WARDEN'S REPORT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 144, 10 November 1870, Page 3

WARDEN'S REPORT.

Mr Warden Simpson, writing from Lawrence, under date October 29th reports for the quarter ending September 30th, as follows : —

A comparison of returns with those of last quarter shows au increse in the Chinese population of about 150, chiefly in the Waipori district, and a slight increase and redistribution of the Europeans, particularly in. Table Hill. The increase of quartz miners has been caused by work having been resumed on Waipori reef. In the gold escorted from the district there has been an increase of 1800ozs. over that escorted the previous quarter. None of the other matters, in these returns call for any remark unless the water races, of which a considerable number have been applied for during the quarter. The principal of these have been in the Table Hill district, to bring a greater supply of water on to the spars above Manuka Creek, consequent on the reported success of Mr doom be. Were the water supply commanding these spurs greater a very large area of ground would be taken up, as it is, 20 acres have now been taken up in claims of different sizes. One party of miners from tlie Blue Spur, attracted by the appearance of the ground at Manuki Creek, applied to bring in 43 sluice heads, from the Waipori River, but the miners and resiclentr 011 that river, considering that such a diversion from that stream would seriously affect the interests on it, eutered strong protests against the application, and it was withdrawn. The Table Hill Quartz Mining Company, however, have applied to extend their r.wse to the spurs behind Glenore, which are similar to those on the Manuka. It is very much to be regretted that there is such a limited supply of water commanding the spurs referred to in the Table Hill district, and w'thiu the reach of a moderate amount of capital. A. race of considerable importance has been applied for in the Beaumont River, to carry it across the River Molyneux to work the terraces on that river's west bank, where ground yeilrting LI a day to each miner his been opened up. In anticipation of this water supply, claims onibr icing an are.i of 1 2 acres have been taken up opposite Lancaster's farm, and to t^e south of his homestead a little, Referring to the remarks ma/le by me in wv last report on tb.e subject of a machine for crushing ce % nent, purposed to be erected by Mi- Coomb, I am glad to have to , report that the matter has also been

r taken up by the miners at the Blu<^ Spur, and that Morrison and Company ' j have already given instructions to a Mr [ Lawson for the construction of such a , machine, to be placed in their tail race; ; and should it prove a success, they purI pose erecting another to crush the tailings already deposited. I may mention" that work has again been resumed in a place known as May's diggings, situate at the head of the Waipori River, which were opened in 186J, and almost since, been deserted. Some 20 men are now at work in the gully.

From some tables appended to the Report, we obtain the following inform-, ation : — The total number of miners in the several divisions of the Tuapeka district is 1522, of whom 1062 are Europeans, and 460 Chinese. 1030 of the Europeans, and all the Chinese, are engaged Valluvial mining, and the remaining ,TEm'opeans in quartz raining. The 19 \& Uliuers era ploy 26 water wheels, 1 • A auli ° hoses ' * 00 pumps, 2600 sluice-l\x eSj 5Q q U i c k s ii ver an ,j com - pomdcKdies, and one turbine wheel and pnm^g apT)aratug> The quartz miners iwV^ Lne of Q \ ozs& _ power, CH4, rai f cai ne S (both in full work) with r§ stamphe ads, 2 water wheels and 1 wh^. The total valae of all the mining pl^ t la the district is estimated at L4600.\ There are also 205 water-races valued 25 200 154 reservoirs valued at L7>QO 'and' 420 tail-races, or ground sluice,, ' valued at LI 6,800. About 5 siraV m ii eg o f auriferous ground are a;:tuallyw no . worked upon, but from 12 to 14 sqn^j miles have been mined over. The x pve*ent price of gold is L 3 15s per ounce, and there have been "escorted" by the Banks during the quarter 9 L 64 ounces, as follows : — Lawrence, 52780zs ; Waipori, 1811ozs ; "Waitahuna, 1264W; and Tokomairiro, Sllozs. The average weekly rate of wages for miners in the district is L 3. The amount of Goldfields Revenue collected in the district during the quarter was LI 340 3s 7d, and of Judicial Revenue, L 270 3s Qd, making, to- , gether, Ll6lO 7s Id The total number of cases disposed of in the Resident Magistrate's Court during the same period was 110, of which 72 were civil x and 38 criminal cases. 37 cases were disposed of in the Wardens' Oourt ; also

135 applications, of which 10 were disputed, under the Mining Rules ; and 8 applications, 4 of whioh were disputed, under the Agricultural Lease Begu- • lations.

" Melbourne Argus " of the 17th ult. :- '' Our neighbours in New Zealand seem to be fast treading on our heels in the way of manufactures. A sample of bulk ale from that colony, brewed by Mr Martin, of the Black Eagle Brewery, Invercargill, has been submitted to our inspectirin which, in oun-li±y, comes nparet* I'.nglish brewed ale than any which has yet been shown in this colony. It was Mr Martin's intention to open a trade for this beer in Melbourne, but it is nowfound that the heavy charges, including duty, &c, will preclude any attempt of this, at least until our tariff becomes more of a ' reciprocal,' and less of a ' retributive ' nature." Feline Sagacity. — A strange, story in natural history, in connection with the floods, comes to us " Pleasant Creek News " from one of the most respectable authorities in the district. We publish it as being perfectly authentic and reliable. At Kirkella, the residence of Mr M'Kellar, a few hours before the floods came down the creek near which the house ia situated, a large cat, well known about the farm, entered the kitchen and took hold of the trousers of one of the servingmen, evidently in an attempt to lead him out. The animal was so persistent that the attention of others was called to the fact, and the man persuaded to follow the leading of his feline guide. The cat waiked before him fora considerable distance, and when he showed signs of ceaseing to follow, the hold on his trousers was resumed, and. the journey again commenced. This was repeated a number of times, till he was conducted to a nest of kittens which he returned with towards home, to tho evident delight of the mother. When he was ab mfc half way he rashly concluded that the family was rather large, aiid threw one of them into a pool of water, but the cat waded in and rescued it. Motherly care, in this instance, softened the heart of the man, and the whole were conveyed home, and deposited in safety. Two hours after tliia the floods came down, completely submerging the spot from whence the young family had been taken. A curious case is reported in Brooklyn of two children in one family being killed by a rat. The mother had occasion to leave the room for a few minutes, <*nd whilo v absent she heard her child, w-iich she had 'eft asleep in its cradle, crying v ery loudly-} she hastened back, and a- she entered the room a large rat spranj from the cradle And ran away. The/child was bleeding from a bitten vein, rf"d the blood flowed 30 freely that it coald not be staunched without great los*. The child sickened and died in a, few days. Soon after a child belonging to the woman's si&tor was in the sanie/»' a dle, and was left alone with exactly t)* same rosult. All efforts to capture 4he rat were unsucce3sf ,il. Two or threes yj'ars ago a case was known of a youni lady being bitten twice while asleep, and in. both instances a vein was pimctiKed- The suspicion is that rats who ?nake bites of this kind have acquired a raste for blood, and know exactly where t> look for it. HoUowag's Ointment avd Pills do^not b»long to auy espejiiil exclusive class of remedies. They • aeeui to comprehend the finest remedial pr«» perties of ail tlie great specific*. Thus the Oiiittnpu 1 "', inoa^e* of eruptive diseases appea.« not only to remove the external intlauiautiot , but to sink deep into the recesses of the ovate •) , put Aug out, to the last spark, the fires ot ttsvi , invigorating the circulation, and purifying, ih • fluids which course through the fleshy libie, tlie glands, and the skm. In most oases the opei.i. fcion of the Oiutinent is, we are informed, mate, rjallv assisted by an occnaipual dose of the pills.