THE ARROW.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 52, 7 March 1864, Page 3

THE ARROW.

(Frtfm the correspondent, of the Wal-atip Mail.) The numerous water- wheels : on the Arrow River are now all in full work again, the last fall of rain providentially causing no delay to mining operations^' and all things propitious, the result of many .months' speculative labour tfill now soon.be brought to an issue. tJlairtihqiders on the; river express a strong confidence in the richness of their claims, arid very 'few shares have been disposed of for some time past except under pressing emergencies: .New ground has been taken up near the junction of. the Eight-Mile Greek and Arrow River, for the purpose of carrying out some extensive sluicing works. .At Bracken^ Gully, things generally are reported as quiet, the majority of the miners making very fair wages, and showing no disposition to leave the district. No news of any importance has been received here during the last few days from the Cadrona Creek, the influx of new comers has already stopped, and the - population at present throughout the Creek probably not exceeding 300 men. At the head of the Roaring Meg stream, about forty_ men are at work but the yield of gold there is inconsiderable. _ : . News from the Twelve- mile diggings show that the atiriferoils resources! of that district i are in ail probability drily yet commencing to be developed. Gold has been found in spots hitherto considered barren, and in quantities j sufficient to warrant the supposition that remu- j nerative employment might be found there ! by a much larger population than the present one. On the summit of the highest ranges in that neighbourhood, now free fromtheir usual covering of snow, gold has been found in paying quantities, and easily worked. I j have heard from reliable authorities that parties at present holding ground on these ranges, which from its position can only be worked by cradles^ are making remarkably good wages, in several instances having obtained six pounds weight pf gold from a single paddock. The hills from which the gold is obtained are described as made hills, and presenting none of the appearances of out-cropping reefs similar to the ranges in this locality: The scattered parties of diggers lately at work on the various small creeks running into the Lake Wanaka are reported to have nearly all departed, being unable to find gold enough to remunerate them, and laboring also under the disadvantages of inadequate supplies of provisions. Experienced miners, however, who have visited the Lake, still express an opinion that a properly organised prospecting party, equipped with all necessaries for a six months' tour, would find gold in payable quantities^ arid meet with sufficient inducement to make a lengthened sojourn there; birds and fish being abundant, timber plentiful, and the gold, when obtained, easily worked. The Queenstown and Arthur's Point Cricket Clubs have declined to accept the challenge of the Arrow Cricket Club to play a match against a united eleven of the two clubs, but each express their willingness to play a match singly with the Arrow men. A match between the Arthur's Point and Arrow Cricket Clubs will probably be played shortly, and the Queenstown Club state that they will be ready in about a month to meet their Arrow friends once more. A rather novel mode of serving a summons occurred here a few days ago. A man named Fenton having got at loggerheads with his mate, used some abusive language, for which his mate summoned him to appear at the Arrow Court, and the usual document was handed to the bailiff for service on him. Fenton, however, getting word of the matter, on seeing the bailiff approach him, at once bolted off at the top of his speed, and the enemy followed. An exciting chase then across the flat near the police camp, Fenton heading straight for the river, wfiich, on reaching, he without hesitation plunged into, and crossed safely to the other side. The bailiff's zeal for the public service was not sufficient, however, to induce him to take a cold bath so suddenly, but picking up a stone he wrapped the paper around it, and, throwing it across the stream at the man on the other side, shouted out to him to consider himself served. Whether the runaway will choose to take the same View of the matter seems somewhat doubtful.