Notes -from Wakatiun.

Otago Witness, Issue 2426, 12 September 1900, Page 21

Notes -from Wakatiun.

(Fkom Ottb Own Correspondent.)

ARROWTOWN, Septernber.B.^-Fine weather is favouring the rapid progress of tho dredges now being built, and most of them are coming on well.

After several false alarms, the Meg and Annie dredge, Kawarau, got to work last Tuesday, and as everything is working well, something, it is to be hoped, will scon be heard of her doings. As the vexed question of the Gibbston portion of the river being dredgeable or not is so near being solved, the opinion of many qualified to judge may be given expiession to. This opinion is that where there are no locky surface slips, containing large blocks of rock, there is nothing-»to prevent the river bed being dredged with profit. The Arrow Junction dredge, which is coming on well, will tackle the iavounte spot m the stretch of river from tho Aii-ow Junction to the mouth oi the Shotovcr, a distance of about six miles, occupied by as many claims. Here the lower portion, included m the Ariow Junction and the Morven Feriy claims, ib looked upon by nien who know the ground from the early dayt, of the field as the richest m gold. The Horowai is boring at tho banks of the river, and it is supposed the bores will be carried across the river. At Cardrona the principal feature is boring in some of the claims, dredges foi which have been designed and are being built. There are no less than three sets of boring rods at work, and m one instance the bottom has been discovered to be at a considerably greater depth than was estimated. Investors may be cautioned not to attach too much importance to the prospects obtained by boring tods, beyond pioving the presence of gold and its nature. As to its being saveable or not, prospects obtained by the red are of little value. Much local interest attaches to the Arthur's Point dredge, - Shotover, because it will solve the problem whether or not the main bottom carries payable gold, where a payable false bottom overlies it. The pontoons are receiving the machinery and**its erection is progressing well.