THE SHOTOVER.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 87, 30 December 1864, Page 3

THE SHOTOVER.

(From tlio Walcatip Mail.) Maori Point, Dbc. 23. The escort leaves to-day with 30-1 ozs of gold. This besides 135 ozs which have been sent down by private hand makes our returns as 439 ozs. Of course by the new escort regulations coming into force four days gleanings have accumulated to the -present stock ; "but still considering that every river claim from Stapleton's to .Skipper's point has been unworkable for the whole time since my last letter— . it is undoubtedly a handsome return, being nearly double the amount of our. last escort. I must' except the Perseverance at Stapleton's. Yesterday they struck' splendid ground, and obtained 25 ozs from the first washing ; to-day . their washdirfc looks as good as any they have lifted any time for the last three months; next week I "will bo able to ascertain the total quantity obtained. The G-erman Hill Sluicing Company have succeeded in conducting water across the Shotover from rock to rock—a.distanco of 370 feet and are actively engaged in sluicing operations ; and in order that these shall not interfere with river workings, the party have dammed tip a deep ravine to receive the strippings. The-.Yigilaiiee party have their wheel in readiness to commence any day that the river will permit of it, and but for the broken state of the weather and continued flush in the stream, would have had several paddocks out by this time. The Inglevvood company have the whole of their excellent machinery ready to commence operations, and await, like the Vigilance party, the falling of the waters. Stuart and party of the Defiance wheel ' find that the change in the course of the river has not been quite so advantageous to them as they' at first imagined ; for now that the head dam is made perfectly tight and all the water turned into the old channel, the stream ia caught by a pro- ' jecting point of rock from the main land, whence it strikes out almost at a right angle over against the dividing wall, and ..by its force is gradually undermining the old line of crates and turning them 'over. The party, therefore, had to visit Stony Greek again formore timber, wherewith to stay the devastating effects of the wayward current. ' Harvey and party, one of thc-Jparties interested in the bared fgrouud, have already tried their x^ortion and found payable gold. All the parties are now \ready to set in to the new ground. \ Ferguson and party, of the Londonderry claim - (Bracken's old claim), have just finished their stone wall, over 500 feet in lenYfch, and await — like all the rest ofthe rivei\ men — the fall of the river and for settled weather. This party have been .nearlyythree months in completing their works, Wd I would mention these works, like all\the other wall wheels and embankments already mentioned, are of a character^that no ordinary flood can matc t rially -injure ; so that the owners of river claims nowVepresent real property — and property th;\t has an unquestionable value, and not likV the claims they formerly held up as being of some great worth ; the embankment of which, together will all- the mining implements were liable to be carried off by the first flood. • The Criterion', party have their .large wheel nearly reaay, aud in a short time you will hear thd result of their undertaking. This claim is situated in the* Queenstown district, and consequently I have little opportunity of hearing much about it. The last .news that floated in this direction concerning them was that, a champagne celebration was in contemplation for the starting their new wheel.