SULLIVAN AND DUFFER CREEKS.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 727, 15 September 1870, Page 3

SULLIVAN AND DUFFER CREEKS.

There has been some little excitement at Sullivan's Creek, a tributary of Duffers, during the week, in consequence of the striking of gold in Nicol and Milne's tunnel. The party have driven into a terrace on the bank of the creek for about 50 feet, and they have come across ground good enough to induce them, to take a tramway into it. William Gracey and party are taking up a tailrace in this creek. There are two or three other parties at work in it, and it is likely the population will increase in consequence of the finding of gold in the terraces. Godber and party in Rowdy Gully are now in possession of Byrne and M'Oonnel's large water race, but in consequence of a recent dcci- -, / ; qipn in the Warden's : Court their supply has been materially affected. Byrne and. party were ground sluicing Rowdy Creek in a face, the present proprietors of tlie race are driving in one of the banks of the creek, with the intention of ground sluicing it when they test the ground. The .population of Duffer Gully has increased within the last two months. This is partly owing t? the large areaVof fossicking ground in the locality, and partly^to its being in the centre of : all the large.rushes which have taken place recently.; Halfounce Creek is a tributary of Duffers, and only . two miles from the township. Napoleon and Mosquito are .within four miles, and the upper branches of Noble's Creek, where small rushes are continually inking place, are withiu half-an-hour's ■walk of it. Being thu3 in such close proximity to the principal mining centres, and the gold about it being generally ' easily worked, it will always maintain a fair population. Doig and party, at the lower part of the creek near the stores, are still ground sluicing the old face, with the usual satis;faetory result. Glass aud party, who purchased some time ago, the right to John Cuneen and Co's head race, are working with it above Byrne's store. 1 am informed- they are doing better than ever, v James-David, William Rooney and party "have* lately ; taken up a large tailrace. . This party have : the largest water supply in the' creek. Their races heads. -from the head of the rigKt hand branch'^ and they are "working "'« i3 at a face v ifa the main creek above Clarson's store. They are doing- well. Harry P»rton and party have purchased Harrington, 'Corcoi'an and Co's plant, dam and water race for LI OO cash. The dam is the : largest in the district,- and it is capable of holding enough water to keep the party in full work for weeks. There are 380 ,; feet of boxes, which convey ; the tailings .. : -- from the. face to the main creek. The face they are working at in the claim is "' 10 to 20 feet in height of good running dirt. The company are cutting ahead race from the foot of the right-hand branch, and when it is finished the supply v of ; . water will be practically unlimited. Abbott and pjrty are still working in Forty .Ounce Creek ; ground sluicing it .before them; ? ; . . ■ A small rush has lately taken place to a terrace in the neighborhood of Spec's Bench. The prospectors, David Tucken and Co., are working on the highest spur in the district. The exact locality is on the saddle between, the head of the first righthand branch Of Noble Creek and the last tributary at the head of Duffer Main \ : .Creek. They first found the gold inihe , face, almost in the grass. There amtwo other claims at work — Brady and party and Harvey and Co. — whose tnnnel ia in about lOOffe, The washdirt is about 2ft ..thick, but it is not very rich. There is - not much doing at this place at present, but it will be heard of bfifore long. Boland's party are working on the Fireman's Terrace, and they are the only party left there now. " Costigan and party are still at work on Hayes Terrace, and I am informed their claim is paying as well as ever. This claim has long been considered the richest in the district. Boland and Gladstone Terraces are abandoned to the fossickers, who are turning them inside out. In spite of the riddling these terraces have undergone, a good patch is still found now and then. I have repeatedly called the attention of intending prospectors to the likelihood of finding good patches of gold along this range, and to the easy manner in which the ground can be tested. This range is the matrix of the gold at present being got at Brandy Jack's, Half-Ounce, SulliTan, Rowdfj an 3 the right-hand branch of Duffers and the Main Creeks, below the Junction, the head of Noble Creek and its tributaries on the western watershed, . Napoleon, Mosquito, the lower part of Orwell, Creek, Topsy, Barry, Hatters', Johnson, and numerous other creeks, in which good patches have been found. The jupper auriferous deposits on which Gladstone, Boland, Hayes, Fireman's, Spec's, . and other terraces are situated, can be traced on the same level over miles of country. The spurs rise so precipitously that putting a tunnel right through them from side to side is not an undertaking of any great magnitude, and the richest ground has invariably been found nearest the surface,,^nd with the least trouble. It does not require the fitting out of an . expensively-found prospecting party . Provisions are to be'obtained at almost Greymouth prices directly at hand, and there is always a sufficient supply of water for prospecting purpose?.