UP-RIVER DIGGINGS.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 629, 29 January 1870, Page 2

UP-RIVER DIGGINGS.

(from ove own correspondent.) Napohbon, January 25. The new rush on Coffey's Terrace has every appearance of turning out well. It is situated a little to the south of the track from Napoleon to Noble's, across the bridge at Walsh's HoteL. and. near tb« Canadian's hut. The sinking is- between 40ft and 50ft in depth, and the washdirt, which is of the usual thickness— between 3ft and 4ft, prospects on an "average three grains to the dish. This gold has been discovered in a manner somewhat similar to that in which the Napoleon Lead was found. It has been traced from the head of a gully which has been worked some time ago, and which, in some parts of it, was very rich. There are seven claims on gold now, five of which are certainly payable. It would be premature to express a decided opinion about the rush yet ; but, as far as 1 can see at present, it has every appearance of permanency. The fact of the gold having been traced from the face of the old workings into the hill has been the cause of having a number of shafts Bnnk, which willj at all events, thoroughly test the ground.. The shareholders in the vicinity of the prospecting claim have a high opinion of the value of s their claims, and high prices are demanded!^ for shares. l"' Another rush has taken place at Old Noble's, \ This has been caused in consequence o;f gold having been followed into the terrace by one of the sluicing parties, in the same manner in which the gutter at the Canadian Bush was discovered. The ground here is richer than the average of the district ; but, in consequence of its low level, it will be a difficult and expen- , sive matter to drain it. A rush has also taken place to one of the creeks running into theTotara Swamp. The ground is almost entirely taken "up by five parties, three of whom are getting payable gold. There is an extensive area of country between this swamp and the Orwell Creek, which will eventually develop a profitable gold held. The gronnd is gem rally shallow, and as there is v.2±sr in abundance available, prospecting is ' comparatively easy. This part of Mie country has been much neglected, out this is principally owing to the difficulty of obtaining access to it. At the Canadian, one claim is. certainly paying well; but I have been unable to. obtain any information about the other claims which are at work. The rush over the Saddle, to Boatman's Creek, is becoming important. It has depopulated Soldier's and Murray's Creeks, and the miners are coming from the. Buller and the Lyall in considerable numbers. There has been nothing found yst to justify this, for the stripping is deep, and the- ground is comparatively poor '; but mining matters appear to be in such ! a miserable state in the Buller counter, that it does not require any great inducement to cause a rush in that direction! I have lung been of opinion that an extensive but poor gold field will be discoyerod in the watershed of the Inangahua Rifbr •: but the country will never maintain a large rush, that is, speaking with a knowledge of tho thorough system of prospeefcinsr which has been carried on in it. They've being "doing" it brown" xxp the Little Grey lately. We have been in the habit of bestowing our sympathy pri the poor fellows who came occasionally from that part of the country, but it appears that the boot might have been on the other leg with greater propriety. A suit, or rather a series of suits, have been car- . ried on at the Resident Magistrate's Court at the Ahaura lately, with reference to the right of the proprietor of a private track to. Antonio's Flat to charge tolls. The evidence which has been taken has thrown a good deal of light on the resources of the Upper Grey district. During the hearing of an application for an extended area of ground between Maori and NewChum Gullies, in the neighborhood of Antonio's Flat, it transpired that a rich quartz reef existed within 'the boundaries of the grant applied for. One of the objectors said he had been prospecting this reef previous to the present applicants, occupying the ground, and on being asked by the Warden if wages could be made by manual labor, and without the aid of machinery, be said the answer to that question would depend entirely on what the word "wages" meant. He said he could make LlO a week in this ground, on which sum he could " barely manage to subsist, but if he were at all extravagant he would' run himself in debt." The want" of rain is felt very much in the Napoleon district at present, and ia all probability the next washing will be the best which has been had in the place yet. In mining and commercial matters we are improving, but socially we are going to the bad. Scenes have occurred here lately in the public streets which are a disgrace to civilisation. I will purposely abstain from going into details or mentioning names, because I am certain that under the new police arrangements, which have just been made, such grievous public scandals will not be allowed to pass unchecked. Family quarrels are delicate subjects for strangers to interfere with under any circumstances, but if people will be foolish enough to drag their domestic miseries before the public, and make an open exhibition of themselves, they must take the consequences. The Mosquito Lead is at a standstill again. It was reported last week that a claim had driven into the gutter, but this has been contradicted. The party which was formed to further prospect this lead, have withdrawn the application which they made for an extended area of ground .on account of the opposition which was likely to be made to it. In consequenca of the failure of this attempt to benefit. the district the ground remains unoccupied, and it is likely to continue so, as far as the objectors are concerned. Messrs Clark and party have been more successful with their application for a grant of ground at Orwell Creek. The Warden did not entertain the objections made in thia case — and indeed it was no wonder — but in giving his decision ho said that he was of opinion that the quantity of ground applied for was too large., and he recommended the company to i withdraw the application and apply for a lease of seven acres, the granting of which area he would recommend to the Government. Noonen Bros, and party, lower down this creek, have their neV head race nearly finished. This has been an expensive and difficult undertake- ■ ing, and the party deserve great credit for

the workmanlike manner in which it has been accomplished. This party have spent months at this race in fine weather and foul without any extraneous aid but their own energies and resources, and I have no doubt that if they applied tomorrow for an extra area of ground, as some compensation for the expenditure they have been at, their application would be opposed on the ground that " a poor man with a tin dish or a cradle could make tucker in the ground if there was plenty of water." A party is being formed to take a tailrace in at the bottom of Sullivau's Gully (Ahaura). The last claims which were worked in this gully were rich, and it. is the general opinion that the ground is payable, but it cannot be worked at present owing to the quantity of water which has to be got rid of. Higher up the Abaura river, Baxter's party are still carrying on their sluicing operations. It would be a great boon to the inhabitants of this part of the district if a small outlay was made on the track from Cook and Owens' ferry to the Ahaura. The trafficis increasing every day in consequence of this being a short cut to the Ahaura frqir the upper part of Nelson Creek, Callaghan's, and Sullivan's gullies.