THE DUNSTAN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 303, 9 December 1862, Page 7

THE DUNSTAN.

I^POKTANT FBiESH DISCK)VBIS||

LATER N,E W S

FROM

Ihe wakatip diggwoj^l

PISOOYERY OP AURIFEKOra

.aiTAETZ,

HARTLEY TOWNSHIP^

. . - 6thDecemi>er,l^62* ? (From our Special Reported.) :--i"^ So much, space lias lately been devoted t^ descriptions' of rushe* in the Lake district, that it may be as well to commence this letter with, a review of matters nearer home, and show how it ivthat despite,these distant rushes, and the exodus of a large population. to them, the Danstan still continues to maintain, a large population; to extend its townships and tip still send down the same amountof gold. -;. i , Though undoubtedly large numbers have gone ,*away to the new ■ places, equally as niany- have arrived from other quarters)■■'same of thesest^y and >: "others go further onwards.v The.population, though actually decreased to some extent,; retains, however,' ••' - that portion of it which are .doing well or producing • gold in considerable quantities. Thus, with -a decreased population; the very strange ana remarkable, feature ia< presented .of, an increase in the ;escbrt returns! No gold:field in the world has hitherto been able to < show with diminished,.-, numbers an increase in its -productive powers. , To,this iact may be traced—the confidence V felt in the resources ..•- of the district, both by the mining und commercial classes* Very little gold has, • to- the time I am wiitinor, been received from the Lake country* The • question naturally arises—from whence and from what sources is the increased yield derived ?; The river continues to be unworkable—even its, highest sandy shores are flooded, and therefore, however important it may hereafter prove, at present it contributes very little to the returns. It is from the outlying gullies so ofteu mentioned, .and the! other uuraerous discoveries made within a, rndhis of some twenty miles, that this pcratifvin{? result is derivable to a great extent. A short analysis of the value of this district will no doubt confirm; the truth of these ' - ' remarks.'' ■' --■ ■••■ -<.■■■,' ■' ■.' •■ '' '■-■ f ■.''.' ■■■". Potter's still continuesto yield its treasures largely. Of the onethousand ounces of gold deposited by miners at the Treasury last Monday, one-third came from this locality; The large parcel of one hundred ounces and twenty-seven ounces, obtained in ;a few days came from-this famous gully. Some of the large amounts also deported this day came likewise from the same quarter. It may be safely calculated that this and tne immediate gullies in its neighborhood constitute one-fifth of the escort: returns. Though so much gold has already been .obtained, and though the gully , has, in mining parlance, received a severe shaking, , it is by no means exhausted, and still retains a popiu- ; lation of two to. three hundred. ~ " ," :; ? The next place in lmpoiitance is Conroy'sGully! the individual.returns from which have seemed • ■■■• almost bo fabulous as not to have been 'credited ~ , At the distance.. It is here! that patties have :.•■■ .-; reckoned their returns by the half-hundredweight. • ■ . Some few , parties.." were exceeding these . large . ~r , ".amounts. It continues still to yield "its wealth ; as .easily and readily ,as in. the, first days of its dis- :,. discovery. Little more than a month old, it took a gigantic stride from the first and has not yet -lost" . position. Four men to-day deported nine pounds weight, each, the produce of not quite'three weeks' ■ labor. The. claims were; easily worked. On the broader part, or the flat. poitipn running into the Eurnscleugh, rich patches are met.with; though no- .; thing like the .pockets that charlicterize the upper portion of the gully. The population i> about two hundredand fifty... '.. - ; ■;...•.'.. i. Following these1 in richness, but discovered prily Very recently, cornea Adam's Gully, situated high up ; • . in the Snowy Kange, and two miles from Potter^. . : The gold from this is very coarse; it iai'ound upon the bare denuded rock, without wash 1 or gravel lie- <■ :■■ conipanying it. The returns from this are almost equal to Conroy's, and the grpnnd ;is as i asily worked. , Mr, Welsh, the gold broker, informrine that lie pur-; chased six hundred ounces frotn a party of four meny ■ the result of a month's labor; and also four hundred ounces from another party procured in a similar time. Both the** instances I have. been, able to authenticate. • Many similar instances of success are men-, tion-d, but till properly verified, it is useless to particularise them. When parties clear up, the details, \ will be more readily,ascertained. The population is y about one hundred and fifty. . ' ■ ■ Many other gullies of asimilar formation are. being , worked, but.it ia a difficult matter to obtain'definito ' ■ and trustworthy informationiof their, .value. The prospectors, though they do apply for a.claim, seldoni ' slate the full particulars; and many are unknown to" !'. ! anybut those working them on "the quiets Iri this ■ - portion of the district they are countless in number^ arid are all presumed to t be more or less auriferous, • ' Fr< m these, in turn apain, is obtained a considerable ;"V - quantity of the gold that.swelb»oui'escort. .-; . ' ' • The Earnscleugh> a long winding river, though irregular in its yltld, continues to turn out, at different spots, removed a considerable distance from one au- . * other, v< ry nice and heavy.patches of gold; The gullies op. ning into it are also receiving attention. • The following prospecting claims, in the imm'edfote". .neighborhood, have been-granted this week:-—To Meredith and Porly, for discovering another new gully, about six miles from Conroy's, in the, Snowy Wanges,and about fourteen miles from this township. The prospects obtained were equal to five pennyweights to the tin dish; the gold is coarse -and nug-.. ■-gety* To Kinnavd andparty,1 in a gully about four miles long, running into the ; Earnscleugh near its .'head. The distance is about thirteen miles from the' Camp. _ The prospectors obtained a pennyweight to the tiu dish, with regular average yields. A population of Jibout one hundred and fifty is to be found on. this river and its tributaries, but much scattered. / The Nevis has a very limited number of miners • • ■ . working about its ranges and gullies.,; It iagenerally considered as a fair field under present circumstances,' ! . anil though some parcels, as high as one hundred ounces, have been sold from it, at one time; the average is much below this/ Some splendid,, though . smnli qunrtzy specimens,, are found amongst the.gold-;"' . it resembles . that oi tamed from the JLammerla^ (Wiiipori), which contained a good deal of, quartz BLxed wirh its.gold. ' Tne Navis and.a portion of Potter's.is included in . the Nokomai District, and another portion of. the Earnscleugh in that, nondescript, one of; Mount ..Penger. . .Though.situated in other gold fields, these places continue to draw their.chief supplies from this quarter, and to sell some ;oi their gold here,: though 1 ~ .not all. ~,..- ■,•■,'•''.■■' ■. ] \' t i--'-.'.1 The Manuherikia River, Merabarn.Hills, Butcherst • ■ ■• . and other, gullies, chiefly support the lower township, \ -and a large quantity .of gold is sold thfere from, these .localities. In quite an opposite direction , andfifteen • miles .north ,irom .this,.is the K^warau, but from -which, very little gold is being obtained at present, in consequence, of its flofide^ .nature. Its tributaries .hold a population of about one hundred miners. This place promise'ii, however,-, to become a good centre,' aud gold is known, to,exist;in considerable quantities' •in places at pi-e«ent. unapproachable, besides* inferior , ground at present, neglected. 1 ..-'-•.-■; '> ■.-..< v I :' <l Later and authentic information is* to hand'frojn" : , fcha Lake district. They .outvie aH previous accouritj^. andgolc is spoken.of .being' obtained by the jbiicket-' v : . 'lull.,; New discoveries .richer than any of the former■..' ! one 3 .are announced, in^ the, gtUlies and tributaries bf ? •I ■■■'. .boththe Arrow,and.SMt-oveE-liivers. Thi terraciiv ■;• .workings are turning .Qutsomfe splendid heavy^Tsolia- -••■-: -water-worn goldj^whilej'the rivers contain 1 ***n^"gordr"or of "a nfore affgulaf".Jttfd flfttaestrfp^ion;, ;■.; Ji i ;«0 (bottoia oftJie^flwor||ings v is;cQnsideTa4blyK^ tbaa the uresent water level, and this hefghtjisataled^ .at Cabottt ;tweiity feet* / X>» ivjng into/the banks"ofihel Arrow is giving employment to large numbers wait-, ing for the "subsidence of .the river, and at the same" time "shepherding"..their claims. The great basin' of the Wakatip is said to be auriferous throughout, - ahd that the most trivial. exertions~are only required to find gold; It is t more than probable—ana I this', knowledge \ acquire from answers to questions put. ■ .to experienced nsinejs -that heavier gold than mat procured in the lower levels will before long be,found* in the jujch tanges.that bound tufa*vast valley." I base ,this opinion, upon'grounds too extended for dissussioja\ ' in t this article.... Tho; fiwt iof t,heavy gold beihg found; ia the highest portions of the Snowy Rangesiwithin afew miles of -the towpship, \ & \- 'to • , make the inquiries I have done ,regarding 4 the" '- ' cJjil»»B' of .mountains that enolwe the Wakatip - .RQkl fie.l«l. A party of old Waipori mintra ore pros, . .•• . pecting the .Saddle Kangej that dividts the .W'akario and \\anaku,.and ai-e confident of success. They • • [have found-auHfeious quartz in several place's They are experienced reefers who have wbrlted on" • »'., TaruaguHa .and luglewood reefs^since ( thefr* com- . - .jnencemTnt.. The.** Nevis " haajalready jsffawn cvi-! • ft-rcnce of being quarts bearing'; and w& Have now t r," / gain,* :m the rnnge just referred to x on theevidence *~: - m fhorgttihJy practical men* a further, proof of "aari.' . nf, * .^e/Ousignartz^etoaUng f,n,this p&T> of the, pfovifice.->' V! The more rapid.development of-thw new distelcfe is. on ill} Jjand--t'jufowecl to r be, difiiculty of iproeutaoff« ' provisjQUf in Hj«lfthbminer:%timels thus' fost, anutliey would rather dohnythiuff than tramp after them. They do not care for a long journey in search of payable ground, but when once settled ciown they have a strong oloection to running tfwt tjwir «tuQkw " The yri^of goo^s is stafcd to

i *!4^|feji^^|#|^p#il^ic|r]iS:#lit#S# r|§a|i^fir^'li^a^a^^gOTifo;.f^c^t^jrdp^r^ ;iae-^j^tijpy r^P^^il w#l'y:fiTO!^l^JanWthJnc^^ ei&Kt ■ and:; %elvep;niile3l" tc^^b^itKi^*^^ „ #r&4nile&/\j#^ dwd? anUse^n^tKrSe Mle^^^lpp^t^^ffbaid; , <6xcept'jth€i-la^fe^jaulesJv^S? ;:':'^.St^p^^l'^ : .iV^»^;Qam.ara::i«|^akins:*oM^^ . #w^fi%xnae^;Jl^<Wilkin i .fmUesi;o!';ii£ ; pa^Bor?es wlI-b^reMrMifiiftt ; jtotaUone.hundrp a^ ; ;roa^thrpughou^ f ;,.l;^!;>.';"> !:'t!^C;'.^^'J.l-- '* '■' • : %in^^Mjih&^a^ frovii i^ence^!l£e;Q^^ona eig&een mileg^ j^s.rivi^ '^acrioss;;:the*ranges?to th^'d^gingl; %6tal/^m^y- ■ 'three mileW .'" •■ -.^^::'-^^::; -id.,**.£, .••.^i<:\ \ ;■■-■> ' Gobb's coach i»uldgo^within of the rush by-this route, if anV6'utlayj:oi'-'al)put^onel'th|bu--Band ppnnds,fa*/the*mpst,"was expended upon cut-' ,ting a fe^* sMlings; small; culverts.,'; In/thelast case the! longest road is, giv^n, a shorter;one exisH for pack ho^es^;*' '■;;■; To 'Bracken's rush; rand :the|resh ground bpening ; arouhdi^ )%i would ;f be' impossible .^to: get: Wsupplies via. Ihyercargill, unles^ they l^re packed over somei heavy ranges;;; Mr Bracken ;speak9i of another": larere^ gully-having been disepvered, but:he is not • jMquainted^withthejparticuto ' --; . riiate this afternoon some:^men'iapplJedTdr'ji.pros^"' pecting claim fer hill sinking'on tKe/M'Sraburn, near "thei Msinuherikia ; Junction: ';;,.TheV Jpmpe^'''dbtained'" would give theidj^according fot"jeirstatemeril; f f about an ounce a. man a week.i.'lf^his is all, the ground is T«6t;.'wprth working, but the.;men state they expet to hi something better.sopn.>lfci9> however, a valuable; , iiidication'in another respect, and shows- that v when the 'richer surface and- river -deposits"are"'.-; coinpara-' tively•*. exhausted;'-"^h'e :Hma^e.:^illß';a«d'/terraces.'wili ; aftortl a more permanent fieldfpr operations; L'lter, still A. CampbeU a"nd^partv applied for a prospecting claim in a gully fully as large and almost resembling jGabriei'B., 'J.ust'j^'tbe'y_.:'faad'..bottpmeci:and succeeded in: striking^ gold," they were 1 discovered/ and had to rush in, immediately,to secure an extended "claim. Prospect bbMned^sixdwts. The menbeHeyetheyjhave found ground that will employ; eight to "ten thousand people,. It, .is eighreen miles fromi'the^ camp,tin a' Bpiitherly direction,.•■and in'a portion■of the country' very little tried. Surpassing aay; other discovery is one made by ; two men who 'were; $06 late; to see the' Commissioners. They have six pounds weight of; nuggets and coarse gold. They say the' ground will carry^a consideriible population, and they . believe they have found the riclieic place of any yet opened about the Dunstan. The gold has a •'*/ shhde'' of quartz- allied with it; but it isthe peculisir shape of it" that' attracts, so much attention. The n\iggefe weigh from half ah ounce to three, ounces each," Some of the lr.rgest arej almost an .irregular; squared and though solid, are, [ covered with a fret work of small .pieces,.as if .cemented or glued to the frame ! The gold is puriaT and clean- No further information i< obtainable" till Monday,: but Mrr Betham, the Gold ]ieceiver, : believe3 it comes from the Carricka,' having. a- piece something similar .to the square blocks in his possession that, canie from these ranges.; Much excitement prevails about this to-night, but;qnles9ithe.bank 'discloses the information, people will have'to yait, quietly until the prospecting, applicationhas beeiQ^decided upon. : 1 .• In contrast to these really! practical^ r^'siilts, a vague rumour has been jn circulation of a vefy rich ! discovery on the Inyercargill side. The man who .brought the news; told ..the. manager of the Bank of ;New,;Zealand that; they were picking up gold by '. bucketfuls. As, he canlgive ho precise information or 1 particulars about the locality, ;&c;, it is genehilly be- ; iieved that^he has grossly'exaggerated sbme new discovery that may have been made. T V ' 1 . The deposits at the Treasury haye been Verylarge 1 to-day v most of the parcels, exceeding fifty ounces . each. The total amount deposited to' date iby th« miners is apout .2,300 Ounces; the >anks are likely to 1 send in about 10,000 ounces, and jthe;depbsits' of Monday willprobably bring up the;figure to 13,S00Pzs which will be a small increase upon : the\last emoyt Had » the gold come in from • the Lake country, the amount would, have considerably exceeded: thw; as it is, how--1 ever, it shows a very healthy state of affairs: ■ ■;''^ FHI-^ ali<».3!r%ujyjor:gpld Office is almost in ' ribands, arid: no miner,.however humble, would live in it; he would feel disgraced in'owning it. '' i>i Mp>r'St# Joftn Branigan is paying us a visit, and, > ; like Mr ryke. isalso bound for the attractive valleys of^hewest;- Itis to be hoped all bur leading men will take the initiative, and in turn pay a visit to this ■ new golden land. -It-will amply repay the trouble, • and. though no unnecessary f>fus3" will be made • about them, their presence will t*e> cheerfully acknow- ', ledged, and a quiet welcomeigivfen. . J \ -, , -.- -1 ;,The.weather has beeni Very;"changeable, and cold blasting, .winds have .prevailed during the last few I. days. ; Colds are pretty .prevalent, and your! correspondent must claim ; the: indulgence of your : for a poor wejek's work in consequence of \ having L been laid ; ;the''in^ 1 most instances, to rely'upon others for his informai, tion, rather than upon his own observations. ' ■■• 1 , The population is very orderly, and the prekence of the police.have frightened away'all the desperate • characters, :; . We therefore live in: less fear. 'The charge list at the-police court has seldom more than ■. .onecase upon.it. ".'.--V, ■';' ; ? "v

Another seriqus boat accident has occurredrdurins the past week, wliicti nearly ended in fatal The.owners of.(he boat had succeeded in bringing her up .from Dunedin up the Clutha, as far as the falls.; Here they struck a rock and thY boat Vent to pieces, one man was carried down the stream for nearly a mile, and was at last saved by the oiwner of a small bullock hide .boat, at a considerable^risk No names Lave' ; ;been given me; the man-who saved the other 5 told me the circumstances, but refused to give his name. ". . .; ■ . ;

v MrPyke, on the 4th instant, held'a raasisterial enquiry upon, the body of a miner, named I don, who Jeft .his home on the 17th' September with a pack-horse loaded.with provisions. The hbr3e and goods w«re found, a fewdays after, but the body was only recovered afew days ago. In his troupers pocket ■ wauouad. a miner s right," a deposit receipt for Ll6O and Borne gold and silver. The face and haii-waf en'- , tirely gone,..but. his mates:recpsnifJed him by his ! clotbea.; The unfortunate man had 'apparently lost i his life ia crossing a ford about two ieefe deep opposite ML Leod And Gibsons sttnr^ :He'jß said by his mates to have been a yery^nervous man, and had a great dislike io^cross .this^foM,vuDr ;P6k; pwved that rid signs ot on hisbbrly, and,considered* the.cause of death to arisefrom drowhme; * v Tr J 1*0"? Oommittee^^ have, collected about three hundred pouruls. m; cash, \ and have other , largef Theprbgramme Vi Fo^!se3 is not^^sufficiently(forward>ettoipublish,•■'•-■, . '■* ...;! ;:,; J ''^f-*■-;.-)•;■.i;.,, ..,.,■'. m The ; usual business reports' ML U forwarded by' Cobb's coach mrMonday. .;'; ;-' I ■':■,-.■■ v,v9% ?f *¥9 5% fearful JJuiistaii 'dust storm*; has piawnall this aft«rnoori;,and all the^storesand houaes had to be closed for seyeral.hours. The "wind, sweeping the gorge of the rive^.earaes along it its sandy,beach in perfect clou Is. ,":':;,,;;:: ' .-.*. 3 -.:, J-

Hartley Towaship, m klnt . . 1± 6th December* 1862. " /¥ c.lv"in mining matters noticed has pjjpved but a brief owe, and once more are we all placed on the qmvivebj.ihQ reports of fresh disc verier and the' accounts that .reach us from the Lake district' Pack horses and,men crowd the.main at'eet during- the day, but at njgbt it becomes, comparatively speaTrinedeserted. Permanent and extensive buildings are springing up, and already .we possess -four or five substantial stores that would not be a disgrace to v 'Sergeapt-Mojor Brackea has returnej from the^ SSLm* helaTld7eP<>rts vejy favorably. .This inde-; 'SS^ £ io£5 cer re^ ort9 %* on hia-amval'therehe m«h V^ order' axvi -wwaywiik prevalent, and-that a' S T'PJ) !s ary."««»w^f p Koiug. about anAjumping jportions cf^he,.richest claims, >on,the grQufad that l< .two- men s claim was-sufficient.- -He tß ettled<a>lorae aambai of disputes >by,purging -thcplan of getting theminew to appomtdisinterestea assessors.! Ictiue 'as aii arbitrator he.then explained, the; bye-laws, and ,t.»e.assessors afterwards mad> theiivdecision. -This" •imple proQeeding-gavegreat Batisfaetiqa, and was the ,m«ao8 oj dousing- correct mformation<andirestoringr also afcatea jthit ou the ShotojerRtjer the tnmers were doing .exceedingly well, ,sqme of SSS^aTh^ Mlllf h *^ a pound, weight to the tin. i*vJ « °£2» «ffl*pn-the beach.. The river As dea«;cibed,.as being nearly as large as the Molyneux/and," .was.alsa flooded rand bank fiijfh.^The, Qlairas 'here bemg .carefully-shepherded. Penny and party eg were preparing to start on a p> ospect^ng tour, totrace up thw-nycr juto the Weste.-n Moun^^s ... UTipA^^^'s B^> ft 6 Population had settled dawn and were- obtaining-,* ety-good {•old.nbv' driving into tW rivert sides, aallikeVis^by snfi2 *ten.to twelvefeeUn-the tenrsws.,^ f.y • , CiAt'Bwckeu'9 Gully upwards of a thousand people •hadl ses i«ywc«k. The,guUy^fi a jtia^^iue,one ts jmd, inclined, to 4>e patchy, but a good, many of-thfr, claims beJow 4he. prospectors ,wer«s yielding. .penny,rwegh^^P, the djsh. '.6^at,excitement pre%ifed f ana .jumping was .the. order of tlieoAjy*' i *„„.*, ,* i * - r ~ v ' , , -_ Afcjihe, Cardrona the prospectors We stiH 3 ae^it»g* ,pc asauMieavy and jseveral others- on * «ie 'hich V ferrotjes W ere,dolisg> e tj^, ; > ~ ? ,..,,, tt < ,J + vb^ 'at FoxVE°S^~ -B*"S?a * ?- I>es*^>| thi»i^c«: r ' Irt jSfimler/isek'l [copy.] «o ™° Sergeant-Major Bracken, Sißj-^The followlag is an opinion of the future prospects of tho Arrow Biver diggings, yi^—that

they trill jb"e xeniuilerative and of a'permanent char*, acter, for sometime toeome^ ft is also our opinion aa r practical joiners, tha&-'all'"the< 1 streams •witnia'thec'rflfniQfijTence of-*at leastrtwenty-milesvare, of a highly auriferous nature j. and will give employ-, ment to a great number of men^when a more copious supply of' provisions will allow of the country being thofougHtyprospeeted.'1 We are also* of opinion thaf the Shotover River t which at present is in a lloo'led state, will be the scene of extensive operations when the beaches become more accessible. ; > "Police tail aGoldfields Comraissinneris much required here. It is therefore to be "hoped that the Government will supply that great desidira' turn as at; present there is neither law or order observed by great^numbers of miners. TJieir motto is, *Letf them take who' may, and they ketfp who can.'" Great praise is due to Serjeant-Major'Bracken for' the promptitude and energy he has displayed throughout the whole matter. The packers be.;r testimony to the beneficial effec's produced\by the change.' As my own special messenger proceeds to town tomorrow, and, as it is very probable, may anticipate this, further aud detailed particulars will be forwarded by him of the other discoveries and latest news. This is forwarded merely in the event of any mishaps occurring. Two prospecting claims on the Earnselcugh have been granted, and some good yields from Adams' Gully reported. The presence of a large body of police has materially assisted to check crime, aud nothing ot a serious nature bas lately taken place.