent
Subsidiary,  or any  officer,  director  or employee  of or  investment  banker,
attorney, accountant or other advisor or representative of, Parent or any Parent
Subsidiary,  with any parties  conducted  heretofore  with respect to any of the
foregoing.

                  (b) Subject to Section 5.01(e), neither the Board of Directors
of Parent nor any committee  thereof shall (i) withdraw or modify, or propose to
withdraw  or  modify,  in a manner  adverse to the  Company,  the  adoption  and
approval by such Board of Directors or any such  committee of this  Agreement or
the Merger or (ii) approve or recommend, or propose to approve or recommend, any
Parent Takeover Proposal.

                  (c) Parent  promptly  shall  advise the Company  orally and in
writing of the receipt of any Parent Takeover Proposal and of the receipt of any
inquiry with respect to or which Parent  reasonably  believes  could lead to any
Parent Takeover Proposal. Parent promptly shall advise the Company orally and in
writing of the identity of the person making any such Parent  Takeover  Proposal
or inquiry and of the material terms of any such Parent Takeover Proposal and of
any changes thereto;  provided,  however, that Parent's Board of Directors shall
have determined in good faith, after consultation with counsel, that taking such
action would not create a reasonable  possibility  of a breach of the  fiduciary
duties of  Parent's  Board of  Directors,  except  that in all  events  prior to
exercising  its right of  termination  pursuant to Section  7.01(e) Parent shall
endeavor to provide the Company with a reasonable  opportunity to respond to any
Parent Takeover Proposal which Parent otherwise may wish to accept.


                                    ARTICLE V

                              Additional Agreements

                  SECTION 5.01.  Preparation of Form S-4 and the
Proxy Statement; Company's Stockholders' Meeting and
Parent's Stockholders' Meeting.  (a)  As soon as practicable
following the date of this Agreement, the Company and Parent










                                                                          53










shall prepare and file with the SEC the Proxy Statement and Parent shall prepare
and file  with the SEC the Form  S-4,  in which  the  Proxy  Statement  shall be
included as a  prospectus.  Each of the Company and Parent shall use  reasonable
efforts to have the Form S-4  declared  effective  under the  Securities  Act as
promptly as practicable after such filing.  Each of the Company and Parent shall
use  reasonable  efforts  to cause  the  Proxy  Statement  to be  mailed  to the
Company's stockholders and Parent's stockholders,  respectively,  as promptly as
practicable  after the Form S-4 is declared  effective under the Securities Act.
Parent shall also take any action  (other than  qualifying to do business in any
jurisdiction in which it is not now so qualified) required to be taken under any
applicable  state  securities or "blue sky" laws in connection with the issuance
of Parent Common Stock pursuant to the Merger, and the Company shall furnish all
information  concerning  the Company and the holders of the Company Common Stock
and rights to acquire  Company  Common  Stock  pursuant to the Company  Employee
Stock Plans as may be reasonably requested in connection with any such action.

                  (b) Unless the Board of  Directors  of the Company  shall take
any  action  permitted  by  Section  5.01(d),  the  Company  shall,  as  soon as
practicable  following the date of this  Agreement,  duly call,  give notice of,
convene and hold a meeting of its  stockholders  (the  "Company's  Stockholders'
Meeting") for the purpose of obtaining the Company Stockholder Approval. Subject
to Section 5.01(d), the Company shall, through its Board of Directors, recommend
to its  stockholders  that they give the Company  Stockholder  Approval.  Parent
shall vote or cause to be voted all the shares of Company Capital Stock owned of
record by Parent or any Parent  Subsidiary  in favor of the Company  Stockholder
Approval.

                  (c) Unless  the Board of  Directors  of Parent  shall take any
action  permitted  by Section  5.01(e),  Parent  shall,  as soon as  practicable
following the date of this  Agreement,  duly call,  give notice of,  convene and
hold a meeting of its stockholders  (the "Parent's  Stockholders'  Meeting") for
the purpose of obtaining  the Parent  Stockholder  Approval.  Subject to Section
5.01(e),  Parent  shall,  through  its  Board  of  Directors,  recommend  to its
stockholders that they give the Parent Stockholder  Approval.  The Company shall
vote or cause to be voted all the shares of Parent Capital Stock owned of record
by the  Company or any  Company  Subsidiary  in favor of the Parent  Stockholder
Approval.










                                                                           54











                  (d) The Board of Directors  of the Company  shall be permitted
to (i) not  recommend to the Company's  stockholders  that they give the Company
Stockholder  Approval or (ii)  withdraw or modify in a manner  adverse to Parent
its  recommendation  to the  Company's  stockholders  that they give the Company
Stockholder Approval,  but only if and to the extent that (x) a Company Takeover
Proposal is pending at the time the Company's  Board of Directors  determines to
take any such action or inaction and such Company Takeover  Proposal was not the
result of an  intentional  breach of Section  4.02(a) by the Company's  Board of
Directors  and (y) the  Company's  Board of Directors  determines in good faith,
after  consultation  with  counsel  and  its  financial   advisors,   and  after
considering  among other things whether such Company  Takeover  Proposal is more
favorable to the stockholders of the Company than the transactions  contemplated
by this  Agreement  (taking  into account all  relevant  material  terms of such
Company Takeover Proposal and this Agreement, including all such conditions, and
any changes to this  Agreement  proposed  by Parent in response to such  Company
Takeover  Proposal)  that  failing  to take  any  such  action  would  create  a
reasonable  possibility  of a breach of the  fiduciary  duties of the  Company's
Board of Directors.

                  (e) The Board of Directors of Parent shall be permitted to (i)
not  recommend to Parent's  stockholders  that they give the Parent  Stockholder
Approval  or (ii)  withdraw  or modify in a manner  adverse to the  Company  its
recommendation to Parent's  stockholders  that they give the Parent  Stockholder
Approval,  but only if and to the extent that (x) a Parent Takeover  Proposal is
pending at the time  Parent's  Board of  Directors  determines  to take any such
action or inaction  and such Parent  Takeover  Proposal was not the result of an
intentional  breach of Section  4.03(a) by Parent's  Board of Directors  and (y)
Parent's Board of Directors  determines in good faith,  after  consultation with
counsel and its financial  advisors,  and after  considering  among other things
whether such Parent Takeover  Proposal is more favorable to the  stockholders of
Parent than the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (taking into account
all relevant material terms of such Parent Takeover Proposal and this Agreement,
including all such conditions, and any changes to this Agreement proposed by the
Company in response to such Parent  Takeover  Proposal) that failing to take any
such action would create a reasonable  possibility  of a breach of the fiduciary
duties of Parent's Board of Directors.










                                                                         55











                  SECTION 5.02. Letter of the Company's Accountants. The Company
shall use  reasonable  efforts  to cause to be  delivered  to Parent a letter of
Price Waterhouse LLP, the Company's independent public accountants, dated a date
within two  business  days  before  the date on which the Form S-4 shall  become
effective and addressed to Parent, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory
to Parent  and  customary  in scope  and  substance  for  letters  delivered  by
independent  public  accountants  in  connection  with  registration  statements
similar to the Form S-4.

                  SECTION 5.03. Letter of Parent's Accountants. Parent shall use
reasonable efforts to cause to be delivered to the Company a letter of Coopers &
Lybrand LLP, Parent's  independent public  accountants,  dated a date within two
business  days before the date on which the Form S-4 shall become  effective and
addressed to the Company, in form and substance  reasonably  satisfactory to the
Company  and  customary  in  scope  and  substance  for  letters   delivered  by
independent  public  accountants  in  connection  with  registration  statements
similar to the Form S-4.

                  SECTION 5.04. Access to Information;  Confidentiality. Each of
the  Company  and  Parent  shall,   and  shall  cause  each  of  its  respective
subsidiaries  to,  afford to the other  party  and to the  officers,  directors,
employees, accountants, counsel, financial advisors and other representatives of
such other party,  reasonable  access  during normal  business  hours during the
period  prior  to the  Effective  Time of the  Merger  to all  their  respective
properties,  books,  contracts,  commitments,  personnel and records and, during
such period,  each of the Company and Parent shall,  and shall cause each of its
respective  subsidiaries  to, furnish  promptly to the other party (i) a copy of
each report,  schedule,  registration  statement and other  document filed by it
during such period pursuant to the  requirements of Federal or state  securities
laws and (ii) all other  information  concerning  its business,  properties  and
personnel as such other party may reasonably request.  Such information shall be
held in  confidence  to the extent  required  by, and in  accordance  with,  the
provisions of the letter dated November 17, 1996, between the Company and Parent
(the "Confidentiality Agreement").

                  SECTION 5.05.  Reasonable Efforts; Notification.

                    (a) Upon the terms and subject to the  conditions  set forth
in this Agreement,  each of the parties shall use reasonable efforts to take, or
cause to be taken, all actions, and to


 


                                                                          56










do, or cause to be done,  and to assist and cooperate  with the other parties in
doing,  all  things  necessary,  proper  or  advisable  to  consummate  and make
effective, in the most expeditious manner practicable,  the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated by this Agreement,  including (i) the obtaining of all
necessary   actions  or  nonactions,   waivers,   consents  and  approvals  from
Governmental Entities and the making of all necessary  registrations and filings
(including  filings with  Governmental  Entities,  if any) and the taking of all
reasonable steps as may be necessary to obtain an approval or waiver from, or to
avoid an action or proceeding by, any Governmental Entity, (ii) the obtaining of
all  necessary  consents,  approvals  or waivers from third  parties,  (iii) the
defending  of any  lawsuits  or other  legal  proceedings,  whether  judicial or
administrative,   challenging   this  Agreement  or  the   consummation  of  the
transactions  contemplated by this Agreement  including seeking to have any stay
or temporary restraining order entered by any court or other Governmental Entity
vacated or  reversed,  and (iv) the  execution  and  delivery of any  additional
instruments  necessary to consummate the  transactions  contemplated  by, and to
fully carry out the purposes of, this Agreement; provided, however, that a party
shall not be  obligated  to take any action  pursuant  to the  foregoing  if the
taking of such  action or the  obtaining  of any  waiver,  consent,  approval or
exemption is  reasonably  likely to result in the  imposition  of a condition or
restriction  of the type  referred to in clause  (ii),  (iii) or (iv) of Section
6.01(g).  In connection  with and without  limiting the foregoing,  Parent,  the
Company  and their  respective  Boards of  Directors  shall (i) take all  action
necessary so that no state takeover  statute or similar statute or regulation is
or becomes  applicable to the Merger,  this  Agreement or any other  transaction
contemplated by this Agreement and (ii) if any state takeover statute or similar
statute or regulation  becomes  applicable to the Merger,  this Agreement or any
other transaction  contemplated by this Agreement,  take all action necessary so
that the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement may be
consummated  as  promptly  as  practicable  on the  terms  contemplated  by this
Agreement  and otherwise to minimize the effect of such statute or regulation on
the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

                  (b) The Company shall give prompt notice to Parent, and Parent
or Sub shall give prompt  notice to the Company,  of (i) any  representation  or
warranty made by it or contained in this Agreement that is qualified as to










                                                                         57










materiality   becoming   untrue  or  inaccurate  in  any  respect  or  any  such
representation  or  warranty  that  is  not  so  qualified  becoming  untrue  or
inaccurate  in any material  respect or (ii) the failure by it to comply with or
satisfy in any  material  respect any  covenant,  condition  or  agreement to be
complied with or satisfied by it under this Agreement ; provided,  however, that
no such notification shall affect the representations,  warranties, covenants or
agreements of the parties or the  conditions to the  obligations  of the parties
under this Agreement.

                  SECTION  5.06.  Rights  Agreements;   Consequences  if  Rights
Triggered.  (a) The Board of  Directors  of the  Company  shall take all further
action (in addition to that referred to in Section 3.01(t)) requested in writing
by Parent in order to render the Company Rights  inapplicable  to the Merger and
the other  transactions  contemplated by this  Agreement.  Except as provided in
Section  3.01(t) or as  requested in writing by Parent,  prior to the  Company's
Stockholders' Meeting, the Board of Directors of the Company shall not (i) amend
the Company  Rights  Agreement  or (ii) take any action with respect to, or make
any  determination  under,  the  Company  Rights  Agreement.  In the event  that
notwithstanding  Section 3.01(t) and this Section 5.06(a),  a Distribution Date,
Shares  Acquisition  Date or  Triggering  Event occurs under the Company  Rights
Agreement  at any time during the period from the date of this  Agreement to the
Effective  Time of the  Merger  when the  Company  Rights are  outstanding,  the
Company and Parent shall make such  adjustment to the  Conversion  Number as the
Company and Parent shall mutually agree so as to preserve the economic  benefits
that  the  Company  and  Parent  each  reasonably  expected  on the date of this
Agreement to receive as a result of the consummation of the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

                  (b) The Board of  Directors  of Parent  shall take all further
action (in addition to that referred to in Section 3.02(t)) requested in writing
by the Company in order to render the Parent Rights  inapplicable  to the Merger
and the other  transactions  contemplated by this Agreement.  In the event that,
notwithstanding  Section 3.02(t) and this Section 5.06(b),  a Distribution Date,
Share Acquisition Date,  Triggering Event or Business  Combination  occurs under
the Parent Rights  Agreement at any time during the period from the date of this
Agreement to the Effective Time of the Merger and Rights  Certificates  (as such
term is defined in the Parent Rights Agreement) are issued to Parent's










                                                                          58










stockholders,  Parent's  Board of  Directors  shall  take  such  actions  as are
necessary and permitted under the Parent Rights Agreement to provide that Rights
Certificates  representing  an  appropriate  number of Rights  are issued to the
Company's stockholders and employees who receive Parent Common Stock pursuant to
the Merger.  In the event that Parent is not permitted under the Parent's Rights
Agreement  to provide  Rights  Certificates  to such  Company  stockholders  and
employees  following the occurrence of a Distribution Date,  Triggering Event or
Business  Combination during such time period, the Company and Parent shall make
such  adjustment  to the  Conversion  Number as the  Company  and  Parent  shall
mutually  agree so as to preserve  the  economic  benefits  that the Company and
Parent each  reasonably  expected on the date of this  Agreement to receive as a
result of the consummation of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated
by this Agreement.

                  SECTION 5.07.  Company Employee Stock Options.  (a) As soon as
practicable following the date of this Agreement,  the Board of Directors of the
Company (or, if appropriate,  any committee  administering  the Company Employee
Stock Plans) shall adopt such  resolutions  or take such other actions as may be
required to effect the following:

              (i) adjust the terms of all  outstanding  Company  Employee  Stock
         Options granted under the Company Employee Stock Plans and the terms of
         the Company Employee Stock Plans, to provide that at the Effective Time
         of  the  Merger,   each  Company  Employee  Stock  Option   outstanding
         immediately  prior to the Effective  Time of the Merger shall be deemed
         to constitute an option to acquire, on the same terms and conditions as
         were  applicable  under such Company  Employee  Stock Option,  the same
         number of shares of Parent  Common  Stock as the holder of such Company
         Employee  Stock Option would have been entitled to receive  pursuant to
         the Merger had such holder exercised such Company Employee Stock Option
         in full  immediately  prior to the Effective  Time of the Merger,  at a
         price  per  share  equal to (y) the  aggregate  exercise  price for the
         shares of Company Common Stock otherwise  purchasable  pursuant to such
         Company  Employee  Stock option  divided by (z) the number of shares of
         Parent  Common  Stock  deemed  purchasable  pursuant  to  such  Company
         Employee  Stock  Option;  provided,  however,  that in the  case of any
         option to which Section 421 of the Code applies by reason of its










                                                                           59










         qualification  under either Section 422 or 423 of the Code  ("qualified
         stock  options"),  the option price,  the number of shares  purchasable
         pursuant  to such  option and the terms and  conditions  of exercise of
         such option shall be determined in order to comply with Section  424(a)
         of the Code;

                (ii) adjust the terms of all outstanding  Phantom Stock Options,
         SARs and LSARs  granted  under the Company Stock Plans to provide that,
         at the Effective Time of the Merger, (y) each holder of a Phantom Stock
         Right,  SAR or LSAR shall be entitled  to that number of phantom  stock
         rights,  stock appreciation rights or limited stock appreciation rights
         with respect to Parent Common Stock  ("Parent  Phantom Stock  Options",
         "Parent  SARs" or "Parent  LSARs") equal to the number of Phantom Stock
         Options,  SARs  or  LSARs,  as the  case  may be,  held by such  holder
         immediately prior to the Effective Time of the Merger multiplied by the
         Conversion  Number,  and (z) the  share  value on the  grant  date with
         respect to each Parent Phantom Stock Option, Parent SAR or Parent LSAR,
         as the case may be, shall be equal to the share value on the grant date
         in effect with respect to the corresponding  Phantom Stock Option,  SAR
         or LSAR, as the case may be, immediately prior to the Effective Time of
         the Merger, divided by the Conversion Number; and

             (iii) make such other changes to the Company  Employee  Stock Plans
         as it deems  appropriate  to give effect to the Merger  (subject to the
         approval of Parent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld).

                  (b) As soon as  practicable  after the  Effective  Time of the
Merger,  Parent shall deliver to the holders of Company  Employee Stock Options,
Phantom Stock Options,  SARs and LSARs  appropriate  notices  setting forth such
holders' rights pursuant to the respective  Company Employee Stock Plans and the
agreements evidencing the grants of such Company Employee Stock Options, Phantom
Stock  Options,  SARs and LSARs  shall  continue in effect on the same terms and
conditions  (subject  to the  adjustments  required by this  Section  5.07 after
giving effect to the Merger).  Parent shall comply with the terms of the Company
Employee Stock Plans and ensure,  to the extent  required by, and subject to the
provisions  of, such Company  Employee  Stock Plans,  that the Company  Employee
Stock Options which  qualified as qualified stock options prior to the Effective
Time of the










                                                                           60










Merger  continue to qualify as qualified  stock options after the Effective Time
of the Merger.

                  (c)  Parent  shall  take all  corporate  action  necessary  to
reserve for  issuance a sufficient  number of shares of Parent  Common Stock for
delivery  upon  exercise  of the  Company  Employee  Stock  Options  assumed  in
accordance with this Section 5.07. As soon as reasonably  practicable  after the
Effective Time of the Merger, Parent shall file a registration statement on Form
S-8 (or any successor or other  appropriate  form) with respect to the shares of
Parent Common Stock subject to such Company Employee Stock Options and shall use
reasonable efforts to maintain the effectiveness of such registration  statement
or registration statements (and maintain the current status of the prospectus or
prospectuses  contained  therein)  for so long as such  Company  Employee  Stock
Options remain outstanding.  With respect to those individuals who subsequent to
the Merger are subject to the reporting  requirements under Section 16(a) of the
Exchange Act, where  applicable,  Parent shall  administer the Company  Employee
Stock Plans assumed pursuant to this Section 5.07 in a manner that complies with
Rule 16b-3  promulgated  under the  Exchange  Act to the  extent the  applicable
Company Stock Plan complied with such rule prior to the Merger.

                  SECTION 5.08. Benefit Plans. (a) Maintenance of Benefits.  For
a period of one year after the  Effective  Time of the Merger,  Parent shall (i)
either (A)  maintain  or cause the  Surviving  Corporation  (or in the case of a
transfer of all or  substantially  all the assets and business of the  Surviving
Corporation,  its successors and assigns) to maintain the Company  Benefit Plans
(other  than  medical  plans and plans  providing  for the  issuance  of Company
Capital  Stock or based on the value of Company  Capital  Stock) at the  benefit
levels in  effect  on the date of this  Agreement  or (B)  provide  or cause the
Surviving  Corporation  (or, in such case, its successors or assigns) to provide
benefits  (other than  medical  benefits)  to  employees  of the Company and the
Company  Subsidiaries  that, taken as a whole, are not materially less favorable
in the aggregate to such  employees  than those  provided to similarly  situated
employees of Parent and (ii) make available  plans providing for the issuance of
Parent Capital Stock or based on the value of Parent Capital Stock,  and provide
or cause to be provided  medical  benefits,  to employees of the Company and the
Company  Subsidiaries  that are  substantially  equivalent to those  provided to
similarly situated employees of Parent.










                                                                            61










From and after the Effective Time of the Merger,  Parent shall,  and shall cause
the Surviving Corporation to honor in accordance with their respective terms (as
in  effect  on the date of this  Agreement),  all of the  Company's  employment,
severance and termination agreements set forth in the Company Disclosure Letter.

                  (b) Service.  With respect to any "employee  benefit plan", as
defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA,  maintained by Parent or any Parent Subsidiary
(including  any  severance  plan),  for  all  purposes,   including  determining
eligibility  to  participate,  level of benefits and  vesting,  service with the
Company or any Company Subsidiary shall be treated as service with Parent or the
Parent Subsidiaries; provided, however, that such service need not be recognized
to the extent that such recognition would result in any duplication of benefits.

                  SECTION  5.09.  Indemnification.  (a)  Parent  shall,  to  the
fullest extent  permitted by law,  cause the Surviving  Corporation to honor all
the Company's  obligations to indemnify  (including  any  obligations to advance
funds for expenses)  the current or former  directors or officers of the Company
for acts or omissions by such  directors  and  officers  occurring  prior to the
Effective Time of the Merger to the extent that such  obligations of the Company
exist on the date of this Agreement,  whether pursuant to the Company's  Amended
and  Restated  Certificate  of  Incorporation,   By-laws,  individual  indemnity
agreements or otherwise, and such obligations shall survive the Merger and shall
continue in full force and effect in  accordance  with the terms of such Amended
and Restated  Certificate of  Incorporation,  By-laws and  individual  indemnity
agreements  from the  Effective  Time of the Merger until the  expiration of the
applicable  statute of  limitations  with  respect to any  claims  against  such
directors or officers arising out of such acts or omissions.

                  (b) For a period  of five  years  after  the  Effective  Time,
Parent shall cause to be maintained in effect the current policies of directors'
and  officers'  liability  insurance  maintained by the Company  (provided  that
Parent may substitute  therefor  policies with reputable and  financially  sound
carriers  of at  least  the same  coverage  and  amounts  containing  terms  and
conditions which are no less  advantageous)  with respect to claims arising from
or related to facts or events which  occurred at or before the  Effective  Time;
provided,  however,  that Parent shall not be  obligated to make annual  premium
payments for such insurance to the










                                                                         62










extent  such  premiums  exceed 200% of the annual  premiums  paid as of the date
hereof by the  Company  for such  insurance  (such  200%  amount,  the  "Maximum
Premium").  If such insurance coverage cannot be obtained at all, or can only be
obtained at an annual  premium in excess of the Maximum  Premium,  Parent  shall
maintain the most  advantageous  policies of directors' and officers'  insurance
obtainable  for an annual  premium  equal to the  Maximum  Premium.  The Company
represents to Parent that the Maximum Premium is $625,000.

                  SECTION 5.10. Fees and Expenses. Except as provided in Section
7.02,  all  fees  and  expenses,  including  any  fees  payable  to any  broker,
investment banker or financial advisor,  incurred in connection with the Merger,
this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be paid
by the party  incurring  such fees or  expenses,  whether  or not the  Merger is
consummated,  except that  expenses  incurred in  connection  with  printing and
mailing the Proxy  Statement and the Form S-4 shall be shared  equally by Parent
and the Company.

                  SECTION 5.11. Public Announcements. Parent and Sub, on the one
hand, and the Company,  on the other hand,  shall consult with each other before
issuing,  and provide each other the opportunity to review and comment upon, any
press  release or other  public  statements  with  respect  to the  transactions
contemplated  by this Agreement,  including the Merger,  and shall not issue any
such press release or make any such public statement prior to such consultation,
except as may be required by applicable  law,  court  process or by  obligations
pursuant to any listing agreement with any national securities exchange.

                  SECTION 5.12.  Tax and Accounting Treatment.  Each of Parent
of Parent and the  Company  shall not take any action and shall not fail to take
any action which action or failure to act would  prevent,  or would be likely to
prevent,  the Merger from  qualifying  (A) for pooling of  interests  accounting
treatment or (B) as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the
Code and shall use reasonable  efforts to obtain the opinions of counsel and the
letters of accountants referred to in Sections 6.02(d), 6.03(d) and 6.01(f).

                  SECTION 5.13.  Affiliates.  (a)  Prior to the Closing Date,
the Company shall deliver to Parent a letter identifying all persons who are, at
the time this Agreement









                                                                           63










is submitted for approval to the  stockholders  of the Company,  "affiliates" of
the Company  (including  all  directors of the Company) for purposes of Rule 145
under the Securities Act. The Company shall use reasonable efforts to cause each
such  person to  deliver  to Parent  on or prior to the  Closing  Date a written
agreement substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A.

                  (b) Prior to the Closing  Date,  Parent  shall  deliver to the
Company a letter  identifying  all persons who are, at the time of the  Parent's
Stockholders'  Meeting,  "affiliates"  of Parent.  Parent  shall use  reasonable
efforts  to cause  each  such  person  to  deliver  to Parent on or prior to the
Closing Date a written  agreement  substantially  in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit B.

                  SECTION  5.14.  Stock  Exchange  Listing.   Parent  shall  use
reasonable  efforts to cause the shares of Parent  Common  Stock to be issued in
the Merger and pursuant to the Company  Employee  Stock Plans to be approved for
listing  on the NYSE,  subject  to  official  notice of  issuance,  prior to the
Closing Date.

                  SECTION  5.15.  Parent  Board of  Directors.  (a) The Board of
Directors  of Parent  shall  take such  corporate  actions as are  necessary  to
provide that,  effective at the Effective Time of the Merger,  (i) the number of
directors  of  Parent  shall be  reduced  from 13 to 12 and  (ii)  the  Board of
Directors of Parent shall consist of (a) five individuals who are members of the
Board of  Directors of Parent  immediately  prior to the  Effective  Time of the
Merger (subject to Section 5.15(b),  such five individuals to be selected by the
Board of Directors of Parent at least 10 business  days' prior to the  Effective
Time of the Merger),  with Mr. Jack E.  Thompson to be the Chairman of the Board
of Directors  of Parent,  (b) five  individuals  who are members of the Board of
Directors of the Company  immediately  prior to the Effective Time of the Merger
(subject to Section  5.15(b),  such five individuals to be selected by the Board
of  Directors of the Company at least 10 business  days' prior to the  Effective
Time of the Merger) and (c) two  individuals  selected by the 10 individuals who
are  selected as directors of Parent  pursuant to  subclauses  (a) and (b) above
(such two  individuals to be selected by such 10 individuals at such time before
or after the Effective Time of the Merger as such 10  individuals  shall agree).
The Board of  Directors of Parent  shall use its  reasonable  efforts to provide
that the










                                                                        64










five individuals to be selected by the Board of Directors of Parent and the five
individuals  to be  selected  by the  Board  of  Directors  of the  Company  are
allocated as evenly as possible among the three classes of Parent's directors.

                  (b) Parent shall  promptly  notify the Company in writing once
Parent's  Board of  Directors  has  selected  its five  individuals  pursuant to
Section  5.15(a),  or any  replacement  individual(s)  pursuant to this  Section
5.15(b).  The Board of Directors of the Company  shall be permitted to reject up
to two of such five individuals  (other than Jack E. Thompson) by sending Parent
a written  notice to such effect  within two business  days after its receipt of
such  notice,  in which case the Board of  Directors  of Parent shall within two
business days thereafter select another individual or individuals, as applicable
(subject  to the  limitations  set  forth in  Section  5.15(a))  in lieu of such
rejected individual(s). If the Board of Directors of the Company shall have only
rejected one individual in the first  instance,  it shall be permitted to reject
the replacement individual, in which case the Board of Directors of Parent shall
select  another  individual  (subject  to the  limitations  set forth in Section
5.15(a)) in lieu of such  rejected  replacement  individual.  The Company  shall
promptly  notify  Parent in writing once the  Company's  Board of Directors  has
selected its five individuals  pursuant to Section  5.15(a),  or any replacement
individual pursuant to this Section 5.15(b). The Board of Directors Parent shall
be permitted to reject up to two of such five individuals by sending the Company
a written  notice to such effect  within two business  days after its receipt of
such notice,  in which case the Board of  Directors of the Company  shall within
two business days thereafter select another  individual or individuals  (subject
to the  limitations  set  forth in  Section  5.15(a))  in lieu of such  rejected
individual(s).  If the Board of Directors of Parent shall have only rejected one
individual  in  the  first  instance,  it  shall  be  permitted  to  reject  the
replacement  individual,  in which case the Board of  Directors  of the  Company
shall select another individual (subject to the limitations set forth in Section
5.15(a)) in lieu of such rejected replacement individual.

                  SECTION 5.16.  Parent Officers.  The Board of
Directors  of Parent  shall  take such  corporate  actions as are  necessary  to
provide that,  effective at the Effective  Time of the Merger,  Jack E. Thompson
shall be appointed  the Chief  Executive  Officer of Parent and Patrick M. James
shall be









                                                                           65










appointed the President and Chief Operating Officer of Parent.


                                   ARTICLE VI

                              Conditions Precedent

                  SECTION 6.01.  Conditions to Each Party's Obligation To Effect
The  Merger.  The  respective  obligation  of each party to effect the Merger is
subject to the  satisfaction  or waiver on or prior to the  Closing  Date of the
following conditions:

                  (a)  Company  Stockholder   Approval  and  Parent  Stockholder
Approval.  The Company shall have obtained the Company Stockholder  Approval and
Parent shall have obtained the Parent Stockholder Approval.

                  (b) NYSE Listing.  The shares of Parent Company Stock issuable
to the Company's  stockholders  and employees  pursuant to this Agreement  shall
have been  approved  for  listing  on the NYSE,  subject to  official  notice of
issuance.

                  (c)  Antitrust.   The  waiting  periods  (and  any  extensions
thereof) applicable to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement under the
HSR Act  shall  have  been  terminated  or shall  have  expired.  Any  consents,
approvals  and filings  under any foreign  antitrust  law,  the absence of which
would prohibit the consummation of the Merger, shall have been obtained or made.

                  (d) No  Injunctions or  Restraints.  No temporary  restraining
order, preliminary or permanent injunction or other order issued by any court of
competent  jurisdiction or other legal  restraint or prohibition  preventing the
consummation of the Merger shall be in effect;  provided,  however, that subject
to the proviso in Section 5.05(a) each of the parties shall have used reasonable
efforts to prevent the entry of any such injunction or other order and to appeal
as promptly as possible any such injunction or other order that may be entered.

                  (e) Form S-4. The Form S-4 shall have become  effective  under
the Securities Act and shall not be the subject of any stop order or proceedings
seeking a stop order, and Parent shall have received all state securities










                                                                          66










or "blue sky" authorizations necessary to issue the Parent Common Stock pursuant
to this Agreement.

                  (f) Pooling Letters.  Parent shall have received a letter from
Coopers & Lybrand LLP dated as of the Closing Date and addressed to Parent,  and
the Company shall have received a letter from Price  Waterhouse  LLP dated as of
the Closing Date and  addressed  to the  Company,  in each case stating that the
Merger will qualify as a pooling of interests  transaction  under  Opinion 16 of
the Accounting Principles Board.

                  (g) No Litigation. There shall not be pending any suit, action
or proceeding by any  Governmental  Entity (i)  challenging  the  acquisition by
Parent or Sub of any shares of Company  Common  Stock,  seeking to  restrain  or
prohibit  the  consummation  of the  Merger  or any  of the  other  transactions
contemplated by this Agreement or seeking to obtain from the Company,  Parent or
Sub  any  damages  that  are  material  in  relation  to  the  Company  and  its
subsidiaries  taken as a whole,  (ii) seeking to prohibit or limit the ownership
or operation by the Company, any Company Significant  Subsidiary,  Parent or any
Parent Significant  Subsidiary of any material portion of the business or assets
of the  Company,  any  Company  Significant  Subsidiary,  Parent  or any  Parent
Significant  Subsidiary  or to  compel  the  Company,  any  Company  Significant
Subsidiary,  Parent or any Parent  Significant  Subsidiary to dispose of or hold
separate  any material  portion of the  business or assets of the  Company,  any
Company Significant Subsidiary,  Parent or any Parent Significant Subsidiary, as
a result of the  Merger or any of the other  transactions  contemplated  by this
Agreement,  (iii) seeking to impose  limitations on the ability of Parent or Sub
to acquire or hold,  or  exercise  full  rights of  ownership  of, any shares of
capital  stock of the  Surviving  Corporation,  including the right to vote such
capital  stock on all matters  properly  presented  to the  stockholders  of the
Surviving Corporation,  (iv) seeking to prohibit Parent or any Parent Subsidiary
from effectively  controlling in any material respect the business or operations
of the Company or the Company Significant Subsidiaries or (v) which otherwise is
reasonably likely to have a Company Material Adverse Effect or a Parent Material
Adverse Effect.

                  SECTION 6.02.  Conditions to Obligations of Parent and Sub. 
The  obligations  of Parent and Sub to effect the Merger are further  subject to
the satisfaction or waiver by









                                                                          67










Parent on or prior to the Closing Date of the following conditions:

                  (a)  Representations  and Warranties.  The representations and
warranties of the Company set forth in this  Agreement  that are qualified as to
materiality shall be true and correct, and the representations and warranties of
the Company set forth in this Agreement that are not so qualified  shall be true
and  correct  in all  material  respects,  in each  case as of the  date of this
Agreement  and as of the  Closing  Date as though  made on and as of the Closing
Date, except to the extent any such representation or warranty expressly relates
to an  earlier  date (in which  case as of such  date),  and  Parent  shall have
received a  certificate  signed on behalf of the Company by the Chief  Executive
Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company to such effect.

                  (b)  Performance of  Obligations  of the Company.  The Company
shall have  performed in all material  respects all  obligations  required to be
performed by it under this Agreement at or prior to the Closing Date, and Parent
shall have received a  certificate  signed on behalf of the Company by the Chief
Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company to such effect.

                  (c)  Letters  from  Company  Affiliates.   Parent  shall  have
received from each person named in the letter  referred to in Section 5.13(a) an
executed  copy of an  agreement  substantially  in the form  attached  hereto as
Exhibit A.

                  (d) Tax Opinion.  Parent shall have  received an opinion dated
the Closing  Date from  Cravath,  Swaine & Moore,  counsel to Parent and Sub, in
form and  substance  reasonably  satisfactory  to Parent,  substantially  to the
effect that, on the basis of facts, representations and assumptions set forth in
such  opinion  which  are  consistent  with the state of facts  existing  on the
Closing  Date,  the Merger will be treated for Federal  income tax purposes as a
reorganization  within the meaning of Section  368(a) of the Code.  In rendering
such  opinion,  Cravath,  Swaine & Moore  may  require  and rely  upon  (and may
incorporate  by  reference)  representations  and  covenants,   including  those
contained in certificates of officers of Parent, the Company, Sub and others.











                                                                         68










                  (e) Absence of Company  Material  Adverse Effect.  There shall
not have occurred since the date of this Agreement any event, change,  effect or
development  which,  individually or in the aggregate,  has had or is reasonably
likely to have, a Company Material Adverse Effect.

                  SECTION 6.03.  Conditions  to  Obligation of the Company.  The
obligation  of the  Company  to effect  the  Merger is  further  subject  to the
satisfaction  or waiver by the  Company on or prior to the  Closing  Date of the
following conditions:

                  (a)  Representations  and Warranties.  The representations and
warranties of Parent and Sub set forth in this  Agreement  that are qualified as
to materiality shall be true and correct, and the representations and warranties
of Parent and Sub set forth in this Agreement that are not so qualified shall be
true and correct in all material  respects,  in each case as of the date of this
Agreement  and as of the  Closing  Date as though  made on and as of the Closing
Date, except to the extent any such representation or warranty expressly relates
to an earlier date (in which case as of such date),  and the Company  shall have
received a certificate signed on behalf of Parent by the Chief Executive Officer
and the Chief Financial Officer of Parent to such effect.

                  (b)  Performance of Obligations of Parent and Sub.  Parent and
Sub shall have performed in all material respects all obligations required to be
performed by them under this  Agreement at or prior to the Closing Date, and the
Company  shall  have  received a  certificate  signed on behalf of Parent by the
Chief  Executive  Officer  and the  Chief  Financial  Officer  of Parent to such
effect.

                  (c) Letters from Parent Affiliates. Parent shall have received
from each person named in the letter  referred to in Section 5.13(b) an executed
copy of an agreement substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.

                  (d) Tax Opinion.  The Company  shall have  received an opinion
dated the Closing Date from Skadden,  Arps, Slate,  Meagher & Flom, LLP, counsel
to the Company,  in form and substance  reasonably  satisfactory to the Company,
substantially  to the effect that,  on the basis of facts,  representations  and
assumptions  set forth in such opinion  which are  consistent  with the state of
facts  existing  on the  Closing  Date,  the Merger  will be treated for Federal
income










                                                                           69










tax  purposes as a  reorganization  within the meaning of Section  368(a) of the
Code. In rendering such opinion,  Skadden,  Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP may
require and rely upon (and may  incorporate  by reference)  representations  and
covenants,  including those contained in certificates of officers of Parent, the
Company, Sub and others.


                  (e) Absence of Parent Material Adverse Effect. There shall not
have  occurred  since the date of this  Agreement any event,  change,  effect or
development  which,  individually or in the aggregate,  has had or is reasonably
likely to have, a Parent Material Adverse Effect.


                                   ARTICLE VII

                        Termination, Amendment and Waiver

                  SECTION 7.01.  Termination.  This Agreement may be
terminated at any time prior to the Effective Time of the Merger, whether before
or after the Company Stockholder Approval or the Parent Stockholder Approval:


                  (a)  by mutual written consent of Parent, Sub and the Company;

                  (b)  by either Parent or the Company:

              (i) if, at a duly held stockholders  meeting of the Company or
         any adjournment  thereof at which the Company  Stockholder  Approval is
         voted  upon,  the  Company  Stockholder  Approval  shall  not have been
         obtained;

             (ii) if,  at a duly  held  stockholders  meeting  of  Parent or any
         adjournment  thereof at which the Parent Stockholder  Approval is voted
         upon, the Parent Stockholder Approval shall not have been obtained;

            (iii) if the  Merger  shall not have been  consummated  on or before
         June 30, 1997 (the  "Outside  Date"),  unless the failure to consummate
         the Merger is the result of a wilful,  Material  Breach (as  defined in
         Section  7.02(e)) of this  Agreement by the party  seeking to terminate
         this Agreement;

             (iv)  if any court of competent jurisdiction or other Governmental
         Entity shall have issued an order,










                                                                           70










         decree  or ruling or taken  any  other  action  permanently  enjoining,
         restraining or otherwise prohibiting the Merger and such order, decree,
         ruling or other action shall have become final and non-appealable; or

                  (v)  in the  event  of a  breach  by the  other  party  of any
         representation, warranty, covenant or other agreement contained in this
         Agreement  which (A) would give rise to the failure of a condition  set
         forth in Section 6.02(a) or 6.02(b) or Section  6.03(a) or 6.03(b),  as
         applicable,  and (B)  cannot  be or has not been  cured  within 30 days
         after the  giving of  written  notice  to the  breaching  party of such
         breach  (provided that the  terminating  party is not then in breach of
         any  representation,  warranty,  covenant or other agreement that would
         give  rise to a failure  of a  condition  as  described  in clause  (A)
         above);

                  (c) by either  Parent  or the  Company  in the event  that any
condition  to the  obligation  of such  party to effect  the Merger set forth in
Section  6.01(f) or 6.02 (in the case of Parent) or Section  6.01(f) or 6.03 (in
the case of the Company) is not capable of being  satisfied prior to the Outside
Date;

                  (d) by the  Company,  if the Board of Directors of the Company
shall have approved,  and the Company shall  concurrently  with such termination
enter into, a  definitive  agreement  providing  for the  implementation  of the
transactions  contemplated by a Company Takeover  Proposal;  provided,  however,
that (i) such Company Takeover Proposal was not solicited by the Company and did
not  otherwise  result  from a breach  of  Section  4.02(a),  (ii) the  Board of
Directors of the Company  shall have  complied with the exception to the proviso
contained in Section 4.02(c) in connection with such Company  Takeover  Proposal
and (iii) no  termination  pursuant to this Section  7.01(d)  shall be effective
unless the Company  shall  simultaneously  make the payment  required by Section
7.02(a);

                  (e) by Parent,  if the Board of Directors of Parent shall have
approved,  and Parent shall  concurrently  with such  termination  enter into, a
definitive  agreement  providing  for  the  implementation  of the  transactions
contemplated by a Parent Takeover  Proposal;  provided,  however,  that (i) such
Parent  Takeover  Proposal  was not  solicited  by Parent and did not  otherwise
result from a breach of Section 4.03(a), (ii) the Board of Directors of










                                                                          71










Parent  shall have  complied  with the  exception  to the proviso  contained  in
Section 4.03(c) in connection  with such Parent  Takeover  Proposal and (iii) no
termination  pursuant to this Section  7.01(e) shall be effective  unless Parent
shall simultaneously make the payment required by Section 7.02(b);

                  (f) by the Company,  if Parent's Board of Directors shall have
(i)  failed to  recommend  to  Parent's  stockholders  that they give the Parent
Stockholder  Approval,  (ii)  withdrawn  or modified in a manner  adverse to the
Company its  recommendation  to Parent's  stockholders that they give the Parent
Stockholder Approval, or (iii) failed to reaffirm its recommendation to Parent's
stockholders that they give the Parent Stockholder Approval within fourteen days
after the Company has made a written  request to Parent to do so (which  written
request may be made by the Company at any time after the public  disclosure of a
Parent Takeover Proposal); and

                  (g) by Parent,  if the Company's Board of Directors shall have
(i) failed to recommend to the Company's stockholders that they give the Company
Stockholder  Approval,  (ii) withdrawn or modified in a manner adverse to Parent
its  recommendation  to the  Company's  stockholders  that they give the Company
Stockholder  Approval,  or (iii)  failed to reaffirm its  recommendation  to the
Company's'  stockholders that they give the Company Stockholder  Approval within
fourteen  days after  Parent has made a written  request to the Company to do so
(which  written  request  may be made by  Parent at any time  after  the  public
disclosure of a Company Takeover Proposal).

                  SECTION 7.02.             Effect of Termination.  (a)  In the
event that (i) any person shall make a Company Takeover  Proposal that shall not
have been  withdrawn  on the date of the  Company's  Stockholders'  Meeting  and
thereafter  this Agreement is terminated  pursuant to Section  7.01(b)(i),  (ii)
this Agreement is terminated by the Company pursuant to Section 7.01(d) or (iii)
this  Agreement is terminated by Parent  pursuant to Section  7.01(g),  then the
Company shall pay to Parent a fee of $65,000,000,  which amount shall be payable
by  wire  transfer  of same  day  funds,  on the  date  of  termination  of this
Agreement.  The  Company  acknowledges  that the  agreements  contained  in this
Section  7.02(a) are an integral part of the  transactions  contemplated by this
Agreement, and that, without these agreements,  Parent would not enter into this
Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no payment need be made by the Company
pursuant









                                                                          72










to  this  Section  7.02(a)  if  Parent  shall  be  in  Material  Breach  of  its
representations, warranties or covenants under this Agreement.

                  (b) In the  event  that  (i) any  person  shall  make a Parent
Takeover Proposal that shall not have been withdrawn on the date of the Parent's
Stockholders'  Meeting and thereafter  this Agreement is terminated  pursuant to
Section  7.01(b)(ii),  (ii) this  Agreement is terminated by Parent  pursuant to
Section 7.01(e) or (iii) this Agreement is terminated by the Company pursuant to
Section  7.01(f),  then Parent  shall pay to the  Company a fee of  $65,000,000,
which amount shall be payable by wire transfer of same day funds, on the date of
termination of this Agreement. Parent acknowledges that the agreements contained
in this Section 7.02(b) are an integral part of the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement, and that, without these agreements,  the Company would not enter
into this Agreement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing,  no payment need be made by
Parent  pursuant to this  Section  7.02(b) if the  Company  shall be in Material
Breach of its representations, warranties or covenants under this Agreement.

                  (c) In the event of  termination  of this  Agreement by either
Parent or the Company  pursuant to Section  7.01(b)(i) or by Parent  pursuant to
Section  7.01(b)(v),  then (unless  Section  7.02(a) is applicable)  the Company
shall  reimburse  Parent for all its  reasonable  out-of-pocket  expenses (up to
$5,000,000)  actually  incurred  in  connection  with  this  Agreement  and  the
transactions contemplated hereby, which amount shall be payable by wire transfer
of same day funds within three business days of written demand, accompanied by a
reasonably  detailed  statement  of such  expenses  and  appropriate  supporting
documentation,  therefor. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no payment need be made
by the Company  pursuant to this Section  7.02(c) if Parent shall be in Material
Breach of its representations, warranties or covenants under this Agreement.

                  (d) In the event of  termination  of this  Agreement by either
Parent or the Company pursuant to Section 7.01(b)(ii) or by the Company pursuant
to Section 7.01(b)(v),  then (unless Section 7.02(b) is applicable) Parent shall
reimburse  the  Company for all its  reasonable  out-of-pocket  expenses  (up to
$5,000,000)  actually  incurred  in  connection  with  this  Agreement  and  the
transactions contemplated hereby, which amount shall be










                                                                           73










payable by wire transfer of same day funds within three business days of written
demand,  accompanied  by a reasonably  detailed  statement of such  expenses and
appropriate supporting documentation,  therefor.  Notwithstanding the foregoing,
no  payment  need be made by Parent  pursuant  to this  Section  7.02(d)  if the
Company  shall be in  Material  Breach  of its  representations,  warranties  or
covenants under this Agreement.

                  (e) In the event of  termination  of this  Agreement by either
the  Company  or Parent as  provided  in  Section  7.01,  this  Agreement  shall
forthwith become void and have no effect, without any liability or obligation on
the part of Parent,  Sub or the Company,  other than the  provisions of Sections
3.01(l) and 3.02(l),  the second  sentence of Section 5.04,  Section 5.10,  this
Section  7.02 and Article  VIII and except to the extent  that such  termination
results from a wilful, Material Breach by a party of any of its representations,
warranties,  covenants or other agreements set forth in this Agreement which has
not been  cured  prior to the time of such  termination.  For  purposes  of this
Agreement, a "Material Breach" shall mean a breach that is material by reference
to (i) the  breaching  party and its  subsidiaries,  taken as a whole,  (ii) the
ability of the  parties  to  consummate  the  Merger and the other  transactions
contemplated  by this Agreement in the manner  contemplated by this Agreement or
(iii) the benefits  expected to be received by the  non-breaching  party and its
stockholders  as a  result  of the  consummation  of the  Merger  and the  other
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

                  SECTION 7.03. Amendment.  This Agreement may be amended by the
parties at any time  before or after the  Company  Stockholder  Approval  or the
Parent  Stockholder  Approval;   provided,   however,  that  after  the  Company
Stockholder Approval or the Parent Stockholder Approval,  there shall be made no
amendment that by law requires further approval by such stockholders without the
further approval of such stockholders.  This Agreement may not be amended except
by an instrument in writing signed on behalf of each of the parties.

                  SECTION 7.04.  Extension; Waiver.  At any time prior to the 
Effective  Time of the  Merger,  the  parties  may (a)  extend  the time for the
performance of any of the  obligations  or other acts of the other parties,  (b)
waive any inaccuracies in the representations  and warranties  contained in this
Agreement or in any document delivered







                                                                           74










pursuant to this Agreement or (c) subject to the proviso of Section 7.03,  waive
compliance with any of the covenants or conditions  contained in this Agreement.
Any  agreement  on the part of a party to any such  extension or waiver shall be
valid only if set forth in an  instrument  in  writing  signed on behalf of such
party.  The failure of any party to this  Agreement  to assert any of its rights
under this Agreement or otherwise shall not constitute a waiver of such rights.

                  SECTION 7.05. Procedure for Termination,  Amendment, Extension
or  Waiver.  A  termination  of this  Agreement  pursuant  to Section  7.01,  an
amendment of this  Agreement  pursuant to Section 7.03 or an extension or waiver
pursuant to Section 7.04 shall, in order to be effective,  require,  in the case
of Parent, Sub or the Company,  action by its Board of Directors or, in the case
of an extension or waiver pursuant to Section 7.04, the duly authorized designee
of its Board of Directors.


                                  ARTICLE VIII

                               General Provisions

                  SECTION 8.01.  Nonsurvival of Representations  and Warranties.
None  of  the  representations  and  warranties  in  this  Agreement  or in  any
instrument delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall survive the Effective Time
of the Merger.  This  Section  8.01 shall not limit any covenant or agreement of
the parties which by its terms contemplates performance after the Effective Time
of the Merger.

                  SECTION 8.02.  Notices.  All notices, requests,
claims,  demands  and other  communications  under  this  Agreement  shall be in
writing  (including by facsimile)  and shall be deemed given upon receipt by the
parties at the









                                                                          75










following  addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified
by like notice):

                  (a)      if to Parent or Sub, to

                           Homestake Mining Company
                           650 California Street
                           San Francisco, CA 94108-2788

                           Phone:  (415) 981-8150
                           Fax:        (415) 397-0952

                           Attention: Wayne Kirk, Esq.

                           with a copy to:

                           Cravath, Swaine & Moore
                           Worldwide Plaza
                           825 Eighth Avenue
                           New York, NY 10019
                           Phone:  (212) 474-1000
                           Fax:  (212) 474-3700

                           Attention:  Richard Hall, Esq.

                  (b)      if to the Company, to

                           Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corporation
                           6200 Uptown Boulevard NE
                           Suite 400
                           Albuquerque, NM 87110

                           Phone:  (505) 880-5300
                           Fax:        (505) 880-5435

                           Attention:  Wayne Jarke, Esq.

                           with a copy to:

                           Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
                           919 Third Avenue
                           New York, NY 10022
                           Phone:  (212) 735-3000
                           Fax:  (212) 735-2000

                           Attention: Peter Allan Atkins, Esq.












                                                                          76










                  SECTION 8.03.  Definitions.  For purposes of this
Agreement:

                  An  "affiliate"  of  any  person  means  another  person  that
         directly or indirectly,  through one or more intermediaries,  controls,
         is controlled by, or is under common control with, such first person.

                  A  "person"  means an  individual,  corporation,  partnership,
         company, limited liability company, joint venture, association,  trust,
         unincorporated organization or other entity.

                  A "subsidiary" of any person means another  person,  an amount
         of the voting securities,  other voting ownership or voting partnership
         interests  of which is  sufficient  to elect at least a majority of its
         Board of  Directors or other  governing  body (or, if there are no such
         voting  interests,  50% or more of the  equity  interests  of which) is
         owned directly or indirectly by such first person.

                  SECTION 8.04. Interpretation. When a reference is made in this
Agreement to a Section or Exhibit,  such reference  shall be to a Section of, or
an Exhibit to, this Agreement unless otherwise indicated.  The table of contents
and headings  contained in this  Agreement are for  reference  purposes only and
shall not affect in any way the  meaning or  interpretation  of this  Agreement.
Whenever  the  words  "include",  "includes"  or  "including"  are  used in this
Agreement,   they  shall  be  deemed  to  be  followed  by  the  words  "without
limitation".

                  SECTION 8.05. Severability.  If any term or other provision of
this Agreement is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced by any rule or
law, or public  policy,  all other  conditions  and provisions of this Agreement
shall  nevertheless  remain in full force and effect so long as the  economic or
legal substance of the transactions  contemplated  hereby is not affected in any
manner materially adverse to any party. Upon such determination that any term or
other provision is invalid,  illegal or incapable of being enforced, the parties
hereto shall  negotiate  in good faith to modify this  Agreement so as to effect
the  original  intent of the  parties as closely as  possible  in an  acceptable
manner to the end that  transactions  contemplated  hereby are  fulfilled to the
extent possible.











                                                                         77










                  SECTION 8.06. Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in
one or more  counterparts,  all of which  shall be  considered  one and the same
agreement and shall become  effective  when one or more  counterparts  have been
signed by each of the parties and delivered to the other parties.

                  SECTION 8.07. Entire Agreement; No Third-Party  Beneficiaries.
This Agreement  (including the documents  referred to herein) (a) constitute the
entire agreement,  and supersede all prior agreements and  understandings,  both
written and oral,  among the parties with respect to the subject  matter of this
Agreement and (b) except for the provisions of Article II and Sections  5.07(b),
5.07(c),  5.08 and 5.09,  are not  intended to confer upon any person other than
the parties any rights or remedies.

                  SECTION 8.08.  Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed
by,  and  construed  in  accordance  with,  the laws of the  State of  Delaware,
regardless of the laws that might otherwise govern under  applicable  principles
of conflicts of laws thereof.

                  SECTION 8.09.  Assignment.  Neither this  Agreement nor any of
the rights,  interests or obligations under this Agreement shall be assigned, in
whole or in part, by operation of law or otherwise by any of the parties without
the prior written consent of the other parties,  except that Sub may assign,  in
its sole discretion,  any of or all its rights,  interests and obligations under
this  Agreement  to Parent or to any  direct or  indirect  wholly  owned  Parent
Subsidiary,  but no such assignment  shall relieve Sub of any of its obligations
under this Agreement.  Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement will be
binding upon,  inure to the benefit of, and be  enforceable  by, the parties and
their respective  successors and assigns.  Parent shall cause Sub to perform its
obligations hereunder.

                  SECTION 8.10.  Enforcement. The parties agree that irreparable
damage  would occur in the event that any of the  provisions  of this  Agreement
were not performed in accordance  with their  specific  terms or were  otherwise
breached.  It is  accordingly  agreed that the  parties  shall be entitled to an
injunction or injunctions  to prevent  breaches of this Agreement and to enforce
specifically  the terms and  provisions  of this  Agreement  in any court of the
United States located in the State of Delaware or in Delaware state court,  this
being in  addition to any other  remedy to which they are  entitled at law or in
equity. In







                                                                          78









addition,  each of the  parties  hereto  (a)  consents  to submit  itself to the
personal  jurisdiction  of any Federal court located in the State of Delaware or
any Delaware  state court in the event any dispute  arises out of this Agreement
or any of the  transactions  contemplated by this Agreement,  (b) agrees that it
will not attempt to deny or defeat such personal jurisdiction by motion or other
request for leave from any such court and (c) agrees  that it will not  initiate
any action relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated by
this  Agreement in any court other than a Federal  court sitting in the State of
Delaware or a Delaware state court.


                  IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  Parent,  Sub and the Company have caused
this  Agreement  to be  signed  by  their  respective  officers  thereunto  duly
authorized, all as of the date first written above.


                                            HOMESTAKE MINING COMPANY,

                                             by
                                             --------------------------
                                             Name:
                                             Title:


                                             HMGLD CORP.,

                                             by
                                             --------------------------
                                             Name:
                                             Title:


                                             SANTA FE PACIFIC GOLD
                                             CORPORATION,

                                             by
                                             --------------------------
                                             Name:
                                             Title:













                                                                  Exhibit B










                        [FORM OF PARENT AFFILIATE LETTER]



                                                                   [ ], 1996



Homestake Mining Company
650 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94108-2788

Ladies and Gentlemen:

                  This letter agreement (this "Agreement") is being delivered in
accordance with Section 6.03(c) of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of
December  8, 1996  (the  "Merger  Agreement"),  by and  among  HOMESTAKE  MINING
COMPANY, a Delaware corporation ("Parent"),  HMGLD Corp., a Delaware corporation
and a wholly  owned  subsidiary  of Parent  ("Sub"),  and SANTE FE PACIFIC  GOLD
CORPORATION,  a Delaware  corporation  (the  "Company").  The  Merger  Agreement
provides,  among other  things,  for the merger of Sub with and into the Company
(the  "Merger"),  pursuant  to which each share of the Common  Stock,  par value
$0.01 per share ("Company Common Stock"),  of the Company will be converted into
the right to receive  1.115  shares of Common  Stock,  par value $1.00 per share
("Parent  Common  Stock"),  of  Parent  on the  basis  described  in the  Merger
Agreement.

                  1.       The undersigned ("Stockholder") hereby represents, 
warrants, covenants and agrees as follows:

                  (a) Stockholder understands that as of the date of this letter
Stockholder  may be deemed to be an  "affiliate"  of the Company as such term is
used in and for purposes of Accounting  Series Releases 130 and 135, as amended,
of the Commission (an "Affiliate").

                  (b)  Stockholder has carefully read this letter and the Merger
Agreement  and  has had an  opportunity  to  discuss  the  requirements  of such
documents and any other  applicable  limitations upon  Stockholder's  ability to
sell,  transfer or otherwise  dispose of Parent Common Stock with his counsel or
counsel for the Company.

                  2.  Stockholder understands that the Merger may be
accounted for using the "pooling-of-interests" method and










                                                                          2










that such  treatment for  financial  accounting  purposes is dependent  upon the
accuracy of certain of the representations and warranties, and the compliance by
Stockholder  with certain of the  covenants  and  agreements,  set forth herein.
Accordingly,   Stockholder   further   hereby   represents  and  covenants  that
Stockholder  has not,  within the 30 days  preceding the  Effective  Time of the
Merger (as such term is defined in the Merger  Agreement)  sold,  transferred or
otherwise  disposed of any shares of Parent Common Stock held by Stockholder and
that it will not sell,  transfer or otherwise dispose of any Parent Common Stock
received by  Stockholder  in the Merger until after  Parent shall have  publicly
released a report  (the  "Combined  Financial  Results  Report")  including  the
combined financial results of Parent and the Company for a period of at least 30
days of combined operations of Parent and the Company.  Stockholder  understands
that stop transfer  instructions  will be given to the transfer agents of Parent
and the Company in order to prevent any breach of the covenants  and  agreements
made by Stockholder in this Section 2, although such stop transfer  instructions
will be  promptly  rescinded  upon the  publication  of the  Combined  Financial
Report.

                  3. Parent will publish the Combined  Financial  Results Report
as promptly as practicable following the Merger, and in any event within 30 days
after the end of the first full calendar month following the Merger.

                  4.  Stockholder   further  understands  and  agrees  that  the
representations,  warranties,  covenants and agreements of Stockholder set forth
herein are for the benefit of Parent, the Company and the Surviving  Corporation
(as defined in the Merger Agreement) in the Merger and will be relied up by such
entities and their respective counsel and accountants.

                  5. This Agreement will be binding upon and enforceable against
administrators,  executors,  representatives,  heirs,  legatees  and devisees of
Shareholder  and any pledgees  holding the Shares as  collateral.  If the Merger
Agreement is  terminated  in  accordance  with its terms prior to the  Effective
Time, this Agreement will thereupon automatically terminate.












                                                                            3









                  Execution of this letter should not be considered an admission
on the Stockholder's  part that it is an "affiliate" of the Company as described
in Section 1(a) of this Agreement.


                                         Very truly yours,


                                         ------------------------------
                                         Name:
                                         Address:


Agreed to and accepted:

HOMESTAKE MINING COMPANY


By:      ___________________________
         Name:
         Title:













                                                                  Exhibit A










                       [FORM OF COMPANY AFFILIATE LETTER]



                                                                    [ ], 1996



Homestake Mining Company
650 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94108-2788

Ladies and Gentlemen:

                  This letter agreement (this "Agreement") is being delivered in
accordance with Section 6.02(c) of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of
December  8, 1996  (the  "Merger  Agreement"),  by and  among  HOMESTAKE  MINING
COMPANY, a Delaware corporation ("Parent"),  HMGLD Corp., a Delaware corporation
and a wholly  owned  subsidiary  of Parent  ("Sub"),  and SANTA FE PACIFIC  GOLD
CORPORATION,  a Delaware  corporation  (the  "Company").  The  Merger  Agreement
provides,  among other  things,  for the merger of Sub with and into the Company
(the  "Merger"),  pursuant  to which each share of the Common  Stock,  par value
$0.01 per share ("Company Common Stock"),  of the Company will be converted into
the right to receive  1.115  shares of Common  Stock,  par value $1.00 per share
("Parent  Common  Stock"),  of  Parent  on the  basis  described  in the  Merger
Agreement.

                  1.  The   undersigned   ("Stockholder")   hereby   represents,
warrants,  covenants and agrees with respect to all Parent Common Stock received
as a result of the Merger as follows:

                  (a) Stockholder understands that as of the date of this letter
Stockholder  may be deemed to be an  "affiliate"  of the Company as such term is
(i) defined for  purposes of  paragraphs  (c) and (d) of Rule 145 of the general
rules and  regulations  (the  "Rules and  Regulations")  of the  Securities  and
Exchange  Commission  (the  "Commission")  under the  Securities Act of 1933, as
amended  (the  "Act"),  or (ii) used in and for  purposes of  Accounting  Series
Releases 130 and 135, as amended, of the Commission (an "Affiliate").











                                                                          2










                  (b)  Stockholder  shall not make any sale,  transfer  or other
disposition  of Parent  Common  Stock in  violation  of the Act or the Rules and
Regulations.

                  (c)  Stockholder has carefully read this letter and the Merger
Agreement  and  has had an  opportunity  to  discuss  the  requirements  of such
documents and any other  applicable  limitations upon  Stockholder's  ability to
sell,  transfer or otherwise  dispose of Parent Common Stock with his counsel or
counsel for the Company.

                  (d)  Stockholder  has been advised that the issuance of Parent
Common Stock to Stockholder  pursuant to the Merger has been registered with the
Commission under the Act. However, Stockholder has also been advised that, since
at the  time the  Merger  was  submitted  to a vote of the  stockholders  of the
Company,  Stockholder may be deemed to have been an Affiliate of the Company and
the  distribution  by Stockholder of Parent Common Stock has not been registered
under the Act.  Stockholder may not offer to sell,  sell,  transfer or otherwise
dispose of Parent  Common Stock issued to  Stockholder  in the Merger unless (i)
such offer,  sale,  transfer or other  disposition has been registered under the
Act or is made in conformity with Rule 145 under the Act, or (ii) in the opinion
of counsel reasonably acceptable to Parent, or pursuant to a "no- action" letter
obtained by Stockholder from the staff of the Commission, such sale, transfer or
other disposition is otherwise exempt from registration under the Act.

                  (e)  Stockholder   understands  that  Parent  will  give  stop
transfer  instructions to Parent's transfer agents with respect to Parent Common
Stock,  that the  Parent  Common  Stock  issued  to  Stockholder  will all be in
certificated  form and  that the  certificates  therefor,  or any  substitutions
thereof, will bear a legend substantially to the following effect:

                  "THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE WERE ISSUED IN
         A  TRANSACTION  TO WHICH  RULE 145  UNDER  THE  SECURITIES  ACT OF 1933
         APPLIES.  THE SECURITIES  REPRESENTED BY THIS  CERTIFICATE  MAY ONLY BE
         SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS
         OF AN AGREEMENT DATED [ ], 1996,  BETWEEN THE REGISTERED  HOLDER HEREOF
         AND  HOLLAND,  A COPY OF WHICH  AGREEMENT  IS ON FILE AT THE  PRINCIPAL
         OFFICES OF HOMESTAKE MINING COMPANY."











                                                                            3










                  (f) Stockholder  also  understands that unless the transfer by
Stockholder of  Stockholder's  Parent Common Stock has been registered under the
Act or is a sale made in  conformity  with the  provisions  of Rule 145,  Parent
reserves the right to place a legend  substantially  to the following  effect on
the certificates issued to any transferee:

                           "THE SECURITIES  REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE
                  NOT BEEN REGISTERED  UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 AND WERE
                  ACQUIRED  FROM A PERSON  WHO  RECEIVED  SUCH  SECURITIES  IN A
                  TRANSACTION TO WHICH RULE 145 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                  APPLIES.  THE SECURITIES  HAVE NOT BEEN ACQUIRED BY THE HOLDER
                  WITH  A VIEW  TO,  OR  FOR  RESALE  IN  CONNECTION  WITH,  ANY
                  DISTRIBUTION  THEREOF WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE SECURITIES ACT
                  OF 1933 AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED
                  OF EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE  REGISTRATION  STATEMENT OR
                  IN  ACCORDANCE   WITH  AN  EXEMPTION  FROM  THE   REGISTRATION
                  REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933."

                  (g) It is understood  and agreed that the legends set forth in
Sections  1(e) and 1(f)  above  shall  be  removed  by  delivery  of  substitute
certificates  without such legend if such legend is not required for purposes of
the Act.  It is  understood  and agreed  that such  legends  and the stop orders
referred to above will be removed if (i) two years shall have  elapsed  from the
date  Stockholder  acquired  Parent Common Stock  received in the Merger and the
provisions of Rule 145(d)(2) are then available to the  undersigned,  (ii) three
years shall have elapsed from the date Stockholder  acquired Parent Common Stock
received in the Merger and the  provisions of Rule  145(d)(3) are then available
to the  undersigned,  or (iii) parent has received either an opinion of counsel,
which  opinion and counsel  shall be  reasonably  satisfactory  to Parent,  or a
"no-action" letter obtained by Stockholder from the staff of the Commission,  to
the  effect  that the  restrictions  imposed by Rule 145 under the Act no longer
apply to Stockholder.

                  2.  Stockholder  understands  that the Merger may be accounted
for  using  the  "pooling-of-interests"  method  and  that  such  treatment  for
financial  accounting  purposes is dependent upon the accuracy of certain of the
representations  and warranties,  and the compliance by Stockholder with certain
of the covenants and  agreements,  set forth  herein.  Accordingly,  Stockholder
further hereby










                                                                           4










represents and covenants that  Stockholder has not, within the 30 days preceding
the  Effective  Time of the  Merger  (as  such  term is  defined  in the  Merger
Agreement)  sold,  transferred  or  otherwise  disposed  of any shares of Parent
Common  Stock  held by  Stockholder  and  that it will  not  sell,  transfer  or
otherwise  dispose of any Parent  Common Stock  received by  Stockholder  in the
Merger until after Parent shall have publicly  released a report (the  "Combined
Financial  Results Report")  including the combined  financial results of Parent
and the  Company  for a period  of at least 30 days of  combined  operations  of
Parent and the Company.  Stockholder understands that stop transfer instructions
will be given to the  transfer  agents of  Parent  and the  Company  in order to
prevent any breach of the covenants and  agreements  made by Stockholder in this
Section 2, although such stop transfer  instructions will be promptly  rescinded
upon the publication of the Combined Financial Report.

                  3. Parent will publish the Combined  Financial  Results Report
as promptly as practicable following the Merger, and in any event within 30 days
after the end of the first full calendar month following the Merger.

                  4.  Stockholder   further  understands  and  agrees  that  the
representations,  warranties,  covenants and agreements of Stockholder set forth
herein are for the benefit of Parent, the Company and the Surviving  Corporation
(as defined in the Merger Agreement) in the Merger and will be relied up by such
entities and their respective counsel and accountants.

                  5. This Agreement will be binding upon and enforceable against
administrators,  executors,  representatives,  heirs,  legatees  and devisees of
Shareholder  and any pledgees  holding the Shares as  collateral.  If the Merger
Agreement is  terminated  in  accordance  with its terms prior to the  Effective
Time, this Agreement will thereupon automatically terminate.












                                                                         5









                  Execution of this letter should not be considered an admission
on the Stockholder's  part that it is an "affiliate" of the Company as described
in Section 1(a) of this Agreement.


                                       Very truly yours,

                                       ------------------------------
                                      Name:
                                      Address:

Agreed to and accepted:

HOMESTAKE MINING COMPANY


By:      ___________________________
         Name:
         Title: