THE GREY.

Otago Witness, Issue 714, 5 August 1865, Page 15

THE GREY.

.From a c;rrcs / nden* of .h. West Coast

Times.) Blake Town, 12ih July ISGS.

Having just returned from Maori Creek, and knowing the eagerness of the public to have accounts from distant god fields, I have availed mys.-lf of an opportunity to for.yard a few particulars of the road to, locality of, and general features of the new rush.

Maori Creek is situated on the south side of the Grey, and it empties into that river twelve miles from the mouth. The track oa the Nclsdu or north side of the Grey is blazed for about six miles up the river, thence to the mouth of M'iori Creek is of the very worst kind for travellers, through a timbered, scrubby, boggy countr}', inaccessible for horsemen, and nearly so for pedestrians. The boatmen, few in number, will carry you away to the township at the foot of the creek for the very moderate charge of LI, ferrying you thrice over the river, thereby saving the ferry charges of 5s 6d. From the entrance of .Maori creek to the digaings is a distance of eight mile?, a piece of travelling only equalled for mud and water, by the old Six-mile track. Maori Gully, a tributary of Maori Creek, is entirely occupied, but as yet little work has been done owing to the late inclemency of the weather. The prospects vary from one grain to half a pennyweight to the dish. There are about five feet of gravel containing a little gold, but it will not pay to cradle more than two feet from the ! bottom. Three other gullies have been rushed, but I cannot hear of any prospec; s being obtained larger than those named in Maori Gully. The diggers have not yet turned their attention to the terrace?, which, from the appearances, olfer remuneration at a small wage for a large number of men. The size of the claim, 72 feet per man, will induce many to settle down on poor ground, preferring a long job at L 4 to L 6 a w>ek to the uncertainty of finding and hardships to be endured in looking for a " pile." The high price of provisions is a serious drawback to the prosperity of the district ; flour, at the mouth of the creek, may be quoted at Lo 5s per 1001b bag, and other commodities at equally high rates. Fresh meat is not to be bought at any price, but I am glad to be able to state that this evil will shortly be l'emedied, as some runholders up the Grey are cutting a track to the rush, so that in a few weeks the market will be regularly supplied with fresh meat.

Business sites are in great demand at Blaketown ; this hitherto quiet little place begins to assume all the appearances of a new rush, and certiinly accommodation for travellers is much wanted ; not a bed is procurable in the town. Mr Commissioner Revell has marked out another street adjoining the Maori reserve, which seems to be the favourite street, as it fronts the river where vessels generally discharge.

17th July.

I am glad to be able to report a marked improvement (since my last of the 12th instant) in the yield of gold from Maori Creek ; no doubt owing to the sharp frosty weather we have experienced for the past week, thereby enabling the miners to get into ttair ground and work it in a sys-

tematic manner. Many claims that were only expected, from tin dish prospects, to pay small wages, have, dow that the ground is opened, given no less than from LlO to Ll2 a week per man. Sluicing is in its infancy here ; most claimholders-are now cutting out boxes, so that when the cradle is thrown aside for the sluice box, I hesitate not in saying that much la -g?r dividends will be obtained. The neighborhood of Maori Creek abounds in smill gullies, many of which are being profitably worked, scarcely any of them but will pay L 2 or or L 3 a week per man clear of all tucker and working expense?. I have been informed that a small terrace in Maori Gully, containing two men's ground, is remarkably rich. Thu-s is a depth of eight feet of washdirt, all through which gold can be easily discerned ; report affirms a pound weight a-day is the average of each man's share, but I can >ot vouch for the authentici'y of this assertion. Last Wednesday, a miner, g'oryiugin the euphonious cognomen of " Red Jack," opened a gully over the saddle, which was rushed by a large number of men I have not yet been able to learn a corr ct account of the prospects, but in Maori Creek it is reported as the best gully yet opened. Surely, with our increased population and importance in the social sc*le, Government will iiot allow us to HifK-r (any longer than necessary to start a regular mail service) from the irregu'ar postal a-rangements hitherto prevailing fur this river. Although only twenty- five miles from Hokitika, letters have been known to lie in the Grey Po3t-ofßce for three weeks, waiting for some vessel to convey the mail from here. This uncertainty of when letters will leave is a serious !os3 and inconvenience to business men, for, like Paddy, iri order to insure tie safe and speedy delivery of letters, we must carry them ourselves or pay pretty dearly for some one else to do so for us.

The rush dots not seem to a'ate, but rather to increase if anything. A very small portion, for the number that have gone up to the gully, have returned, and few speak of it as a duffer. Mostly all agree in calling it a poor man's diggings, and express an opinion that in the summer a large payable gold-field will be opened in the neighborhood of the Grey.