THE BULLER DISTRICT.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 704, 23 July 1870, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE BULLER DISTRICT.

WAIMANHAROA. [WESTPORT TIMES.] At the Waimangaroa there are only a few working-the alluvial ground, yet we have reason to believe, from the length of time that the parties have confined themselves to this locality, that the returns are somethiug more than the - average.'' TheIpte heavy rains have interfered somewhat with operations. On the north side, immediately adjoining the reef, Turner and Simmons, who lately got a 9oz nugget, are still. driving a tunnel. Since Christmas they have only been making wages. On the south side of the river a party of four, known" as Harris and party, are also engaged tnunelling ; Theodore and party, old residents, are satisfied with their earnings, which they state maintain their average; Richard Mailer, a hatter, has also bee\\ fossicking for years in this> locality, and is supposed to have earned a very considerable sum. There would appear to be a large extent of alluvial ground open to occupation, and the fact of the thin population can only be ascribed to the difficulty," in the absence of roads and the flooded -state of the river, of obtaining provisions and mining necessaries. At the reef the six working shareholders are sinking a second shaft in the old tunnel, with the view of testing the reef at a lower level; having already got the reef in the shaft previously sunk, as also in the tunnel. They are now in a position to take-out 50 or 100 tons of stone, but do not contemplate crushing until certain alterations to the plant have been effected, and the reef has been more thoroughly tested. Mr Thomson, of the Langlands Foundry Company, who lately visited the reef, expressed his snrprise at the substantiality of the plant in so inaccessible a quarter. The waterwheel and stampers are, in his opinion, fully adapted to the purpose, haying plenty of power, and the former, in fact, is calculated to drive, if required, eight additional stampers. The copper plates are not, in his opinion, sufficiently wide for the amount of stuff likely to be passed through the machine, and the lower tables will require widening, lengthening, and to be placed on a different level. These alterations will probably be effected in the course .of a short time. THE LYEIL REEFS. We understand that Mr Thomson, who is agent for the Langland's Foundry Co., Melbourne, has recently returned from the Lyell Reefs, having visited them for the purpose of estimating the cost of suitable machinery for the prospectors' claim. From the favorable accounts given of the prospects of the reef there is every probability of machinery being at once introduced, not only by the prospectors, but also by the No. 1 and 21 southamalgamated claims. A careful examination seems again to bear testimony to the fact that an unusually large and moderately rich reef existing in the above mentioned claims, which can hardly fail to prove a remunerative speculation to those interested, if proper • appliances and careful management be introduced. It appears there remains but one thing to be done, with the prospectors' claim- to decide immediate action," i. c., the cutting of the r'aef with the present working tunnel, at a considerably, lower level and in more solid ground, which, according to their present energetic mode of working, will, most likely, not occupy more than four weeks.' Some stone, taken promiscuously from No. 1 south —immediately adjoining the prospectors' boundary —was brought to town, from which excellent results have been obtained from washing. One most encouraging feature of the Lyell Reefs, is that gold is so fairly distributed in the main reef that a prospect washed from several dishes, say in No. 1 south, would not materially vary from a similar quantity washed either from the prospectors,' some 100. yards distant, or from No. 1 north, some 600 or TOO yards distant. Ib requires only capital to be introduced to develop what appears to be a legitimate and profitable speculation. Great complaints have been made by travellers, on the Lyell track of late, as to the impassable and, at times, dangerous state of the Blackwater, Little Ohiki, and Dee rivers ; several travellers having been detained ori.the road 9 days, " stuck up " in most inconvenient positions and places. These obstructions might be obviated at. a very nominal cost by the Government — by throwing suspension handbridges across the rivers, which would, at any rate, accommodate foot travellers and render the journey practicable at any season of the year without endangering life. The sooner a track is cut round the foot of the Ohiki Mountain instead of, as at present, over the top, the sooner will a flagrant mistake be rectified and an arduous portion of the journey be saved. OTAGO. The sluicers at St. Bathans are busily eugaged at present, and a few of them are washing up. It is satisfactory to add that they all speak hopefully of the prospects they are getting. Matters at Alexandra continue very dull. The river is still high, and mining operations are consequently in a great measure suspended. The departure of the Chinese for the Arrow and other districts has also helped to make matters more than usually dull at Alexandra this winter. A work of some importance —the construction of the box finming by means of which the water of the Hit or Miss Water-race Company is conveyed to Surface Hill —has just been completed at Mount Ida. The work will be formally opened shortly. The Chronicle also states that mining in that neighborhood is advancing in a southerly direction—several claims having been taken up on the spur on the west side of the Main Gully. In expectation of further claims being taken up in that direction, the Band of Hope Water Company have erected an expensive fluming across the Union Gully saddle for the purpose of supplying that locality. The Blue Spur correspondent of the Tnapeha Times, under date 4th inst., writes as follows :—The Perseverance Company will about finish their tedious undertaking this week in lowering the water-races. The water runs through boxes over a rapid fall past this company's claim, and should prevent any litigation on their part for the future. Upwards of two and a-half tons of powdei have been consummed during the process

of the work. L2OO was given to the Great Extended Company for a portion of their ground, in order to lower the races, and L2o'per week for wages. for ten weeks. It is fl. question of doubt whether j another . company on the Spur would have acted "" on the same principle. The North of Ireland party fired a blast, the charge of powder cdnststed of 22c wt. The blast did. all that could be expected, and' a little more ; for it exceeded their boundary, the powder acting upon a sandback. The Great Amalgamated Rip and Tear Company fired a blasts the' charge of powder being 1 ton 16cwt 3qrs. The blast was a .very good one, although one of the chambers- was a little over-dosed' with powder,' which" threw the bottom a little too far. The fault of over-dosing is mursh better than under-dosing, as it oftentimes takes two or three small blasts to complete the work. The tributers cf the Blue Spur Sluicing Company are cleaning up, and the results are. cheerful, [ Livingston aud Co.. aye also cleaning up, , the result of nine iseeks running. Two 1 tunnels are being proceeded with for two I blasts. The claims here would greatly improve in their method of working if water was more, plentiful. The shareholders in four or five claims hold an interest in the water races, arid have regulations by which they have a right to the use of the water prior to outsiders or new shareholders. These four or five claims could make use of all the Blue Spur water when sluicing, and might do so at any time they thought proper. It has been suggested by some of the claim-, . holders, who hold no interest in the water-races, that unless the water companies rescind their regulations and distribute the water more fairly, it is their intention to apply to the Government for a portion of the L 200,000 which have been recommended for a water supply on the gold fieldß, and to get their claims protected during the time the water is being brought in. One full share in a water-race at the Blue Spur realises the handsome dividend of L 250 a year to its lucky owner— not so dusty for these hard times. I contend that a more feasible argument can be used in favor of the Blue Spur shareholders (not raceqwners) and that would be to petition the Governnient.to purchase allright and title to the two principal water-races. From enquiry I find that one of the races can be extended for an extra supply sufficient for the necessities of the Spur, by enlarging the same from its source, and having dams sufficient corstrncted to store the water — especially Sunday's, water. The outlay would not exceed L3OOO. I have no desire to exaggerate this matter, but I firmly believe it would pay the Government a good 25 per cent, on the outlay, and advance the mining class on the Blue Spur, and add to the general prosperity, if such a course were adopted. At the present time, as the price of timber is very reasonable, the water could be extended down Munro's side of the Spur for two miles, where acres of ground are lying idle, which I am certain would pay from L 2 to L 3 a Aveek if water could be brought upon them :at a reasonable rate. " With respect to mining matters in the Lake district, the Wakatip Mail says : — "Despite our bad weather, and despite other circumstances of a retarding nature, the Wakatip escort will maintain its high yield. Again, in the gloom of winter, the district will send clown on Friday same 1800 ounces from Queenstown, and about 700 ounces from Arrow. This is one of I the; main barometers of the district — the true test of its value and wealth. We see no reason to fear that our resources are not as abundant as ev'ei*. While we do not desire to encourage an undue influx of population, yet we can see no obstacle to mauy coming to a fair field of labor, if they have the will and the means to set into work. Without these requirements, the Wakatip must not be looked upon as a resuscitated El Dorado. It has abundant resources for practical workers — for men who mean to work." The Arrowtown correspondent of the same journal says : — " In mining matters there is little to record beyond the fact that there, is an abundant supply of water, and everybody is fully employed aud getting gold. It is generally considered by those resident- for some time in the district that we shall have an open winter, followed by a succession of floods from the melting of tlfe large body of snow lying upon the ranges. As there aTe now comparatively no riverworkings, but little harm will be done — the principal damage will be to the waterraces." With respect to the Chinese at the Arrow, the local correspondent of the Wakatip Mail writes: — "The Chinese element is beginning to be largely predominant here, and a stranger entering the town during the usual dinner hour at noon, or at ' knocking-off time' in the evening, would almost imagine that he was in a sort of miniature Hong Kong. It seems astonishing how these industrious people manage to get gold when everyone else has concluded that there is none. The' bed of the Arrow River was said -to be worked out long since, and, with the exception of one leased claim, was abandoned by Europeans. John Chiuaman comes and delves among the ruius, and finds payable gold where other people had been working before, arid probably fancied that they had taken it all away. The Celestials appear to have taken complete possession of the river bed, and intend to systematically work it over again. To accomplish this tbey have constructed a tail-race nearly a mile in length, and to drain the ground more effectually, have provided themselves with a powerful water-wheel and pumps, which keep the workings comparatively dry. The whole of the machinery ia elaborately fixed, much more care having been bestowed upon it than is usually the case with Europeans."