VICTORIAN MINING INTELLIGENCE

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 20, 8 July 1863, Page 6

VICTORIAN MINING INTELLIGENCE

(From the Leader.) A discovery of a new lead of gold has been made in Dunn's paddock, situated midway between Amherst and Talbot The prospects appear to average about an ounce to the dish. As the ground is private property, no large rush may be expected. So far as the partv are enabled to judge, the lead is believed to be tending in the direction of Mr. Cowley's paddock. There are hundreds of acres of unworked ground in the neighborhood, chiefly private property, and it is fair to presume, from the success of the party mentioned, that the greater portion of it contains deposits of gold.

An unusually large quantity of gold was sold at Amherst last week. This was owing, in some measure, to the fact that several of the puddlers were prevented on the previous week from cleaning out their machines, owing to the foul weather, so that last week's gold was considerably augmented in quantity by the results of the preceding week. Independent of this, however, the miners in the neighborhood of Amherst have been tolerably successful of late. One party working in the old ground near the town, found a nugget weighing a trifle over 6 oz., besides a nice little parcel of fine gold. A small rush has set in to a part of the old Mysterious Lead, about 150 yards at the rear of Green's store, on the Amherst road. About a fortnight ago, Grant and mate were sinking for a piece of solid ground, and in passing through a false bottom, at a depth of about twenty feet, noticed gold in the dirt. This induced them to open out at this level, and they raised four and a half loads of dirt, from which they washed 2J ounces, including one piece weighing 17 pennyweights. This part of the lead has been thoroughly worked on the main bottom, at a depth of about 25 feet, and although the run was narrow it was rich

enough to give handsome returns to the men working it. Payable gold has also been obtained from the false bottom in an adjoining claim, and several parties are sinking with the intention of working on the false bottom. It is likely that the accidental discovery made by Grant will give employment to a considerable number of /nen, for the ground for a considerable distance when worked at a lower level presented the same indications as those noticed in Grant's shaft. About 500 yards further down, a party who have an extended claim in old ground have been doing remarkably well for the last twelve months. They work on the false bottom, a few feet above the main bottom, which here is struck at a depth of about fifty feet.

A rush has taken place to new ground between the Amphitheatre workings and the Mountain Hut, at a site known as the Slaughteryard Hill, and some fourteen claims are in active operation, and yielding tolerably good returns. The gold obtained is exceedingly coarse, and promises well for the future of the locality. Several of the claims are yielding 1 j ozs. to the load, and others only 2 and 3 dwt. to the same quantity of stuff. The depth of sinking varies from Bto 14 feet. Some miners are prospecting new ground three miles to the east of Talbot. They have taken up a claim 400 feet square in a flat, five miles to the east of Talbot, and over three miles to the north of the old Mount Glasgow diggings. The gullies and flats on both sides of the ranges have long been supposed to contain auriferous deposits, but they have never been thoroughly tested. The mining news from Ballarat is devoid this week of general interest. Mining at Springdallah has experienced another spirit of improvement The Robin Hood Company's mine yield over eighty ounces last week. The slate bottom is rather hard generally, but when the soft schist is met with an increase of gold occurs. There are indications of greater yields by and bye. Down amongst the Italian's and other tunnels, the Miner's Right Company have come on dirt that yields 2 dwt. to the tub. The quartz miners at work on the reef adjoining Tunbridge's saw mill, Carngham, are at present getting out some very promising stone from an eighty or ninety foot level.

From Ararat we hear of a rush which has taken place to M'Nab's Gully, and which is said to promise well. A considerable number of holes have been bottomed with payable results, and a tolerably large number of diggers have congregated at the place. The difficulties between the miners at the Sebastian rush and Mr. Hugh Glass having been adjusted by an acceptance of the terms demanded by the proprietor, the work of testing the real value of the ground will now be rapidly proceeded with. The cakes of gold Drought into Sandhurst on Saturday, as the yield from the reefs, exhibit a decided improvement on the crushings of previous weeks. A small rush has taken place to some fresh ground in Break-o'-Day Gully, in consequence of a miner having bottomed at a depth of 25 feet on some very rich washdirt Amongst the washdirt he found a nugget intermixed with quartz, which on being separated left 7 oz. 5 dwt. of gold.