WAYSIDE NOTES.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2679, 18 September 1871, Page 3

WAYSIDE NOTES.

(By Special Reporter out for a Holiday)

An enterprising firm m your city, not far from the Octagon, of Mongolian origin, despatched three of their brethren to see what chance there might be for the ‘'Heathen” in this quarter of the Province. After looking round, they returned to Queenstown, intending to send a detachment of fifty of their countrymen as a pioneer force, with more to follow. The delegates stated that their object was to permeate the goldfields thoroughly with small gangs, to know the best places where to locate their men on arrival. , . 1 Leaving the upper township, entering the bush, crossing the Taunoa, you arrive at Brandy Hill, ascending which, and continuing some quarter of a mile along 'the track, you reach Whiskey Centre, and find yourself standing 911 the terrace adjoining inspectors’ Gully, where most of the men are employed. 1 shall confine my remarks to ibis gully and Jewett’s claim, as indicative of Orepuki and its wants. ' The Prospectors’ Gully having been worked out some time since, the terraces have been attacked and found remunerative, The gold is fpupd tp lie in beds of sand, found at intervals through the whole thickness of the fcicg—some 40 feet. The terrace is in process of removal cn mnxxe. The claims pay from L 4 to L 8 per week per man. I should be in dined to judge that an average may lie struck on all the claims working in the gully at LG per week. This will he con idered a very good yield. On both sides of the creek the terraces are found to lie apriieyous; and a very large area of ground known to he payable would be'available were the water supply plentiful. The claims at work even have an insufficient supply ; and the district is unpeopled simply from want of water to work the ground. A supply could be got from the westward from two sources. A race was surveyed some time since fiom the Waimea, but allowed to fall through owing to some misunderstanding among the promoters With an insufficient water supply and remarkably fine gold, 25 to 30 per cent, of the cold is estimated to be lost 111 the process of washing. At the foot of another gully is Jewett’s claim—said to be paying well. The proprietors being away, I did not, of course, try any prospect. T may remark, however,

that they have many years’ work before them— are employed in bringing in a waterrace from Lake George, a distance of seven miles, which is estimated to carry six or eight additional heads of water. A fourth share in this claim was lately sold for L2OO. The great want of Orepuki is water. There are not move than about ten heads on the Held. Any large supply will have to be obtained from the westward. All the terraces are made ground : all that- have been tried are found to bo auriferous ; and thoiigh the Held is prospected only to a very limited extent, an area of some twenty square miles_ is estimated by those most capable of judging to be within the limits of known payable sluicing ground. From a no inconsiderable amount or experience I should consider Orepuki to be one of tho most permanent gold fields in the colony. It is not too much to say that its resources arc scarcely commenced to be developed. Let me, however, not be misunderstood, while there is certainly no dearth of payable ground, there is no water obtainable for working it; neither can it be got without ihe expenditure of time and money. Four additional heads of water can be obtained by cutting some four miles of a race, and save the knowledge of this fact nothing is known about ■water supply as to cost or distance, even by the oldest inhabitant. At the back of the terraces now working is the Longwood range, comprising many thousand acres, and occupied by seven man. Coarse gold is found on the range—pieces from 7 oz downwards, while quartz reefs crop out in abundance. M iners resident on open country, like the Otago goldfields proper, have no difficulties to contend with, like those who have to cut their way through dense bush even toti’avel, and find allsurface indications hidden by the dense vegetation surrounding them, • A small handful of men, such as the miners of Orepuki, is lost almost in such a large wilderness as they occupy. When laboring men are employed, the wages given arc L.l per week and rations. Very few, however, are employed—the owners of a claim and waterrace, generally two in number, working the ground themselves. Provisions are reasonable. Flour, 23s to 25s per cwt. ; sugar, (id per lb. per bag ; tea, 3s (id ; beef, 4d to /d per lb; and other articles prorata. Gold fetches L 3 14s per ounce when amalgamated, L 3 16s retorted. There are two storekeepers, two publicans, and one butcher in Orepuki. There is a new schoolhouse, but no schoolmaster—while the children are legion Like Nokomai, Orepuki has no church, chapel, doctor, lawyer, parson or Perhaps the Foreign Mission Society will kindly take the case of these poor people into consideration, In the twelve months ending March, 1871, the banks in Riverton purchased from Orepuki 2,1730z. of gold. lam inclined to believe the total yield for the year, including what was carried away, sold in Invercargill, and kept on hand, amounted to about 2,500 ozs. From the best data I coidd gather, I should conclude this amount of gold to have been earned by not more than fifty men.