MINING INTELLIGENCE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 211, 12 May 1866, Page 2

MINING INTELLIGENCE.

The most improving locality in the Dunstan district at the present time is the old diggings Elack's No. 1. Up to within a few months past the extensive auriferous flat could not be worked, owing to the quantity of water it contained, and the utter want of a fall for effective drainage. About the close of last year long and capacious tail races were cut to the Manuherikia, and the result has been the opening of a considerable number of valuable claims. It was not for a moment surmised by any of the most experienced miners on the ground that payable shallow ground existed in any part of the flat, but during the last month parties have been realising handsome wages by the ground from the'roots of the"grass?to the reef, a depth of only two feet. AH the claims on the low ground are now being systematically worked, and having effected the necessary drainage the shareholders are well satisfied with their prospects. Not only the flat is improving in prospects, but the claims far into the high ground also. innermost is that of Bews and party, which has been very properly named the Penetrator, ifbeing the farthest into the terrace, with the deepest stripping. This company u have had as yet but two washings up, but the yield has proved satisfactory, and has remunerated each shareholder at the rate of £7 per week, including the time occupied in opening out, The claim of Kiordan and party, situate in the main street of the township, is also"yielding satisfactorily, despite the enormous amount of labor required to paddock out the dirt. This locality has now been fully tested in numberless places, and the miners seem unanimous in their intentions to make Black's their special inheritance and field of labor. The two great water race companies, the Golden Gate and Walsh and party's are each prosecuting their works witli praiseworthy energy. The former have had their water flumed across the Manuherikia several weeks past, and have sluiced a considerable extent of ground. Last week a considerable extension of their race was completed. A long and expensive fluming has been carried over a deep and wide gully named " Macrisknll Gully," in consequence of a number of aboriginal skulls having been found in it some few weeks past. By means of this fluming the race is carried on to new ground of a most desirable character. The extension of the race cannot fail to create employment for a consider able number of additional hands and will repay the expenditure incurred to execute the undertaking. The Company have also near completion a tail-race which has occupied several hands during the past live or six months. Their blasting operations have been very extensive. The tail-race empties itself into the Manuherikia and will enable the Company to work a considerable area of ground. Iu one of their already sluiced areas a quartz-vein has been discovered in the sandstone reef, and seems at present calculated to become one of value. Its breadth is only five or six inches but it is well-defined, and is visible for at least two hundred feet. Gold has been found in it iu sufficient quantities to show that the discovery is one of a very hopeful class. The company at an early date will place hands to sink for a reef, and should a body of stone be found there can be no doubt whatever n-s to the payable nature of the vein. Welsh and party are constructing their race on the east side of the Manuherikia. They have already carried it to localities where sluicing may be commenced when the onerous task of fluming the race over the river shall have been completed. The necessary wire rope and accompaniments arc daily expected on the ground. When completed the conduit will probably be the most extraordinary in the Province, the span being much greater than any yet attempted. Other-water-races will reach Black's at no distant date, when the district may safely be deemed as bearing the palm for sunny prospects.