WESTLAND.

Evening Star, Volume III, Issue 821, 22 December 1865, Page 2

WESTLAND.

The Grey District. —Mr Warden Re veil reports the population at Greymouth, 1500; Beach, 1300 ; Arnold, 2500 ; Greenstone, 200. Total, 5500. The weather during the past fortnight has been extremely wet and stormy, and most unfavorable for mining operations. The freshets in the rivers and creeks have been numerous, carrying away dams and races, and in many instances doing serious injury to the creek claims. In consequence of the freshet in the river Grey, all traffic up that river to the Arnold has been suspended, and it is feared that the stock of supplies at present on hand at the Arnold is not sufficient to meet the demand, so that the miners would be compelled to come to Greymouth for supplies. The terraces on the Arnold are now being worked successfully, and are yielding better returns than the creeks. Several small nuggets have been found, and in one instance a nugget weighing seven ounces was obtained. This, I believe, is the largest yet found on the terraces. The Beach still maintains its character. The rush to the Teremakau is quite over. About 500 men are working and prospecting the beach and up the lagoon in that neighborhood. The Totara District.—Mr Warden Aylmer reports the population at 3500, of which 8000 are miners, and 500 are otherwise employed. There is nothing new to report for the last fortnight. No fresh rushes to disturb the j>opulation of the district. The •workings in and about the town seem to give remunerative employment to a large number of men. The diggings are extending down the flat, which will soon cause stores to spring up on either side of the new road ; and 1 should say that, before long, it will be necessary to lay out some building sites in that direction. The news from the various parts of the district are good; and I am informed that there is a number of people at work between the mouth of the Totara and the Okarita xiver ; ft ;

must be'a very rich field to compensate for tfie great expense and difficulty of obtaining provir sions, together with the hardships they must have to encounter. Crime is yet unknown in this part of the Canterbury goldfields, no case having been reported to the police since I have been in charge. I regret to say that I have had to hold an inquest on the body of a man named Roberts, who was killed by the fall of a tree. The tree was being undermined by a party working close to him, and must have been hanging in a dangerous state for many days. The West Coast Times- says :—The first sitting of the Supreme Court in Hokitika will be held in the new court house,-in Sewell street, on Monday the 15th Jan. next. We believe that his Honor Mr Justice Gresson will preside on the occasion. Several civil cases are set down for trial, and we regret to say that the criminal calender will be a somewhat -heavy one.