WARDENS REPORTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 671, 11 February 1864, Page 5

WARDENS REPORTS.

We extract the following from the reports of the Gold Fields Wardens to the 10th of this month:—•

Waitahuna, 6th February,

The gale that swept through Waitahuna from the 31st ult. to the 2nd insfc, was one of the severest known to Lave taken place. It did considerable damage even to the most substantial buildings. It therefore can easily be imagined what a poor resistance was offered to the fury of the wind by " tents" and such other frail tenements. The Police quarters at the Camp were partially unroofed and the building bodily shifted from its position. At the Waipori the Camp buildings also suffered severely, the four houses there being either wholly or partially unroofed. One store—that of Mr Shadbott on the Waipori road—was turned completely over, and then blown into fragments; the proprietor congratulating himself upon saving his family in a moment before injury was inevitable. T-he population continues steady throughout the district. I received at Waipori an application for a mining lease of four acres of ground from Vial and party, who style themselves the Waipori Mining Company. The want of water is still the great drawback at Waitahuna, many in consequence being completely idle.

Mount Benger, 6th February,

Owing to the continued flooded state of the river all mining operations thereon are susf ended. A few days ago I visited the large race, which Mr Anliffe and party are constructing from the Teviob Gorge, and find that they will finish it in the course of two or three weeks. A good many miners are waiting until this race is finished to set into sluices. The heavy winds have much abated since Monday, when it blew a perfect hur riC3ne, laying low many of the huts and tents in the township here and stripping others of their thatch. The population is estimated at 1150.

Hamilton, Taieri, 6th February. A large ilumber of miners are engaged in constructing the public water race from the Catburn, which I expect to see in by next week. Three races are also in course of construjtion from the Pigburn; so that I trust water will soon cease to be a want on this gold field. The deep sinking claims are increasing rapidly, and a good prospect obtained. Population is vary orderly anl weather still continues flue.

Dunstan, February 6th.

The new rushes towards the east, to localities beyond the boundaries of this gold field as at present defined, have had the effect of reducing the population within the limits to some extent. Some very handsome looking heavy gold has been found on the lower slopes of Blackstone Hill towards the Ida Barn flit, closs to Rowlands (better known a3 Shiel's) Woolshed. It is also reported that gold has besn found at tbe very head of the iVlanuherikia, and a small rush has set in in that direction. The rush at the Dunstan Creek mentioned in my last week's report appears to have been somewhat exaggerated by rumor as regards numbers: its population being estimated on the spot at from 250 to 300. The gold is fine and is obtained in the small gullies of a spur of Mount St Bathans. Water is much in request, but a race is being brought in. A rich patch was struck last week. The diggings are spread already over a considerable tract of country. The BlacKstone Hill rush is the newest attraction. It seems possible that in a day or two the population will amount ta three or four hundred, At midday on Saturday there were about fifty miners there. There has been a good deal of excitement among the miners during the week, and a very decided rush has set towards the East to localities at or about the Manuherikia Valley. The first was to what is called the Dunstan Creek diggings. This name is rather a misnomer, for, although the diggings are not far from the Dunstan Creek, they are actually a good way up a spur of Mount St. Bathan's. Some people call the spur the Mountain Rush. The diggings are about four miles distant from the old Dunstan Creek diggings, known also as Welshman's. I visited the spot on Saturday, having started away from Clyde on the previous evening with the intention of seeing the rushes. I found the place rather quiet; iafact, I wa3 assured by one party of miners that it was only a " tucker-shop;" but against this statement I bavj to place the admission that a rich patch had been struck a few days before, higher up the spur. The workings seem to be as yet almost entirely confined to the small gullies on the sides of the spur, in each of which a narrow run of gold appears to exist. There is no water flowing down these gullies, but in taking out paddocks a little water is found— not enough for washing. The slope is very gradual, and the wa9h dirt can be carted to water, a distance of a mile, for 53 a load. Some of the stuff, it is said, does not run more than 4 or 5 dwt to the load; others of course much more. The gold is very fine and bright, and rather flaky of scaly in appearance. The wash dirt is in most claims found on a bottom of red sandy clay; but I was informed that in some claims the blue clay slate rock is exposed. Fuel is to be had within three or four miles—small dead scrub, but tolerably plentiful. When I was there, there were over a dozen business ■ places; one being fitted up as a publio house, and -doing apparently a good trade; and another, a bakery, aiso in fall work. There is an aspect of permanence about these digging 3, the gold being widely distributed. I was told that I should find diggings for nearly four miles along the range. It is expected that a race, with a large supply of water, will be com-' pleted within a month. I should mention that the place is about 37 miles from the Camp, and that there- is a good dray roai all the way, via Black's and Shiel's. On the same day, I visited the new rush at Blackstone Hill, close to Shiel's woolshed. I fouad about 50 miners on the ground, but moat of them were quite newly arrived; others were fbckinw in. Tiie workings have hitherto bsen confined to the lower part of (he little gutters that run down from Blaek*t <ne Hill to the Ida Burn Flat.. -The samples of goll I saw were heavy and ooarsa, but bright and clean. One man informed me that he had b?en working about the neighborhood for the last four month , so that it is haidly a new discovery although a new rush. The ground seems to be very patchy, some of tbe gullies only yielding gold for a few feet along their course. Water is ! scarce, and I was told that it would not pay to cart the stuff to tlw Ida Bum Creek. However

that may be, one party are packing dirt to the creek to wash. Thestufl being so patchy there can be no rule laid down. It is certain that some few persona have obtained very capital prospects. It is not known yet whether the gold runs out for any distance on to the Idaburn flat. The greatest depth at which gold has been struck is 16 feet. The bottom seems to vary—the gold being sometime found on the rock and sometimes on false bottoms. Fuel is very scarce—in fact, there is none in the immediate neigh borhooJ — the diggers having carelessly set fire to the grass, and %o destroyed what little scrub was left. Lignite of tolerable quality is, however, to be obtained at the Idaburn, about 4 milea from the diggings. The locality of these digging-; is easy of access for drays, being only about two or three miles from Hill's restaurant, on the road from Clyde to Mount Ida. It is 40 miles from Clyde by the road, or 38 for horsemen or pedestrians, who can c ross Blackstone Hill from Shiels's home station. There has been another small rush near Hill.'s restaurant, above referred to, and some few peple are understood to have done very well. The new company for sinking on the Dunstan flat have fairly commenced operations, and intend prosecuting their work with vigor. A few more miners are still showing themselves along the banks of the Molyneux, looking after their claims for the ensuiug winter. The weather during the week has been warm and fine, but

windy,