NEW' RIVER DISTRICT.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 996, 5 October 1871, Page 2

NEW' RIVER DISTRICT.

[from ©ttb own correspondent.] October 4. Rumors having been lately afloat that some new ground was being opened on the left-hand branch of the Cockabulla Creek, I made a special visit to the locality on Monday last,. so that I might be the bettor able to speak authoritatively of it. After leaving Conricks track, which branches from the Clifton road, I followed up the creek till 1 came to Card's store, from here following a meandering track I at length reached the desired spot. On making inquiries I found that for several months past some of Mitchell and Co.'b party had been ground-ssluicing a low terrace alongside the creek; bat not supposing they were working anything more than a patch they paid no particular attention to it, expecting every day to be •iuffered out. At length they thought that they had arrived at that state of affairs, when another party sank a shaft immediately ahead, and struck payable gold. This, of course, soon became known, and consequently fresh claims were taken up, Mitchell and Co. among the rest. Three or four of these are said to be already on gold, whilst the others have a fair prospect of also being so. The terrace, before described . aa being contiguous to the creek, is said to widen out into a flat above where the lasf claim is taken up, and the general opinion is that the ground is very limited in extent. That a lead has been opened has been already solved, and it may be fairly assumed that there will be at the least six good claims, which is about the average number to be found before some transfiguration of the country causes it to be broken. .

| This Cockabulla Lead is said to be very I similar to the Maori Creek Lead on Rosanna Terrace, each running in the same direction and much on a level, although it is not supposed there is any connection yet, as Maori Creek Lead is immediately below the Eight-Mile Terrace. So, likewise, there may be another lead on a higher level with the Cockabulla Lead, and as this lies in the very direction near where the Eight-Mile Lead is expected to cross, some parties came hare expressly for the purpose of searching for it. The men speak very well of this new lead so far as it has been proved, and though they do not expect it will be continued beyond the last claim now taken up, yet gold-mining is so very uncertain that no person can be confident of this till the ground has been thoroughly, prospected, and this entails labor and capital, and just now storekeepers are verychary in giving credit, so that none but men with money can do much prospecting, and any one now taking up ground must do this under disadvantages which have not hitherto existed. So far the present parties have had no difficulties to encounter, as the whole breadth of the terrace is very inconsiderable, and iSft of this constitutes the lead, so that the tunnels are not very long. There is some 3ft of wash, and the gold is coarse, some pieces weighing Id wt, whilst as much as a 6dwt piece has been obtained. I have now endeavored to give a fair description of this new Cockabulla lead, which will undoubtedly repay those who have been fortunate in getting claims, but whether it will be beneficial to others remains to be seen. The general opinion is that all the golden ground is taken up— that remains to be seen, and this problem can alone he solved by the pick and shovel.