FOX'S RIVER RUSH.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 147, 20 December 1866, Page 2

FOX'S R IVER RUSH.

(fJRQM OUR OWX COUKEsroSDEST.) — 'fl Brigutox, Dec. 13, 18G6..M Lovely and enjoyable weaiher is the rjlfe ; here, ai>d the town of Brighton proper is pf||P ting on an appearance worthy of its increasing importance, .wood and iron being thctv" new rule in building, which goes on xwe&jjs' iugly. The advent o f a numerous populatum will soon thoroughly lay open the secret treasures fl f the district, for the miners are spreading over the country in every direction, the surplus leaving here for the broader fields of the Bakilri. When I say the.Pakihi, I may men tjpn that between the Pakihi fields and Fpx's there is a belt of $hnber, only a few miles in extent, after passing " through which the auriferous ground may be said to commence, so that the diggings may be said to extend from Fox's to Constant Bay. On my way from there, I sawclusters pf tents iii al} djrections— at the foot of te:-' - races, iv.the bends of gullies, and in some cases on the high hills. It being open com : 4 . ■try, the miners trace the payable ground in all .sorts of out-of-the-way places. I shoiild ' think the population here numbers about ')■:-. {500Q, and still they come. Mr Kynnersley fortunately arrived on Tuesday, and by liis judicious management, has restored the town to something like order, as before he came; all was discontent among that numerous party who held sections, and on whiuh they could neither build- • no}.- locate. Many Jiad jumped the ground of others, keeping thp ; legal gwners out <$ possession, trusting*^ any chance of getting a section. '" ~ A]\ sorts of rumqrg reach me of ne^s riislie.?, but when once; tjie rush to Fox's is « mentioned, it may bp said $8 include a'^ those p,ntlying placesv^o wiiicli every day miucK who are not in possession cif payable ground sot in, with more or less success. Under tlie range which bounds this .townl ship iv a crescent form, and in which the terraces are being worked., there is a long sfcl li^ «.{ aljput two miles;' pf flat j.into this a. combined immbcr of miuers are now sinking ; the bottom is anxiously looked for. On the result of their enterprise a great deal d. . ponds, for if payable there is certainly ground enough to employ a large number of men.; It is quite a puzzle to yonr correspondent, to endeavor to give even theslightest idea of the amount of .p/d obtained. I see very little of it, yet hear of extraordinary yieldr, or expected yields. The only evidence I have that gold must be obtained somewhere is the fact that all business men are very bu3y. money Js plentiful, and. the faces of ;most men have a ('.hcerfxil aspect. I hear-oi little or no grumbling, but at times hot disputes arise between men over their nobbier*for whilst one nun who arrived yesterday will oifer to hot LjO that there are not 206 men on gold, another in an , equally 10ud ..... manner says that he knows of 2000 on gold. ' ' certain it is, however, veyy little gold reaches theßiUik-of New South Wales---agentff:feK '--"r. which are here— although their "banking house is not yet rc^.ly ; sinclting house is built, but not yot iv working order. . The l;v;k of gold in large quantities may-tfjjjbk explained by the fact that . the deep ' sinkiugrSg^Xl'. the rule and as soon as the miners have;°by 'Z shafts and tunnels struck gyjd and proved ' their cliiims they make extensive preparation* for properly working out their ground, by ' tunnelling, slabbing, &c. In another week or ten days it is believed that all the good claims will begin to yield. their quota. This view is taken because at the Pakihi, notwith-' standing the loss of population, and the ; scarcity of goJdfai-. a lp.ng time, gold is now freely ottered, -and a smeltiiig-house is in full work there. Every confidence ni the stability of the town is entertained by th,e business men, for they are already commencing public business by convening a meeting to take steps for constructing a tramway from the town to the port,, a distance along a good road of about a mile and a half, with a crowd o f business places and tents nearly.' the whole way. . The bakers have %ft literally- besieged /with hungry claimaj^sifora loaf. It "Was tq nic a novel sight to seejsome ■30 or 40 men struggling with, .outstretched arms and money in hand for a loaf of bread, hustling and; pushing each other in no friendly manner for. the first chance. The bakers seem to have, been put to their wit's end in endeavoring to, keep up a supply of bread .equal to the vdeniaud, the population is. streaming in.sq rapidly. It is a notable; fact that we have some chance of enjoying a steak again, some fine fat cattle having arrived— the first, for- a considerable time— nothing but mutton aft from Is 3d to Is Cd having been obtainable. I cannot conclude my letter without referring to the smart and business - like manner in which Captain Ferrer has brought his schooner, the Three Friends, to this port from Greymouth, and safely delivered hi % cargo, having made two trips in. ten. days" and leaving again for Greymonth on Wedues- ■ day last. From what. I can see, captains, may with' proper attention complete their, trips here with equal promptitude,' for the Harbor Master is very attentive to his duties and has no easy- task in traVelling from here to the Pakihi every fevj days. Had Mr Beveridge not been absent- from the PakiL} on duty here when 'the Star of the Buller entered Constant Bay, there would not have been cause for the complaints I made in a previous letter about the lmisting of the red flag before tide-time. I find the Harbor. ' Master to be very careful and attentive to his duties,, and am glad to. mention that the signals to be used here and at Constant Bay, will shortly be similar to those at the Grey and Hokitika. . " " - - >-■ Saturday, 15th., I hear the whistle of a, steamer, and hasten to say that Mr Walmsley, .of, the Bank of ®™ M§k arrived' here yesterday. f fS^^ ihi^-^ V ol ™ escort ' wit^ abputipo,;lbs weight of gold. .--■'=& news^wiU make its appearanc|i[ 'here, pubhshedm %s township ouTuesd-i^^ next. " ' ' - t,i 0