WARDENS' REPORTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 657, 2 July 1864, Page 11

WARDENS' REPORTS.

Wardens' reports have been received from th« gold fields to the 25th June as Mows :—

DtTNSTAK, 25th June. -The weather during the week has on the whole been very cold but fine, with the exceptiou of Friday night, whioh was wet. The rivers have been steadily falling. Business has in consequence been rather more lively, alth' u?h times are still dull. K'stimated populatiou-Miners, 2300; others, 700; total.

Manuhebikia. 25th June The weather this week has been all that could be desired, the river Romp down rapidly up to Friday night, when it suddenly changed to heavy rain, which lasted continuously for about 12 hours; the volume of water has in consequence increased, but not to so great an extent as was anticipated. Ihe Manorburn was turned this week, but' iu consequence of the men not having followed the levels as laid down for them by the Mining Surveyor, it had to be returned to the old bed, and to-day Mr Coates, having first visited the ground, the water was to be permitted to flow once more through the flood race. The miners at the Fourteen Mile Beach have elected a. manager for the work of blasting the rocks at tne falls, and have commenced their operations by building a bridge from the bank to the large rock in the centre of the river. They are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the marine cleaving and boring apparatus. The miners generally in this district are doing well, some few making handsome profits. Estimated population—Miners, 1200 j storekeepers and other*. 500; total, 1700. '

Mottnt Bbnger, 25th June.—Notwithstanding the severe frosts we had in the early part of the week, the river has been sluggish in her fall which cannot ba stated at more than one fool on the average. Throughout the week ' the beachholders have been busy making preparations for work ; some of them on the more flat beaches, such as the Island below Roxburgh, have made a commencement, and all are in the hope that in the course of next week beach work will be general. An idea of the quantity of snow on tha ranges this season may be formed from the'following. A miner, named Henry Neil, came in here rrom the Wakaia to report the death of his mate, William Pitt, who hid, on Monday, while returning home from assisting in making a track through the scrub for pack-horses on the pole track, become exhausted and laid himself down, aid- before his- mate could come to -bis rescue, he had perished. Neil states that so uniformly deep is the snow on the range, that it would bi impossible to get the body brought in, as no paek-horges can push through almost This accident occurred a little to the west of Potter's, There are now very few miners out in Campbell's, sj severe is the weather, that hardly two days out of the seven can the miner work. la the Pomahaka there are still some six or eight parties; but there also it is now almost impossible to work. Estimated population, 1400.

Hamilton's, 21st June.— James Dormie and James Taylor,' two of the original prospectors of this place, have this day applied to the Warden tor a prospecting claim, for a gully discovered by them about one and a half miles from the Camp, and near to the Pigburn Creek. The particulars are as under :— Locality: Two miles from the Gamp, in ft 8.5.W,, {partly in a gully and partly in a terrace.

Depth of sinking : Five feet, but more on the spurs.

Nature of the ground; White sandy; false bottom, wash.dirt gravelly, Prospect obtained : Fifteen grains from H tin dishes. The Warden visited the ground, and found some holes sunk in a.Bort of blind creek, which takes a sharp turn up the range into the Pigbarn, and, apparently, again joins the Pigbura about half a mile from Ciptain Hamilton's home station. The prospectors washed out two dishes in his presence. In the first, which was taken from the top of the wash-dirt, only one speok was obtained ; In the second, which was taken from the bottom of the wash-dirt, two grains were obtained. The quality of the gjld is coarse and flaky: and as the bottom now reached appears to be only white drift sand. It is likely that if it prove! possible to go through the sand to the real bottom, some good gold will be obtained. Great difficulty will, however, be experienced in doing this, on account of the quantity of water which appears to flow subterraneously, and comes In upon the claim at the depth of flve feet sinking. The Warden thoueht it better to 'grant thaw men interim protection for seven days, fcr a data 100 x 50 fwt, to enable the place to be thoroughly tested before finally granting a proipectiag claim: