GREY VALLEY GOLD FIELDS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1410, 6 February 1873, Page 2

GREY VALLEY GOLD FIELDS.

(from ottb own correspondent.) MININtt. February 5. The item of mining news of greatest interest is the progress making with the survey of the Nelson Creek and Lake Hochstetter Water-race. The surveyors are now within four miles of Try-Again Terrace, and it is satisfactory to -know that the race will be shorter, and the altitude to be attained greater, than was at first supposed. The first surrey being merely a preliminary examination to ascertain the feasibility of the project, the calculations were necessarily approximate, . but the detailed levelling of $t Lord and his staff has shown that, besides savingmiles in distance, an elevation of between 50ft and 100 ft above Mr Woolley's highest line will be available. The advantage of getting this increase in height without lesseniug the supply will be invaluable, because every foot gained in elevation, represents acres and probably miles of surface area brought within reach of the water. The survey will be completed and the working plans prepared by themiddle of 'March, and it is to be hoped every possible influence will be brought to bear upon the Government to induce the immediate .commencement of the actual cutting of the ditch. Somehow the people of this part of the Colony are behind the times in their efforts to secure a portion of the money to which they should be entitled from the English loan. They manage these things better in Otago. They think nothing there of wading into mining enterprisesin comparison to which the most important of our contemplated water schemes would be a mere dribble. Tenders are called in the Otago papers for the construction of a head water-race for sluicing and flushing purposes, which, will be 60 mile 3in length. The sludge channel, or tail-race, in connection with this headrace, will be 10 miles in length and of proportionate capacity. The water is to be raised from the Manuherikia river, to terminate at the. workings at Naseby, a distance as before-mentioned of over "50 miles. The tailings will be taken through, the Hogburn Valley, and discharge into the Upper Taieri river, two miles above its confluence with the Taieri Lake. That is something like a water-race, and an outlay such as will complete it would be sufficient to turn the Grey river on to the highest part of our gold workings, with elevation and power enough to waah*the whole place into the sea, where there is ample space for the tailings. When, oh ! when. may we look for such enterprise among ourselves ? If the men who project and carry to completion such a magnificent water scheme were aware of the auriferous resources of ; the Grey Valley, our gold fields would not long remain absolutely unprofitable as they are at present.. Such a field has never before presented itself for the enterprise and operation of the hydraulic miner, and pity 'tis it should much longer remain fallow and unproductive. A small rush is going on to a terrace at Orwell Creek, in the Napoleon district. The prospectors and another party are getting payable gold. The exact locality is just over Noonan and party's old workings, and the gold is said to have some connection with that found in Noonan's -olrahnr-^Tlris- "is~Boarcrfy-probable, seeing the great difference in the levels, but in a week or two more will be known about the place. There is a party prospecting in the ranges between Orwell and Brandy Jack' 3 Creek, and immediately behind Carter's Station on Pike's Plains. The country in this locality is mostly shallow, and easily prospected,. Gold has been found in scattered patches, but nothing of sufficient importance up to this time to justify a rush. Good reports are looked for as the results of the work of this party in a week or two. There is some prospecting going on about the Black Ball Creek, and between that place and Moonlight Creek. It is also rumoredthat a well-equipped, party intend shortly to make a prospecting tour through. the fine-looking country surrounding the Hochstetter Lake. There is plenty scope for the operations of an energetic party of men in this direction. Gold, but hot in payable quantities, was found here years ago. The difficulty seems to be in getting supplies without extraordinary trouble. This has hitherto prevented anything like a systematic search. The much ridiculed road from the thirty-second mile post, on the road overland from Hokitika to Christchurch, to Ahaura would be just the means of opening up the country, for it would pass right through the centre of it. • The several attempts to trace the gutter at the lower end of the Half-Ounce lead^ the one now being made by O'Hara and party, seem to be most likely to succeed. The party hold a lease of 10 acres. The long tail-race they have been taking up for months is finished. The incline for taking out the washdirt is also completed, and the work of blocking out was to commence on Monday. The ground is poor, but with systematic working it can be made to pay until the true gutter is reached. The company formed to work the old ground at the upper part of HalfOunce have their tail-race as far as Wildridge and Sheehan's old water-wheel. All the timber and other material for the lifting machinery is on the ground, and the work of getting out washdirt . will begin as soon as the machinery is erected. The sluicers at Duffer's and Noble's Creeks are, as usaal, doing well while water lasts. • At the right fork of Noble's Creek, a party of three washed up last week. The result was L4BO worth of gold for one month's sluicing. The party have only a drainage race, and without the precarious supply of water obtained from it not one pennyweight of the above splendid yield could be obtained. The company at Brandy jack's are busy cutting fluming, preparatory to making a fair start with their works in the creek. The claims on gold at the Teviot are becoming more numerous. The old ground on the Mosquito and Napoleon leads is paying well wherever a drop of water can be utilised. On dit, a frightful catastrophe has nearly occurred in one of the long tunnals at Half-Ounce. A "stout party" went to inspect one of them, and after traversing inwards for several hundred feet, he ..-■ tried to return to the open air, but found to his dismay that the drive was too small to admit of his turning round. Sinking a shaft from the surface, or the erection of mechanical appliances at the month of the tunnel were the only means which presented themselves to the terrified bystanders by which to extricate the unfor*

tunate man. The latter alternative was chosen. THE CROPS. The harvest is nearly in throughout the valley. The weather seemed to be made for the farmers, and the result is that every ear of corn is saved. The yield throughout has not come up to that of former seasons, but the fine condition in which the produce has been gathered will make up for deficiency. Last season, when everything looked safe the rainy weather, culminating in the great flood of February, came and spread desolation throughout the farming districts. The dry weather in the early part of the season had much to do with keeping the grain crops in a backward state. The quantity of new land under cultivation greatly exceeda that of any previous year. This, and the falling off in the demand are likely to materially influence the price of produce during the ensuing winter. RACES AND OTHER AMUSEMENTS. The Thornton Theatrical Company have paid a visit to the several townships. They were well received at the different places, and their trip was, on the whole, successful. — The race meeting bids fair to be one of the most successful ever held on the West Coast. Owing to the admirable arrangement of the stewards in fixing the date so as to suit the appointments of other racing clubs, all obstructions arising from local jealousies have been done away with. There wiU be a good selection of horses, and it remains for the handicappers, by a judicious ■ exercise of their functions, to make the racing interesting. The course is in splendid order, and the stewards intend to take every precaution to keep it in proper condition. The right to the grand ■ stand, with the booths, saddling paddock, gates, &c, will be sold by auction on ; Saturday, Bth February. The canvassers ( for subscriptions have been very successful, and it is expected the right to the ; booths and other privileges will fetch . high prices this year. Much sympathy is felt for our townsman, Mr Flowers, in ' the loss he has sustained by the accident to Defamation. Great expectations were formed of the mare this season. — It is l pioposed to hold a "regatta" on the £ Ahaura River during the race week. We I have a suitable course and every other requirement to carry out such an event successfully but the boats, but probably . these are not indispensible. There is a ' fine fleet of canoes and "dug-outs," and then there is Gough's punt, if any use could be made of it, but anything that would be likely to " walk the waters like a thing of life" has not yet made its appearance in these parts. religious. * A meeting of the lay members of the Roman Catholic Church was held on Friday, at the school-house. The meeting ( was called to arrange about giving a suit- \ able reception to Dr Moran, the Roman l Catholic Bishop of New Zealand, on the occasion of his forthcoming visit. It was decided that an address of welcome from \ the congregation should be prepared, and presented to his Lordship on his arrival, c It was also decided that a deputation a should meet the Bishop at the foot of Nelson Creek and escort him to the Ahaura. Most of the male members of the congregation will form this escort, and - it is the intention to accompany his Lordship as far as the Ikamatua, when he proceeds on his journey to Reefton. Dr Moran is spoken of as a gifted scholar and an accomplished elocutionist ; and ! efforts will be made to induce his Lord- \ ship 'to deliver a lecture at Ahaura, t should his arrangements permit of it. -The members of the Church of England in the Grey Valley are fortunate in hay- J ing secured the occasional services of the Rev. T. Flavell, who comes with a good reputation from his previous charges. There was some difficulty with the Church t of England Committee at Reefton with l respect to the time Mr Flavell would be g enabled to devote to the congregations in the Grey district. This obstacle is now - removed, and it is announced that the - rev. gentleman will hold Divine Services at Ahaura and No Town on Sunday next, and at Totara Flat on Wednesday. O&ertories will be made on each occasion in aid of the stipend and travelling expenses of the clergyman. LAW AND CRIME. The next sitting of the District Court " will be held in the beginning of March. There are two cases for trial in the . criminal jurisdiction of the Court, and it is fervently hoped the police may succeed in capturing the rascals who committed the highway robbery on Mr Hayes, so that they can be tried by the first jury empannelled in the district. One of the , prisoners is for trial on a charge of ' wilfully destroying property at No Town, and the other was committed at the last < y sitting of the Resident Magistrate's Court for indecently assaulting a little girl, seven years of age, at Half-Ounce. The . alleged offence was committed by tbe prisoner at his hut on the Half-Ounce Lead.. The evidence of the child was < given in the most circumstantial manner, ' and it was, in some particulars, corrobo- ' rated by a boy named Melody, and by the mother of the girl, and also by Dr Phillips. The accused is welUknown in i the Grey Valley and Inangahua districts. < His name is William Gracey, but he is more generally known by the sobriquet of the "Barnacle." The people in the neighborhood of Camptown are getting over the fright given them by the audacious thieves who dared to stick-up a visitor at their very doors. It would have gone hard with the bold freebooters ', if they had been caught on that memorable : occasion. A quantity of gold is said to • have been stolen from the boxes of a : sluicing company at Noble's Creek. There ia a very strong suspicion as to the thief, but no arrest has yet been made. ' <