THE AHAURA.

Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 409, 27 August 1868, Page 2

THE AHAURA.

{JfaOM QVR QWN CORRESPONDENT.) August 22, 186 a I took the advantage of the fine weather whiqh has prevailed during the last week to make an extended tour through the outlying up-distracA I first visited the new rush at Orwell Creek, and found my previous judgment exactly confirmed, notwithstanding the shamefully exaggerated and glowing account* of some casual re-. porters of yours from this place, accounts which, in future, I would earnestly advise you to take cwn gram sqlis, About 100 m§n are now on the ground, of whom say two-thirds are on gold, none of whom are doing anything extraordinary, but the most part making wages, Several prospecting parties are out higher up th§ Amuri track, ajid as % great extent of likely country exists, J ha,ve no doubt that fresh payable ground will be found, although I doubt whether any will be of great extent, but rather small rashes, which wi|i repay a limited number «f dijge.rs. Reports, were prevalent in the Ahaim* township, in the earlie? part of the week, tha.t payable gold had been struck on the* fla,t, below the creek workings, at 3Q feet ! depth, but I found that, although Ibis, waa certainly true, it was entirely confined to three parties, all others who had bottomed being unsuccessful, Duffers, and its adjacent gullies, which, had for a time been excited and disturbed, by accounts of the new rosh, has returned to its, original state,' and 1 think gained tk score or two in the number of its workers, from the surplus number of unsuccessful partieai from. Orwell CreekNoble's Gully continues to prosper more, than any other diggings in its neighbor-, hood, nearly double ihe number of parties, being employed, as compared with my last visit, and I believe that one or two large races will be brought into this gully during the coming season, levels being already taken fox the purpose. Mattersaltogether,lpok more thriving here than at, any other- part above the Ahaura, ano\ ■ from the nature of the workings I am glad. to say are likely to continue so for years, I On a/riving at the Little Grey Township ! I found to, my great surprise tha.6 the* main channel of the river Grey had been, changed by the late floods, and now flowed, at least 200 yards from the township, which it formerly ran close, alongside of and frequently flooded. This township, shows signs of revival, 33. new stores are. being erected, and the number of new stables especially gave me a fair opinion, of the quantity of horses required fop packing, a fair criterion of the wade now doing up the Little Grey in comparison to the dormant state it has been in up to. the last three or four months. Snowy River has not increased much, in point of population, 30 or 40 being atill the number, but the new creek open-. ing into it, discovered some four months, ago, named Mossy Creek, has about 50t men in its vicinity, all apparently settled down fora long spell. Blackwater has also returned to some-, what of the position it occupied twelve* months ago, about ft* to 8.0 men findingvery fair employment there, and as several races have been brought on to the terraces I should not be at all surprised to see a, much larger population in Blackwater than it ever possessed in. the best days of its creek workings. Red Jack's, Cariboo, Big River, and; Smith's Gully have each from three to six parties, and from the quantity of goods; consumed no doubt several more are located in workings farther in the interior* but unknown to me. * Adamstown or Burton's rush, once the pride of this district, now contains only 1Q men, all employed on the terrace, but as. this creek was deserted almost simultaneously at the time 'of the Pakihi rush, and the terraces left entirely untried, I feel confident that a much larger number of men might find remunerative employ-* ment. ■■■.-:■ Antonio's Flat, the next over the rauge, appears to have risen as its neighbor's, star has declined. A place formerly of no importance, it is now the chief mining centre of the district. Two large stores, are on the flat, both of them being at pre-i sent enlarged, and a shanty is erected near to them. Two other stores are placed at Maori Gully, a few miles further on, and several others at various points between, these places and Deep Creek, Soldier's, Gully, Murray's, Fern Flat, and other parts of the Saddle district. A few parties, are also working at Boatman's Gully. Taken altogether, I am inclined to be- • lieve that the men employed throughout this wide district are doing perhaps as well on an average as the. diggers on other ' parts of the coast. $to really rich claims; exist, but nearly all are enabled to knock out a comfortable living and put by a little also for a rainy day . I shall visit Nelson's Creek and Moon* light next week, and will acquaint you) with their progress. We were this week honored by a visit from the Rev. Mr Thorpe, of Nelson, -who, accompanied Mr Dsntton in his weekly visit to our township and the neighboring one of Nelson Creek. Services were held in each place, at the Ahaura in the large, room of Mr Pinkerton's Star Hotel, and; at Nelson Creek at Mr Pennefather s*.5 *. Both were well attended, and the eloquence of the reverend gentleman, and. the purely Christian nature of bis mission* shown by his permitting no collection to, be made, left a pleasing and lasting im. pr^ssion, behind.. .*_•••■