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Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 205, 7 May 1867, Page 2

Rumens wore rife in town yesterdaj r respecting a new find 'of unusual richness, from eight to ten- miles up the Uorth Beach, between Point Elizabeth and Canoe Creek. The prospectors, who are said to be the same as the discoverers of Canoe Crock, showed a prospect of two pennyweights to the dish, but wo arc unable to ascertain the depth of sinking, thickness of washdirt, or other particulars, until the return of Mr sub-Warden Lightband, who, 0:1 the application being made, at Cobden, for a prospector's, claim, immediately started to examine the gromid for himself, and had not returned at the time we went to press. We have been informed, that the road paity engaged in milking a track round the bluff, were unable to resist the temptation of the rush, and all threw down their picks, and left their work on the news reaching them. The gold brought down by the prospectors is stated to be of a coarse quality, and to show stronger indications of being a real "lead" than any yet discovered on tiie beach. We are glad to be able to announce that arrangements have been made by Mr If all, the Postmaster General, with Messrs Cobb and Co. for carrying out the long and earnestly desired change in the number of postal deliveries between this town and Hokihka. There is in future to be a daily service instead of a tri- weekly as heretofore, and this has, we understand, been secured at an increased outlay of £150 a-year only. If there be any reliance to h&jJf^^^ ,-, „ . „, v^^gi^placed on the generally reoeiveiljito*w*!^r , , „ ' the changes of the lnooifc"*' lll *^^ J.V „ .^'"i- .greeting tlie weather, we may now a 'consider ourselves "in" for a raii^ spell, a=3 at the change of moon on -Saturday the long continuance of lovely autumnal weather we have so long enjoyed came to an end, and we have since had a succession of heavy warm rains, which will doubtless be eagerly welcomed by gardeners who were looking for an opportunity of planting out their winter crop, and diggers who were waiting eagerly for rains to. "wash up;" but the Sunday [jroincnaders in town found the- muddy roads by no means conducive to, their enjoyment. The Oamaru Time* reports a somewhat novel spedes of competition, no other than a trial of the running and driving powers cf the sheep dogs of the district. There were fifteen entries for piizes of L 5 and L'S. The following were the terms of the match : — "Each shepherd, with his dog, was required to drive three wild hill wethers, turned out of a. yard, about a quarter of a mile, put them in a yard of five hurdles, without a wing, and return them to the starting place within 30 minutes. The shepherd doing this best, and to the satisfaction of the judges received a prize of L 5, the second L 3. In the course of his recent speech to. the Southland electors, Mr Dillon Bell, speaking of the mismanagement of the Telegraph Department^said : — "To give an instance, at the wreck of the .South Australian, a followpassengor was lllj and telegraphed to Dunedin for leeches. The telegram was not delivered for live hours. I telegraphed to my wife, who I knew would be under the greatest alarm, and the telugraui did not reach for five hoxirs. I intend to ' make a row ' about it, as the saying is, in the House." Mr D. H. Mervyn lias been elected member of the General Assembly for the Manuhcrikia district. We understand that the man Scanlan, who was recently stabbed at .the Cement Load, Saltwater, has been removed to the hospital, where he now lies in a dangerous state, hHiS wound having taken an unfavonibie.turn. The West Coast (Times states that the latest advices from tie lioast, received per Tasnianian Maid, a^e tinged with a vciy sombre hue, and mdi :ate nothing less than a collapse of miuing in ;hat district. All the prospecting parties h ;ive returned unsuccessful, including fifteen, ininers who started for Big Bay, and tested jtho beaches and beach terraces 011 their waw Nothing payable was found— not even thsf color in many places. Beforoithe Tasmania:! Maid's arrival, the. population, of the . clist-acfc was estimate at

300, of whom about 70 were working at the North Beach diggings, where a few claims paid from L 6 to L 7 per week each man, but the majority only yielded "bare tucker." The main diggings between the Hansfc and Okuri are nearly exhausted, and employ barely 100 men ; ib is not expected that more than 150 people, including storekeepers, will reside at the Haast during the ensuing winter. In fact, that number covers the present population, as quite 150 left in the Tasmanian Maid, whilst nob a few departed overland during last week. Captain Souter, of the Maid, observed on his way back a long string of heavily s wagged diggers plodding wearily along the beach, and thinking they would like to take the passage with him, ran the ship inshoiv,.])ut no sigual being made by them, he proceeded onwards. The Government had commenced track-cutting in the Haast district, and a few of the hopeful ones re : retaining there believe it will lead to the discovery of new country. We learn from the Charleston Argus that a serious accident occurred on the 30th April to a miner named Patrick Ryan, at the new rush, near whafc is known. a§ the Darkies' Terrace, Pakihi. A .charge of blasting powder prematurely exploded, and burnt him severely about the head and face, his eyes being, it is feared, permanently iujured. The first portion of the tramway intended to join the present line at the Saltwater Creek to the 'township of llnbherglen (Diamond Gully), for '-which Hamilton and Co. got a concession recently, was opened yesterday with great success. The line passes entirely through dense bush, and is rather difficult in some places where it traverses swamps. Ttye work has been faithfully executed and with great despatch ; and we sincerely hope will amply reward the enterprise of it,s projectors. Steps have been taken by the residents of Brighton and Charleston for the establishment of a district hospital, to be erected midway between the two places. A private letter from Dunedin informs us that it is rumored in well-informed circles, that the General Government intend to follow up their proceedings b}' disallowing Mr Macandrew's election— the Constitution Act giving the Governor power to veto any election at any time within three months. -Mr Maciuulrew was simply formally gazetted as having been elected, and that announcement did not in any way interfere Avith the Governor's power of veto. Should our correspondent's information be correct, the present excitement will, we fear, be considerably increased, The rush to the Woodstock, reported a few days ago by the . Wed Goad Times, appears to be turning out well, several more shafts having beeu bottomed with success. Our Hokitika contemporary of Saturday says :— " On Thursday, washdirt was struck iv a shaft twelve claims ahead of the All Nations Company, and when tested gave three and four grains to the dish, the ' stoup 1 of pay dirt boing nearly four feet, thick. Al--together there must bo from ten to iifteen claims on gold, and we hoar that the miners are very sanguine the entire strip of country bstwecn Woodstock and Arthur's Town will yet be proved payable. The high' tor raco which borders the river is broken in one place, and ib is therefore considered possible that gold may bo traced through it into thu Totara county. [Respecting now rushes, we may mention that a rumor of sumu now discovery on the Chris bchuruh road w:us current in town yesterday. It was stat-jd that very Jieavy; gold had beenfouuTraSSj^^ilifc^ The very proper and laudable^iistom. of keeping all houses of public oiiteminmeut closed during the Sunday, instead of chucking: the evil of drunkenness, seems rather to aggmvatet ib. Whether from its being a dny of idleness, and thus giving more time for the indulgence, or that the necessity of obtaining entrance by some surreptitious sidedoor, gives a kind of illicit charm to the drink thus obtained, certain it is that Monday morning almost invariably shows a heavier charge-sheet thau any other day of the week. Yesterday was no exception to this rule, as wo perceive by the report that there wore fewer than the ordinary proportion of those unwise votaries of Bacchus, whose enthusiastic devotion to the "rosy god" had tempted them into irregularities, which among the brotherhood of the mystic vine are metaphorically characterised as "going on the burst," or "getting on the spree," but which callous policemen, who arc an uusympathizing race, and don't at all appreciate eccentricity iv any shape, coldly put down in their big lodger under tha plainspoken heading of "Drunk and Disorderly. 1 Most of these too-exuberant individuals haviug been favored with the use of a government apartment for the night, found to their disgust in the morning that they had either to pay at the rate of LI or L 2 for the very meagre accommodation, or assist a. number cf other gentleman, similarly situated, in re-> moving tho fyuce of the camp reserve— a healthful and invigorating exercise, but much complained of as not being lucrative. v Tli3 Westland Observer of the 27 th publikTibs tho following mining report : — Mining matters have been partially stopped •dining the week, in consequence of the late heavy rains ; however, we arc happy to see that La'-kius and party have made such progress with their machinery that they expect to be able to have the whim, with horse power, pumping water in a few days should the weather be favorable. All extended claims at work are latterly paying remarkably well. On the south end of the beach several of the old hands continue steadily at work ; and we hear many instances of ground | being worked during the last few weeks equally as rich as in former times, when the Five-mile was in its palmiest days. The population is gradually increasing, a- good many having, arrived from t£o Haast, who all seem to tiud payable ground oii.onc or other of the beaches. On the Three-mile only one party are at work, all tholothers having directed thicr attention to ..surfacing, which we hear i'ar exceeds in ricbn Affltiy thing yet discovered here, One^rty^^epprted to ; be making over Ls.o,^'er weak Jffi^nan^ On '

the f^ach north of Okarita several miners continue^ steadily at work. The ground latterly is ■■ .paying much better than usual, averaging considerably over £1 a pay. At Abbott Head, Degreave's and party are fast progressing with the erection of their machinery. The ground has been well tested, and found payable. It is generally believed this company will be a decided success j and we sincerely hope, for the benefit of those interested, as well as for the district generally, that such will be the case. There is a current report in. town of a good prospect having been obtained some distance inland from Cauoo Point. Two parties have equipped themselves with the necessary tools and provisions. The miners have great faith in that district, although several have been unsuccessful, but in every case could make small wages. As all traffic is stopped by the late floods, we are unable to report the doings further south tl^au the Five-mile Beach.. The Okujo Daily Times thus delineates Mr Bradshaw's political character :— We have no quarrel with Mr Bradshaw ; and if we had, the wretchedly false position into which his own insensate ambition has brought him. might be accepted as a sufficient punishment by his worst enemy. He cannot continue to hold his appointment ; and cjispossesspd of it, he will stand proclaimed as one who has vainly attempted, to use his political power to his p.wn personal advantage. But with no ill-feeling towards him, it is necessary to say something abput him, to show the spirit in which the General Government have acted. Mr Biadshaw has been uniformly regarded, since ho found his way into the Assembly as representative of a small constituency, as a place seeker. His whole conduct during last session supported, the supposition. He was notoriously at the disposal of the Government ; time after time he used to abandon resolutions tabled in his name ; and, if we are riot misinformed, he was only able to screw up his courage to sjieak once during the session, and then upon some trifling question of a personal nature to some officers on the goldtields. He displayed no ability or talent whatever. No one, as far as we arc aware, has ever surmised that he possessed any ; and he is without official j experience. Yet he is selected to govern two-thirds of Otago. Is it necessary to say more, in proof of the malignant spirit which has actuated the Government, than to point to their selection of Mr Bradshaw as a substitute for the Provincial Government and Provincial Council of Otago ?