THE SOUTH BEACH.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 195, 13 April 1867, Page 3

THE SOUTH BEACH.

(FROM A CORRXSrONDET.) 1 have noticed lately by your columns ithat while the Pakihi, Fox's, and upcountry diggings receive a fair share of Attention, mining industry nearest home seems to sink into insignificance, and is passed by unnoticed ; but I trust that the time is not far distant when the South Beach will again rise to eminence, and I ._ ;thihk that the enterprise and energy that ■W 1 have been displayed there is worthy of a ! T ' little more attention than has been paid to them recently. The South Beach embraces a more extended area of auriferous ground than would appear to a casual observer, for niany persons are under the impression that it is limited to the narrow lead running parallel with the Tramway, whereas a walk of one hundred yards into the bush brings one on to a lead twice the width of the beach lead, and from which treble the quantity of gold has been taken. There are still a considerable number of men at work on this lead, and, I believe, earning fair wages. I know of several parties who, attracted for a time by the reported richness of new discoveries, have returned to the terrace lead, preferring settling down on small wages to following the riishs. The Sawpit Water Race Company at the head of the lagoon is now in full working rirder, with an excellent supply of water. They are sluicing everything away before them, and I hear that it is paying them 4., extremely well, as shares aro valued at a li high figure. The Cumberland party, f which I shall designate henceforth as the f Golden Empire Sluicing _Cpmpany, have ndw"cbmploted their water race to Jackson's Creek, from which they expect to obtain a plentiful supply of water, as they succeeded in purchasing the first right of water from the party formerly known as Mackenzie's. I must say that the Golden Empire Company merit great praise for the energy they have displayed in the construction of their race. It is now over ten months since they commenced cutting ** the race, and it must have cost them a good deal of money besides their labor. The race is about four miles long, and is constructed along the side of the main range, where the work was very heavy. It commences about two miles up the creek from the beach, and terminates at Watson's Creek, where they hold an acre | grant of old ground, including the celc- ( brate"d claim of Watson's, from which over 1 cwt. of gold was taken. Here the Company have a tail-race cut through the terrace to the beach, which empties their tailings into, the sea about one hundred yards north Of Mr Coates' store, and thty seem determined to make clean work of it as they are washing right down to the clay. Shares in this compaivy are held at L 350, a price that indicates that the terrace lead is not going to be deserted in a hurry. I was speaking to Mr Peart, one of the shareholders in the Golden Empire Company, who has had considerable experience in the construction of water races, and it is his opinion that the terrace lead will pay with a head of water from L 6 to LlO per week all the way from the head of the Lagoon to Jackson's Creek, a distance of two miles. I may here remark that this company's race is not only advantageous for slucing purposes, but also offers great facility to miners carrying their provisions along in prospecting for the lead that has boon traced from the Hau-hau to the Saltwater, and will without doubt eventually be-tiivced to or past the Grey river, ri aro several parties prospecting 'rlhe same at this time, and if the Bench ;\ds may be taken as a criterion for the - ftck ones in the same line of country, ; will, when struck, be second to none in Vestland. _______