THE ARROW.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 46, 7 October 1863, Page 5

THE ARROW.

(FBOM OUB OWN COBBESPONDENT.)

October sth, 1863. The clerk of the weather has again favored us with several hoars uninterrupted rain, which we are [apprehensive some unfortunate events will follow, in the shape of another flood, with all its manifold disasters. This certainly may be fine growing weather for the agriculturists, and calculated to call forth complacent smiles of self iabiafaction from the growers of grass and breeders ? - «f beef, but what sport to them is unfortunately death to the digger, and one and all interested in mining affairs are now'earnestly looking forward to a continuance of fine working days, so that the sturdy fellows who have battled so long and steadily against a weary winter of misfortune, may at last have a chance of winning the reward of their labors. Fortunately the work of re-building the dam at the mouth of the gorge has not yet been commenced, so that some amount of labor has been saved, for the

freshet now coming down the river would in all probability seriously damage any unfinished work. The claim-holders on t lie Flat have beer. busy dining the week cuitiug timber, with which to construct an improved dam, ami from the dearly bought experience of the parties concerned it is hoped that they will this time succeed in building a permanent structure. The occasional stray diggers who visit the Arrow from the Upper Shotover, all expre s astonishment that the stoiekeeptrs here do n«t bestir themselves to open up the original track, communicating from this place, so that the miners might obtain stores from here as well :i§ Qutenstown. There certainly appears no valid renson why the Arrowites should allow the Upper Shotover men to travel to the Lake, seeing that the journey to this place, if'the upper track were opened, could be performed in nearly half the time; and with the keen competition at present existing, prices here are only nominally a shade higher than Queenstown quotations ; the subject is, however, to be brought forward for discussion at the next meeting of the Township Improvement Committee, when no doubt some practical scheme will be advanced for public approval. An enterprising miner lately returned to this township from the neighborhood of Lake Wanaka, having crossed the dividing range and come in by way of the Twelve Mile. He exhibited 2 ozs% of gold as the result of eight days' prospecting with a tin-dish. He has again left with three mates, taking a supply of tools and provisions, and is sanguine as to the discovery of some extremely rich ground in that locality. As a convincing proof of the practically inexhaustible supply of gold to be gained from our mountains and streams, I might mention that a party during the last week brought in six pounds weight of gold from the neighbourhood of Moke Creek, the produce of a single paddock. The ground worked consisted merely of a small beach, formed by the late winter floods, and recently left uncovered by the falling of the tiver.

Messrs. Richmond, Foster and Callaghan, acting as a deputation from the publicans of this township, waited on J. S. Hiekson, Esq., R. M., to set forth the grievances under which they now labor from the holders of wholesale licenses being allowed to tarry on a retail trade, to the detriment of the publicans' legitimate business. The deputation was most courteously received by the Warden, who promised that their very moderate request should have all due consideration. It is presumed that the complaint is not altogether made against the wholesale dealers, who are few in number, but is levelled rather against the indiscriminate unlicensed sale of nobblers by every class of traders. If the police are about to commence a crusade on the sly grog-sellers, it would be advisable that they should first direct their attentiou to the shantykeepers, whose Sole stock-in-trade consists of spirits. The nightly orgies carried on in these drinking dens ought to subject the proprietors to the most rigid supervision.

Later reports from the Cardrona are iiot particularly favorable. Some few miners are said to be doing well in isolated places, but the greater part of the known auriferous ground has been worked out, and the few new arrivals who wander into that locality find very little inducement to set in, but generally extend their journey to the Arr«»w or Shotover districts.