WARDEN’S REPORT.

Evening Star, Issue 3100, 25 January 1873, Page 2

WARDEN’S REPORT.

Mr Warden Stratford (Arrow) reports of bis district, for the quarter ended December 31st last, as follows “ Immediately in the vicinity of Arrowtown there are a few European miners, unsettled in their operations, which amount to prospecting the banks of the Anow in different places with a race belonging to the party. In the bod of the river, which has b-en diverted for the purpose opposite Arrowtown, a party of 45 Chinese are working, and obtaining fair wages, but only with considerable labour,—in lifting the stuff out of paddocks, and wheeling it aside. A large extent of ground yet remains to be worked in the same manner. The bed of the Arrow, from the township, upwards, towards Eight Mile Creek, has already been worked, but good patches (it has been recently proved), still remain, and several parties are eh'aged reworking, by means of covered tail-races, for drainage, and water wheels. These works have taken considerable time and labor in their constructio >. and cannot yet be said >o bo advanced to enable tfce cUi»9 to pay euch dividends aa qiay

be fairly expected as the works progress But the claimholders Live confidence that the undertakings will prove highly remunerative for many years to come. The Terraco workings continue to yield well to the tunnelling parties. That of Dixon and Co has for some time past been paying dividends varying fromL2o to T 50 per man weekly, and promises to last for some time.

Bracken’s Gully.—This tributary to the Arrow, situate four miles above Arrowtown, has proved a highly auriferous depository, and since its discoverv, some years since, has never been deserted by the miners. There are, at the present time, about 25 men, engaged principally in sluicing in that locality. Roaring Billy.—This, also, is a tributary to the Arrow, and situate about one mile above Bracken’s Gully. From its hitherto inaccessible position, it has been imperfectly prospected. The new Arrow Valley track, which is rapidly being carried forward by Messrs Robert Clarke and party (the contractors). wid soon afford the minora an opportunity of obtaining supplies of pmvisions, timber, &c., &0.. at such prices as to enable them (the miners) to thoroughly test this portion of the district, in which already rich patches of gold hj ive been discovered. Macetown. —Here the Chinese element seems to he in the ascendant. The population consists of nearly 300 Chinese, and about 130 European residents. The latter have been, in numbers, selling out their interests to the former, and moving away from the locality altogether. The ground in this portion of the district, for sluicing ground, is very rich ; latterly falling off a little, but still paying high wages. There is a large extent of comparatively untried ground, up the source of the Arrow, above Macetown. For want of means of communication and difficulty in packing provisions, this place,known to beauriferous, bashithert >been neglected. I understand, however, the local Miners’ Association is taking steps to have a track cut in that direction, as the want of a roadway is the only obstacle to the formation of another mining settlement, Whitechapel Fla . —This is a sluicing locality, on terraces, situate about three miles below Arrowtown, and near the confluence of the Arrow with the Kawarau. A large water-race is in course of completion to work the ground. Those who are there are satisfied with their returns, and the result of prospecting promises to afford remunerative employment to a largo number of miners, as soon as the several races now being cut commence discharging on to the claims.

Crown Terrace. Only one party of miners are at present working there, and they are prospectors, and have quite recently discovered a few patches of coarse rugged gold (not water-worn). They have met with no regu’ar run of gold, and, from the description found, appear to think that a quartz reef exists at no great distance from their present workings, A special claim has been applied for to His Honor the Superintendent, who awaits my report. At Cambrian Flat, a party of five or eiuht miners, after four years’ indefatigable exertions in cutting a race 14 miles in length, from the Nevis ranges, through mountainous country (snow-clad six months of each year), through rocks, boulders, and landslips. and having spent between L 5,000 and L6,0i)0 in tbeir undertaking, have at last (after repeated failures), nothing daunted, succeeded in discharging about four sluiceheads (being one-fifth of the capabilities of their race, and the supply granted) on to their special claims, one mile west of Edward’s Ferry. These men undoubtedly have proved themselves great benefactors to their fellow-miners for years past, for their names will be remembered as long as the Goldfields last, as the pioneers of the Upper Ben •! igo Gully workings. In the very heart of the Dunstan ranges, they, then known as The Rise and Shine Co., fur several years after cutting a race from the highest stream on the Dunstan ranges, worked persistently through summer and winter for three years, though sometimes surrounded and cut off from communication from the outer world by snow ; and the money they obtained during their t'lree years’ residence in the Dunstan Mountains, has now been spent in cutting tbe Cambrian race, so named after the country they came from. I am glad to say they have found gold immediately they commenced sluicing ; and all the race-owners between the two punts—Edwards’s and Morven ferries (a distance of ten miles on the Arrow' Road from Cromwell) —have found good payable sluicing ground. The Cambrian race-jwners are sanguine of success, as their race commands at least five miles of sluicing ground on the banks of the river.

Cardrona. —I regret to say that lam unable to give a very reliable report of this rising place, which is rapidly increasing in importance, and becoming more permanently settled as its mining resources are becoming unfolded. Having been d sappoined in receiving a statistical and general report, promised me by the manager of a water-race, who had kindly offered to assist me to ascertain particulars minutely, and free from prejudice and color, I have had to fall back upon my own observation, which has been (when speaking of so important a place), during the short time I have had charge of the district, very limited, as I have only made monthly visits to hold Courts there. I am enabled to say, however, that the European miners, about 90 to 100 in number, are quite in a position to build themselves substantial houses, and settle down, for they have before them, carved out, work enough in the shape of mining to last for a life-time. 'I he lead of gold, its directions, £c., have been established, and claims marked off accordingly. A great deal of money is expended m machinery on these diggings. The sinking is a great depth, the tunnelling most extensive, and the pumps numerous, and of great power. Men who have raised capital in surface diggings here are now expending some of it in deep sinking, but the fruits of their labors are speedily obtained. The risk is becoming less and the finds more certan—perhaps there are some a little discontented with their returns, but this is not because the yields are inferior, but rather that the men have been accustomed to so much better at the Cardrona, A special claim applied for at Spatb’s Creek, twelve miles from Cardrona Township, towards Lake Wamka by Messrs Machin and Bond, whose names is a sufficient guarantee that the prospecting will be completed, will (if payable workings are found) cause mining to extend northwards. The only danger, should this event uate, would be the entire absorption of the Cardrona Creek, the demands already being very great in the way of diversions and passing of tailings. I hope to be able, next quarter, to give a more detailed account of the workings in this division of my district. The warm, dry season we have enjoyed, after a very severe winter, has brought oa the crops remarkably well. The farmers are jubilant at the healthy appearance of their fields. Complaints are increasing that cattle owners do not keep their boundaries, and that their hungry stock is encroaching on fenced lands ; but, perhaps, if the provisions of the Fencing Ordinance were more strictly o’ served, the cattle might be defied by the ag cnltural leaseholders, and become trespassers on Crown lands only. The question of boundaries for sheep and cattle is becoming more vexed every day as stock increases, and stringent rules will become necessary to check a growing evil, 'ibo want of water for domestic purposes is much felt at Arrowtown.”

The Hunting Season. —Leap-year. How to Make a Clean Sweep.—Wash him. The Exhibition Commissioners have awarded the gold medal to Mr Harrison for his freezing process for the preservation of meat; and medals to the Woollen Company for tweeds, to Messrs Bright Bros, for tin and crucibles, aud to ftusaeU and Wilson for wool.