Holes from Wakatipu. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2210, 9 July 1896, Page 19

Holes from Wakatipu. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

Arrowtown, July 4.— At the last sirtiDg of tho Warden's Court at Queenstown Mr Warden M'Carthy gave effect to the section of the Mining Act referring to the continuous working and occupation of mining claims arid pi-ivikges. As a rule this clause is almost totally ignored by miners, aud very rarely is action taken in reference to its provision. The clause provides that all unoccupied claims, licensed holdings, special cUims, residence, business, and dam sites shall be deemed forfeited and abandoned, and without any adjudication of forfeiture or abandonment, ana may be taken up for any purpose under this act. The case In point was rather a glaring one, the claim adjudicated being held for 13 yeara and only partially worked, the owner having left it periodically to work elsewhere, which greatly weakened his title. Mr M'Carthy, in this instance, revived the good pM system of visiting the ground and seeing for himself before delivering judgment. Messrs Jame» Henderson, Roderick M Kenzie, and party have set out to give the Dart lliver another trial It 13 the intention of the party to penetrate to the head waters of the river, where it is supposed there existi coarse gold in highlypayable quantities. Mr James Henderson on a former tour to the Dart obtained pieces of gold the size of pea 3 near a place where the valley is completely blocked by an avalanche of rock, . trees, snow, and ice all mixed up together in a hoterosonoQUl mass, which it £ imgagtitfft &

surmount or get round except by a circuit which would take a week to complete. The river has found its way through tho avalanche near its base, but the tunnel formed is not large enough for a roan to navigate ; besides, it is not safe on account of falling debris. It is supposed that the foot of the white man has never trod the upper portions of the Dart, and the indications being favourable of its containing good gold it will probably not be long before the white man is there.