THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, JUNE 5, 1871.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 891, 5 June 1871, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, JUNE 5, 1871.

The vacant seat in the County Council for the Paroa district is being actively contested by the two candidates. Mr W. Leach addressed the electors of Paroa on Saturday uight, and M r P. Dungan will follow suit tomorrow evening, at the Road Board Office. The Anderson's Cr°ek Quartz Mining Company, at the luangahua, has been gazetted. The Nelson Government Gazette announces that it is intended to grant a gold-mining lease of three acres on the North Beach, Grey district, to Edward Jorgeuson on and after the Kith July. The Superintendent of Nelson has appointed Arthur D. Dobson, Esq., to be Provincial Engineer of the Province, and has also appointed Albert Duncan Austin, and William Darby, junr., to be Mining Surveyors. A meeting of the Waste Lands Board will be held at the Survey Office, Hokitika, tomorrow, being the first Tuesday in the month, wliich is usually appointed for the day of meeting. It may be important, on this occasion, as it is understood the Chairman, G. G. Fitz-Gerald, Esq., who recently visited Wellington on matters with reference to the land question, will preside, being Commissioner of the Waste Lands of Westland. A few days ago we mentioned the various water-supply schemes which were proposed for the Gold Fields in the Grey district*, and in connection with this we find that in the Nelson Provincial Council Mr Donne moved the following resolutions :— " 1. That in the opinion of this Council, the three schemes for supplying water for mining purposes recommended by the Provincial Engineer, would be of advantage to the Province; and to such an extent as funds can be obtained, this Council wonld desire to see these schemes carried out, and request the Governor to cause this to be done. 2. That his Honor the Superintendent be requested to obtain detailed surveys and reliable cobimatoe of the cost of creating other water supplies on the Gold Fields of the Province than that undertaken by the General Government in consequence of (he previous resolution ; such surveys and estimates to be laid before the Couucil sa the next session." The word "three," in No. 1 was struck out, and the resolution thus altered was agreed to. The words in italics in No. 2 were struck out, and the resolution thus amended was passed. We recently mentioned the finding of the leg of a man on the beach at Brighton, "^ince- then we learn from the Charleston Herald that Sergeant Kiely has returned from Brighton, and reports that Bromley's mate, having been communicated with, is positive that the leg cannot be Bromley's. Neither the portion of garment found on it, nor the length of the leg, at all correspond with the dress and stature of Bromley. The boot that was on the leg is a sixth size, and the leg measures three feet, giving the probable stature as six feet, and it is not supposed that a man of that height, with a foot so small could have been engaged in manual labor. Mr Butler, at the ferry at Fox's river, states that on Saturday night, the 29th May, he fastened up his boat, after passing a passenger over, and the next morning his boat was gone from the mooring place, and he found it subsequently on the beach. It is, therefore, inferred that some person had attempted to cross in the boat and had been carried out to sea. The appearance presented by the leg leads to the presumption that it had not been long in the water, as there were no signs of decomposition, and no taint was discernible to the smell. Further inquiries are being instituted. At the Arahura diggings, the wet weather of late lias done good service to most of the miners in German, Humphrey's, Macdonald's, and Greek Gullies. In German Gully especially, mining prospects are brightening, and it is hoped that in auother month a further improvement will take place. The Cale clonian Water Race Company have also every iudication of obtaining a better return for their outlay. In the left-hand branch of the Waimea Creek, Brown and party are progressing well with their tail-race, and will, if fortunate, complete it in about two months, when they will be enabled to ■work the upper portion of the branch, wbieh is supposed to be very good ground. The prospects of the Perseverance Com- i pany, afc Wangapeka, have decidedly im- | proved within the last few months. No. 3 drive, i.e., the one at the lowest level, has been completed to the boundary of the claim, a distance of upwards of 600 ft, about 500 ft being through the solid quartz vein or reef, varying in thickness from ISm to 9ft, through the whole of which good prospects can be obtained. This mine has developed a much larger area of stone than was expected at this level, and the average thickness of the reef has fat exceeded anything which could reasonably have been hoped for from the surface indications. All the contracts except one on the water race have been satisfactorily completed, and it is probable that the battery will be at work in a month or five weeks, > and as the mine is now in. a position to produce almost any quantity of stone, we may reasonably expect that a large amount of gold will be obtained, even if the yield per ton dues not exceed the average of what has been urushc-l since the company commenced operations ; but from the appearance of the stone iii tin* lower part of the mine we may fairly <:xp> ct a larger yield. Dr. Hector's report on the minerals found in the claim is certainly most encouraging, and there seems good ground to hope that silver, lead, and zinc will shortly be added to the produce of this um.e. The vein where these metals oicur is about sft thick, situated a few feet above the gold bearing reef, but it is not known how far it extends ; this, however, could easily be ascertained by driving from

various points in the present workings, and the same drives wonld serve for mining both the gold and other metals. If tins mineral deposit is continuous over a large area, and is as thick and rich as the few yards passed through in the Perseverance drive, there is no doubt that it is a most valuable addition to the property of the company. A petition in favor of a Permissive Bill is in course of signature in the Waimea district. At Greek's Gully No. 3, in tne Waimea district, the Enterprise Company opened up another face on the terrace a little time ago, and have made progress enough to work with facility. We learn from the Otago papers that some fresh cases of scarlet fever have appeared at •Switzer's, but medical attendance being promptly resorted to, the patients recover, ed, and the epidemic is said to be subsiding. The Goldsborough people have decided on holding their aimual concert and ball for the benefit of the funds of the Hokitika Hospital, on Friday evening, the 23rd June, at Thomson's Sluicer's Arms Hotel, Wairaea. .The Census returns of. the population of Canterbury have been published. They show the total population of the Province to be 40,081, of whom 25,731 are males, and 21,020 females. The population of the subdistricts of Christchurch East and Yfest is set down at 5697 and 6789 respectively, making a total of 12,460. The Italian Flat diggings, Waimea district, presents quite a busy scene now, as a great many huts are erected, or are in course of erection, and several shafts are commenced, and will be bottomed with all possible despatch. The Cornish men, with Bell and party, are putting up whims, so that nothing further as to the value of their claims will be ascertained for a few weeks. The practice of selling beef, imitton, and pork by auction, in joints and by the carcase, which for some time past has been adopted in Otaga and Canterbury, was introduced into Nelson city a few weeks ago, aud is now becoming general. Wheu half a sheep is sold for less than three shillings, legs of dairy-fed pork at 4d per pound, and beef at the rate of about 3d per pound, no one can complain of dear living there. Mr Allen, who arrived at Hokitika, from Okarito, on Friday last, has reported that the horse belonging to the late Mr Frederick Bird, who was drowned, was found grazing with saddle and bridle on, on the south bank of the Big Wanganui. It is singular that this is the last place that gentleman was seen, and leads to the supposition that he must have been washed off horseback, the animal regaining the shore, and no doubt made, as horses will do, up the river bank from the sea. Considerable tracts of laud in the Nelson Province were sold, with right of roads reserved, the Government having the power to lay off the roads at any time it pleased. The same law prevailed in some of the other Provinces, and it was considered, in justice to purchasers, that the right of laying off roads should be exercised within some reasonable time, or the power should lapse. An Act, called the Crown Grants Act, to determine this power held by Government, was passed the General Assembly, in 1866, the operation of which has been found highly inconvenient in Nelson, and on Monday evening last the Provincial Solicitor brought the subjact before the Provincial Council, in the following resolution : — " That, in the opinion of this Council, the operation of the Grown Grants Act, 1866, ha? been highly injurious to the public interests, and that it is expedient that the same should be repealed, both prospectively and retrospectively, except so far as regards Crown grants issued since its enactment. This Council is further of opinion that the provision made in section 34 of the Nelson Waste Lands Act, 1863, afforded full protection to private interests, while it served those of the public, by enabling roads through unoccupied sections of land t-> be laid out from time to time, as the necessity arose, and in such direction as the altered circumstances of the Colony and a better knowledge of its features proved to be expedient. " Five thousand and forty-five deposits were made in the Savings Bank of the Colony during the year 1870, but the withdrawals during the same prriod were so large as to leave only a little over twelve thousand pounds to the credit of the whole of the depositors in the colony. We understand (says the Daily Times) that specimens of totara, blue gum. aud red pine, from wood which has been under water during the last eight years, and removed in order to allow of the extension to the Rattray ftrcet Jetty being made, are lo be forwarded to the Government offices, and possibly to the museum. Of these -woods the totara has stood the test far better than either of the other two, as it looks in the centre of the specimen as fresh as wood does when about to be driven down for piles, and bears hardly a sign on the outer edge. The other specimens, on the contrary, have throughout a sodden appearance, and are far more decayed in the part exposed to the water. The Otago Daihj Times of the 24th May reports :— One of the most destructive fires that has occurred at Green Island district for many months took place during the heavy gale on Monday evening. While an old pensioner was stirring up some embers of a former fire, a light was communicated to some brushwood which soon burst into a blaze. Broadleafs became so many fiery furnaces, pines so many fiery chimney pots. Piles of firewood and fencing cut and standing also succumbed, while green crops, turnips, mangold-wurzel, and grass were so scorched as to render many of them useless. With praiseworthy alacrity, both from the bush and township, settlers went to render assistance in saving property, but their efforts were perfectly futile, the sparks and lighted pieces of wood being so fiercely scattered in all directions by the wind as to render it dangerous to approach the fire. From a distance the fire had a striking apr pearance at night, it being then on the summit of the lull. The loss is esti nated at present as follows :— Mr Ballantyne, L 15 0; Mr Townsend, L 15 0; Mr Kennedy, LIOO. This is the third time Mr Ballantyne has been a severe sufferer from accidental fires. The Morning Star Company at Ross have come upon an unusual height of wash. The 3 have now from fifteen to sixteen feet of payable dirt. This has caused a great delay, as they had to go back and lower their chamber, and also the main drives, but in a few days they will make a fair start and put on a number of men, The " Chinese difficulty" is the subject of an article in theJVakat'y) Mail, from which we take the following : — " The (^orekeepers are no longer the enthusiastic admirers of John. They find that he competes with them in his own stores, and is a keen, sharp trader. The latest move in the district is, that the Chinese, storekeepers pack out goods to their customers, and thus lessen their resorting to town. They secure trade, and perhaps save time an:l money, but the town and local trade suffer. All classes agree that the Chinese are eating up an inheritance that we should leave for our race in the future. That they are doing so without any adequate benefit being received in return. It is questioned by many if any benefit at all is received, and whether the effect produced by the Chinese to mar actual settlement on the gold fields will not prove a serious evil is the end. The miners feel so strongly upon the subject that they are pare, fully noting the strong action that is being

taken in California. Accounts from that quarter, speaking of their ill-treatment and oftentimes murder, are hailed by a large section of residents with an unconcealed zest, with the stereotyped remark, ' Serve them right ; why did they not stop in their own country?' A war with China by the Imperial Government would be very popular on the gold fields, as it is hoped that it would allow of measures being taken to remove them from here. The continuous direct immigration from China is also alarming people. It is well known that trusty agents have been despatched from Wakatip to urge friends and relations to come. The Chinese storekeepers (are preparing for a large influx of their countrymen, and in Queenstown a very large store is being erected, making three in all. The Chinese storekeeper, of course, is anxious to promote immigration." Some new light from an unexpected quarter is shed on the old subject of the "Nelson, Cobden, and Westport Railway" by the following paragraph, which we extract from the Wellington Independent:— "The agent of an extensive English contractor is expected by next mail to go over the long projected line of the Nelson and Cobden .Railway. We have not been informed of the exact scope of his instructions, and forbear making any statements with regard to it for which we cannot vouch. He would have left by last mail from London had itjnot been altered so far in advance of its ordinary date. By next mail we hope to be in possession of more satisfactory information, The Grey River coal mines, the coal of which is now much sought after, being preferred by engineers and others to any other, are being gradually opened up, and latest advices speak of fresh discoveries of enormous beds of this most precious mineral. " Before the adjournment of the Nelson Provincial Council, Mr Donne moved the following resolutions :— " 1. That in the opinion of this Council, it is no longer advisable to withhold from occupation or sale, any lands for the purpose of providing payment for the constrnction of a railway from Nelson to Cobden and Westport. 2. That it is the opinion of this Council, that .ill lands not proved, or likely to be, auriferous, considered suitable for agricultural settlement within the Nelson South- West Gold Fields, particularly such lands as are situated in the valleys of the Inangahua, duller, and Grey, should be made available for settlement and permanent occupation without delay. 3. That this Council respectfully requests bis Honor the Superintendent tn consider the expediency of altering the Nelson SouthWest Gold Fields Kegulations, with a view to reducing the rent on agricultural leases under the Gold Fields Act." On the motion of Mr Collins, all the words after view, in No. 3, were struck out, and the words "of giving greater inducements to miners becoming permanent J" settlers," were substituted. The resolutions were then adopted. A correspondent in Motueka wntes to the Nelson Colonist: — "A small rush has set in about two miles from where the pack track (now beiug made to the Salisbury Open) crosses Horse-shoe Creek, and about two and a-half miles from Flora's Creek. The few men who have just set in are reported to be making wages. Some of the men who are now working on die track intend giving Horse-shoe Creek a trial as soon as they had finished their contracts. Old and experienced diggers, who have paid a visit to this part of the country, are unanimous in predicting that a large amount of the precious metal will be taken out of the table land, and the various creeks running out of Mount Arthur, all of which, with the exception of Flora's Creek, have been proved te be gold-bearing. There is a store at Flora's Creek, where diggers' requirements can be obtained at a small advance on Motueka prices. This part of the country is subject to very heavy snow falls, so that it is not probable much will be done before the spring, and' diggers should be very cautious hew they proceed thither until the winter is over.