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Grey River Argus, Issue 73, 30 June 1866, Page 2

y*~- .-w- : . ■■/ j We havebeen favored with the perusal of a private letter from the Inangah.ua, or as | the township is now appropriately named, | Kynuerslcy. The writer draws a very favorable picture of tho state of mining affairs there, and states that a long experience on the West Coast convinces him that the Little Grey district and the diggings over the Saddle are amongst the richest on the coast. Many bodies of miners, particularly those working in the blind gullies across the Saddle, are making piles, whilst almost all can " knock out" fair average wages. A considerable influx of population has arrived via the Buller, and a good quantity of stores are ! finding their way by this route, but it is at present believed that the Buller cannot compete with the Grey in the transit of supplies to the existing diggings. Several parties of prospectors are out in various directions from the Inangahua, and lepotts were prevalent of good finds, but nothing definite was known at the time the writer penned his communication. It is considered probable, from the number of miners who have spread themselves back into- the Builcr district, that a new gold field will be opened up in that direction, but as yet no certainty has been discovered of any rich ground. One day last week a canoe containing a quantity of stores were capsised in the Buller, but no lives were lost, and most of .the unpcrishable articles were recovered. The township of Kynnersley is rapid!}' increasing in size and importance, and there are now a large number of stores and hotels there, all apparently doing a thriving business. At the Little "Grey, mining matters remain pretty much in statzi quo, but prosperity appears to reign in that district, as few are leaving and others are daily flocking thither from other gold fields. The population speak highly of the new road ' across the saddle, and a general feeling of satisfaction with the promptitude of the Nelson authorities exists. A canoe . accident occurred in the New River, Saltwater Creek, on Wednesday last, which nearly resulted in a serious loss of life. Two canoes, belonging to Messrs Card Broa, were coming down the river at a very rapid pace, when one of them struck a snag and capsized. There were in it four men, two workmen in r the store and two diggers with their swags, all of whom managed providentially to get a footing on the snag, and hold on for five hours until the occupants of the. other canoe went up the river to the store, and returned with the means of taking them off safely. The canoe that capsized and the:diggers' swags were lost, and it is almost miraculous that all the lives were j saved. ~ The new building for the Bank of New South Wales in Mawhera Quay has now been completed, and is occupied by the bank officials. It is a very handsome building, and quite an ornament to the street. We have already given a description of the building, and now that it is finished we can say that it is most creditable both to the enterprise of the Bank, and the architect and builders who were employed in its erection. The usual fortnightly meeting of. the Hospital Committee was held on Wednesday evening, in the Albion Hotel, when a large amount of general business was transacted. Dr. Foppoly sent in his resignation of the office of Hospital Surgeon, in consequence of his contemplated return to his native country. It was determined to write to Dunedin, in order to endeavor to obtain the services of _a surgeon for the Hospital. The weather during the last two days has been of the most uncomfortable and disagreeable discription. With short intervals it has been blowing and raining almost continuously, and, as a consequence, our unformed and neglected streets are in a deplorable condition. It is now the commonest sight during the day to "see drays with light loads- bogged up to theaxles.in thti ceigbte of ihe jiiaui thoroughfare, anci

horses plunging and struggling hopelessly in the deep pools/ We have so frequently touched upon this topic, and pointed out the necessity for some expenditure on the part of the Government to make our main roads passable during the winter, that we almost fear the subject is considered a stale one, and only a newspaper cry. But now that the winter is upon us, aud we are only beginning to feel the inconvenience of having absolutely impassable roads, and seeing that there is as little hope as ever of the Government doing anything to help us out of our difficulty, it would be advisable for the Improvement Committee to take the matter in hand at once. A dray road down the principal street could be constructed at a very small expense, and its advantages would be found to far exceed the trifling cost. Now that Mr Sale is amongst ns, and has seen the miserable plight in which our streets are, perhaps a deputation from the Improvement Committee might have some good effect. Amongst, recent despatches received from Mr Cardwell by his Excellency the Governor there are none of very great importance, if we except one which gives another, and, we hope, a final blow to Separation. The despatch to which we refer is one of the most recent that Mr Cardwell has written, and in it he has replied to the petition of the Auckland Provincial- Council for Separation, to the effect that- the petition had been laid before the Queen, who had read it most graciously, but that the Governor could not be authorised to hold out any expectation that her Majesty's Government would advise a compliance with its prayei. The business of the Resident Magistrate's and Warden's Courts, Greymouth, has fo* the last two days been postponed,: owing to the Court having been required for tha nomination and polling in the election. We* notice that this is announced as the last evening upon which the wax-work exhibition will remain open at Kilgour's Union HoteL^JEhis opportunity should be taken advantage of, aa the exhibition is well worthy of a visit We have-basn informed that only one woman has as yet crossed the saddle up the Little Grey. This/ fact was accomplished by Mrs Williams r -i^e Avife "M, a publican at the township of Kynnersley,- Vho crossed the saddle on horseback with a baby in her arms, and two other children slung over the horse's back in gin cases. Sho is now the only woman in the township of Kynnersley. The heavy showers which fell during the last two days have greatly increased the volume of water in the river, and last night it began to rise rapidly. At the time we wrote, eleven p. m., Boundary street is again flooded, the boats are conveying passengers across, and there is every appearance of the lower township being flooded during the night. We learn from undoubted authority that the Old Moonlight diggings are doing very well. Gold is now being got in Banter's Creek, between Caledonia and Moonlight Creeks. A local rush has takon place to a gully about seven miles from Burton's, and there are already about 600 men and some half-a-dozen stores on the ground. On Saturday week, a miner known only by the name .of Kitto, was drowned in the Inangahua River, under very melancholy circumstances. He- was crossing the river in company with his mate, when he missed his footing, "and was swept off by the current. After being carried down the river for some distance^ he recovered himself, and seized bold of a branch of a tree. With this f rail support, he managed to get near shore, but just as he was stepping on to the bank, the branch snapped, and he was again carried off by the current, and drowned. His body has ; not since been recovered. It is understood that he has a brother a storekeeper living at^ Kingour, Victoria. - The latest items of political news from Wellington are given by the correspondent of the Daily Times, who writing on the 13th says: — "The Ministry is still incomplete, and Mr Johnston has again been urgently pressed to take a department, but finally declines ; and, owing to the interminable delay occasioned by correspondence— offers and ex|||nations-— mo further additions to the Ministiy hay* yet taken place. Of the policy, everything seemed to be centred in fluence, and the whole of the fianancial questions will therefore be submitted to the Assembly .without delay. The Income tax is abandoned — i.c,, if the House chooses to sanction such a tax, well and good, but it will be no part of the Ministerial policy to requirethat the House should do so. Apropos of finance, I hear that orders are being issued to all the" sub-treasuries to f pay no more Customs revenue to the Provinces for the present, on the plea that such payments complicate the accounts, and the accounts are wanted to be made up to 30th June, with the utmost celerity. The Provinces will certainly be very angry at this stoppage of their customs three-eighths, even though it be but for a month, and for a much more tangible reason.