HAMILTON'S.

Otago Witness, Issue 663, 12 August 1864, Page 19

HAMILTON'S.

(]?KOM TMB DiILT TIMES COKRESPONDEHT.)

Since ibe dale of u>y last letter mining matters on Ibis fle'tl, f om its Ing'i 'aiiHide, tave l v een much retard by ibe severe and lon^-coutinued frosts, tbat have been of nightly occurrence. Almosst all tlie sli'ic'og claims nave lieeu fbi'own out of wo/k Trom vie want of water siiop'y 'iom the races, which ore so thickly coa^ca wLa ice that the firs!, sign the wnfort.unnte proprietors have of iis existence is the cai.yiDg away of the side, and .le consequent loss of that day in tbe necessary repairs, which a'e no sooner done than again tbe frost comes and the mishap aj;aj a occurs. Indeed, I might say, Tor tbe last ten days the races bave been n I most hermetically sealed. The old BB.v'ng', ''It's an ill wind blows no one good," is here true, aa what is fun and joy to the Ounstan folks is death to us, aud I am sure were there to be a ce^tuon of the haid nights there would be kTOPnia iou, if not something else, deep and Joml. in tbe fwinrn viue-growiDg quarter of Olagc. Apropos of v^ues, what will they srw in Dunstau woen the fiost kills the young ones. Duno.:; the Oav i) roe the weather has condtwi ■hI vv'oiei ■•rp<.e r ') y (in* 1 , rove one lall of snow, wiiico, kepi bound to ibeeai it' ity tlie frosts, has still Jeff, belii'id it only a trai-e to remind us we are not nnire opu of the scirob. Could we only gpf rid of tlie <c enemy," wbat between Uie splendid weatlie» and long d.iys, che diggeis ought to do well, 'iot under tie present cirßnmaiances i ferw the diminution in the Escort will be only too ;/&u.

In order to nvov'tfe a mcc refinl- " tn.iply of water, and be snd"pemteTifc of the -aos that are biw°nt along i lie exoimea wo.Mirain sides, several parties are ouc iiri-ijing in, each on his own hook, a wata. rpije into his ow>' claim, in most cases in ihß flat. There p.re fan 1 such parties, but one Ins hee-» obliged log We vt> the job. as the ground ipliiad the Cam^is so" ham ; ihe* complain, sighvfy or wrongly, t'mt iheb f picks s,et blni'teo, and ibe operation of puddlino, preparatory lo blinking in the water, out of tbe question. A third wate* 1 race from the Pigbu n Oropk is t.ilked rliou;, but the •' east'e -builder" finds out no don t thut it h vp-'aiW work, ;vad requres ltios'e tiian talking o>* "cbaffi'ig' 1 the present holders of water rights from that qoarrer. The matter has dropped for tbe time, but from tlie e»erget ; c character of the &autleman mooting it, he wiJl do doubt do s-unethiiv; to provide cheap water for b certain qurrter, at a moderate rate per week. Many miners have left this for the '• rush," some getting their present claims registerei, no doubt being aware of their unsafe tenure of ground at the Dun* stan.

The lifctle Pigburn rush last week attracted a pood many miqers, from heavy gold bflviug been struck in a spur in the winding guMy toward-j tde source of the Pigburn. In one or rwo cases at a depth of about fourteen feet, i dwt. to the dish was obtained, and '• wages" made : but Dot much more has been mentioned about it. Good eluicing ground exists about, snc( a p<u ty of men are bringing in a race for the purposed working with it.

Ht.de.— At Hyde, thji^H nre as ufcual ; the town daily iocieasin^ in importance and the general wageß made satkt'Piovy. My last mentioned that many extended claims had been granted in second gully, and seveml more have been granted since. A soo.l many jumping cases have bee* beard, and oa vl>e books; this although pot at all pleatant, yet shows that gold is in existence.

The H»de " Mutual Improvement Society** have been bnsv iv imoir splieie of usefulness, and 1-ave iuvi.ed Mi' Warden Bioad to re-de!iver hi-> Jeclmre on •' Hobsoa's Bay," undei-th^ir auspices, )*ov the beneat o! - tlie Hamilton Hyde Relief Fund, which that gentleman has agreed te do on Friday evenh";, ai, one of the buildings in Hyde. A lar^e attendance is expected, as tbe object is tbe besl thut conld be clmgea. Hindon.— Several cases of imnortance came under the notice of Charles Broad, B-q., R.M., on his recent visit. At Hindon, on the 26th ult. Neil J. E. M'Giroor wa3 charged by H. N. Campbell, Sheeo inspector, witk several breaches of the Sheep OidiDance. Ist. For allowing- infecLed sheep to stray on the action of Dick and furdie, in Ma" last, 13lh Sect. 2nd. For Bilouanj sheep to stray, in May, on Mr Bdward M'Glashan's, 13th f'ect. 3rd. For a similar offence on 4th July. 4th. For having infected sheep on his run, Bth Sect. sth, For not (jiving written notice to Dick aim Purdie of having said infected sheep. ■ 6th. For iiOt giving notice to Inspector. j After a deal of evidence was heard, the defend- j ant was fined LIO and costs on each of the thiee first informations. On the 4th, a penalty of ! LIOO was irfltcted, the defendant entering into a ! bond for the amount, as provided by the Ai',t The two last informations weie dismissed. Richard Baxter was charged by Constable Campion with expising liquors for sale withoul;a license, and fined L2O and costs -in default one month's imprisonment. James Ormond was I charged with keeping hie licensed house open on Sunday, and fined 10s and co«ts. In the War- ! den's Court Beveral cases of encroachment were | tried, with varied results- altogether a very heavy sheet for tbe day. Mining matters much as u«ual, but a large population expected in the spring.

Many complaints are made about the new postal arrangements, bat of course every one

can't be pleased. There is no doubt that the mails arriving on Tuesday and Saturday, instead of Wednesday and Saturday, is an annoyance, and does not divide the week properly.