WARDEN’S REPORT.

Evening Star, Issue 3554, 14 July 1874, Page 2

WARDEN’S REPORT.

Mr Warden Stratford, under date Julyl, reports from Naaeby Rain, the indispensable desideratum for a sluicing district, has been almost altogether denied us. I find by my meteorological register that we have only enjoyed thirteen days’ rain and snow during the quarter—viz., three days in April, five days in May, and five in June ; to this may be added four days’ thaw, which proved beneficial. Against these periods of prosperity we have endured twenty-three days’ hard frost—viz , two days in April, one in May, and twenty in June, during which time there has been an almost entire cessation of surface mining. At St. Bathans the Muddy Creek Sludge Channel Company have commenced in real earnest. They have been fortunate enough to discover a quarry of stone close to the scene of operations. The stone is suitable for paving the channel, and will save considerable expense in carting. The miners in that locality have not felt the scarcity of water so much as in other places, as they have been engaged in preliminary works, cutting races, &c. The sale of St. Bathans township is looked forward to with rejoicing by the business people, who intend to improve their houses as soon as they become freeholders, and will also bring a, stream of clear water for domestic and sanitary purposes. At present the township is badly supplied with water. Iron pipes for hydraulic purposes are beceuUng more generally used at St. Bathans. The United M. and E. Company has lately adopted them rm. wo .R® claims at a cost of about L2OO. The Scandinavian Company has had a similar set in use in the St. Bathans- basin for some time past, as well as a great length at Surface Hill. Mr Ewing, who introduced these pipes first at St. Bathans for pressure purposes, has a set at his works, I have no doubt his example "dll be soon followed by all large companies in the district, so great are the advantages of iron pipes.

With regard to the public works at Naseby, I find that the contractors have paved the sludge channel up to peg five, being four miles and forty-four chains, and have excavated twenty chains beyond that peg. They are employing twelve Europeans, forty Chinese, twelve horses, twenty bullocks, and six drays. They will probably take ten mouths more to complete the channel. Of the Government head-race—sixty-five and a-half miles in length —thirty-seven and a-half miles have been cut, and the remaining twenty-eight miles will be probably finished in about nine months. The population within a radius of five miles, and at Naseby proper, is about 850. Out of this, there are about 450 women and children; of the balance, say 150 actually mining, and 250 in business, carting, laborers, and partly interested in mining pursuits. There are seven races in full working order, supplying water to miners >y sale, and several small races held by private parties—the total length of the seven races will be about ninety miles, and their carrying capabilities from two to four Government sluice beads each; total, twenty-one heads. The actual supply of water being about ten Government heads throughout the year (this estimate allows for frosts and dry weather). The entire water-race property is worth about L 2,500, and is owned by fifty-nine persons. All other mining property at Naseby is valued at about L 12.000. There has been a mile square of ground worked out at Naseby, which has given employment to 450 persons for nine years past, the average earnings having been about 45s a week. The ground referred to has not been thoroughly worked ; probably

a third of the gold has yet to be extracted when the tailings have been discharged down the sludge channel. For the new channel, when completed, there will be a strip of payable ground two miles in length by a quarter of a mile in breadth, and a considerable extent of high class ground in Home and Wet gullies—perhaps in these localities five times as much as has been already worked in them. It will only be when the price of water is reduced that Naseby will be restored to its pristine greatness, for at the present time four men require six heads of water, at a cost ef LlO to Ll2 a week. If the Government succeeds in bringing in only half the quantity of water that the public race is cut to carry, we ph*ll have room for the employment of 1,000 men at good wages for ten years at the least, for the high price and scarcity of water are the obstacles in the way of prosperity, and are keeping the few here groaning in poverty and despair. There are quartz reefs in the neighborhood, but I know nothing of their quality. The Kyebum coalpits at no distant. date will prove a source of great wealth, and supply all the settlements on the Maniototo Plains, besides Naseby. If a block of land was thrown open for cultivation in the neighborhood, I believe the miners, instead of wandering over the country for work when water is scarce, would devote their spare time to farming. Forage would then be much cheaper, and a flour mill might be erected. At Serpentine there are thirty Europeans and a few Chinese, who have been idle during the past two months owing to the severity of the weather and the consequent scarcity of water.

At Sowbum and Hamiltons the miners were kept pretty busy during April and May, but the hard weather of June has frozen their races. Some of the Hamilton and Sowburn miners have been sending their gold to Melbourne for sale, under the new system of Government aid, and have gained lay waiting patiently f«r the money 2s 2jd an ounce—the P™? having been, after all charges had been paid, L3‘l7s BJd per ounce. ’ ■ The residents at these diggings and the settlers on the Maniototo Plains are anxiously looking forward for the bridge ■ across the i amri, near Hamilton. There is no doubt about the great need of it, and the advantages to a fast increasing population that will accrue by its construction, for since the main road ford has been washed away all travellers have been obliged to cross Captain Hamilton’s dip ford, and pass through his private paddocks to the main road. When the bridge is finished a road can be formed from Hyde to Hrmilton at a small cost, probably not exceeding L3OO, towards which Ll5O has been already voted. At Hyde, in consequence of the scarcity of water, milling operations hiive been almost entirely suspended, but the miners have been engaged on the public works, and did not so much feel the depression. A few have left the place permanently, but the rest are how at home .repairing head and tail races. Most of the miners are married men with families, who have each a few acres of land cultivated. About 850 acres have been taken up recently'at this place, on deferred payments, by practical farmers, and as they are obliged to reside on the mud, they will prpye a great acquisition to

At Macraes township mining is almost at a standstill, but in some of the outlying gullies patches of good payable ground have been found, proving that the district has not been thoroughly prospected. Over 120 acres have been taken up on deferred payments in 'this place.

At Maerewhenua the frosts have been severer this season than any previous winter since those diggings have been discovered. The races are v. • froz ®^> and no w * ter « available at the township, The season has been exceptionally dry scarcely enough rain having fallen for domestic purposes. The place may be looked upon as at its lowest ebb. When the Kakanui mceis in, m addition t° those xn course of construction, it will certainly be a prosperous and permanent diggings, for the prospects are good for miles around the little township of Ramsay, and Nature has provided outlets for tailings.