NELSON CREEK.

West Coast Times, Issue 1329, 25 December 1869, Page 3 (Supplement)

NELSON CREEK.

(FROM OUR OWN COKBKSrOSDKNT.) December 13. There has been a steady progress visible throughout the Nelson ( ireek distric dm ing the last week or two, and although there are no startling events to report upon, or finds of extraordinary richness to be recorded, E am in a position to state that mining matters have been progressing satisfactorily, and that there is a visible improvement to be noticed in most places since my last communication to you from this quarter. The sluicing and tunnelling parties, thanks to the favorable change in the weather during last week, have been enabled to realise upon their large heaps of stuff, and prepare for another washing up. The yield of gold has been satisfactory, from what 1 can understand. There is still a scarcity of water experienced in many places ; but, taking it on the whole, things are looking much better than they were, and the mit.ers, as well as the business people, appe.v to be looking forward with more confidence, in the expectation that times will continue to imprnve. The weather lias been unusually hot and close during 'he last two or three diys. To-day, it seems to show a slight indication of a change. At Hatters Terrace mat 1 ers coniinne to improve. The claims on g(?ld arc paying as well as ever. A few of the jlaims situated on the upper pait of the le>d are sad to be very rich, and the most sanguine expectations are entertained by the fortunate proprietors. The deep lead is daily becoming of more importance, and ii is expressed as a general opinion that; it will prove to be pavahle for a considerable distance. This certainly will be a question of time, and ir would be premnture to say | anything positive just now concerning the future development «t this or any other I district, but to judge from present indicat on 1 should say that there is every prospect of success. At (lerman Oully there is the same steady progress visible now as before. At Sullivan's ami Callaghan's there is no mateiial difference in the state of affairs now and three weeks ago, when I last vir.i'cd those places; matters appear to be going along steadily. - I may mention that the li-ading men of i the NJson Creek District are making every ] preparation for the sports; and from what * may be seeu, looking through the pro-

gramme, one would inia me that I lie iiih ibirants of this pl,«:e wotilu hsive a chance of enjoying themselves during the Christmas holidays. November 29. Mining matters generally in the Ne'son Creek district may be said to be steadily progrea ing, and although there have been no very important new discoveries to report since my last communication, there have been additional areas of aiirifcrc's ground opened up for mining purposes in some places which, in most instances, have proved to be of a payable character. Business is rather quiet, and has been for some time, in consequence of the continued dry state of the weather. There is the old coinpl int over again about the scarcity of ready money, caused by the want of h sufficient supply of water to enable the diggers to wash up. The sluicing and tunnelling parti s in particular have Ixen Sv'riously retarded in tlv iro pi ration* within the last f«.\v weeks. There is a sign nf a change in the weather just now, and a few pa-sing showers of rain, but not sufficient to produce the desired effect, in fact it would require a couple of weeks' heavy downpour of lain to put them in a proper position to work. The Deep Lead, on Hatter's Terrace, looks as well as ever, and .still continues to draw the attention of the people in the district. On the upper portion of the Lead the claims are paying handsome returns to the fortunate owners. The prospects obtained in some of those claims have been really first-class, and as a natural consequence shares are in high price, and likely 10 become more valuable every day. The parties working the claims fuither down the lead, who have had to contend with a quantity of watei and were obliged to put in tunnels for the puruose of draining thy; ground, are now in active operation ; those who have bottomed have ob aiued piynble prospects from what 1 could learn. The Deep Lead has been proved to extend for a distance of several mile-!, and is daily becoming of more importance. Jt is supposed by some of the experienced miners of the district that in the course of time a continuation of this lead will ultimately be traced into the large flats b irdering upon the 3rey River. Should that opinion prove correct this district may yet expect to see its bri}>h est days. The once far-famed Try-Again Terrace is very quiet just now, and presents the melancholy appearance of a deserted place. The greater number of the miners, after working mit their ground here, have left the district, and gune in search of new ! fields for operations elsewheie. There has been somo talk about forming companies f.r the purpose of constructing a head-race to be brought in from the Ahaura Kive>', but it d d not come to anything more than talk. There is every reason to i c ieve that, a race w< üM pay well, bur the un ertaking i too expensive for private enterprise, and it is not a likely scheme to be taken up f r some time at least. At Dry (Jully an i the surrounding terraces in the vici iity, there are a good many claims at work, some of them raying very well, by all accounts : but here, also, the long continuation of dry w. atl'er has had the effect of retirding operations the same as in other parts of the dist ict, and a heavy do uip mr of rain would be hailed with delight by the miners located here. German Gully still continues to keep the same number of men engaged in minmj operations, and the maj rity of these, although not making rapid fortuues, are not doing badly. Some of the parties here ime two or three years' work before them, it is saitl. The miners have erected hu's, and many of th se have garden? attache;!, so the pla;'e presents the appearance of a settled community. The number of miners at work hurt: f should estimate at about forty. At Sullivan's and Calligh-in's there is no material altciation t<i report upon; matters there remain much the i-ame as mentioned in my last.