THE GOLDFIELDS OF OTAGO.

Otago Daily Times, 2 October 1865, Page 5

THE GOLDFIELDS OF OTAGO.

In our last communication on the Gold Fields of the Province, we pointed out that the excitement caused by the discovery of gold on the West Coast of Nelson and Canterbury, had been more generally felt in the Queenstown mining district than in any of the others in the country ; but it must be borne in mind that despite a rather largo exodus from the Wakatipu gold fields, mining operations have there assumed a permanent character, Minesr have been convinced of the advantage of really profitable labor ; and scores, \yho have been induced to try their fortunes on new fields, bave not forgotten the vested interests they possess on their old fields of labor. When the excitement has subsided, we shall find them returning again, and bringing with them a large number of the surplus population now at Hokitika and.on the Grfiy.

Probably the success which has attended the granting of extended claims, has acted as the greatest specific against the excitement of the West Coast rush. The Big Beach Company, tho second largest company on the Shotover river, applied some time ago fora ten'acre lease, and by means of their new cutting, nearly a mile in length of the river bed has been lwd dry. It haii proved a profitable piece

of work, and like many other river claims and extended areas, has been signally instrumental in inducing the miners to abandon the idea of a trip to the West Coast, where: fortune may fail to smile as at present,on their labors.

There can be no donbt that the granting of extended claims is a great boon to all engaged, and it has brought with it an outlay of labor and money wbich the operatives would not be justified in expending upon smaller claims. It is stated by Mr Wright, that' wherever water is plentifully obtained, terrace ground proved the most profitable of any. Both onthe Cardrona terraces and thoae of the Upper Shotover, tbe jields have been uniformly good; and where a constant supply of water is obtainable the wages may be estimated at LlO per man per week In many parts, where there is a scarcity of water, or where the drift deposits are too deep to be profitably worked, tunnelling i 3 being energetically pursued. In the process of working the terrace formation of this part ofthe country, several leads of gold have been discovered. At the Twelvemile Creek, and between it and the Eightmile, Arrow, one has been struck several hundred feet above the prey nt level of the river. It would appear to have formed at one time the bed of the stream; but the lead ia not continuous, being broken by the intersection of numerous gullies that have apparently cut their way across it. On the terrace ground of the Cardrona, also, a lead bas been traced beneath a stupendous slip, wbich seems to have been deposited by water over the original course of the Cardrona Creek.

The immense extent of terrace lands in the Queenstown district, as well aa on either bank of the Cardrona river, cannot fail to give remunerative employment, for many years to come, to a large mining population. The steady progress which characterises sluicing operations, points undeniably to the extrtme richness of these terrace drifts, while tile frequent dLcovery of rich leads during the process of working, is a great inducement to the miners for carrying on their labors on the most systematic and extensive methods.

Some of the terrace formations to which we have alluded, cannot be advanta.cously wrought by sluicing alone. At Pleasant Creek, for example, it was found necessary to combine sluichi. and tunneling. The earih fro.* the tunnel is run out on a tramway, through which means trucks are brought to the mouth of a shoot, which falls about 130 feet to the creek, down which the auriferous dirt is emptied to a race below. The reason tbat this system is adopted is on account of the dip of the reck falling to the hill, giving the ground the" appearance of having been a complete basin, which renders tbe use of water impracticable.

"" Tbe extent to which water-races have heen constructed, gives a very fair idea of the progress of development on this goldfield. According to Mr Wright's able report to the Secretary fot the Gold Fields, 22,307 chains of races have been cut, and he estimates tbem at the value of L .0,000 sterling. This is almost double the value of any of N the races to which, we have directed attention, in our discussion of the statistics of tbe several mining districts of the Province. Taking the number of persons engaged in mining pursuits at 1229, the value per head for rases alone would amount to .oinetbing over L3O. There appear to be no new schemes for water races carried ont of late in the Queenstown district, the most available sources having been all taken up. Anything further will require more labor and capital than the individual miner, as a rule, can command. A fair field is, bowever, open for the investment of capital on such works, and if it were possible to construct races tbat would reach the higher drift-beds there is not the slightest doubt but such investments would be returned with large profits. With reference to Quartz workings, the principal reefs arc being energetically worked, and when the primitive method adopted for extracting the gold, is taken into consideration, the yield may truly be regarded as wonderful. The extension of the Scandinavian Ileef has been incontcstibly proved, for two miles towards the Shotover River, eastward, and also same distance westward, and at the date of the last reports, the stone raised produced from 6to Bozs per ton. Thia is an exceedingly higb average, and will doubtlea cause capitalists to come forward and aid in the development of this most important branch of gold mining industry. In fact we are a.ured that several Arrow prospectors are endeavoring to establish a company of twenty iv shares of LIOO each ; but whether they have succeededin the entrprise or not, we are uable to speak with any degree of certainty. Certain it is, that if thia reef had been discovered in Victoria, , there would not lack thousands of capitilisls to take advantage of bo promising a speculation. The latest information wbich we are in possession of regarding the " Homeward Bound " and the" British and American Companies," is cheering in the extreme. The former of these are making a. new paddock for their stone, and their crashing plant wiil soon be on the spot, while the latter are erecting their fluming and making ready for their re .chinery, . which ia duly expected from Queenstown. We ma y, therefore, rest assured, tbat before long quartz mining in this country will assume an importance quite equal to that iv Victoria, where, a' 'n all gold bearingcountries, it was thelast method resorted to tor the extraction of the precious metal. At the present state of affairs, then, we might at least say, that the prospect of this branch of gold mining, is: in every way promising.

I-Tabrow Escape or Tw_nt_ CniLDKEjf. -—On Friday last, a little boy, about fen years old, with two others, entered the shop of Mts Crowe, chemist, Tredegar, to make some trifling purchase, and, unobserved, took away a bottle containing caustic. Believing the consents of the bottle were sweets, the boy distributed the caustic to his companions, ahd twenty other children, but.seeing one another's lips turn black,: and some of the children feeling a burning in the throat, they began to cry. Fortunately none bad swallowed sufficient to'cause death, though several were.much frightened, and suffered a little from the effects of the chemical. On being taken before the magistrate, Mrs Crowe did "not press the charge of theft, and after receiving an admonition the culprit was dis-chirged.—G/t-oe, June 7, ; fifi }

RESIDENT! MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Sat-Kdat, 30th S_p_em_e_. (Before A. C. Strode, £sq, R.M. Dsoitk Akd Dmo_de__y.—There was an adjourned charge against George Aitkenhead tor having been drunk. On the previous day the constable stated positively that the defendant was druuk. He now called Sergeant-Major Grennan, who stated that from tbe conduct of the defendant and the filthy lanaungewhich he was waking use of in the celli he had not the slightest doubt tbat the defendant was drunk. He was fined 20s, or forty-eight hours' imprisonment. John Attsley was charged with making use of obscene language in a public place. He was fined 20s and costs, or three days' imprisoment. Koßuii*. a Fow_.jio.sk. -— Three young boys, named Charles Wilkins, Timothy Wilkins, and William Wheeler, were charged with stealing a quantity ol egs;s of the value of 2a 6d from the fowl-house of Mrs Anderson, on the 29 th inst. William Wheeler, the oldest of the three, denied stealing the eggs, but said that, he broke a hole in the fence and put little Wilkins through it. Charles Wilkins admitted having taken one egg, but Timothy Wilkins denied having taken any. The Commissioner of Police sard it was known that the father of the two youngest boys sent them oot from morning tonight to prowl around the yards in the neighborhood of George street, and to bring home bottles or anything else they could pick up. If the Magistrate thought it necessary he would send for the father of the two boys. The Magistrate assented to thia-,' and while the constable was absent, he said there was no doubt that Wheeler was the primary cause of the offence, by breaking the fence and enticing the younger boy to go through and fetch the eggs. He regretted to have to send such a young boy to prison to herd with criminals, and he wished tbat an act which was recently introduced into the Assembly was passed, because it would enable him to deal with thess young offenders in another manner. But as he was bound to protect the property of the public against depredation*? of this nature, he would send the boy Wheeler to gaol for one week. In answer to the Magistrate the gaoler, Mr Stoddart, said he thought he would be able to keep this boy by himself. The. constable returned with the father of the two boys named Wilkins. Constable Mally said lie had f cquently seen these two boys out as early as five o'clock in the morning, picking up anything they could find about neighbours' yards. Frequent complaints h_d been made against them for stealing. The father of the boys said he never allowed his children to go out of his house before they got their breakfasts at nine o'clock. Mr Ward said hehad frcqmntly seen these two boys out early in the "morning, staggering under the weight of heavy loads of bottles. The Magistrate, addressing the Father, said: You are most unfeeling to drive these little boys out at that i our in the morning to plunder and thieve for your support. You are unworthy of the name of man. I should like to get hold of you, and I shall make it a caution to you. just bring yourself within the pale of the law and I will remember you. I could not think to punish these little creatures for the faults of their father. Take them away home. A Diso_de__y House.—John Wilk*, alias " Brummy," was cbargtd under the Vagrant Ordinance with being the occupier of a house in Rattray street, frequented by convicted thieves and other bad characters. Mr Ward appeared for the defendant, and stated that he was not the occupier of the house referred to, but if all that the police wanted was that the defendant should not live in or associate with the persons who kept that house, he would undertake no longer to do so. The Commissioner of Police said he merely wished to repress a house which was frequented by nearly all tbe thieves in tbe Province when they were in town. If the defendant undertook to break up the house anl leave it within twenty-four hours, that \to aii he wanted. Mr Ward guaranteed tbat tbe house would be broken up, and the defendant and the other persons living in it would leave it during the course of Monday. The prisoner promised to see this done. The Magistrate: Well, you are discharged, but if you do not clear out of the house, as promised, another information will belaid against you on Tuesday morning, and " I will let you have it."