THE UPPER GREY DIGGINGS.

Grey River Argus, Issue 87, 2 August 1866, Page 3

THE UPPER GREY DIGGINGS.

(fROM OtJR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Twelve-Mile Landing, July 29th. - In am happy to be able still to inform you of our undiminislied prosperity. In spite of heavy floods, and the repairs consequent upon them, the yield of gold •during the past fortnight lias been -fully equal to that of any previous period, being, as near as I can roughly calculate, about 1 8000 ozs. for the entire district.' There certainly have boon times when, to say that twice -this amount had passed down the river within the fourteen days would have bsen nothing but tho truth, but now, in this dreary winter season, when the heavy rains so often retard the miners' labors-, and. 'the late large drain of diggers for the / lnangahuar(at the lowest computation 3000 men), I -consider the average yield of the metal to be something.extraordinary, and"- greater than ■ any gold-field in -New Zealand; • _ : ■ ••' " The Little Grey district is again looking up. There have been lately several new rushes to this quarter, aIL of Avhich give great, promise— the [principal, are '"Bur-:, ton's "and the ' ! Blackwater. ? -. Adam's Town or Burton V Rush!— This was opened about two months ago, and is situated on a'creokruuinng into the Little Grey, some* eight miles above the Junction. When first rushed great 'hopes were entertained of the workings" being very extensive. These sanguine expectations . have hardly been verified, though they alreadysupport a populatioirof quite 600, with 1 a daily increase. The workings are both creek and terrace. The creek. is worked from the , surface, no stripping being necessary, and the depth of wash between four and five feet. a The terraces are low,' varying from ten tb fifteen feat, with a very small quantity of wash. With the number of miners here one can hardlygive the average earnings, but I believe decent wages are made by thrjee-fourths of the' population. There are already iifteen stores erected, so that some one must be getting gold to .keep this staff going!. "■_ „ The Blackwater," though not a newdiggings, is claiming a great deal .of attention ; the fact of four stores springing up there within a week speaks volumes, for, in the words of the old proverb, " Where the carcase is, there will the. eagles be gathered together." I read, in your issne of toJday a letter from a correspondent, saving that the diggers are coming back from over the Saddle in scores or droves— l forget the exact words. Now, knowing that this" writer has never been within 30 miles of the Inangahua. I tliink it hardly riglrt to put sticli .a statement in print. Idp not deny that a great number of men -have recrossed to our siVle, and give rather doleful accounts, but I maintain that nine-out of tea of these men loft for the rush without money, and were thus .totally unable to meet the high price. of provisions there, and so returned . at onco, without giving the district twenty-four hours fafr trial. The Inangahua I can speak of from personal "observation' a% anything- "but, in diggers 1 parlance, " ; a shisor." It already supports a population estimated at- 3000, most of whom arc paying tlieir way, with some tiling to boot ; and when the long summer days come round I am sure no district on..tb,e coast will produce more gold for its population than this will. I once had a notion that the Buller 'w'cmlcl be the highway for provisions there. I have, however, been obliged to think differently, as, even now, the majority of tli3 storekeepers get their goods from the Ahaura j 'and, since Mr Kynnersley lias taken so deep an interest in the development of this branch of his district, and has despatched a large party of men to improve the road by the Little Grey, I feel convinced no route will vie with the Grey for 'distance or cheapness. I hear that Mr Jones, of the. Union Bank, a Nelson gentleman, is to be the Warden for the Bnller side oE the range. The appointment will be a very popular one. „ Noble's Gully remains about on a balance, a -few leaving arid a few returning. It is likely to be at this stationary point till the summer months. ' \ ."••-■ 'Duffer Gully shows a decided improvement both in the number of miners, stores, ■and yield of- gold. Speculators . seem to have great faith in this gully, judging from three or four publics lately erected there, the smallest costing over £200. The Ahaura Township still leads the van— three or foiu* new buildings are in com*3e of erection-^-it is becoming quite a settled spot— it already boasts a doctor/ anil a surveyor and mining advocate. Moonlight Creek- is not the prosperous place it- was' three months ago, the terraces not turning out as expected. ■ ■ No Town is hardly changed from what it was six months ago; It is the old identity of the .Grey — one meets the same faces and the same* storekeepers.' Ask them how they are getting .on, and the eternal reply is always "as visual. '' Here is- the ground where extended -claims' abound,' some- of them averaging wages that would not disgracethe salary of Governor Grey. It makes one's mouth water to see them with their little bags of gold dust: How hard it is under > these circumstances not to break one of the commandments ! * v • ' •>. . Sunnysido, four, miles from the Twelvemile, -boasts an increase in population of about 150; There are some splendid claims here; .the gold -is heavy, with occasional pjuggets.; , .. '.''■ "