OTAGO.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 623, 15 January 1870, Page 4

OTAGO.

[dtjusxtan times.] - We Wfero shown some splendid speo)mens taken from the Serpentine. Reef at a depth of 84ft ; our informant states that ihe reef at this point is. about Sift thick. So great fe the confidence in the stability of the reef that immediately on th.ia dis? Co very one; of the shareholders went to Dqnedin and n)a.de arrangements for- the erection of a battery, of stamps; the reef ha 3 been tested from the surface, to the depth of 84ft and -found to contain gold, consequently the action of the company in the'«rectio« of machinery we consider is not premature, as if the reef or the gold should at this depth, runout what has been discovered wUI cover cost of machinery, and pay a. handsome, dividend in the bapgain, : . Iversen a.nd party at Conroy's Reef have abandoned then? eld shaft at. 90ft, it being cqn3idered unsafe \ on Saturday last they commenced a n,ew shaft to the east,, striking the leader at about lft from the surface, with gold showing well in both and casing. At Qft excellent prospects were obtained, the. casing washing fully 3 dwt to the 4iafr of loo£e yold, and the stone, being thickly impregnated with gold ; the shaft is now about 14ft, the good prospects continuing. From, Batcher's G.uljy Reef there is nothing new to report ; the whole of, the parties' are sinking away right merrily. As. the whole of the shafts are being sunk to cut the reef at from 30ft to 60ft deep, nothing definite can bfe expeses for a. few weeks," The prospectors of Blackman^ Gully Reef are. pushing ahead with their shaft, jn which the stone continues equajly as good as that first struck. Great hopes are entertained of this, reef, as its, course lies just above several patches oi alluvial, where tin© gold was. princjipAjfly of a yery Tagged character. _ ■ A reef about 3ft thick is reported as being struck at the foot. of ..theDunstan Range, within, about two miles of Clyde^ Application has been made for protection for a prospecting claim, and the, party are engaged sinking a shaft. It is intended to sink 50ft, at which depth t" breajc out 0 few tons for a. trial crushing. Great damage has been done, to the various, water-races in the. district of late through the heavy local, storms. We use the word local, as downpours of. heavy pelting rains have fallen dnring the past few weeks in patches, in some instances confined to within very narrow- limits.. One occurred on Saturday week in the neighborhood of Chatto Creek, from which the Ovens Water-race., for a,bout two miles, was. completely swept away, whilst DruHnmy.-B — or the Mauuherikia Ground Sluicing Co npany's race within a few hundred yards, was untouched. Another occurred on TnesdayJast, of terryible violence. The rain fell in perfect torrents, and was accompanied by very /j^avy peals of thunder t*id. most vivid

flashes of forked lightning. From this storm a great deal of damage has been sustained by the different race-o.vners, which, we are afraid, will throw a damperon the Christmas holidays, ; The Bendigo Gully news is healthy, greater activity being perceptible. The claims along the different lines of reef are being rapidly sunk, each claim apparently vicing with the other to reach the Uiwest level quickest, Mr Acton's celebrated claim, near Switzer's, ia now being worked by 10 Chinamen, who divide the gold obtained equally between themselves andMr Acton, who supplies them with the ground and all necessary machinery in return for the half proceeds. The Waitahnua correspondent of the Bruce Herald says :-^ <( The long-continued drought tries many of our miners severely, as tho low escort returns show. Some of those who left for Cromwell, a few weeks ago, are back, somewhat wiser, but not otherwise richer than when they left.