THE GREAT NORTH LEAD.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 433, 19 December 1868, Page 2

THE GREAT NORTH LEAD.

(PEOJI OUR OWN" CORRESPONDENT.) This lead is extending almost daily northwards, and fully maintaining its richness at Giles Terrace. On Hatter's Terrace, Cook and party have driven in only about sixty feet, and have been some weeks washing stuff paying over £lO per week. M'Gowan and party are only seventy feet in, and on gold-paying ground, paying fully ,£2O per man per week. Shannassy and party drove in about fifty feet, and, not striking gold, abandoned the ground, and tried another place and came on a patch at the very surface without any driving at all. It is about sixty feet square and appeal's to be a lead inverted, as it goes down into ground an unknown depth. It is not yet bottomed, and is paying from £ls to £2O per man per week. North of Hatter's Terrace there are several parties prospecting and earning very good wages at it.

Between Hatter's and Deadman's, a distance of about two miles, Eochfort Terrace exists, into which over forty parties are now driving, some of whom are nearly a thousand feet in, and all confidently expect striking the lead or beach-wash, which it really is, and which certainly prevails along the full extent of the Coast, and in some places are no less than three " bottoms" as at Giles, where they are separated about nine feet from and under each other.

The tunnelling at Eochfort is being pushed on very vigorously indeed. On Deadman's Creek, M'Cracken and party are in about 500 feet. They are the prospectors of Deadman's, and are washing for a month past. Their ground is paying about £2O per man per week. Graham and party are in about 560 feet, and.'daily expecting to strike|gold, are pushing vigorously ahead. MnUins and party are in between 700 and 800 feet, and also expect daily to strike the lead.

Marks and party are in about 600 feet and have been some time washing up, with returns varying from £ls to £2O per man per week.

Rigby and party have just made a good start and are pushing on very energetically. Neebone and party are in about 700 feet, and have not yet struck •wash-dirt, but daily expect to do so. In fact gold everywhere exists in the district. The only difficulty is to make out ■where it is payable. Ido not believe there is a piece of terrace ground on the West Coast ■within the province that would not pay for ground sluicing, and, even when -worked out by the ordinary means, colossal fortunes will, I have no doubt, yet be made by this means. Some influential parties brought before the Warden's notice yesterday the much greater necessity there exists for a track from the beach, turning up at about Deadman's Creek, and terminating about the south end of Rochfort Terrace, than for making a track to Giles, as it would accommodate Hatter's, Rochfort, Deadman's and Giles Terrace, and be a much better road, while the track to Giles would benefit that terrace only, the ground being too steep between Giles and German Terraces to make it of any use to the latter} and, north of Giles, J. M'Kenna's track, which is in first-rate order, is the one now used. The Warden promised to give the matter his best attention, and it is to be hoped that a work so much needed will not fail to be conudere?, and be speedily undertaken.