WAIMEA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 55, 8 May 1866, Page 2

WAIMEA.

Mining enterprise in the Waimea district is progressing apace. Last week a "race," which it has taken twelve months to construct, was finished, and on Saturday the ceremony of christening it was performed. The proprietors, made a grand demonstration. The honor of namiug the race devolved upon Miss Ryau, who performed her part most ably and gracefully. The Hibernian water ...race is between two and three miles long, but we.hear, however, that the country across which it runs is exceedingly rugged, and that a great deal of numing was required to conduct the water across some of the deeper and more precipitous gullies. The supply of water is drawn from the left fork of the right hand branch of the "Waimea; and in ordinary weather, four ground sluiceheads can be depended upon. The level of the race is a high one, being quite one hundred feet above the river, and it therefore commands an extensive tract of country, a great part of which has been prospected and .found to contain .gold —from the source of the race to the sea beach, The company

consists of six shareholders, who are sanguine the speculation will handsomely remunerate them ; and we sincerely trust it will. — Ibid. Accidental Drowning. — In the middle day yesterday, between twelve and one o'clock Charles Sinclair, mate of the p.s. Persevere, sank in the depths of the river to rise no more in life. He \vas employed on the bridge refastening one of the cross stays, and was standing with his back to the river, and whilst hauling the lashing tight, it suddenly broke, thereby causing him to lose his balance and fall backwards overboard. Seeing him fall, the engineer, who was standing forward, threw a line, which fell short of ?ts raark, but Captain Macmeiken, who was abaft the funnel, caught up a whole coil of rope and hove it right over his head. This the poor fellow grasped, but almost immediately released his hold, and just as a boat was approaching to his rescue, he sank and rose no more, and his sudden disappearance, almost without a struggle, is supposed to have been occasioned by cramp, as the water was unusually cold. To signify their sorrow for the untimely end of one who was universally respected, the commanders- of the different vessels in port displayed their bunting at half-mast, and during the rest of the day quite a gloom was diffused throughout Gibson's Quay. — W. C. Times, May 3.