Notes from Alexandra. Notes from Grey Valley (W.C.).

Otago Witness, Issue 2454, 27 March 1901, Page 19

Notes from Alexandra.

Notes from Grey Valley (W.C.).

r (Fkom Our Own Correspondent.) ALEXANDRA, March 19. The Molyneux is keeping steady. The Earnscleugh No. 1 dredge will be stepped for t>roba.bly a month for stripping the top> stuff off. The Chicago dredge -will be stopped for tv.-o days or so on account of the crank shaft breaking. March 20. The Uolyiieux rose about lft Gm last mghfc owing to heavy rains up countty, being now i ab#at sJit above normal. i Two loads of machinery arrived yesterday for thp Fraser Flat dredge. 3fo~i of ihe pontcoa hzmmg is in position for Ih-j finer Molyncux pontoons. ?C»m-'y al! tho-i heavy machinery has been elected on the First Chance dredge. | ij.i March 21. | The Molyneux fe'l about four i iches la^fc. night, being now about sft above normal, v. itli a clown ward tendency. A load of timber, arrived yesteidny for tl&Eiver Molyncus pontooi.s. I'^e Hendigo pontoons wcie lai T .Ki.hecl tl.a afifnocn MeFsrs Iv.-.ewstul b Bro=. -were ihc f ncrc^sful tenderers for the i'orscvciance Xo. 2 dredge'a pontcons. March 22. The Moiypu:: TAliir.ff, but slowly, bein^ » shade under sft übo%e i.orinal. The river is cleaner. i\ ioa-1 o c jiirf h-iiciy ari.\e-l yc^ciday for tho Frrser Flit chodge. Anrther load o< linibn- came <o hand late ye=tevdry after^ooji for the Rncr Molyncux ioi\tOOn". Thr cont) actors Are waiting for t.mber for thr> A ! exa,;itlTT, Lead d\edj;p. ~}£v Trevothick has the erecting of raachi i i |lv y on ll.e Viascr Flat diedpe. Maich 2S The Jl<"yr r-U"r -U" i« aucut lit Sir. above nomis!. Some machinciy passed through here to-day for the Kariiscleugh Ko. 2 aiid Perseverance. Mr Rhodes is having the River Molyneus Company's pontoons pushed ahead apace. March 2." The Molvieux Is falling steadily, being low about 4/t s'n above normal. The Sailoi's Bend diedge is working. Th« rraehmeiy .s ru.inmg satisiacionly.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) March 18.—Although a great manyVpeople have visited the various chums on the Upper Grey River, few have availed themsehes of the opportunity of exploring the count ly fcr any distance above the Westland Company's claim. Miners m seairh of mineral wealth, f.nd stUlns in search of land appear to havo been the only people who have yet found plea-Ei-io or profit in travelling over thi9 great beltof countiy, which will yet not, only provo to be r, goldfiold, but an extensive farming coun+ry also. A great deal has to be done, howevei. before this locality can be opened up, anci many miles of road made over lough ccuntry, before either mines will be opened o • lend cultivated. At present there 13 no ioac\ merely a pack track, which m many places reminds one ol a huge water race full of Cilli*

However, such, as it is, it has proved of great ißsswtanceto- thos^s who travel through this country. '• ■ "Yout own," not feeing content with the comforts: of civilisation, took up his tent and fly, Kid -with a iiarty of prospectors started off an » voyage of discovery by way of the aforesaid track; littie knowing ♦hat was before him. As a Urge -number of dredging And other mining mas have been taken, up, extending, along, the Grey River some 16 miles above the Westiand Company's claim, a brief aecotmt may provo interesting to many of your readers, especially those who" have been fortunate enough to secure a share in about 10,000 huge granite boulders fenced in with pegs branded "P.A." From the upper boundary of the Westland Company's claim to the Clark River (a tributary df the Grey), a distance of about six miles, is one string of dredging areas, so far unnamed, with splendid prospects obtainable almost anywhere. From oie particular beach "your own" saw over a pennyweight of gold washed from sixteen dishes of- dirt. Taking it rII through there can be no doubt but that the ground on this part of the river is rich in gold — that is. so far as the fine wash is concerned. The greatest drawback to these claims so far as "your own" could eea was the enormously large boulders to be seen, in many places standing out of the water like the tops of houses Indeed on several bars in this •itretsh of the river one or two boulders aTe to he seen as large as a good-sized dredge. The "bottom is ino3t'y sandstone, rock, and slate, •which in some places is of a very soft character. The landing of machinery on these properties "would also bs very difficult and expensive. However, should the Giey Consolidated and "Westland claims come up to expectations with their returns, engineers will soon find a way to .ovarcome the^e difficulties, and develop inauy if not all the properties referred to. Our party having caniped at the Clark 3Huiction for a few days, lost 120 time in exploring that locality. The .surrounding scenery was magnificent. Eren the msn from Otago, were Jie th-ere-, wou'd forget his dredges and mines and at once become an admirer of Nature's %>eauty. Away to our right the Grey Kivor lushes ouc from a . narrow gorge, with ■walls of white granite, between tv.o great peaks ■whose tops -at this time are covered with a dark grey mist, but towards evening give out gold and purple hues with wondrous splendour. IChen, alas! all is gone— the great light monarch lias sunk into the ocean westward. Then all is still, save the Clark River, which mpkes Wotijrh noise for all, as it cq-ji°z down in leap 3 and bounds, over great blocks of crt.nite to join the main stream. The Clark i<s known #craongst miners as a br.np.; liver— that is, as far as gold is concerned. Oft and n:; for many > r ears miners have spent inns a;.J lhbour in prospecting this river, which heads ay. ay up in ihe glaciers of Mount Hersc- h el]. but vj i > t' c present nothing has been discovered. It Is Baid that tin ore was found in tins stream many years ago, but if this be true, few have Been it; hence the lode has never been prospected. As for gold, miners say there is no hope of it ever being discovered in any part of the Clark .River, the Etratag being =aid to be of the wrong character. I will reserve further remarks until next week.