Notes from Orwell Greek.

Otago Witness, Issue 2412, 24 May 1900, Page 21

Notes from Orwell Greek.

(Fp.oii Ouk Own Coiuiespondext.) May 10. — During the past three or four weeks we have had bad weather throughout the whole of the Grey Valley. One cannot depend on the weather two hours. if it is fine in the morning it is almost sure U come down in torrents during the afternoon. Owing to the uncertainty ot the weather prospecting and mining in general have been hindered consideiably. while passing through the Erickson's Reward. Company s claim, x noticed that good progress is being made with the- building of the pontoons. Mr Jay, the contractor, is pushing the work on with ail possible speed, and m the course oi ux or seven veeks we may expect to pee the Erickson's Reward pontoons afkat. This coairany's claim is well situated, and according to several prominent mining experts and Ouhens iiom Dunedin who have had mar.y years' experience iv dredging, there is nothing to pi event this claim Irom piovmg a splendid paying concern. Mr Fitzgerald, who has the contract for building the pontoons for the Orwell Creek Company, is also making lapid progress with his wori, and although* he was some three wesks later in starting than the contractor for the Reward pontoons, I do not think, according to the pieseat progress he is making, that he will be many days behind at the finish. This company, which is supposed also to have r.n exceptionally good claim is losing no time in getting its plant oil the gicund. Joining this company's claim several miners at Orwell Creek have taken up a lease of 30 acres, which is, I believe, likely to be formed into a small local company and worked under the water balance system. J oming this area are the Macoola leases, held by an Orwell Creek syndicate, and which m the course of a few weeks will be a scene of active prospecting operations. A syndic? te, the Inland Syndicate, has been formed at Orwell Creek with the ob3ect of taking up four area& of 100 acre's' each of wellknown, highly aurifeious country, --which is to be thoroughly •prospected with a view to dredging. The directors ox this syndicate havj interviewed several mining experts from Dunedin, who have already visited the properties, and more will "be heard of the syndicate in the course of a few weeks. A great number oi claims have been pegged off joining the Inland Syndicate's properties, extending out on to the Ahaura Plains, which is situated between Orwell Creek and Ahaura. Good gold has been got in the creeks and hills which surround this loaalily, and there is not the slightest doubt but that in the near future gold m payable quantities will be discovered going through the Inland Syndicate's properties, and extending aexoss the Ahaura Plains. However, vsiy little can be said about these claims at present, as not one of the claims has yet been prospected more than a few feet on the surface, where fine gold iii small quantities can be obtained almost anywhere in this particular locality. There i-d about 1200 acres of this vast tract of atu'iferous country taken up ss prospecting areas between Oiwell Creek and the Ahaurd. River. Last week "your own" paid a visit to the Mosquito Creek Company's claim, which is situated about two miles from Orwell Creek. Mosquito Creek is a fairly laige creek, heading at the well-known Napoleon's Hill, and after traversing through about four or five Indies oi highly aunfcious country, it finally empties into the well-known "Waipit-ia, River, a tributary of the Big Grey River. The upper part of Mosquito Creek has been worked^for a considerable distance, and juciging by the quantity of ground turned over, one cannot but think that the Mosquito Company have secured an excellent property. A large party of Chinamen, who are working in the main creek just above this company's claim' arc 'reported to be doing very well. The auriferoiis wash in' the Mosquito district is of a very fine, free character, and I should fancy it would be" highly suitable for dredging. There is a good deal of timber on the Mosquito Creek, but as it is all on the surface it is not consideied a very seiious obstacle. Several other claims in the Mosquito district have been taken up, and I am told are on the market for flotation. 1 At Nobles^ g, jtfpgJJ, mJuiog; ceutre, abput a

mile north of the Mosquito Company's cl&ii^ a number cf dredging areas have beeu taken up, and fc'i'.j has caused quite a atia amongst the inhabitants. Nobles was at ons time one of the most important mining centres on the West Coast. Miners lived and workec round about there in hundreds, making and spending heaps of money. In those days there were to bs seen hotels, dancing houses, and all kinds of business places required to mak^ a town; but now, alas! there is but one bus:ness pl^ce, store, butcher's shop, and bakeis' all combined. There is no pub. at Nobles, therefore no one gets drunk. There is a school, and a good one, for children. The Ijittsr appears to be about the newest article Nobles is furnished with, excepting mining ex.pej.ts, rrost of whom aie all new, although there arc some getting stale. A few months ago there sppearcd to be nc hope of Aobles cv?r rising again; but now what a brilliant future there is ahead for this place, with the Mosquito Creek and Waipuna River full of dredging claims on the one side, and the Big Grey on the other, with those noted claims, the Giey Consolidated, Great Lead, Golden Is?nner, and numerous others which are considered to be rich in gold. The result can only be that Nobles will soon grow into a,n important and thriving mining centre.