EPITOME OF MINING NEWS.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume II, Issue 88, 2 March 1864, Page 6

EPITOME OF MINING NEWS.

DUN STAN. As winter approaches, or rather the period when of a certainty the river will go down, it is astonishing to see the anxiety displayed to have river claims registered. Ground that has laid unclaimed for mouths is now begining to find owners, and from the appearance of o'.d faces amongst us we presume that some of the out gullies are already being deserted for the rich banks of the Molyneux. Both at the Lower and Upper Township the same anxiety prevails, and the Registrars at these places have been kept busy in registering renewals of protection. It is somewhat amusing to notice the varying temperaments of the applicants. Some are perfectly sure that the river will go down in a fortnight, others are as certain that at least a month will elapse before this eagerly looked for event takes place ; while the despondent go in for the longest period allowed by the regulations, being assured that their gloomy forebodings will be realised. If, however, we have only a winter of ordinary severity, these croakers will be silenced by the rich harvest obtained from claims now lying many feet under water. The miners on the Manuherikia are busil} T repairing damages sustained by the late floods. Smith's party, or the Grand Junction Comj any, have repaired both their middlfc and lower dams, in which large breeches were made by the heavy and sudden rush of water. Their upper, or lhe main dam fortunately sustained no damage whatever, and was the only one in the district that stood the full force of the floods uninjured. It is a splendid piece of workmanship. One thousand bags of earth were used in its construction, and a beach of fifty feet in width has been made each side of the dam, allowing the water to run over the top (should it ever rise high enough) and pass without doing any injury. Several sluicing claims have lately been taken up on the banks of the Molyneux, between the Camp and the Hospital, it having been satisfactorialy proved within the last two or three weeks that an auriferous drift, from 10 to 15 feet in thickness, which will pay handsomely when once watsr can be brought on the ground, exists for the whole of that distance, and probably down the river as far as Mutton Town. A party commenced work to day to cut a race from Chat to's Creek, for the purpose of bringing in a supply of water to work this ground with. They calculate upon having four or six heads ready in three months from this date. The Molyneux still maintains a very high level, and a number of beach claims are still remaining unworkable in consequence. MOUNT BENGER. Nothing of importance in mining matters has occurred here. The river is certainly "going down," but by no means so rapidly as desired. However, evtn at the present rate, the majority of our resident miners will be able to resume their bank work m the course of a fuw days. Several sluicing parties have been stopped by the flood, but will no doubt soon be at work again. The gigantic undertaking of Messrs. McAulifF and party, in the shape of a very long race, from a point high up on the rock-bound Teviot, is approaching completion. Frequent blasts bear testimony of the fact that they are contending with difficulties. It is a work of great magnitude, involving many engineering difficulties, commenced, carried on, and successfully terminated by a handful of steady, determined, hard-working, and irtclligent miners. All the streams appear to have been greatly influenced by the late flood, which did great injury to a large number of miners, whose dams, &c., have been destroyed. The flood has abated leaving thj men a month's repairing to do. Information arrived yesterday of the death of a man by drowning in the Pomahawka, and Constable Strane was despatched to enquire into the matter. —Duentan Times. Hamilton's. From information furnished us by parties upon whom we can rely, we can state that in a rush that has lately taken place to the Dunstan Creek, the fortunate parties who were on the ground are likely to realize from £SOO to £6OO. We would at the same time caution any who may be influenced by our statement that the payable ground already opened is limited in extent. We also learn that a party of eleven enterprising men are at the present time engaged in the construction of a water race, capable of supplying six sluice heads, and the'general opinion seems to be that when it is completed th?re will be permanent and remunerative employment for those engaged iu the speculation.—Mount Ida Mail t Feb. 20. INVERCARGILL. The Southland News of the 27th, in regard to the reported new goldfield says:—" The most extraordinary rumors were current yesterday with reference to a discovery of gold, stated to

have been made at the Hokanui Hills, between Messrs. Gunn and Mc All urn's stations. Samples of coarse gold were shown by two or three partie?, who stated that they were obtained in that quarter. The men were not disposed to put in a formal claim for the reward, as they appeared to consider it would be better to verify the actual value of their find before intentionally giving the maiter publicity. The report was the more readily believed from the fact of several parties having at different times obtained " prospects" on the range of hills spoken of. The Hokanuis, we may state for the information of our readers, extend in a line nearly east and west, reaching from the Mataura to the Oreti rivers. Although considerable hills, they are not of the rugged character which obtains on some of the more inland ranges. The most luxuriant pasture clothes them at their greatest elevation, the only drawback being a scarcity of timber in the immediate neighborhood. The distance from town is about fifty miles by the Main Eastern Road. With reference to other rumors of gold discoveries, of which much has been made within the last few days, we direct attention to a communication from Mr Bastian :—'lo the Editor of the Southland News. Sir, —I see it repotted that I have exhibited some 4 ozs. of gold found on my station. In order to prevent any unnecessary excitement, I wish you to contradict the statement, the only foundation for which is that I have shown some 3 dwts. of gold, which it is mv intention to place in the hands of Mr Moses, Secretary of the Prospecting Association, in the morning, and at the same time leave with him all the information on the subject I am in possession of. You will oblige me by inserting this explanation. Yours, &c., C. Bastian.Invercurgill, February 26, 1864.'"

THE PANAMA ROUTE.

The Panama route is now un fait accompli. The contract is for a monthly service, Wellington being the port of call, with an interprovincial service for which the Company receive a separate subsidy. The contract specifies thirty days for making the passage each way between Panama and Wellington, and on the average of each voyage on the interprovincial service the speed is not to be less than eight knots per hour. The penalty for non-deliverance of mails between Panama and Wellington at the times stipulated, is £IOO for every 24 hours detention, and £SO for every 24 hours, inter-provincial detention, but the penalties for one voyage not to exceed in the aggregate £2625. The Company, on the other hand, are to receive £ 100 for every 24 hours by which the mail shall be delivered inside of the day on which it is due. In case of the Company failing to have a vessel in readiness for sea on the days appointed they w ill be called upon to pay £lO per hour for the first 24 hours, and £5 per hour for every extra hours delay, until the full sum of £2625 is reached. But the Company are likely in every instance to evade payment of the penalty, as they have managed to get the words inserted, "If it can be shown to the satisfaction of the PostmasterGeneral that the default has arisen from causes over which they have not any control." The annual subsidy to be paid for carrying the mails between Panama and Wellington is £63,000, and for the inter-provincial service £6OOO. The contract to last for five years certain, or longer if mutually determined. Under the 23rd clause the Postmaster-General has power to annul the contract for any breach of covenant. The Company are also required to find sureties for the due fulfilment of all stipulations. A cursory perusal of the several clauses leads us to think that Mr Crosbie Ward has not been inattentive to the interests of the Provinces; but we defer any remarks or strictures which we have to make upon a measure fraught with the deepest importance to the New Zealand Provinces, until we can give the document closer and more attentive reading.—Daily Telegraph.