OTAGO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 514, 12 January 1870, Page 2

OTAGO.

*$■ (From the Daily Times Jan. 1 lo Jan. 7 inclusive.) This week's Provincial Government Gazette contains proclamations setting apart ; 00,000 acres of land at Martin's Bay, and a similar area afc Preservation Inlet, for the proposed settlements at those two places. A Tokotnairiro paper states that blight, apparently of the same nature as that peculiar to cabbages, &c, in this province, has made its appearance amongst oats in many fields throughout that district. It is to be hoped the recent heavy rains will have the effect of putting a stop to its ravages. We understand that the sugar recently taken to Wellington by Detective Thomson has been analysed by Mr Skey, and that no indication of the presence of arsenic, or any other poisonous substance, was discovered in it. The sugar in question was U3ed by Mr J. L. Gregory's family, and was supposed to have occasioned the death of his infant. Mr Skey's analysis consequently confirms Dr Hocken's. We may add that the sugar was the Victorian Company's No. 2. A rather long and continuous wave of earthquake, rather than a shock, was felt in Cr<>m well about 4 p.m. on Christmas Day. It lasted, says the Argus, for a minute, and our informant says he was lying on the sofa, and thought at first some one was shaking the side of the house next to him. The wave was alao felt at Queenstown, and though earthquakes there are common enough, this one attracted attention owing to its duration. It is stated that the agreement between Mr Proudfoot and the Government, for the construction of the Port Chalmers Railway, has been mislaid iv Mr Reid's office for some days past, and that active search to recover it has been made without success. We understand that Mr Proudfoot has expressed his approval of the terms required by the Government, and that the latter have agreed to obtain, if possible, the sanction of the General Government to the Guarantee Ordinance. We are informed on reliable authority that one of Thomson's celebrated road Bteamers was some time ago ordered from the patentee and manufacturer by Mr J. L. Gillies, of I'okomairiro, and that by the last English mail that gentleman had information that the

steamer is now in course of manufacture and may be expected to arrive in the course of a few months. It will be recollected that his Honor the Superintendent sent home an order for one of these steamers, but the order not having been authorised by the Executive of the day, Mr Thomson declined to execute it. From Waipori we learn that the late floods have caused considerable damage in that locality. The bridge in tbe Lammerlaws, as well as those over the North West Creek and the Waipori River, have been considerably injured and will require immediate attention. The last haa suffered most; injury, a portion of it having been carried away. The amount of damage done to Government property is small, but the miners have lost everything in the shape of mining plant which they possessed. This flood was the largest ever experienced at Waipori, and though it is believed that no life has been lost, still the damage done is very considerable. The inhabitants on the south side of the township were compelled to abandon their houses, while the Chinamen living on the flat were rescued with difficulty by a party of Europeans who went out in a boat for that purpose. They were permitted by Constable Dunn to take up their quarters in a spur hut in the camp until the flood subsided. The water at one time was two and a half feet deep in the hotels and stores on both sides of the river. In the neighbourhood of Lawrence, the creeks have been unusually high, but with the exception of the Waitahuna bridge, the approaches to which have been carried away, little damage has been done to Government property. A prospectus has just been published of the Bendigo Quartz Mills Company, Registered, with a capital of £6500, divided into 13G0 shares of £5 each. This Company is projected for the purpose of erecting a 15---head battery of stamps for public crushing at the Bendigo Gully Reefs, and to bring in water as the motive power. Our readers will doubtless recollect, som? time back, that a good deal of excitement was occasioned on its becoming known that Logan and party were crushing stone from their claim on the above reefs averaging two to three ounces of gold to the ton. The result was, that numerous prospecting parties set in, and a series of five reefs in all has been discovered, upon which about 60 claims have been marked out, and in no less than 10 or 12 claims, auriferous stone has already been laid bare. From the local papers, whose sources of information we presume may be relied on, we gather that in granting certain water rights which the Bendigo Quartz Mills Co. have acquired, the Warden of the district, Vincent Pyke, Esq., R.M., expressed his satisfaction |at being able to make the grant ; and as the bringing in the water to drive crushing machinery, would be a public benefit, the levels would be taken by Mr Bate, the surveyor appointed by the Provincial Government, lt is acknowledged that the erection of a public quartz battery is a project upon which the development of the reefs to a great extent depends. With reference to the number of flax-mills now at work in several districts of the province, the Bruce Herald says : — Seven mills already exist in the Clutha district, one of which, it is reported, purposes to employ 12 machines. Two of these mills are in operation at Balclutha, one at Port Molyneux, two in South Clutha, and two at Kaitangata, where one of them purposes to employ the large number of machines mentioned. Some half-dozen, at least, we believe, are busy at work in the Kaikorai Valley alone, and two or three near Tokomairiro. There are now also five at work in the Taieri, the latest being at Mr Culling's flour mill, in the North Taieri, whioh has been constructed by the new lessees, Messrs Aitken and M'Leod, for the nonce, to suit the new industry, the staff of life being at a discount there at present. Mr Joseph Robertson has erected a steam mill at Outram, near the flour mill, and another is also at work in Outram, while Maungatua and Waipori each possesses one. Messrs Aitken and M'Leod informs us that their machine is the 30th manufactured by Mr Wilson, of Dunedin. Mr Robertson's has been made by Mr Cbisholme at Outram, and has given such satisfaction that be has received orders to construct one for Kakanui, and is now busy at work upon it. One thing is evident, and that is, that at the present rate of consumption by so many mills the existing supply must speedily disappear, and the plant will then have to be extensively cultivated. As it is, we understand that farmers having it on their lands are now making a charge for the right of clearing it. The results of a visit of inspection to the Green Island Quartz Reef will be of interest to our readers. The reef lies on a flat under Saddle Hill, a short distance from the bottom of the descent down the Brighton road, and almost immediately behind the Ocean View Hotel, from which it is only a few hundred yards distant. From a view of the surrounding country, the reef is scarcely in a place where a vein of quartz might have been expected to lie, but there it unmistakeably is. Judging from appearances, it is of such a bulk a 9 to render quartz reefing a profitable occupation in the district for some time to come, supposing ifc to contain even only a moderate quantity of gold. Speaking generally, the reef seems to run from north-east to south-west, with a southerly dip, its south face being the sideon which it has been opened. The cap of thfa reef at tbis place must have very nearly been an outcrop upon the surface, but it seems to strike suddenly down - wards both ways. The present workings consist of an open cutting, twelve or fourteen feet deep, and perhaps twenty feet long, the reef lying at the northern end. A considerable quantity of stone has been taken out of this working, and lies on the bank. We understand that it is in contemplation shortly to have a trial crushing of three tons, which may give a more definite idea of the value of the reef. Another shaft has been commenced a few yards along the line to the east, but only blue clay reached as yet. The stone varies very much in appearance, rang-

ing from blue quartz highly charged with mica, to reddish quartz with honey-combed veins, containing much oxide of iron, and, occasionally perceptible, pieces of hematite The bulk of it is, however, a fine grained tough white quartz, and it is in this that the gold, so far as it has yet been discovered, and so far as we can learn, is found. We must say that on examination of the stone lying at the workings, and on a more careful scrutiny of the specimens we brought away, we have failed to discover gold, although we have been shown specimens by persons residing near the reef, which specimens, we were assured, were taken from it, that are very rich, not only in heavily granulated gold, but also in fine and thickly strewn specks, which, from the kind of stone, we Bhould set down as a far surer index of its auriferous nature. The reef at present laid bare is on the ground of Mr Christie, Green Island, and is from 18 inches to 2ft. thick; and, so far as we could judge from an only partially uncovered reef, promises to widen as it goes down. The prospectors have expressed a determination to test and develope it further, and appear to be very confident as to its capabilities.