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Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette, Volume VI, Issue 285, 7 August 1886, Page 4

speet which I coTisidervery satisfactory. This company has about SO tons of stone ready for crushing. From each of the other leases mentioned some nuartz was oLtained, and crushed with Home very good results. The Uno and Wakatu Companies have also done a considerable amount of prospecting, and have upwards of 140 tons of stone waiting for the erection of machinery to test its qualities. The prospector and one of the principal shareholders in this lease (and, in fact, in all of them with the exception of Buhner Creek), Mr Mathew Byrne, estimates the yield of gold at lOdwt. per ton ; but from the prospects tried in my presence I should expect it to far exceed this amount. On the Golden Crown and Enterprise leases very little prospecting has been done, but the reef crops out in many places, and gold was obtained from every point tested. There are altogether thirteen leases applied for near and adjoining the ones named ; but, as I understand Mr Wright, the Government surveyor, is going to report fully on the matter, I refrain from saying anything regarding the leases. I had no oportunity of inspecting, but I must give it as my unbiassed opinion that a, large and payable goldfield will ere long be opened up in this locality ; and I hope the prospectors, Messrs Byrne and Buhner, will be handsomely repaid for all the hardships they have undergone and the indefatigable energy displayed by them in endeavouring to open up a goldfield in such an inaccessible country as the head-waters of the Owen Eiver. Some time must elapse before machinery can be put on the ground, as a road about ten miles in length has first to be constructed. I believe the survey is now completed; and it is to be hoped the work will be put in hand at once, and pushed forward as rapidly as possible. I was informed by the manager of the Uno Company he expected to have the machinery on the ground and the battery in working order by February next; but I can scarcely think it possible for them to do so in that time, but I hope when the next annual report is compiled to be able to state that the Owen District is flourishing, and a battery in full work. On my return I visited Murchison and held the ordinary Court; hit in this neighbourhood, and the upper Bailer generally, no change has taken place during the year, and I am afraid the majority of the miners have to be contented with small wages. A good deal has been done during the year by Government and the Buller County to give access to the back country. In most cases, however, the work done has been only an instalment of what is required to open up the back country between Lyell, Mokihinui, and Karamea. A track about two miles in length is now under construction from the Denniston Platea to Cedar Creek, near Mount William. A small rush took place to this locality a few months ago. At one time there were about thirty men on ■ the ground, some of whom made considerably more than wages ; but the majority were not successful in discovering payable ground, and there are now only about twelve men at ! work there. Gold has also been found at Mackley's Creek, in the same neighbourhood, during the past year; but only one or two parties obtained it in remunerative quantities. The track up the Mokihinui Eiver has been extended as far as Specimen Creek and ( up Bough and Tumble Creek for three j and a-half miles. At the Lyell end of • the proposed road to Mokihinui about two miles have been completed. It is eminently desirable that this track should be completed without undue delay ; and the same may be said of ' the tracks between Mokihinui, Karamea and Collingwood, as they will ] afford facilities for exploring and prospecting a district about which scarcely anything is yet known except that it is bounded on all side 3 by well-tim- \ bered country, and known to abound t in minerals of various kinds. ,

It is difficult to arrive at an approximate estimate of the population in the extensive districts of Lyell and Murchison, as the inhabitants are scattered over a wide area of country, of which many parts are very difficult of access ; but I think the population must now be fully a thousand. During the period covered by this report gold mining leases have been dealt with as follows: —Lyell: applied for, 8; granted, 10; cancelled, 7. Murchison: applied for, 8; cancelled, 3. In conclusion, I am pleased to be able to state that the prospects of the district under my charge have greatly improved since the date of my last report, and present indications fully warrant the belief that the improvement will continue, and lead to a mere prosperous era in mining generally.