OTAGO.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 1020, 2 November 1871, Page 2

OTAGO.

[daily times, oct. 21.] Considerable excitement still exists at Bung Town, Waitahuna district, and various claims have been marked off there. To judge from the present high hopes expressed, and the unwillingness of shareholders to dispose of their shares, except at very remunerative rates, it would appear that something good will be realised in the future. At Big Hill Coghill and Co.;fiave cut nine miles of their race, and expect to have the balance of five miles completed, very shortly. The cost is estimated at LIOOO. Quartz reefing operations on the Carrick Range are being carried on with great vigor now. At Bendigo, of course, where quartz-reefing, so far as amount of work done is regarded, is almost represented by the Cromwell Quartz Company, the variations of the weather have very little effect, as , they are well provided with shelter on the top, and the great bulk of the work is done underground. But at the Bannookburn, where much of the work necessarily as yet is on or near the surface, the same causes produce a greater effect, often altogether causing temporary stoppages. The Heart of Oak, a week or so ago, washed up 65 tons of stuff with the splendid result of nearly 250 ounces. The Star of the East are now crushing stuff from a shaft sunk about 15ft from the place from which the Heart of Oak stuff was taken, and 'a similar result is looked for with the greatest certainty. The Elizabeth machine is now in course of erection, and a machine for the common use of the Heart of Oak and Star of the East Companies is expected to arrive soon. The contract for it has been taken. The sluicing companies are in full swing throughout the district, although in the immediate neighborhood of Cromwell, the work of that description has made the greatest strides during the past month or two. In addition to the old established companies working for years on the banks of the Kawarau, and almost within the town boundary, new ground is being opened up on both sides of the township. On the Kawarau side by Nicholas and Company working over the coal pit ; by another party above the first gorge, working well-paying ground abandoned six years by Luscomb, Elliot, and party as duffer ground ; above that again, two or three more -sluicing claims have been taken up, till we come to the roadleaditig to Stuart's Point, where, whilst repairing the road lately, Stuart made the welcome discovery that, he was throwing away firstrate ground. On the Clutha side.agaia, several claims are in full work and paying satisfactory returns. All these new claims have been taken up within the last feW months. ' The prospects of the Arrow district ate thus set forth by the Observer:—"Notwithstanding the complaints about bid times on the part of the trading coi imunity, the real prosperity of the district —so far as the producing classes are* con- 1

cerned— is improving, past winter was undoubtedly a very, severe onia^ and the miners sustained severe bsses from the destruction of their works by floods, and obstructions through the severe frosts which followed. Happily, all these have past ; fine genial weather has set in, and every description of out-door labor dan be pursued to advantage. The mining community are every where making considerable progress in the construction of new works, and opening up un wrought "ground. In the vicinity of the Arrow River this is particularly noticeable. At Whitechapel Flat, xear the Kawarau, enormous areas of ground have been .taken up for sluicing operations ; and two large and costly water races, deriving their supply from the Arrow River, are in course of construction to thi3 place to convey the necessary aqueous element for the -extraction of the gold. Smaller races, deriving their supplies from other sources, are also being brought in for the same object. Up the river, from the township to Macetown, there is , r everywhere " increased activity. The European and 'Heathen Chinee' are opening up new ground in almost every direction; while old .workings, long abandoned, are being worked over again with considerable profit. Tunnelling into the terraces— a branch of mining which promises to assume vast proportions, and become a very important j»nd valuable feature in our mining industry—is being pursued with considerable profit. In fact, we ■ may safely say that, notwithstanding the ' croakings' we daily hear, the prospects of the district are decidedly- superior to Jast season."