THE GOLDFIELDS.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2071, 24 December 1869, Page 2

THE GOLDFIELDS.

BANNOCKBURN. The excessive drought of the last fev weeks has now resulted in a failure of ths water supply, and to all appearance the sluices will shortly be brought to a standstill. This will not matter so much for the next week or two, as the majority of the claims will be washing up preparatory to the Christmas holidays. Still the position of affairs is serious enough, and unless the remainder of the season proves an exceptional one so far as the rainfall i$ concerned, we shall have a deal of broken time to chronicle. This fact ought to stimulate the Government to adopt energetic measures for carrying out the goldfields’ water supply scheme. The remarks made by the Superintendent in his opening address to the Council has attracted a good deal of attenion, and the miners as a body are hopeful that these will lead to practical results. The question is one which affects the prospects of the goldfields in a variety of ways. Without reasonable provision for irrigating the land, the labors of the husbandman arc in vain. The soil is good, and the only thing that is wanted is moisture. Where the deficiency can be supplied by artificial means, crops can be produced both on the Dunstan and Cromwell flats equal to

any in Otago. 'This season a patch of cereil crop have been reared on the Dunstan fla>, on irrigated land, almost alongside a crop cn non-irngated ground, and the contrast is perfectly astonishing. The one is strong ard healthy, and will at the lowest estimate go from fifty to sixty bushels to the acre, wbie the other is a thin slender crop that caarot exceed fifteen, or at most twenty. The rmst of the gardens are irrigated, and furit, vegetables, and flowers are abundant. These facts go to prove that the water supply is the first question of the day, and if the Couicil is prorogued without any definite step being taken in the matter, the disappointment on the goldfields will be very great. Regarding the washings up at the Bmnockburn, the best results are anticipated. The runs extend over periods of three, fcur, and six months. The deep lead claimsare amongst the number, and as the prosject from some of the shafts is known to hire given as much as 3dwts to the dish, these washings sho’dd add something considerable to the wealth of the district. Chinanen continue to arrive, and a camp has been established. The ground suits them very well, and if the water supply were adjusted, both from their numbers and persevering industry, they would contribute largely to the material progress of the phce. Operations at the Kawarau station, in the neighborhood, have been delayed rather beyond the usual time, in consequence of the indisposition of the overseer. The muster for tailing commenced on Monday last; and the shearing will take place about the middle of next month. From thirty to forty thousand sheep will be m n stered, and a heavy clip in the grease is expected. Station hands are getting at the rate of 15s per hundred; but as they are scarce, a rise is expected.

BENDIGO GULLY. The reef claims, so far as they have yet been opened out, promise very well. On Logan’s line, what is known as the Saxly hr s been attracting the lion’s share of attention for the past few days. Two shafts were sunk some time ago, in only one of which indications of a reef were found. In opening these shafts the party took bearings from Gillies’s Go'den Crown, the adjoining claim, from which some excellent stom had been taken. Subsequently trenches were cut between the two shafts; and the reef has now been bared for a distance a' sixty yards. From the rubble casing sonw magnificent samples were washed. Indeed, the stone is so rich that a well-founded belief prevails that, by pounding it down with the hand, something like an ounce a day could be washed. Onr informant has seen the stuff tried, and vouches tlat these opinions are reasonably well founded. This claim is tituated on the east from what was originally known as Goodger's, and to all appearance, the stone gets richer ths further east the reef extends. We are aware that certain Dunedin gentlemen have invested in the Saxby, and it will be satisfactory for them to know that their investments are amongst the most promising at the Bendigo Gully. Between Cromwell and Logantown, the urban centre of the Bendigo, two ances are plying regularly. The one leaves the reefs every morning, returning in the evening, and the other leaves Cromwell every alternate day, returning at night. Both appear to do a good stroke of business. Houses are going up fast, and although the next week or two will be devoted to festivity, there is every reason to suppose that a busy season is approaching. The addition to Logan’s battery has arrived, and is in course of being fitted up. At present they are working a five head machine, which puts through at the rate of sixty tons per week. With the addition now being made, double that quantity of stone will be crushed. The public stamps are badly wanted, anl it is sincerely to be hoped no time will be lost in getting them erected. Much depends upon this undertaking, and its progress will be watched with deep interest.

NEVIS.. The want of water at the Nevis has not yet made itself felt; still the Remarkables are getting very bare of snow, and once they get completely denuded the supply is bound to run shirt. So far as the season has gone, the workings have continued steady, and in the course of the next week or two washing up amoig the sluices will be pretty general. The majority of the claims at the Nevis are abandoned during winter. This arises from the fad that the headings of the races are exposal that they are frost-bound Take the wM'kings all through, there is just about as little broken time as there is in any other part of the Province. Once the season opens, the vater remains fully, so that as a rule no interruption from that cause arises. The gold-producing powers of the district are undoubtedly first class. During winter the majority of the d : ggers betake themselves to Dunedin, and it speaks well for the piece when we find them in a to spmd that season in town without doing arything. Within the last few months some excell lort seams of coal have been found. In fact, ro district in Otago appears to be batter supplied than the Nevis. At present no fewer than three seams are wrought within the radius of a few miles of each other. Considering that there is not a bit of t ; mber to be had in the place, these seams are of great value. Preliminary operations for prospecting the quartz reef taken up by Messrs Smith and M ‘Morran have been completed. A head race has been taken on to the ground to wash away the soil. The prospect washed out of half a pound of stone went as high as 3 dwts. There is every probability that this reef will turn out something very good. In the gully immediately below where it has been struck a party named Cameron took L6OO worth of reef gold out of the alluvium over seven years ago, and three sluices at present working close xo the same ground are doing very well. The reefing partv?~"e been engaged for some time past, i a cutting into the hill, and the waW^J ri turned on to the ground immedia<pfl r (TOtta being completed. The attention of miners in search of likely ground is directed to the Upper Nevis Flat. Although six miles in extent it has never been properly prospected, and from the amount of gold taken out of an adjoining flat, known as that of the Lower Nevis there is every likelihood that it would prove payable.