THE LAKES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 240, 30 November 1866, Page 3

THE LAKES.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.) Queenstown, 27th Nov. The long continuation of floods which I we havo lately experienced, shows somej bigns of abatement. The Shotover, at! Forster's Ferry, was crossable on Sunday I last, and once again communication by! vehicles is opened with the Arrow; it is; to be hoped that the Government will immediately set about making the bridge here, for which the money hai been already voted. The reefs at skipper's are looking very well—the British and American Company, otherwise Perry and Co., have not cleaned up yet, they will however do so in time for the next escort. The cake of gold will not probably be so large a3 the one late'y sent down by Southberg'.x party, owing to the workmen, during Mr Perry's absence, mixing a lot of rubbish with the stone set aside for crushing. The Scandinavian Company have completed their tail race, and are now engaged fixing the turbine-wheel. Their crushing plant consists of thirty head of stamps, in batteries of five each. The machinery is splendidly fixed, and is complete in every respect, t'outhberg's claim is doubtless the best at Skipper's—the reef is fourteen feet in thickness, and gold may be distinctly seen throughout; the pre ; eut crushing will be completed at Christmas, and move than oue-thousand-ounces may with confidence be expected. The Prince of Wales' and Pactolus Claims on the same line—the latter may however be considered as a cross reef, are looking extremely well, and steps are about being taken to procure machinery to crash the stone. The newly discovered reefs at Butcher's Point and the Sandhills are very promising, and no doubt can be entertained of the i akes' District becoming, before long, a profitable field of enterprise for quartz-mining.