THE GOLDFIELDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 284, 17 November 1862, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

The past month has been one of considerable activity in mining affiirs, and has, .moreover, bsen one of very satisfactory success. The various new diggings have all turned out well, the yield of gold has shown a very decided increase, and the mining population his also been augmented, although in a less ratio. The escorts • have increased very rapidly—that of Ist November being 15,505 ozs. Sdwts., while that of the 14th was 17,471 ozs. 15dwts. The increase of population on the gold fields has been far less in proportion. The latest wardens' returns show a mining population of about 8,000, of whom probably 6,000 are act mil miners, so that the average earnings of thfi men at work must be •leeidedly high, something considerably over an once a week each.

Our last English Summary was published on the 17th u!t. Since that date the accounts from the various diggings have on the whole been of a very satisfactory nature, and there have not been wanting instances of individual good fortune. At .he Dunstan two new rushes have taken place to gullies at some considerable distance from the original workings, and the yields have been of almost unexampled richness. At the Nokomai a steady improvement has been manifested, arid whereas at the date of our -last summary great dissati«f.ietkm.;a?id disappointment existed among the miners vvkq. had rushed thither, we have now to notice that;' a moderate population is quietly settling down to work with fair chances of success. One eiTect of the improved prospects of the new diggings, and especially of the opening of rich new gullies has been that a considerable number of the miners who had returned to the Tunpeka district with the intention of setting in there for a spell, have once more been tempted t<j roam. As yet there has been no regular escort from the Nokomai, most of the gold finding its way to Invercargil!. There was, however, a parcel of gold from Nokomai brought down by a constable 'on the sth inst. This has been dignified with the title of the first escort, but the quantity was only 247 oz. Adhering to our usual practice we shall now proceed to chronicle in their order the minin°events of the period since 17th October. " There have been several small rushes lately in the neighbourhood of the Dunstan. Frotn one of these about seven miles from the juuetion of the Manuherikia and the Clutha,about 200 ozs. were brought down about 20th October. The gold was rough, and but very little water worn, and the parties to whom it belonged said that there was plenty more offering for sale, but that money was as yet scarce on the ground. A considerable number of miners are also at work with very good success on the Teviofc and there is besides a rush to the Nevis Stream' which is some considerable distance from the Dunstan, in the direction of the Nokomai. At the Duustan proper the people are every day becoming more and more settled, and as the season advances it is generally believed- it will be found that the locality will turn out as good a diggings for summer as it is known to be for winter. ° °

On the 27th we published an official report upon the new rushers at the Dunstan, of which a brief notice had previously appeared in our columns. The report in question, which was from the pen of Mr Jackson Keddell, the Commissioner in charge of the field, was to the effect that considerable excitement existed relative to two new rushes, one to a spot since called Conroy's Gully about nine miles from the camp, and the other at a gully leading from the westward slope of the Umbrella Ranges to the Nevis stream, and distant about 23 miles. At both very fine samples of gold wore obtained, but at the time of Mr Keddell's visit the general impression of the miners was not favourable to Convoy's Gully, because of the wetness 01 the ground. At the other locality the most sanguine hopes were entertained, many of the chums having even then proved exceedingly rich. Two other gullies, also, leading down on the eastern slope of the Umbrella Ranges, were also attracting considerable attention. The road to the Nevis from the Dunstiin was very difficult to travel, nevertheless there were about 400 men at work there at the time of Mr Keddell's visit. On the sth November came the startling news that two Germans in Conroy's Gully had obtained fifty pounds weight of gold, that others had also made very rich fiuds, and that there were upwards of a thousand miners on the ground, with plenty of disputes, and all the other concomitants of a thorough good rush. This was from our own correspondent's statement. Another account represented the number of men at work to be about four hundred, and that* all who had been so fortunate as to get on the lead were making fortunes. Two men took out sixty ounces in eight daysj and others were doing "equally well. °One tin dishful of washdirt turned out fourteen ounces The gold obtained from Conroy's Gully is ]ar<*e and nuggety, but considerably water worn. Ifels well colored and handsome looking gold, and ought to assay high. Conroy's Gully is on Strode and Frazer's station, on the opposite side of the Molyneux from the present township, at Coal Point. The gully runs from a high elevation in the Umbrella lianges, and falls into the Earnscleugh at a distance of about eight miles from the Manuherikia. The s'nking varies from four to six feet There is a considerable quantity of scrub at the head of the gully, and the miners will therefore be able to supply themselves with fuel. At the other rush, on the Nevis; some hundreds of miners were at work—the greater number of whom were doing well. Another gully nearer the Kawarau was also looked upon as likely to turn out something—a prospecting claim having been applied for and obtained. - .

Tho river Molyneux still continues h>h and tfie river workings are therefore at a standstill • but with the numerous rushes in the neighborhood there is no lack of employment for the mining population. Most of the river claims are now registered for three months. Provisions on the Dunstan have been getting cheaper—flour being now retailed at Is per lb ; bread, 4s per loaf; and other articles of consumption at a proportionate rate. The building of a regular town has been greatly impeded by the want of timber but this desideratum is in course of being supplied by the rafting of timber down from the lakes- One raft has come down, but by some accident it broke, and a good deal of the timber was lost. :

In a former summary we mentioned that Mr Reilly one of the original prospectors of the Dunstan, had started on an expedition up the River Molyneux from its mouth, taking stoves with him, with a view of opening up the navigation by demonstrating the practicability of taking goods up against the stream. He succeeded perfectly sold his goods, and returned to town. He reports that there are comparatively few real difficulties in the way up the river, and some can be done away with by the. judicious expenditure of capital la his own words, " Nature's highway to the Dunstan is now>pen ; » and he estimates that goods can be carried to the diggings by water at ail expense of not more than LSO per ton. From the Nokonw, a variety of accounts have come to hand, the latest and best beinc that furnished by Mr Worthirigton, who has recently gone up to the charge of the district/as Commissioner. According to his account, the majority of the men at work are satisfied with their earnings and prospects. The average gains he estimates at about L 3 per week, but in individual cases as much as L 6 and L 7 has been obtained The sinking is generally through loose shingle' and boulders, varying from six to twelve feet to the wash dirt, which consists of a layer of slaty gravel, of a thickness of about eighteen inches. The great drawback is the, wetness of the groundand in Moa Flat, which is ths1 lower continuation of Victoria Gully, it has hitherto been found al most impossible to bottom. In the valley of the Nokomai, a; prospect of 3 dwts to the tub has been obtained. Prospecting parties are about

being organised'to fairly test bath Moa and the Nokomai Valley. Mr Worthington states that besides the 247 ounces sent down by the constable, there were to his knowledge about 200 ounces in' the hands of diggers in Victoria Gully, and he was also able to trace about 500 ounces as having been forwarded recently to Invercargill, with which place most of the storekeepers at the Nokomai are connected. There had been a rush to the head of the river, about twelve miles north from the camp, but most of those who Avent were disappointed. As already mentioned the old diggings were again being drained of a portion of their population by the superior • attractions of the new rushes. Nevertheless they have made a very respectable show in the way of escorts. The "first sod of the Wetherstone's stormwater channel was cut lately by-Mr Vincent Pyke, who happened to be at Tuapeka on a tour through the gold fields. It is expected that this work will be a great boon to the district. There is nothing of very particular interest to note in respect of mining'at the old gold fieids. One effect; of the rushes has been to take away several members of the Mining Board, and in consequence it has been found impassible to get a quorum. The Government has taken occasion fron this circumstance to do away with the Mining Board altogether, by revoking the proclamation ot the Mining Board distric 1.

The Provincial Government has lately proclaimed a new gold field under the title of the Mount Bcnger Gold Field. This field adjoins the Dunstan, of which it is an off-shot.