MINING INTELLIGENCE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 140, 3 November 1871, Page 3

MINING INTELLIGENCE.

NEW CALEDONIA. From a private letter received by a gentleman at the Thames from Noumea, New Caledonia, we ('Thames Advertiser ')learn that additional ground of a payable character has been added to the auriferous district oi' that territory. It appear that for some time past the government have had prospecting parties out with this object, causing the interior of the country to be more

thoroughly examined and explored/ The eaves of i'challobeil and the auriferous slopes of Manghine have proved payable, and the most recent dis>overy spoken of in the letter in question is one at a place situate about fifteen miles from the last opened ground, some 150 miles north of Noumea. The stone or sand is of the same character as that discovered at Manghine, and loose free gold is found in the creeks, indicating the presence of reef's yet undiscovered. The ground is still being prospected in expectation of coming upon the run of gold. The complaints are very great of the miserable character of the machinery on the ground. A LARGE NUGGET. We ('News of the World ')have just inspected a splendid nugget, which is now lying in the Mint, which was obtained from a hydraulic claim at Forest Hill, Sierra Coun'y. It weighs, quartz and all, 921 ounces, and contains approximately nearly 700 ounces of gold. It is probably worth from 11,000 dols. to 14,000. Ihe claim being in litigation, it has been placed for safe keeping in the hands of C.JJr.N r . Felton, United States Assistant Treasurer, and General La Grange, Superintendent of the Mint.

VICISSITUDES OF A. MlNElt's LIFE. We havo hav« been favored with the sight of a private letter from. Westport « which details a very sad accident which occurred there, and we give extracts nearly in the writer's words, as showing the heroic disposition of the parties. One Ned Carton was working at the reefs in that locality, and in company with a mate, named Jack Henderson, was drilling a hole in the rock. They had got it tamped with a wood tamper, and then inserted an iron one to drive the powder, &c, home tight. By some means or other it went off, and Henderson was so injured, that he died an hour afterwards, never becoming sensible (luring the time. Carton was severely hit on the face with the powder and small «tones. yet he managed to crawl out and give the alarm, and altuogh he was stone blind he had crept back into the tunnel before any assistance arrived. When the men came up they did not perceive that anything was wrong with Carton till they were taking out the body of Henderson. One asked him to hold the light. Ned asked him to put it into his hand, for he was blind. One of the men who was present said he never felt so affected in his life as when he looked at poor Ned, with the blood dropping down off his beard, and yet trying to help them with the other man. This happened on the Tuesday, but it was Thursday before they could start with Xed for town as there was a heavy flood on the Inanganua. When the party arrived half way between the junction of Inanganua with the Buller they had to cross in a "canoe. One of the men named Brown, being the best hand with the canoe, went into it along with Ned to take him across. Ned was all bandaged up about the head, and wrapped up in shawls. When they got about the middle of the river, Brown lost command of the frail vessel, and she went down over a fall in the presence of a large crowd of persons on the banks, but who were unable to help them. Ned sat in the boat till after it had s-ink over the waist and poor Brown, who was a splendid swimmer, seemed to be excited about Ned's position, and cried out, " Oh, Ned, what will we do ?" Then he struck out, and called out to Ned to come " this way." Ned, however, felt he could not go against the current, so he let himself down in the water, and commenced to tear off his clothes and bandages. In this way he was swept down the river for about a mile ; then he put up his hand and rubbed one of his eyes, and found he could see a little, and so made for the bushes, where was a shanty. Poor Brown was never seen again; everyone thought he was sure to get out, and that Ned was drowned, but when they got down the river, they found Ned coeying for Brown, an ' trying to make his way to look for him,. It has since transpired that Ned's eyes were burned together, and the wnter and rubbinj together loosened it. He has cne good eye left, but the doctor thinks the other one is gone.—■' BrucQ Standard.'