A VISIT TO THE LYELL REEFS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 225, 20 September 1872, Page 2

A VISIT TO THE LYELL REEFS.

(From our own Correspondent). Ltell, Upper Buller, August 31. Having long been. anxious to pay these reefs a visit, and beiug in thoTnarigabua district, T left Christy's Accommodation House on the r Buller, and proceeded up the Buller river a distance of nine miles,', to the mouth of ,tbe Lyell_ Creek. Crossing in the punt over the Buller, ' I ascended to the township, which was undergoing a new survey by Mr. Greenwood and st ff. Tho'present rich ground now being worked at the reefs by Cnrroll and party, at their claim adjoining the Alpine Quartz Company's, is causing a great* deal of interest and speculation in town sections.' Various conjectures are afloat as to the value of the quartz now being brought out of Ibis claim, some saying that it will yield 10, 6ome 15'oz<, to the ton. However, a short space of ticce will i decidethe question, as everything is steadily progressing towards the crushing, which will take plnce at the Alpine battery. On leaving the township for the reef, you ascend the side of a most precipitous range of mountain, but along a first rate .truck. where, in spite of the great incline, pack horses easily perform their daily task of carrying goods up to the reefs. : To my surprise, this costly and useful piece of work has been carried out by private enterprise, through the indefatigable exertions of Antonio Z<ila and party, to whom the opening up of this rich reefing district is almost solely indebted. Previous to this road being made, which now serves the public generally, it was almost super-' human the " ways and means "which bad to be devised byihe pioneers, A. Zala and party, in conveying the, bare necessaries of life to the reefs, and certainly such exertions should , be suitably recognised, by the Provincial Government, as it is due to Zala and party's discoveries dud exertions in a great measure that the country; has. been opened up. After a long ascent, a distance of 2| miles from the township, testing the patience of the most inveterate |pedestrian, I arrived at the Alpine Company's ground. Here let me notice • the suitable appellation given to the Company from . its elevated position, and the beautifully grand, although wild, appearance of the place. The snow at the time of your correspondent's visit entirely covered the sides of the mountain, and as they are .covered with lofty bush, the branches all beautifully delineated in their lines by the snow covering, the effect was very remarkable. I was agreeably surprised to find in such a bleak region such evidence of civilisation and work going on,; and in such a systematic manner. On invitation, I was shown over the Company's ground by the manager, and first taken to the quartz shoot. This structure casts in the shade any piece of work I have yet seen on the New Zealand Goldfields. As its name implies, it is for shooting the quartz from the top of the range down the precipitous side of the mountain, a distance of 3000 feet, to the Lyell Creek, where the machine and battery are at work. It is formed of a square' box tunnel, made of inch boards, 12 feet wide, all sawn, and lately lined throughout with strong plate iron, and raised, on piles in some places 60 and 70 feet high, with cross-pieces attached, thus forming a complete lattice-work of timber. This is to give it the desired pitch, and must have taken an immense amount of labor to construct it; the iron, alone, lining the shoot is calculated at 10 tons weight. The quartz is thrown out into a paddock at the top of the shoot and broken up, then it is carefully filled into the shcot mouth, and, assisted by a cop'ous head of water, which flows through its. entrance, is delivered; with great velocity, at its destination. Unfortunately' for the ! owners, some damage has been caused to it — but since repaired — by the unprecedented inclemency of the winter, with snow and fallen branches, and I a few slips from the faces, thus retarding their ! general work, but with, a show qf fine- weather, this will not signify much, and favorable results are anticipated, This company 3 s machinery ;and shoot Will soon Bare jt;s powers palled into all their ! activity, as the surrounding claims are all anxious to obtain their assistance. The machine and battery, with powerful waterwheeL is a well-con-structed piece of work, arid has a copious supply of neverrfsiling water, carried a. distance 0f. 3? 58 feet, machuie was not a, t work for the oath? pany owing to the extreme coldness of the weather, which affects the saving of the gold, but the stock of quarts taken out is, daily increasing from the main reef, &0., in the lower paddock, and as soon as the weather changes a good crushing is expected. . The adjacent extraordinarily rich stone in Carroll's claim, which will yield not less than , 15oz. to the ton, ha 9 its leaders dipping straight into ,the Alpine Company's claim, .and from. the.. j appearance of the Alpine istone taken fronv> the main reef, and a specimen of rough granulated quartz, or more like good wash dirty that has been found, a splendid result will be the consequence. There is nothing more at 'present worthreporting, with the exception of the preliminary workings of the different.reefs. The I#eU Creek .Company are sinking ;,'a~ shaft prospectivcly, the Excelsior is looking forward to crushing, and ■ new, Conopahies^the*. 1 William Tell," " Nonpareil United Company," and •' Helvetian "—are being ' formed, all of which are fully justified in- setting in, and I can with great confidence state that a great deal .of worki and capital will be brought to bear this season on! the rLyell Eeefs, and- prove the district a by far richer place than 1 ever was uidicated.by/th.e Inaugahua.//; ;,, ; : .;'; iSince writing the above, the stone in Carroll's claim has been, turning out; astonishingly rich, some lumps of quartz bearing serins of solid gold 1$ inch thick, running "both attaigtit; alpnjj, and across thjß'facebf /?V ; , .';• ■ Also, .'. the lAlpihe;; clainrji in; tfceir snew ishaft. sinking close by,, are catching the leaders of the above, and their: new funnel towards, .the,, main ' *eef;,. ;;js. $ :fclM^^ , and' V great reaching it. Iffttie sametspr^of Btone is obtained iujthVhesHbf :^ :;eritrance-of. ; t^ shjne pu> oCany fluart#re^ inti!^ : o&tetid,% : v -^N; '^ .':'. ■•V''i ; » ; -:. : i"'.' i v- A " i '. 1 ■>•-•>■ ! rr¥'i<^.ff-' W-5. W ■'A-'-'W l'^-'"-

- Mystery. -r-Th& [Westport Times of Jtbe 17th instant; ' Bays: — No farther .^intelligence has been. , gleaned of the 'missing man Coetello.j and Ihere is therefore -no .ffurther, tiv-jderice against Yorkey and. Yankee Charlie., The only new fact elicited is rather in Yorkey's favor, inasmuch as Costello was .last seen at Boatman's, on the 31st July, drinking heavily at Donnell's shanty with the prisoner Thomas Blair, and it is known that he had before been on the spree for some days; but no proof has yet been given that Yorkey was at Boatman's on the 31st, and he has ever since his arrest stoutly deuied beiog there at that time. The search for the body still continues at intervals. A Somewhat Alakming- Occdehencb bappeued at the Ngukawau coalmine on • Saturday last. A man named Patrick Hanion, in the absence of the lessees of the mine, entered the tunnel, and taking up a candle he foitud lying therein he lit it with the intention of satisfying his curiosity by inspecting the work. But an For remainder of news see fourth page. .

almost immediate exploaioa- took place, the man's liands, face, whiskers, and hair Were scorched and, burnt, and in dire alarm, he beat an instant retreat to the open air. " His first impression was that a trick had been played him, that the candle had been plugged with powder to scare any uninvited visitors ; but that is not at all likely. Mr Chambers who was in town at the time, states that slight symptoms of fire-damp have pervaded a certain break in the tunnel since August last, and that the strongest probabilities are that Hanlon; unaware of this, held the candle close to the walls or roof, and thus caused the explosion. A notice has now been posted at the mine warning persons .not toenter without permission. — Westport Times. ■■..■■•■■.. -f— The Lyell:— The Westport Times gives the following information with reference to this district : — Mining matters are processing •■ at the Lyell, and from present indications that district, so little appreciated, -will become the centre of a thriving mining population. The alluvial diggings are extending, men who fail to find profitable employment elsewhere sot in at the Lyell, certain to earn tucker and mayhap light on homeward bound patches to repay them for past disappointments. The confidence of quartz miners in the groat future of the district is unbounded, and the sight of rich stone daily brought to grass, may well cheer the most desponding. Specimens obtained from the Little Wonder claim glitter with gold, not mere dust — like sprinklings throughout the stone, but good sized respectable patchea*and palpable to feeling as to sight. The company are getting a hundred tons crushed by the Alpine battery, and when the results therefrom are made public, about three weeks hence, there will be a pleasurable excitement in the share market, if present prospects do not belie the belief, The Alpine Company purpose increasing their capital and also using more powerful machinery, incited thereto by pasfc success. The Victorian company is fast getting into working order, and of late a very large area of ground has been pegged off by expectant prospectors. A Good Story:— Miners have become noted for their litigious proclivities, in rushing to Court upon very slight provocation for the settlement of disputes that in nine cases out of ten might be as well or better decided amongst themselves; but the Tuepeka . Times has lighted upon one whose a solitary respecter of the law is quite a model of propriety. It says: — There is a man living at Lammerlaw, Otago, whose unexampled woes merit the greatest commiseration. Some few weeks ago, while on a visit to Waipori, he fell in with a number of friends. An extensive patronage of the various hotels followed, which resulted in the hero of our story, who is ordinarily quiet and well behaved, developing pugilistic tendencies, inimical to the " peace of our sovereign Lady, the Queen, her crown aud dignity." Before he had an opportunity of doing any mischief, the vigilant preserver of law and order marched him off to the Camp, where he spent the night. On the following morning the constable liberated him on his undertaking to appear and be punished at the next Court held in Waipori. True to his promise, the man came in. on the following Friday, but there being no Court his journey was fruitless. The twe following Fridays he appeared at the Camp with the same result. On the fourth Friday he again came in* A wellknown and worthy J.P. was at Waipori on that day. To him the delinquent presented himself and asked to be fined. The J.P. was staggered at this unusual request, and asked the man what he meant. The man gave an explanation of the circumstances, winding up with an urgent appeal to be fined, " for," said he, "I am a working man, living six miles away, and can't afford to come in every ■week." The J.P. being of a philanthropic disposition; expressed his ' willingness to gratify the man, and told him to get the constable, and he would hear the charge. Here another difficulty arose — the con-; stable was away on duty elsewhere. The J.P. then suggested that somebody should be got to make the charge. The man accepted this ■ suggestion with celerity, and immediately' proceeded to procure some one ;t6 prosecute; * After a' considerable search he l found "an" obliging; individual, and the pair presented them, selves to the justice. An information was drawn up,but when the individual who had consented to act es prosecutor was required to swear to the charge, he, flatly refused, to do so, as he knew nothing about the affair. This, of course, precluded any further 'action : being taken in the "case. The ■ dfeHriquent was awfully, disgusted, and after fruitlessly endeayoring: to, get the justice to. fine him,- offered .; to? deposit an. amount' to cover any .fine .ihoit mightibe inflicted.- ; Thisj pffef could not be|enteriairied£; and ;he" Kad to Jepart i without . . having gr^tifiediiifi^j^^/^wilt •, ■ ventureit^ ; ;;v# v£!|is^%& \ ■;■''? y \ i 'J!H} : M^, ?/.'■'' •' / . "v ■ . K

A Brave Dees.— When the ship.Asia, from Melbourne to London, via the Caps of Good Hope^ ; was off the. Cape, one of the apprentic'egfelL from the veß3el, a.ndt oath c cry being raised "Boy overboard," the second mate, Mr. John Niven, whose watch it wna below at the time, rushed up on the poop, and mado a leap towards the drowning lad. It was feared that he might fail to reach him, but fortunately he was successful, and with the help of "a buoy kept him up till the boat which had been lowered picked them up. This was half-an-hour after the boy fell over, and the two heads could barely be descried from the ship. To add to the suspense on board, it was know that a large shark had been seen about the vessel during the fore part of the day. A presentation .was got up amongst the passengers for the second mate, as a recognition of the bravery he had displayed. Clever Swindle. —An audacious swindle has just been perpetrated at Luxemburg. A Jesuit announced the approaching arrival of a Persian bishop. The venerable personage appeared in due time — a man of grave aspect, and with long while hair and beard, who was received with the utmostenthusiasm. Monseigneur officiated in the cathedral^ and as his celebration of mass coincided with the period of general confession, the faithful contributed their offerings liberally. He collected more than 15,000 f. In addition, in going home he entered the shop of a watch-maker, and after having given his benediction to the kneeling family, purchased a beautiful gold watch, which he took with him, leaving a deposit of 20f. and promising to seDd the rest of the money. The Oriental prelate having departed, a rumour became current that he was in reality a Jew of Munich, a wellknown and most adroit swindler. A late Writek in the Mining Magazine ep?aking of the impolicy of the Victorian idea of offering a reward for the discovery of a diamond field, says:-^" So long as the great cry brings diamond-seekers together, no matter how little profit results, the discoverer gets bis reward, the Government profits by licenses, and the losers are only the poor unfortunates who have a right to look to the Government for protection against the frauds of crafty adveuturers. There is a well-known story of the discovery of fresh bread and cheese wrapped in a cotton handkerchief during the experimental borings in presence of a company from London, in a Welsh lead ' mine.' When the cheese came up on the auger, it was promptly announced to be a new kind of clay; but the crust and the cotton were not so readily accounted for. We shall suspect crust and cotton when we hear of a diamond rush in Victoria, unless the news is accompanied by the certificate of a geologist of whom something is known." Some curious experiment?, says a London journal, have, according to the Matin, been made by a doctor of MontpelHer to ascertain the effects of wine, brandy, and absinthe on fowls. Any doubts which may have been entertained as to the disinclination of the birds to adopt intemperate habits were speedily dispelled, for they took to dramdrinking with evident delight, and many an old cock in the chicken-house proved himself quite capable of consuming, his bottle a day. It was found necessary at last to limit the allowance of wine and spirits for each bird to six cubic centimetres of alcohol, or from twelve to fifteen of wine daily. The result was that they lost flesh rapidly, more especially those who drank absinthe. Two months of absinthe drinking was found sufficient to kill the cock or hen. The fowls who indulged in brandy alone lasted, however, four months and a half ; while the wine-bibbers survived for ten months. It was not only their health which was affected by alcohol ; their personal appearance underwent an extraordinary change. . An immense ' development of cocks' crests took place. The crests, it is stated, increased to four times their' original size, and assumed a hue of unnatural brightness — probably on the same principle 'that the noses of. confirmed drunkards become preternatural ly large and red. It is doubtful whether : man is justified in trying experiments in drunkenness with the dumb creation, merely: with the view of ascertaining hoW .far he may. himself venture to get drunk with impunity; but having proceeded thus far, he may as well'gb a step further, andby the introduction of the teapot into the henhouse find out whether there is any ground for the suspicion entertained in some quarters as to the innocent propeities; of ; tea; ; i : £D few experiments 'also in "late hours " might be made with profit at the same A party of qarefnlly. selected cocks an' 2 ■ Wris 'niight beiallowed to mingle in thef«Btivities of the London season re turning 1 to 1 their boosts at they usually begin to cackle ,'and crow.; \lt would! possib^be -ifourid thai jorie : ■sss!, of ;j' political re#n?o^ effects as two moo the of absinth© drinking.