WARDEN'S REPORT.

Evening Star, Issue 3793, 21 April 1875, Page 2

WARDEN'S REPORT.

J 01 ? MWiug is the report of Mr Warden S'liTE- 1 “ riot) '" r tlw rear <mded Luring the year ending the 31at Mawth 1..4. the population of the district hL c^siderabfv ia? o rS^rr g t Chi 1 y t0 the dZandS lauor ana high rates of wages offering at the public works that are being carried on to 11l oca hty, vis., the Mataura and OhitlV thirty miles to the southward, and Wmton and Kingston, thirty miles to the west ward. Iso new discoveries have taken pfen during the past year, and I have no change to report m the mining prospects. The quantity of gold sent down was about 7,900 ounces, but this does not include the gold obtained from the Nokomai division, which is disposed of either in Invercargill or Queenstown. DoubtIcss, when the public works cease or the supply of labor flowing in from Europe effects the rate of wages, the goldfields will again recover their population, as in this district there is plenty of ground that will pay 30s to 40s pet week, except in the summer mouths, when the rivers are flooded or the supply of water for sluicing purposes runs short, ami then the runnoluers and farmeis require extra labor for shearing and harvesting. I estimate the mining population as under S-to™, including Dorn.®""’ 1 ”" I '- Creek, Gows, and WaiNT ¥ W 100 220 Nokomai on on Waikaka §0 Being a total of ... 14c Agriculture is being carried on In block I Vt endon district and the crops have been such as to satisfy the fanners. On cue farm, where the land was; followed last summer, the proprietor obtained at the rate of one ton of oaten hay for each bushel of seed. On the 0 rnu s hecp sure being graced, - « in the late Province of bouthlau 1 also under my charge, has, as regards popula aon, increased duriug the last year and I believe the miners on it, as a body, are doing better than on any goldfield in OtU" but the supply of water available for sluiouiv purpose* ih so limited that it may be considered is unable to carry a larger population than is already located on it, There have been two water-race* completed on it during the year whichmust have.an effect on the quantity of gold obtained. I have no means of ascertaining the quantity of gold obtained on this field, as it is sold in Riverton and Invercargill One miner from Lake George (Edward Bruce) toSk w r p°/V otona th / his "“WtigSp last Christmas, and showed me min* return which was as follows :-Quautity, Csoz lOdwts L2ro h nuiM d ’ pa ?' ng - mint ch »im L 270 16s XOd, or within a fraction of L 4 2s B*d quality Whl ° h prove> the S old t0 ho of first ~ A ,P ar *? «dners went out prospecting on the Jwest side of the Waiau River, but their boat was stove in and provisions lost, when they had to return. They got a little gold, but 1 presume the quantity did not satisfy tW as they hare not again tried it. The place was a great drawback m having no road by which goods can be taken, and the tracks for foot t)assengers and horsemen are decidedly bad. The population is as follows: European miners jko Chinese „ ... ”* g£ Men otherwise employed ... j2 Women ... Children *"

Making a total of miners of both races of