WARDEN'S REPORTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 652, 28 May 1864, Page 5

WARDEN'S REPORTS.

From the Gold Fields, Warden's reports are to hand to the 14th instant aa follows :—

Wakatip, 7ch May. -I scarcely know if I should be correct in including the rush to the Pelorus under the head of a new rush. A considerable number of the miners are, however, leaving for it. Ido not anticipate a lengthened stay for them in that portion of New Zealand during the winter months, as from my own prevent knowledge of the district I should say that its rain fall most be at least five times aa great as that of this portion of the Province. The river there will maintain throughout the winter a height for at least 10 or 12 feet above (he summer level, and I should say will . be at any rate only partially workable till the mbntty of December. In this district I cannot bat expteiK my opinion that, , when ths nver shall have been fairly worked out— l mean worked out aa far as small claims are concerned <,for it will, ere long, or I km greatly mistaken, be worked to advantage on a more extended scale), I say that when small parties have found that it is, except in isolated cases, more than they can successfully contend with, and have turned their attention to the numerous terraces which abound on its banks, and that of its tributary creeks—then the real prosperity of the district will commence. The men are finding- this out now on the banks and terraces ot the numerons creeks and races emptying into the Lake from Queenstown to the Buckler Burn : also on Moke Greek and Moonlieht Fiat. The weather still beautifull y fine. The population is about 3530, of whom 2400 are miners.

Nokomax, May 7th.— The esvore weather just set la will, I expect, drive many away from the Nevis. Population, 2447, of whom about 120 are not engaged in mining.

Mandhbrikia, May 14th.— -The exodus to the Pelorus Gold Field has to a certsin extent stagnated the mining operations of this district. 4 good population,- however, continues oa the Molynenx bank*, and especially at Twelve and Fourteen Mile Beach, where good returns are being obtained. Chappie and party's water-race.

which commences near Sheenan's Station, and terminates at ibe Manuherikia, will very shortly be competed ; and. no doubt, the quality of cne ffround in that lo'alitv will be fully tested- In the event of its proving sufficiently payable there is no doubt but a large population will settle down for a length of time. GabkibiTs. 14th May.— The population ha* lately eon-i<ferab!y declined owing to the Pietoa rush, which from this district has, 1 think, now ceased. There are about 808 miners here, and 500 otherwise emplojed. Mount Bbngbr, I4th May.— The weather his been unsettled. During the week the rmr has fallen several feet, but disappointment is felt amongst the miners at the sluggish way sin v receding-, and I regret to say that the population has continued to decrease— partly in consequence, and partly by reason of the reporced discoveries m toe North. A jeoodly number of miners continue to shepherd the beach claims— others haw obtained protection and gone into the ranges. Those miners engaged in sluicing are generally contented and stick to their claims, and as a raw these claims are lisipg in value. There are one or two places along the river in this district where ' parties are engaged in working what have been apparently old beds of the river, and are 1 doing . well, particularly at Horse Shoe Bend and ft place a slioifdistaneo above the Beaumont Burn. The work in these places is generally heavy, but the men are oatisfied with the results, and are settling down to it, applying for extended claims and re- < sidence grants. Hiding along the new Government road the other day, ailapproached the Beaumont Flat, I observed a party of 8 or 10 men at work ma gaily branching off from the road, about a mile # trom the ferry, who admitted they wsre making a little over tucker. The country all, around where these men were working looks a likely country for gold, and has been very little tried. Hamilton's, Way 14.— At" Hindon several cases of individual success are reported at Prasert Greek, Ormand and party taking down 8 ounce weight of cold, and Callaghan found a" twelveounce and eight-ounce nugget. At Hamilton's, some of the extended claims are turning oat well, and a capital supply of water is now on the ground. The Mount Ida Ranges are covered with snow. Dunstan, 14th May.— The rush fever has not been unfelt in this district. Many miners have within the past week started fox Marlborough, and unless the river falls very suddenly more will doubtless follow their example. A good many business people also are on the move. It is satisfactory, however, to note that many of the miners who are leaving are getting good prices for thfir c'aims from persons who prefer to watch, the going down of the Molyneux rather than the rising of ilia Wakamarina. In fact, some look ,upon it that thpy may stay oat the winter where they are, get what is to be had from the Molyneux, and still manpgs to arrive at the Wakamarina river in time iav the proper season tor working it. The weatf er during the past weekhas been very disagreeable. A good deal of snow his fallen oa the ranges. The river continues to fall. Nokosiai, May 14 —During the week several ' parties have come in from the Dunstan and other districts ; but on the other hand, the accounts from the North have slightly influenced the population, so that on the whole, 1 think I am safe in estimating it about tbe same as last week. WAKATiPtr, May 14. —The weather still continues fine good working- weather, warm days and' clear cold nights. Mining news much the sime as ray last report. The news from the Hucklerburn and the Lake rivers are most satisfactory. Sluicing appears to be carried on at Fox'a. the Twelve Mile, and Moke Creek, with a very satisfactory result, and numerous applications for amalgamation of claims by parties whs desire to employ combined labor, have been reoeived. This is a method of working " which, when applied to sluicing claims, will produce good results. Upper Shotoveb, May 14.— 1 have the honor to report that the river is again sufficiently low to allow of work being done in the bed. . The returns have been very satisfactory indeed, and many claims are fabulously rich. For instance; in the Perfect Cure claim—on Jack B. B.s Beach, held by fourteen shareholders, the yield for three days' work last week, was the large quantity of 600 oz. Previous to that, and within the last three weeks, the yield has been 1800 os. This week the yield ia expected to be greater, as oh Thursday they had between 500 and600 ounces on hand. Full shares were disposed of a few days previous to the gold being struck, for L2O. The prospects from claims on the sane beach are equally good, bat the workings are not so far advanced. Between Maori Point and the Sand Hills, the claims that have bottomed an turning out well, and the minen are working with vigor, the owners of them in many cases having constructed expensive undershot water wheels, to work the pumps, thereby saving aa immense amount of manual labor, the coat of which has hitherto been the great drawback to ordinary claims paying welll At Shellback Beach (Tyree and party** data) aa exghsfo piece of work has just been oommenced^ The shareholders, after having contended ttiMmaumerable difficulties for' fourteen' nVontJa^rlava now come to the'ebndasion,, that^tHdofiMway they can successfully : divert tie itJttJafrai by cutting iiunKel through > iibiit W ? BW»kffl round whi<?hithe'riT«r *w^p|^ "Ww^inc they can dry fauVm x tmfsW^wm.t& stream. The dfmeniWns 'of, tn¥{nS»lKße v follows : T Fram ISO to 14$ fMt n lh^ ffi"«lid rock, 41 feet wide, &ndB feet HighlfTfi&Miiid has been proved and found wbe ripnTrlTke quarts reef in Skipper's Gully, yields Mnio% 10 ' ounces to the ton. The machbierj J ltfti/'fi|bai perfect. The motive power is wateramwnoa four stampers which are not Kept reguTHJy at work. Still the owners have obtained taSSW to 100 ounces per week. : r MA.RRIA9EABMB MIBTBKajH, AMD Bf AloB.— The only hypocrisy, both in young ladies add in their parents, is to pretend that marriage ia tfct last thing they think of. It stands first, middle, and last in female life, and as. things are. w suppose these things, are best left to you** people. If it 19 so upstairs, it it so downttainu Now it is seriously meant that tbe miiiress should act matron, chaperone, or duenna tq her housemaids, and counsel them in the difficult choice between the butcher and tbe baker, or suggest those little arts by which a baehM policeman may be brought to the , propoti«ff point? Became, when misstrewea are teoote* mendei seriously to display an intereatin tkefr servant*' affiurs and welfare, either thi* is wbat is meat* not.—" Saturday Eevi«w>