CARRICTON.

Dunstan Times, Issue 514, 23 February 1872, Page 2

CARRICTON.

(FUGS! OUll CO.IUIESFOSEEM,} Four crushing,? have taken place since my last letter. The following are the results of three. I,am uncertain about the crushing of the fourth, the New Royal Standard, hearing six pennyweights anil ten pennyweights to the ton from different ■ authorities. - ' Heart of Oak 146 tons 2 p ooz. Odwt. Robert Burns 74 ~ lioz. IQdwt. Nil Desperandum lj ~.' 9oz. 4dwt. Ehe two lasf were trial crushings < nly. The stone , having to be packed from the claims to Hancock’s dam, thence carted to ttie lower machine, and containing a large quantity of loose gold, there is no doubt but that some of it was lost in the transit. I previously stated that the stone was honestly taken, so that the yield will show' the value of the c’aims as far as they have been tested, From three different places in the Nil Desperandum was the stone taken, so the test here may be considered genuine. The result is very satisfactory. A leader, reef, or something of the sort, that is gold-bearing, has been found in the Rob Roy, having only just been met with, at a depth of between forty and fifty feet, it would be premature to enlarge on its value _r importance. It is immediately north of the Heart of Oak, abreast the Duke of Cumberland, and it cannot yet be ascertained how it shall be called or distinguished. The Welcome shaft is being put down night and day, the shareholders being very sanguine of cutting the underlie of the Heart of Oak. They are down about sixty feet. The lower tunnel in the Star is still being driven forward, and within the last few feet the reef has been opening out, improving in in appearance, thickness, and quality. This tunnel has still some two hundred and Hfty feet to be driven along the line of reef ere the shaft at the north boundary is reached. The driving of this tunnel will show how far continuous is the reef, and prove, or otherwise, its identity with the Oak. The Elizabeth Company propose sinking a shaft to meet their tunnel, and thus obtain a cheaper and speedier mode of working their ground.

Both the machines have been some time idle, effecting alterations:—the Oak only a short time ; the Elizabeth longer. The latter seeking more power by the insertion of boi’er tubes. It is to be hoped we have had the last—and quite enough—of all stoppages. The idea of a machi eis that it should weary not; he ns the brook, go on for ever ; and, having no thews or sinews to flag, crush, weave, or spin, the day out and in, and be as ceaseless and active as a scolding housewife’s tongue. Hitherto, the jade known as the Elizabeth has frequently wanted rest, and her din and clatter not so audible as desired. The road up to the Pipe-clay Spur is getting on famously. Ten days will, perchance, see it completed. Writing of machinery brought mo to this road, as by it Alves’s atmospheric battery' is to arrive I trust you will notice this point of coherency, as I am always wandei ing from my subject, like a young extempore parson, who has lost tho thread of his discourse ; or flying off at a tangent, like an acquaintance of mine, whom I have mentally'christened * Legality Charles.” This atmospheric battery, to be perfect, should travel in a legitimate manner, and not have to put up with the ordinary routine of roads and bridges. I should then have a better opinion of atmospheric utile influences, tho faith in which was rudely crushed in earlier days by the South Devon Atmospheric Line, and stopped on its way, with a lot of hungry anxious school-hoy's, going home to

their holidays, ignominionsly ha* ing to be towed toils destination at the tail of many horses. They kept the dinner waiting for us until the meat was like calcined sheepskins. and the pastie crust hard as a nether millstone. So I ent what atmospheric wisdom teeth I had early, an I could never be persuaded to try even a balloon—nothing more ambitious than a kite. Now flying kites may do sometimes ; but even they are painful “three months after date." It is not easy to get a string at all times six or n ; ne months long. I’ll tell you more of this a'mespheric {medium for raising the wind when it puts' in an appearance. The third contractor has taken Harding’s hotel i'> hand. I’ll keep an eye on him and Ids movements, and wire you should he he inclined to bolt. I’ll advertise this house no more till I get a case of “Shcrar” or “ RoidercrV sent to J me. Then I may try my hand once more. “ Good accommodation for man and beast,” &c. A man cannot bo both, I suppose, an I certify that the spirits and malt liquors served are as pure as on the day they left the aintry, distillery; or brewery I never understood manufactures, chemistry, or brewing, so cannot tell whether the malt liquors come from the distil’ery or the vintry; but, thought vintage, vine-yard, vintry, and vignerous all pertained to wine, and beer to the brew-house, and have, in consequence,

gotmy brains over the problem in smh a confused state, that I’ll give the question, like I did the “Chinese difficulty,” “ up” altogether. We have a model institution coming among us. A man is erecting an eating or boarding house, adjacent the Elizabeth’s blacksmith’s shop, anil is going to refrain from selling whisky. I am satisfied, such a phenomena deserves publicity, so have been very particular as to -locality. Find the smithy, and you’ll find the house. ’Tis close to the Heart of Oak machine, whore many people are .congregated. When the proper number—twenty-five—are settled, I’ll inform the public and the publicans, as there may be room for a public-house ufext door. I am [afraid the worthy owtierof this novel gold-field t institutioh is before his day ; or, perchance, hoping for a subsidy from William Fox and his Permissive partisans. I don’t mean prospecting “ I ill,” but tho other cno. They are both prospect-

ng now, however—one the pockets of John Bull, the other the West Coast Reefs. ’Tis the former, ithe first, the Premier man. I cannot he now mistaken ; hut, as they are both celebrities, namesakes, prospectors, both restless and'irritable, both lawyers (though one only a “bush” of that ilk), both ready to fight or back a friend and both getting on in years, you’ll readily observe how difficult it is to recognise between them. They had better be re-christened “Long Bill” and “Short BiR,” to avoid fu’nre mistakes. The Golden Gate Company got their lease. As I have won several new bats on the event, the loosers bad better stamp up. “ Seven and three-eighths.” They can be sent to the office, and if too large for t:e “devil’ he can stuff them’with an Indepemlant or Mount Ida Chronicle. I intended discussing the leasing question in this letter, but have rambled too far away from my beaten path to retrace my steps, so shall put it off till a more convenient opportunity. I see no sign of any postal communication between'this place and “ outside.” My letters end papers are evidently wandering all over the province, and as the Nevis seems to l>e almost the penultimate of postal remoteness, I purpose hunting out the post-master there, induce him to’assort his waifs and strays, and see " t what interregnums of the world’s history 1 can fill up by the recovery of my missing correspondence. There is to be a concert at the Nevis on Saturday evening, for the purpose of obtaining funds for a Public Library. Any one of a charitable turn should contribute to this purpose, as I am told they get frozen in and snowed up three months out of the twelve.