THE LITTLE GREY DIGGINGS,

West Coast Times, Issue 173, 9 April 1866, Page 2

THE LITTLE GREY DIGGINGS,

OFFICIAL REPORT.' The following communication has been forwarded to the "Grey River River Argus," by Mr Warden Kynnersley: — Sir,— For the information of expecfc.mt miners, I beg to inform you that Mr Lightband, having returned from the Little Grey, reports that on Tuesday morning last he left Wood's station on the Little Grey, and proceeded about ten miles up that river, and then turned off to the right up the main creek, passed through the old township of two or three stores, and followed up the creek in a north-easterly direction nearly to its head, orossed a ridge to Commissioner's Flat, where Johnson's store is situated, the nearest store to the diggings. About fifty or sixty men were camped there. On Wednesday crossed over a ridge into Maori Gully, another tributary of the Little Grey, where about forty or fifty men were at work in the shallow bed of the creek, wash-dirt varying from one to two feet in depth, but chief part of the gold laying on slaty bottom. Somo of the parties in Maori Gully have been working there for several weeks, and state that they are well satisfied with it, some few parties clearing fromLd to LBper week clear of all expenses, and in some instances more. Sample of gold varies, some of it fine and flaky, and some of it rather heavy, in 1 dwt. and | dwt. piecos. Only ono party trying tho hill working, from 1£ to 2 grains to the dish, but wash gotting deeper as they rise the hill ; intend to bring a race on to it. Mr Lightband also visited several of the neighboring gullies, and. wti-

mates the number of men actually at work at from 400 to 500. . ' . ; , ;\ Tlier'e appears ib be' iio regular rim of gold, but most of the men who nave* been working there for some timo are contented to slay, as. although they are sometimes doing very little, they ocasicnally strike rich surface patches, eas'ly wrought; and in one or two instances as much as lOOozi has been realised by a party in the course of a week. ■ t Severa\ parties are prospecting oVei 1 the saddle in various creeks and tributaries of the Inaiigahua. Gold niay be found everywhere, and fair wages may be realised if provisions could be obtained .clieaply,. but. nothing has been yet struck 6n the Inaugdhua to Warrant a rush over the saddle.

Flour at the diggings is about £1 per lOOlbs., but meat is occasionally to be had very cheap, the sheep being driven up from the stations ; mutton has been sold in Maori Gully (No. 1) at Is. 6d. per pound. An attempt is now being made to get provisions up the Inangahua from the Buller.

With i'egat'd to the general character of the diggings,, they are -what may be termed surface diggings, in some place's nierely in the peaty moss lynig on blue 1 slaty- sandstone j- patches, have b6en* stMcK from 1£ dwts. to 5 dwtß. io the dish.

The storekeepers are badly supplied with provisions, not having expected a rush, aud miners are cautioned that the. cquntry is so muc|i intersected by creeks and rivers . that when they are at all flooded aii communication jis i^oppedj tUid it Is impossible to outaih provisions or even to return to 1 the stor'eft* Mr Lightband has on the whole formed a high opinion of the country, but considers that there have not been found at any one place sufficiently extensive workings to justify a large rush of men to any one place, and he considers that from the difficulty of obtaining pi'oviaions the consequences of ft ldrge rush might be serious, T. A. Sneyd Kenneksley, < Warden;