KYEBURN.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 57, 4 March 1870, Page 3

KYEBURN.

(From oiir own Correspondent.) No. IV. leaving the coal workings, and still travelling up the creek, we reach the -".Old Store Flat." .At this spot the first stores were erected after the Kyeburn became a goldfield. It is now, however, abandoned, and nothing but .a few old ruins remain to mark the spot where once all was life and. activity. I traversed the flat, which-is hounded on the one side by the Kyehurn G-orge, and on the other by lofty, hills, and after ascending a slight . declivity adjoining George's second paddock, I perceive at my feet the Pass Hotel and store, and in the distance the up-creek workings. The creek at this spot is rock-bound, and, after heavy rainfall, becomes a perfect mountain torrent. Rocks are piled upon rocks, in every variety of form, and the bed of th steam is also strewn with boulders of every size and shape. Descending the road which leads to the store I espy a pretty little garden on my right hand, which, perched as it is amongst the rocks, much resembles a diamond set in a lump of coal. Arrived at the store I introduce myself to f the good lady of the house, and soon work my way into her confidence. I praise her flowers and her rabbits, her pigs and her geese, and I flatter myself that I . thoroughly won her heart. I sallied forth and took stock of the premises, which are quite a curiosity in their way, and well worthy a description. Unfortunately, I know not at which end to begin, as I have not one house to 1 describe, but a collection of houses knocked into one, and yet having a miniature street separating them. To unoriginal small store, building after building has been added, wherever the adjoining rocks would allow of a build-. jng being erected. What I mean will %fe better understood when I state that room-'had to be made for the last additioifby sluicing away a portion of the hill at the back, and this could only be accomplished by "carrying a few sluice boxes through the kitchen, and running i the tailings out of the front door. In

addition to a fine stone stabh-% there are rabbit warrens, pigsties, stockyards, timber racks, and also a smithy, making in fact a small township. Over a side of mutton, the doorway, I perceive that Mr. Greorge is allowed to dispense spirituous liquors, and as my business is to ascertain the quality of everything I immediately deposit the rex pecuniarum, and imbibe. I ascertain my way up creek, and proceed on my journey. Not many hundred yards from the store I cross the German Creek, which here empties itself into the Kyeburn, and proceeding along an, elevated flat, I reach Cape Stiff, around whose vertical sides the track winds its way. Opposite Cape Stiff is Look-Out Point and Rusty Bacon Flat: This last name I strongly recommend to the consideration of the Survey Department, as it will not be misplaced amongst the Pigburns, the Hogburns, and Swineburns in the geographical vocabulary of the Province. Beyond Cape Stiff, and on the same side of the creek, is Maori Pah Plat, upon which several houses are built, mostly surrounded by gardens. It is evident that there are, not many suitable places for building in this iocality, as the mountains here are dimply divided by the streams. Everywhere, the ground is steep and precipitous, and wherever a piece of level ground could be obtained one or more huts have been erected thereon. The last place I shall mention is Brummy's Point, which is a red cliff partly washed away by the stream, and which is reported to have been the richest spot on the whole creek. All traces of civilisation are shortly after this lost, and the dreary and rough track winds its way over''the saddle into Dansy's Pass, where I will leave it, and' say a few words on matters affecting the Kyeburn. T~ There are numerous married couples (resident on these diggings, and I imagine that there cannot be less than 30 children, none of whom receive any education, or at least such education as is given in a school. The difficulty does not lie in getting a school, but in getting the children to'attend. The two extremities of the workings- must be fully three miles apart. Should a schoolhouse, therefore, be erected in a central situation, a considerable number of the children would have to travel about a mile and a-half to and fro each day. This difficulty could be got over easily eiiough but for the dinner hour. A parcel of young children could not be turned adrift at twelve o'clock to shift for themselves until'one or. two, and the distance would be too great for them to return home to dinner. This is why a schoolmaster has never been applied for, and I presume the matter will be aliowed\to remain in statu quo, until the salubrity of the climate has enabled the ladies of the district to raise a sufficient crop of young colonials to support a school at each extremity of the diggings. A building.laas.also been erected on Paper Collar/Plat for religious purposes. A minister occasionally attends fromNaseby, but invariably in the morning, the very time when people are unable to attend. Were the hour changed from 11 a.m. to 2 or 3 p.m. I am confident that the attendance would be far greater. Mrs. George of the Pass Hotel, who has always acted the part of the good Samaritan to the sick and destitute, -has now instituted a medical fund for the relief of those miners who may be injured in the pursuit of their calling. As medical aid is by no means a small item it is to be hoped that every assistance will be rendered to Mrs. George in carrying out so worthy an object, and that every miner on "the creek will shortly have his name down on her list as a subscriber. I will give you a description of the mining carried on about the Kyeburn in my next.