THE ARROW.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 97, 5 October 1863, Page 3

THE ARROW.

'(From the Correspondent of the TFaJcdtip Mail.) h September 28, •*■ The weather continues very fine, but for the; last two days we have had very high winds, blowing in gusts and carrying on their wihgg more dust than is agreeable, besides*^endangering the frail, calico of our.: habitations.' The uncertainty as to the site ofirtjie permanent location militates strongly against any outlay of capital in move substantial buildings, though if •this .question was once settled the. c is no doubt the enterprise and energy of the people of the Arrow would soon change the aspect of affairs, and, emulating Q,ueensto\vn, cause a fair township to arise in place of the present dilapidated Bartholomew Pair collection of booths. The mining news from all quarters is more than satisfactory. Though no particular details have reached me 1 am aware of a very considerable quantity of gold having lately come in, a very small proportion of which will find its way to record in the escort returns. Sluicing is being vigorously carried out in almost every direction, and daily with increased success. Large fortunes will not probably be made by it, 'but remarkably comfortable incomes will be realised, all these claims to my knowledge yielding a fair payable weekly average. There was an error in the report of the gold taken from the Fist Tunnel near the township in your last issue. The nugget found on Thursday weighed 15 oz* 17dvvts, and about 45 ozs. besides were taken from the claim in the course of the week. The public works are still being vigorously pushed forwardon the Flat. The tail race has been very considerably deepened, and it is now in the progress of extension in two directions through the Arrow township to the Upper Flat. Another week or ten days will, it is to be hoped, see men at work in their claims, and that they will reap the reward of 'their patient and persevering toil. Several very important cases were settled at the Warden's Court on Friday last, before Lowtber Broad, Esq, George and party sued Elliott and party for " smother ing their ground."*' it appeared from the evidence that George had obtained from the Warden a right-of-way through Elliott's claim, and had proceeded to take this right-of-way by means of a tunnel from the beach to the bottom of a shaft some forty feet deep. Part of the tunnel having fallen in, George preferred this complaint of " smothering;," all hough it had of course fallen in on Elliott's grctind. His Worship gave a verdict for defendant, but without costs. In another case, Bobinson v. Elliott, the defendant alleged that defendant's water-race had broken away and injured complainant's claim. It appeared that Elliott's water-race ran along the terrace under the face of which Robinson was driving. The evidence for the complainant went to show that injury had been done to the drives by the influx of water from the race. The defendants argued that as soon as they wereinformed of any damage accruing, they changed the course of their race further from complainant's ground, and that one day previous to the issuing of the summons in this case, Mr Hickson, Commissioner, had been on the ground; that tlie matter had been referred to him, and that they harl strictly carried out his orders, by carefully confining the water in one body by means of boxes. The'defendanis further called Messrs Colcloua.li and French, gentlemen experienced in mining surveying, who deposed that they had inspected the drives in question, and found them in no way injured by water, but leally dryer than could be expected at their depth from ths surface His Worship, in giving his judgment, remarked that he considered LSO for damages exorbitant, but that as the complainants had fully proved the case, he should giv^ them wages for seven days, at 10s a day, amounting in the whole to Lls, with costs. Great dissatisfaction was felt by both parties at this decision. The complainants contending that having gained their case, they were entitled to LI a day, the current wages-; and the defendants, thinking tlie verdict against the evidence, naturally exasperated that the cutting down the rate of wages to 10s deprived them of their right of an appeal to the Supreme Court. Information has this day reached me from the Twelve-Mile ; there has been a great access of population during the last week. The whole river is taken up down to the Eight Mile; many parties are engaged turning the river, and sluicing operations are bein-c carried on with vigor. A discovery has been made some eight iviles above the Twelve-Mile, of ground evidently worked by a large party for sorLe time. Snow is still lying there, and evidently has been permanent during the winter. The diggers are, however, non esl, though experienced persons are of opinion that the symptoms of work are decisive as to the ground having been payable. Mr. Millett, the Deputy-Surveyor, long looked for, has come at last, and is now proceeding with his survey of the TwelveMile track. It must be hoped that no unnecessary delay may now lake place, and that within a reasonable time a road may be formed to this important part of the district, which m-iy render travelling practicable and packing reasonable. Tuesday, September 29. The gusty disagreeable weather of yesterday culminated towards evening in a violent gale, which blew with terrific force for some hours, generally in squalls from the North- West. Thd only buildings, however, which suffered were two at opposite ends of the township, pretty opposite too, in every way- — the Baptist Chapel and the Golden Age Hotel ; the former is entirely stripped of the calico, the latter only partially so. I regret to say that the Arrow rose during the night very suddenly, and came down in such considerable volume as to burst the walls of the flood race, submerge the flat, and entirely destroy the public works which have occupied one hundred men for the last fortnight ; hardly a vestige remains of the tail race, which was on the point of completion ; and the river has pretty well taken its old channel, leaving the ground much as it was after the jjreat flood. Great sympathy is universally felt for the miners who have all their work to do over again, disheartened ] as they must be by so many failures ; but " never say die " must be the motto of New Zealand diggers ; and we may now with confidence look to more settled weather, having had our equinoctial blow, and more than our share of spring showers. No information yet from up the River, but it is to be feared that at many points great damage must have been suffered. Mathematical Query. — How long would a snail take to reach the top of a pole 30 feet in height if he went up 0 feet in the {day, and came down 9 feet every night. Answer : twenty-one days.