THE GOLDFIELDS.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2088, 14 January 1870, Page 2

THE GOLDFIELDS.

Although the late disastrous floods have wrought considerable havoc in some of the districts, the rain has furnished a much needed supply of water for mining purposes. Dams and races which were getting very low are now reported to be full, and as the weather still remains unsettled there is every probability of a continuation of the late welcomed showers. The miners as a rule have not been slow to take advantage of the improved prospect, and although they knocked off work during the holidays, their spell this year has been a very short one. In the majority of cases work was resumed immediately after the now year, and at the present moment it \yould ho difficult to mention an instance of continued idleness consequent upon the holidays, This fact alone goes to show that our goldfields population is now becomiiw alive to its own interest, and that the prolonged dissipation which characterised its holiday making in the earlier times has given way to a better appreciation of the duty it owes to itself. As yet wc are only in a position to judge of the Christinas washings-up from the actual returns made by the districts. Compared with last year they, as a rule, show a slight falling off. For instance, the Kawarau or Cromwell district, Christmas escort for 1868 took down 1664 ounces, whereas, this last year the amount was only 1430. Dunstan fop 18(58 was 61207.3 12dwts, and this last Christmas it was 354. Manuherikia, 285, and last escort, 302. St. Bathans, 1819, and this last year it was 1008, Mount Ida, 2S;slozs Bdwts, and this year 2094, It is not by any means easy to account for this shortcoming, still the fact is admitted that short runs are becoming more popular amongst the miners than the periodical washings up of the last few years. With the commencement of the present year, some rather important works will be initiated. A new machine for dredging the Shotover has been launched, and in all proliability, before this appears in print, operations will have commenced. In. the prosecution of mining matters, dr edging has begun to assume an important phase. The M.olyneux dredgers did an excellent stroke last year. Indeed it was no uncommon thing for them to net as much as LIOO a man per week. Of the Shotover, there can be no doubt but that this is the only effective way for working it. Its bed is rich in mineral wealth ; as much as an ounce a day lias been taken out of it with the long-handled shovel. In earlier times a variety of expedient's were resorted to for the purpose of damming iu portions of the bed, hut its liability to floods rendered those operations at best precarious. A high flood may interfere with the working of the dredge, but it never can destroy the amount of valuable property it does when operations arc carried on upon the beaches. Should the machine now launched meet with any degree of encouragement, a number of others will be erected shortly, and there is every likelihoo I that the ensuing winter will And this a busy branch of employment on the Shotover. There is but little of importance to report from the reefs at Bendigo Gully. The holidays brought matters to a standstill, but from all we can hear work has been again commenced. The Aurora stamps will be in operation within the next week or so, and the result is looked forward to hopefully. The announcement that Mr George Murray has launched his public crushing project in the share market has been received. The project is one which deserves encouragement. Indeed it rests with the public to say whether or not the Bendigo Gully discoveries will linger out a precarious existence, or at once become an active field for raining enterprise. Now that Mr Warden Pyke’s enactment against the disposal of shares has become virtually repealed, shares are changing hands more freely. There is no denying the fact that the prohibition, although ’an ill-advised one, iu some respects did good.

Tho number of abandoned projects to be found throughout the goldfields is really astonishing. Water races left incomplete, and likely ground only partly opened out are to be found in nearly every district. The reason of this is that during the nomadic (lays of the goldfields, the miners were easily induced to rush about from place to place, or, as the case might be, leave the Province altogether. Some of these ihalf-finished schemes arc at present attracting attention, and the probability is that before long a number of the. more likely ones will be taken up. In the vicinity of Lake Hayes, a half-finished race was cut four years ago to work a piece of ground at the junction of the Arrow and Kawarau rivers. It was abandoned until within the last six months, when the ground was again taken up, and the race completed. It is now in full working order, and producing magnificent gold. Another of these projects still remaining in abeyance, is situated on the Shotover, at Maori Point. At the place indicated, the river forms an acute angle in its passage round a large beach. The ground on both sides of tbe river had been wrought with results which suggested the idea that if the stream could be diverted down through the beach, excellent gold would be found. The work was taken in hand by a party of working miners, who designated themselves the “New River company. After expending labor to the value of LIOOO, a misunderstanding took place, and the work was abandoned. Something like five or six hundred pounds would be required for accomplishing the object, and a half mile of the river bed be left completely dry. In other words, the wo; k could now be completed tor one third of its original cost, and no work promises fairer inducements for a small outlay of capital. This is only one of many such openings for investment on the goldfields. The real value of Chinese labor to this Province can he exemplified in a variety of ways. The Big Beach workings at Arthur’s Point, for example, were in the hands of the European miner duffers. This arose from the extent to which tho ground is exposed to floods. No sooner had they succeeded in getting it opened up, and their tail race into working order, than down came a Hood, levelling the whole affair. After enduring this unfortunate state of affairs for some time the beach was abandoned, and it fell into the hands of a Queenstown rperchant, who , had a lien over tho property. Twelve months ago the right to work the ground was made over to a party of forty Chinamen, who found the ground in a sadly dilapidated state. Nothing daunted, the party set to work, and cleaned it out. They next boxed in the race, which Is over a mile and a half long, so as to forip an underground drain. By this means it is completely protected from surface water. The work was one of patient perseverance, such as the European temperament does not seem to be at all adapted to. It was carried on under the superintendence of a Chinaman named Tam Sack, who is justly proud of his success. We are happy to report that the work is bringing first-rate ■wages after making allowance for the labor expended on preliminary operations. The Arrow Flat furnishes another instance of Chinese perseverance. A large party of them are engaged cutting a tail-race down to the river, a distance of one and a-half miles. Fuel is what is wanted. It has from time to time been wrought by Europeans, but for the want of amalgamation they were never able to carry out the work properly. “John” has now hit upon the right plan, and in the course of eight weeks it is expected that the work will be completed.