HAMILTON'S.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 848, 9 September 1864, Page 6

HAMILTON'S.

(from our own correspondent.)

THE SOWBURN RUSH.

Hamilton's, sth September.

The rush to the Sowbuni' has abated very little these last three days, and numbers have passed through this on their way thither from Hyde. I must here say that the news is not ar all so satisfactory as one could wish ; and almost everyone you meet has a different yarn about the value, or otherwise, of the discovery. I think there can be little doubt that the character of the ground is very patchy, and that mauy tioies " the knowing ones" in gold mining are thrown out of their reckoning:, by the "duffing" holes they come upon in places where they thought to have struck heavily. Several claims are getting good gold ; but as a general deduction I must say the Sowhurn has not realised the hopes entertained ot if, even a few days ago; and I think I shall have shortly to chronicle the departure of many of the seven hundred who have so quickly assembled on the ground. The township has had many additions these last three clays, and a regular street lias been formed, but not in the line chosen by Mr Broad on his last, visit to the ru«h. The .storekeepers have a great idea of keeping aloneside of the diggers, to the di-quietude of some sober-sided miners, one of whom a few days ago bitterly complained that he*had been six months on the Sowhurn ; had pitched his tent aad built a fire place, and was very snug, and, when what should he have Jtor a neighbor but a publican, within three feet of his door, He thought, he could move the " public," on account of being a bad neighbor, but was much disappointed when he was informed h« could not. This man reminds one of the Old Identities, who wre so comfortable and happy till the hardy diggers and Victorians came—and then, good bye happiness. The escort went cown last Saturday, with 27900z. gold—a large increase on the two other last ones. A laree portion of this came from Dunstan Creek, where the diggers are doing very well. The weather has liad a change for the worse, and now stems likely to continue bad for some time. Many have remarked that nowhere in Victoria have they experienced such fine weather as we have had these last six months, and more; ia tact, with the exception of a few snowy days, we cannot be said to have had winter at all.

Hyde.—A short time ago, a sum of money was subscribed, at a public meeting at Hyde.to form a Prospecting As-ociation, within a radius of three miles from the township. Four men were chosen as the parties to whom the honors of exploration were to be accorded; and they have not been long in finding payable gold, for on Mr Warden Broad's visit to fivde, on Saturday, 3rd instant, they had come in to make application for a prospecting claim, the particulars of which I now send you- A claim 146 feet x 74 fett was granted to them. The miners, names are—Benjamin Campbell. Antonio Manuel, John Dillon, William Crump. The loca'ity where the gold was struck is on the summit of a high made hill about 2£ joules from Hyde on the way to Hamilton's, and in a northerly direction, and about, three quarters of a mile from the Capburn Creek. The depth of sinking is from eight to thirty-four feet through gravel, the wash dut of rotten slate lying to » depth of 18 inches on a pipeclay bottom and slate reef. The prospectors sunk ten holes and fouud two payable—in one they got six grains to the dish, and in the other, after driving from eight and nine inches got one pennyweight to the dishi the shaft eight feet deep. Water is plentiful in a gully at the foot of the hill, and a water race runnni? into Byde is about 400 yards distant. Immediately the news was made known a great rush was male for the spot, and before dark over 200 men had marked off claims on the hill, AH around the hill (which is a "made" one) «xist any quantity of narrow gullies, which the prospectors expect will, turn out auriferous. Of course I cannot give any particulass as to the success or otherwise of the miners who have rushed to this place, as no holes have been yet sunk save those by Campbell and party. -The survey of the township, on the fiat beyond the Camp, by Mr Mackenzie, still continues, but it is doubttul whether auy of the inhabitants will move there till compelled by the diggers sinking before their doors, as threatened in the application by Gillespie and party for extended ground in the main street, buc.they put io no appearance on the day of hearing.