THE ARROW.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 19, 4 July 1863, Page 5

THE ARROW.

(feom otte own coeeespondent.) Friday, July 2. Accounts from up the Arrow are much more cheerful now than they have been for some time, the present very severe frost is fast reducing the body of water in the river, and with few exceptions the river claims are being eagerly worked. It is much to be deplored that something is not done to make a passable track to the principal points of these important diggings. At present you most decidedly risk your neck in even going to Bracken's, and a man needs some determination and a very stern necessity to attempt to reach the Twelve-mile. Just too late as usual it has struck the residents in the township that their interests and those of the diggers are identical, and a meeting was projected for Wednesday evening for the pur-

pose of sending a deputation to Mr. Pyke at Queenstown urging the immediate construction of a bridle path. As it is understood that the Secretary has left for Dunedin the meeting has fallen through, but I believe the feelings of the community will expend themselves in a petition to his Honor the Superintendent which no doubt will be numerously signed. The Mining Surveyor has as yet given no sign, so that the Flat remains in statu quo. Hogan's claim is turning out very rich; it is as I before stated at the very entrance of the gorge of the river, the sinking is very deep and two distinct reefs are in part exposed, They differ in color, one having a bluish, the other a red tint, and both appear to run in a direction transverse to the fall of the Flat. I noticed in the claim a heap of wash dirt, amounting to several cart loads, in which the gold could be easily discerned with the naked eye. The adjacent gronnd is also furnishing fair returns; but Hogan's party still seem to monopolize the favors of fortune. Several prospecting shafts have been sunk on the terrace behind the township, but as yet without any signal success; in every case four feet of very rich loam forms the upper strata, succeeded by sand and shingle. In a shaft sunk at the camp, for the purpose of obtaining water, the reef was struck at 14 feet sinking, but not a speck of gold could be got from the wash dirt; the reef, where exposed, Bloped off very sharp, at 55 degrees perhaps, which would account for no settlement being deposited thereon. A number of miners left on Wednesday morning on the road towards Skipper's, taking with them tools and tucker; this may have some connection with a report current last week that a man had brought into Arthur's Point from that neighbourhood a bag full of very rough gold and some nuggets over an ounce. The Wesleyans are erecting a chapel upon a piece of ground adjacent to the camp reserve. It appears that they declined to fulfil their contract with Mr. Brown after the unroofing of his hotel by the gale, and preferred putting up this place for themselves.