GREY VALLEY DIGGINGS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 888, 1 June 1871, Page 2

GREY VALLEY DIGGINGS.

[from our ows correspondent.]

Ahauba, May 31.

The dispute between the miners on the Duffer Creek Lead appears to be as far from settlement as ever. Two of the parties who were at law, at the Warden's Court at the Ahaura, at its last sitting, gave notice of an intention to appeal to the District Court, thereby showing that they were ready to incur a considerable expense to carry their several points. From this it would appear that the ground must be valuable, and by general report this is the fact. The ground in the locality of Doyle and Cuneen's claim is said to be the richest yet opened in the Duffer or Half-Ounce districts. Doyle and party's claim is situate only a short distance above the junction of Duffer and Half-Ounce Creeks, and it is not far from the probable junction of the two leads. This lead at Duffer Creek cannot be called a new discovery. It was traced through the points of the spurs, all the way down the creek, and rushed at different times during the last four years. It was never actually lost, but the ground became too deep as the junction of Half-Ounce was neared. Doyle and party* are the first who have properly tested the deep ground, and it is satisfactory to know that their energy and perseverance have been bo well rewarded. There was one case tried by the Warden at the last Court which shows the necessity of the practice which prevails on frontage leads in all other places being put into operation here. The case alluded to was a dispute about the surplus, or spare ground, after Doyles' party had blocked off their claim. It should be so arranged that disputes of this kind could not occur. If the frontage claimo were numbered consecutively, when one party marked out their claim, the next could follow up, and shift into the vacant ground, and if the owners of block claims left spare or surplus ground between them, those requiring it might apply for it in the usual manner. The system at present in vogue leads to endless litigation and loss of time.

The Napoleon district will benefit very much by the present copious supply of water. Washing is generally going on at Mosquito, but although the yield of gold is far from large, it is steadily kept up. On the old Italian Lead the report that a second, or inner lead had been found, has not yet been confirmed. Coffey's and Belfast Terraces and the Wellington Lead still give employment to a few parties, who are mostly ground-sluicing when water is to be had. There is some talk of reviving the long water-race scheme which was commenced and abandoned some two and a half years ago. A large amount of money was spent in surveying the above race, but whether from want of funds or some other cause the project fell through. There is eren better inducement now to bring in a good supply of water to command the terraces in the Napoleon district than there was at that time. There is an immense area of country now proved to be poorly auriferous, which was not known to exist previous to the rush to Napoleon, and if an attempt was made by an enterprising company to revive the undertaking, it would be likely to succeed. Half-Ounce still retains its large population, and as far as appearances go it is likely to continue to do ao. The new township of Granville, or " Scramble," as it is facetiously called, is being built upon rapidly, but the greater part of the business appears to be transacted in the old town yet. The lead at the lower end is a3 brisk-looking as ever, but no new gold has been struck for some time. The several tunnels and tail-races are progressing at a great rate, and in about three weeks we may expect to hear good accounts from them. These are long and tedious undertakings, and the men who take them in hand deserve every encouragement. The feeling is now generally expressed that a Warden's Court ought to be held at Half-Ounce at least once every month. The place is of as much importance as ever Napoleon was, and there ia likely to be a great amount of litigation in the Half-Ounce and Duffer Creek districts from this time forth. Those who do not know the real pecuniary circumstances of the majority of the miners, have no idea of the amount of positive hardship and suffering they undergo, by being compelled to take long journeys to transact the official business forced on them by the present defective state of the mining regulations. The regulations, as they are now, encourage litigation on the slightest pretext, and until they undergo a radical alteration for the better, the next best remedy is to give the miners every facility to arrange their disputes as inexpensively as possible.

A party of minors nearly two months ago began to take up a tail-race to prospect for the lost lead at Sullivan Creek, near the Ahaura. The lead was rich when it was lost, or rather when the last workers were driven out by the great quantity of water in the ground, and although several attempts have been made within the last four years to bottom paddocks none of them were successful. The race is now 250 yards long, and covered in the entire distance. It is nearly 30ft deep at the face, 3ft 6in wide at the bottom, and Bft wide at the top. The quantity of stuff shifted by this party during the time they have been at work here must be enormous. The company is composed entirely of working miners, and they have made this large outlay, amounting to some two thousand pounds, entirely from their own resources.

Further up the Ahaura River^ at Baxter's Creek, Baxter and party are still taking the country in a face before them. This company have the onlyavailable water in the locality, and their large race commands both banks of the Ahaura Eiver for miles. The stripping is"* shallow generally, and from the nature of the drift it runs away well. The ground about here is not rich in any particular place, but it will pay wages for a lifetime.

There are one or two parties at work at Black Sand, which was the scene of a comparatively large rush last year. The diggings at the Upper Ahaura have been much neglected lately. This is partly owing to the superior attractions of other

places, but principally to the utter absence of tracks of any description. Those who are acquainted with the country drained by the higher tributaries of thta river, Bay that it merely requires a very moderate outlay in the opening of a means of communication to develope a large and extensive, if poor, gold field, capable of giving employment to hundreds of miners for years to come. The reports from Murray Creek and the Inangahua are still of a glowing description. Another new reef has been discovered. It is is spoken well of, but it is too early to give a decided opinion as yet. On the old reefs the several companies are preparing to erect machinery, or making arrangements about procuring it. A gentleman now in business at Greymouth, who is an old experienced miner, has just returned from a trip to the reefing district, and he gives a very good account of it. The stone generally appears to thicken, and the gold more plentiful as it is tried at a greater depth. This is at all events a sign of permanence. Machinery is still the great want, but the want of co-operation is as great an impediment to the progress of the quartz districts. It is the first instance in the history of gold mining where so much wealthhas been allowed to remain so utterly disregarded by capitalists for such a length of time. If these- quartz mines existed in a country where anybody had money, the furore they would create would be something to wonder at. But the fact is, there is no money available here for any purpose other than the merest "huxtering." The men who will become rich by developing and working those magnificent quartz lodes of ours are in America and Europe yet, and the miserable short-sighted mortals who cannot "see their way dear" to assist the hardy adventurers, who have up to this time literally starved and toiled to show them where their fortunes lie, will lament and bemoan their " ill-luck " when it is too late.