THE ARROW.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 96, 2 October 1863, Page 3

THE ARROW.

(From the Correspondent of the Whalatip Mail.) The rain which has fallen during the last few days has had little or no effect on the river — no perceptible rise having taken place. The greatest activity prevails amongst all the mining community, and the claims throughout the course of the Arrow are in full work. Within a few miles ofthe township nearly a dozen large wheels are in play, and several more are in the course of constiuction and will be soon available. A week or two, if no spring floods come down upon us in force, will undoubtedly alter the state of our escorts, and thousands will soon take the place of hundreds in the reports. The tunnel claim, about a mile from the township, which lias long been out of work, has again proved most remunerative ; gold to the value of .£SOO having, according to rumor, been taken from it during the past week. A nugget weighing 15 pa. 56 dwts. has since been brought to lig.it. A company has heen formed to \vqy\_ a portion of the river, V.^U «ol fa,** from, the

Twelve-mile, and will be .conducted much on the same principle as the "large companies on the Shotover. Some of the leading men andmort fsuccessful miners have joined it, and we hope that its name —the •' Perseverance" will meet its due reward. On the flat everything is going on favorably. The wall for protection of the flood race is completed, and 1.00 energetic men are now at work on the tail race, clearing the old bed and extending it both to the eastward and westward, or rather up and down the Flat. In another week some claims will be in a condition to bottom, and though we cannot wish the shareholders to have, like Midas, their bellyfull of gold, yet we may hope that some may have their billies full, and to spare. Sluicing is being carried on with great pertinacity; night and day work being the rule, as slated in my last. The gold is very fine, but the quality seems to improve as the work recedes from the river bank, nnd those interested by no means despair of the speculation ultimately paying. From Bracken's Gully good accounts still come in, and there is no doubt that this locality has heen the El Dorado of New Zealand during the past winter. The sample of gold is uniformly rough, and large nuggets are frequently turning up. Snow is still on the ground to the depth of two feet, more or less ; but notwithstanding this, and the difficulties of transit and e.x pense of provisions, upwards of 100 miners are living and doing well. Tbe old rush of two months back at the Gentle Annie is likely to turn out, after all, permanent diggings. A considerable number of men are on the ground, and to my knowledge £2 or £3 a-day has been in some cases realised. On Friday evening a meeting was held at the New Orleans Hotel, for the purpose of filling four vacancies in the Township Committee. A large number of townspeople attended, and the following gentle men were elected :— -Messrs Ings.Spenselv, Hazel and Ecclesiield. A publio meeting was advertised for Saturday evening to consider a petition to the Government for a Kesicknt Warden and K. M. The inclemency ofthe weather necessariiy required a postponement, as the miners could not get in from up the river. .\ general wish has been expressed that a petition be drawn up at once, and signatures obtained on the field, and this course will probably be adopted. Mr Manders is very kind in taking upon himself to answer fjr ihe Arrow people, but he is one of those friends Jfrom whom in a public way we should wish to be saved; and is justly observed in a note to that gentleman's letter, the resolutions of the Township Committee, elected as that body is by open voting, are a very fair index of public opinion. The present Wardens of Queenstown do all they can in their weekly visits to prevent inconvenience and delay to the miners, but still the urgent want remains of a Warden permanently resident and able to decide disputes in the field. ■ — « •