WARDEN’S REPORT.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2710, 24 October 1871, Page 2

WARDEN’S REPORT.

Mr Warden Borton (Mount Benger district), writing under date the 16th inst., reports as follows : I have the honor to state that mining matters have prospered steadily since my last report, and that iu consequence of a considerable portion of the Clutha banks having been thrown open for occupation,

under section 1 of regulation 4 of the Rules and Regulations, many claims heretofore given up as abandoned have again been wrought, and with profit. A considerable amount of excitement has been manifested by the European miners in consequence of the rapid influx of Chinese, and in common with other districts, a petition has biien handed round here, and extensively signed, expressing the conviction that any further importation from China will be fatal to the prosperity of the European miner and the Province at large. The Clutha has again disappointed the hopes of many. In the early part of winter it had gone down about two feet below its ordinary level, and trusting to the fact that but little snow had fallen on the hills, miners on the hanks of the river were induced to go rather extensively into paddocking, hut I believe they were most of them unsuccessful in getting gold, as the river rose suddenly and flooded all the claims. These sudden rises of the river just at a time when miners are expecting a rich return for all their trouble and outlay, have a most disheartening influence, and I am sometimes astonished at the perseverance displayed by the European miners in trying again and again in spite of so many failures. The weather during the quarter has been changeable, but wa er is abundant, and I think the new company, “The Hercules,” will have a favorable season in which to commence operations with their race. The population continues very steady, at about 1000 Europeans and say 130 Chinese. The usual statistical returns appended to the report show that there are 378 Europeans and 145 Chinese miners in the district, which employs alluvial machinery to the following extent: —23 sluice toms, 20 water wheels, 24 pumps, 1320 sluice boxes, of the total value of L 22.870. The number of square miles of alluvial ground actually worked upon is 42, and the price of gold 75s per oz. The value of the water-races, &c., is set down at L 19,742.