MOONLIGHT, AHAURA, AND NELSON CREEK.

Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 440, 7 November 1868, Page 3

MOONLIGHT, AHAURA, AND NELSON CREEK.

(from our own correspondent.) Ahaura, October 30. Since my last communication we have been visited by the worst flood that has been experienced up the river for nearly two years. It was accompanied by a dreadful gale of wind, and in conseqnence the damage done in all parts of the district was most severe. At Moonlight Creek a large weatherboard billiard saloon was blown down, as also Mr Deare's store, and scarcely a store or hut was left with a roof intact. The creek was fearfully high, carrying away logs which all former floods had failed to touch, and all communication with the Ahaura was stopped for almost a fortnight. Except the loss of time but little damage was sustained by the miners, as the tail races for the moit part are well covered in, and two or three days sufficed to set all busily at work again. M'Loughlin's dam and fluming stood well, but three of the boxes being carried away. The diners are all doing well here, in fact I may say on the average better than anywhere else up the river, aud I noticed a few old faces at work again, who had been absent for some months at various new rushes, evidently without improving upon the old place. Several nuggets between four and six ounces weight have been found here lately, any of which would create a sensation in other r parts, if we are to judge from the reports which appear of the new diggings near Adelaide. A few men have made a fair living by simply fossicking with a knife and tin dish on old bottoms and crevices of the creek, a thing almost impossible in any other part of the coast. At the Ahaura township the damage was much greater. The front of Mr M'Kenna's store was entirely carried away, and the building almost destroyed. The flood remained at a great height for several days, and washed the river bank away to within a few feet of the buildings, leaving the township, in case another flood should occur, in a most precarious condition. This has sufficiently alarmed the inhabitants as to their danger in remaining, and the principal part have decided to remove their habitations to a more secure locality. A meeting was held here on Thursday evening last to select a suitable site, at which Mr Dutton, Mr Dent, and the district engineer attended. I have not heard the exact determination agreed upon, but I believe the new township will be placed at a point some two miles higher up the river. Should this be the case, I fear that the cargo boats will experience much difficulty in getting up the falls when the river is low, and I would respectfully suggest that a much more suitable site could be found on the terrace on the opposite side of the river, at the foot of Moonlight, to which a good and really permanent road could be formed at a small outlay, thereby saving to the Nelson Government the cost of keeping in repair the present road, which is washed away almost as soon as made. Another advantage it would have would be that it would keep the up-river traffic entirely in the province of Nelson, which really ought to enjoy the benefit accruing from it, and which the present road throws into other \ hands. At the various diggings higher up the river, the flood, though unusually high, did no damage calling for especial notice. The population about Orwell Creek remains about the same number, and I hear of a few claims turning out very satisfactory returns. Taken as a whole, however, I think it is scarcely as rich as other diggings in the neighborhood. A report was spread last week of a good payable gully having been found by Pat Barry somewhere near the head of Duffers, but as I have not much reliance in the source from which the rumor emanates, I advise all to wait for a trustworthy account. At Noble's, affairs are still in a most promising state. Good claims and handsome dividends are the order of the day, and a new billiard table is going np this week to occupy the leisure hours of the lucky miners. The new msh at Nelson Creek has, as I predicted, assumed much larger proportions, new arrivals, swag laden, being daily seen wending their way thither. Nearly a dozen business places are either erected or in course of construction, and a really large township will soon be seen here. The claims already opened are yielding first-rate, and fresh parties have set in at various points for a distance of over two miles. Should it continue this will be the largest rush ever seen -up this river.