THE LAKE DISTRICT.

Otago Witness, Issue 658, 9 July 1864, Page 7

THE LAKE DISTRICT.

(PROM THE DAIJjY TIMES CORRESPONDENT.)

REPORTED DISCO VKRY OF NATIVE

KILVEH &ND COPPER.

Arrow Town, 20<h June.

The weather continued very fine up to yesterday afternoon, when rain and snow sst in heavily ; the wind blowing in strong gusts. The flats about the Arrow, and down to the Shotover, are covered to the depth of several inches this aftei - noon, and it is now freezing hard. The rivers are very low— a dog can cross the Shotover lord iv tsie Fi-anklin road without having to smm ; and the old ford, which has been dangerous for sometime, is now .again passable. Satisfactory dt counts reach -re from every part of the district. It will not be necessary to allude inon particularly to places mentioned in my last report ; it is in mv power, however, to furnish anthentio information with regard to localities not so genera'ly known as Maori and Arthur's Points, hut not less important to tba lining community. Looking at the map if the Wakatipu gold field, we will see that Mjlce Creek empties itself into the Shotover some distance above Arthur's Point. At this junction, foar or five parties have lately taken up new claims, and are now busily at work turning the stream, and pushing on the necessary prdiminaiy operations. In Moke Creek, the diggings extend over a considerable distance, and probibly there are not less thun 200 miners employed. Mos*; partie3 are woiking tho creek bed, and have beeu doing exreadingly well. Somi; 40 or 50 arc engaged in s'udng ; the operations for which are on a more extensive sc^le than in any part ot these gold fields. The United Company, 15 in number, have taken up an area of worked ground, beach and bank, and are ground slueint; away everything vrlth three falls of water.' Out of not quite one-seventh of this claim they have already realised, clear of expenses, 21b weight a man". The miners combine here in large parties, so that the_ necessary works, whether for 3luicing or drainage, exceed in ui&gnitiide and efficiency of construction anything possible to the few mates in all ordina:y el.tims. Moonligh Creek opsns out of the Moke, and extends to a lake called " Tunar," the creek being in fact one out'et of its waters. CO or 70 men are sluicing the terraces, and h ive met with average success. The largest area of terrace formations in the district is in this >Teek and Moke, but there is great difficulty in obtaining water, and probably all that is available within possible distances is ah-ea-ly taken up. Jones's Creek, a tributary of Moonlight, and lying between tbat and Stony Creek, is affording employment to some 69 men, all engage 1 in sluicing, and with fair success. It may not ba out of place to mention he:e that the tiack to thsse valuable diggings is mo3t fearful ; a man requires a good head 10 attempt it, at one point going to the Moke it is ntcessary to crawl round a projecting rock on hands and knees, and the least slip ensures a fall of some hundr?d feet, with the certainty of being dashed to pieces. The sidelines are very steep, and in the pres3nt season of frosts dangorous throughout. A small expenditure would make the tiack at least safe, but nothing will probably be done until some official breaks his valuable i neck in Httempting the journey. A new route | altogether would be the best starting from the Seven Mile on Lake Wakatip, aud cutting across to the head of the Moke, thus avoiding Ben Lomond, over whoss 4000 feet Hm the present routs. This route would also pass ck-sa by the coppar lode discovered last year, but the workiug of which still remains in the d<jad ftnure. I was ■■hown in Queenstown ye'teiday a 1-ir^e specimen of native copper, quartz attached to it on one side, winch was found in the Perseverance claim at Moke Creek, two miles below thß copper lode. tiev<ral pieces a?e said to have been picked up in the immediate neighborhood, so that the richness of the lode itself may fairly be conjectured. Malachite is also reported to have been discovered in these workings.