VICTORIA.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 689, 18 June 1870, Page 1 (Supplement)

VICTORIA.

[MEI.BOUBNB LEADER, MAY 28.] The Ballarat Western Council will not prohibit mining in town. Many valuable buildings are threatened with destruction from operations underground. Great dissatisfaction is expressed at the works being carried on. The Council is afraid of offending miners. Several large finds have been lately reported from Castlemaine, tending to show that the alluvial workings of the once famous Forest Creek are not wholly denuded of their wealth. The Mount Alexander Mail reports that recently another lump of gold weighing 2150z was purchased by the bank from a small party of men, who decline to give any clue to the place where they unearthed their prize. The mass was unusually free from foreign substances, and from the fact that it had more than one pick mark on its surface, it seems likely that some previous and less lucky miner had overlooked his fortune. The same paper reports : — A large cake of gold from the Goldsmith's reef, Yandoit, was brought to the Oriental Bank yesterday morning. It weighed 91oz sdwt, and was the produce resulting from a crushing of 17 tons of stone. Some years ago the reef was abandoned as being unprofitable. Respecting the latest new rush, a correspondent of the Bendigo Advertiser writes : — " The rush to Good Friday Creek continues to increase, and there must be nearly 100 persons on the ground and numbers arriving daily, many coming from long distances to try their fortune. I was sorry to see in Mr Mining-surveyor Nicholas'sreportsucha mistake— evidently a typographical error. It stated that lloz Bdwt had been got out of two lots of stuff. It should have been lldwt Sgr. I may here state that up to the time of my writing, nothing better than fdwt to the tin dish has been got. Several prospects of £dwt and £dwt to the dish have been got. Numbers of holes have been bottomed with what are considered payable prospects—say, from 3dwt to 6dwt to the load. There are a few claims that will go much better— from 12dwt to loz to the load. It is a fine-looking country, .and well worth prospecting, but it is no place for strangers and men who have not the means to stand out for a time, as there is nothing for them but to prospect. I would strongly recommend all those who are earning a crust to stay where they are until something better has been discovered." A rumour was circulated in Chiltern a day or two ago that a new load had been discovered wnich would surpass in its glories the far-famed Chiltern Lead. On inquiry, the Federal Standard "found there was strong foundation for the statement. It appears an escape-shaft was bottomed on the Suns of Freedom Company's ground. The depth was 212 ft. The prospect got was 2dwt to the dish. The escape-shaft is some 400 ft from the working-shhf t, and the company have for some time been driving from the latter to the escape-shaft, fhe driving was for the greater portion of the distance through reef, but on nearing the escapeshaft gravel was struck. This may form a portion of the supposed lead. However, gold has been got in the shaft, and the question is— from what direction does it come 1 The reef between the two shafts presents the idea of distinct leads. If there is no upper connexion between them, there is no doubt of another lead, and the lead that has been talked of for so long — the one running from the Deep Creek and the* Barrabogie. We only hope the theory is correct." The Armstrong correspondent of the Ararat Advertiser writes :— A rush took place on the 20th inst. on the other side of the dividing-range, at the corner of the sixty acre block occupied by Duncan M'Kenzie. The rush was caused by Harry Brown and Davies obtaining from the bottom of their shaft a 3d wt piece, together with fine gold. The sinking is about seven feet with two feet of cement. The prospectors bottomed on the cement, in which gold was plainly visible. Before leaving off work on Saturday, a nice gravelly wash was setting in, leading to the belief that a good lead had been discovered, but as yet I am unable to say more. There were over one hundred miners on the ground on Saturday. We extract the following from a private letter received by a gentleman in this city, from a miner recently returned from Corner In|et : — " I have been to Corner Inlet diggings, and am now returned. Out of a party of fourteen stalwart miners, all backed out and would not go. The wind was baffling ; and, being unable to wait any longer for sailing boat, I alone prosecuted my dreary journey of fortytwo miles overland, to what has been called the diggings, and through wind and pelting rain, ceaseless up till now, and that without a good coat or even a blanket to cover me at night. Twenty miles of the road, or track, 1 found to be under water, varying from ankle to waist deep, and in one part, for eight miles, the track, or canal, two feet wide, was kneedeep in water, perfectly level, and the scrub so dense and tough that a dog could not have penetrated it. On my way up, although I met nearly all the men coining backhand that, in a gloomy despondent state, I went through to see the reality, which was anything but cheering. The prospectors (a party of five) some two months ago got soz to 6oz of gold, and since have done little or nothing, . last week the yield from their ground being 7dwt. Of the .200 to 300 miners who have visited the locality none have got any gold. The creek is not new ground, there being old deserted woi kings and decaying puddling troughs at various turns of the creek, and it was notable ten years ago that Ht paid for working ; in fact, as much gold can be found at Kororoit Creek or Saltwater River. On leaving there were only twelve miners on the ground. Some of the men returned would be glad of, and are seeking, employment up-country as farm laborers at 10s per week. I had to return the dreadful journey again on foot.