HAMILTON'S.

Otago Witness, Issue 654, 11 June 1864, Page 19

HAMILTON'S.

(fbom teb dailt times cohhespoitdekt.) „, , . Hamilton's, 30th Mny, 1864 Hamilton s, in common with most of the other diggings, is having its diminished population replenished by the return of the wanderers from JPicton, but more especially as an advanced guard by those who cautiously awaited ia Dunedin boarding houses the news thence. Many parties have already made their appearance, but more are turning their footsteps towards the Bight and Twelve-mile rushes, where there is more solid &° an .rf ar f ww 1 " 1"1 "* 1 * occupying the claims they abandoned. Strangely enough, the news ftoro the Pelorus, considered so dishearteniae by non-diggere, and who can consequently look with more dispassionate eyes into the details and i analyse the good frotn the bad, has not deterred f,/ e J P ar * ies g°™ tWnkim? there are grand things to be still done, and sangnine creatures iwi? 7 are> thw are off to Pioton oniy to (well the receipts of the shipping firms in time have heard maay any they intend, ahould they not be successful] at Picton, to go prospecting in the Nelatn territory, as they think that will torn

out a large field some time j they do not, however, consider the rough inhospitable ountry they have to traverse, and the niter want of even nndle tracks through thn mountain ranges. One would think Pbtou and its want of communication by road bad enough, but Nelson more so. Uiggers are certainly strange characters, always looking at the bright side, never at the obverse. During the last week things have been very steadily progres-inpr, and eve-y day one walks up the hillside shows the power water hab, in the huge gaps, existing and increasing in the extended claims. All who possibly can are ground -si uiji(i£, an<t the rel;ara9 are, I liops, as good as the operators could desire. The water races are now ia full fl)w, although from the sparse soil on the irountain sides the loose rocks occasionally still come down and cause damage to the chmels. and particularly flunnng. The United Company's race has twice this week been stopped through this, and a'though temporary damage has been done to it, and the Per^everanco Company, still it is vexatious.that after all Ihe trouble and labtor each of these large parties has gone to, the natural defects of the soil should embarrass them so much. Shortly, however, all these annoyances will be removed, and they and the general body of miners will not be exposed to the -want of the wherewithal to profitably work their claims Hyde.— Hyde was visited by the Wardens on the 26th (Thursday), and several applications heard, including three applications for water rights from the same creek, in creeks by three different par ties. One had not complied with the mining regula'ious about posting notices, and the other two case* were heard together. The IVebh party who brought the first water race into the then " Eight-mile Rush," were opposed by a lon» array of miners' naans attachel to a petition to the Warden asking that a monopoly of water should not be granted them, and consequently, on the principle of doing the lar^fst amount oi good to the general body of miners, the application for further water rights, was dismissed in the WeNhraau's cisc, and given to the third party. Two jumping ca3B? were disposed of, and several summonses, both ia the Besident and Warden's Court granted, bat on the whole, Hyde in common with Hamilton's, seems to have a quiet and orderly population. A shepherd named M'Crae, well known in connection with the Fullarton's. a deep Binking rush, on Snxton's run.^ hadhis tent burnt down last week, and one of his children narrowly escaped being burnt to death. Mr M'Crae, who, with a man also on the station, was tTie only ope in the hou3B at the time, eshibite.l a great deal of presence of mind on the occ sion, much more so than the man from all accounts. As previously notei, the population on both this fipld nnd the other side of thetown is daily increasing, and will soon be up to its former mark. SEBfBNT.NB.— At the Serpentine diggings, notwithstanding the inclement weather th ] re during the winter, about two hundred and fifty miners are hard at work, and earning pretty fair wages. Ido not think the population will increase to any extent till the spring, when a large rush will more than likely set in. Tlie snow lies heavily on the ground, and tha aoproaches are bad, the fountry about being swampy in character. The gold obtained is rough ami shotty dark in color, and evidently raixsd with some alloy, as the figure given by the banks dosa not exceed 71s per oz The Government intend erecting enow poles from the Drunken Woman's Oreek to the digsfinp, a distance of about tw miles, Thia in the winter will servs to (juidw the miners with more safety than la<t winter, when, it may be roraerabered by your readers, several miners were very severely f, o<t bittpn on the wav to and from the Dunslan. The district, which has be&n at one time un 'er the War-ten at Mount Benger, nnd at another under the Warden at thp Manuherikia, lias baen lately permanently a<'ded totheMready v?ry extend ye district, under tho supervision °f Mr Warden Broari of thia pine (Hamilton's), and will give satisfaction to the miners tlio, Jivimr in a kiwi ot " debitrablc srivmnd," wore ivt sure who was the proper officer to apiJy to for ndvice, and reJress if nece3Bttry. A heavy f;i!l of snow took pVe cm Saturfav here, c-mm^ncing nbout five in the afternoon and ending about nine, during whijb the ground wax covered about three inches thick— Hns tune t!i- Maniatoto Plain dM not escape Hy.lt^wni even more densely cove<-e-l, but, lik° Hamilton.*, was speedily c'eKrcd bythesun'a r.iys. sothMton Monday, at. mil-day, the only tra"v« we-e to b5 «ecu i>- amall pat-he* on fie summit* of the -aosTe*. Tun Mount Td« hill* an -til! white, the snow evidently remiining longer there than wit i ua. A line lienite bed-a desideratum lontr anxiously sought for— was discovered the day mV kst Je ter was despatched, ia the b?d of a creek, at the bottom of th« township, on the oil dray track to Hyde, and a h-df acre section applied for by Proctor Bailey. The seam is covered with gravel, through -which the water percolates on to the lienite, making it rather damp at present, and difficult to burn, bat as the men go deeper down, the second layer is firmer, and burns witb more brilliancy. I am informed that it is superior to the Hogburn coal, having lessof the unpleasant and sulphureous smell, A good deal of stripping is nece?swy in some places, about eight feet. It will prove a great boon to the inhabitants, as firing was previously very dear. This is aold at the pit's mouth at 30s per ton, or 40s delivered on the township. The discoverers are also the proprietors of the first puddling machine erected on these diggings, close on completion, the contractor (B&iley) being an old puddlerfrom Campbell's Creek, in Victoria— a large channel has been cut, and all the works will shortly, I hope, turn them out good wages. The Bank of New South Wales building is up, made of zinc, and erected close to the Union Bank of Australia, who are also adding to their premises, making all snug for the Winter. M'Gnffin Brothers are also adding to their premises, proving that they anticipate a moderately good winter's trade. Everything quiet here at present, no rows or disturbances to note, and all seeming to make the most of the short days.