KARAKA CREEK.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3155, 29 March 1879, Page 2

KARAKA CREEK.

" It's an ill wind that does not do some good" may be the version of the old proverb to make it apply to the present circumstances of the Xaraka creek. The suspension of mining operations on the flat haa induced considerable prospecting in the outlying portions of the goldfield, and ibis vicinity has come in for its share. Indeed, during tbd last few months mining here has been looking up wonderfully. There are considerably over ICD men employed all working their own pieces of ground, and a fair proportion of them are doing well. Shortly after the throwing open of the Una hill, two claims —the Major and the Portia—were taken up and after a little prospecting the shareholders of both came on good gold and have been doing well, several of their crushings averaging over two ounces per ton. In October last, Mr A. Bruce took up a piece of ground he had formerly worked situated on the hill above Bull'i) battery, and called it the BALMAIN. This piece of ground is nearly half a mile away from the Major claim, and was formerly known as the Loyalty. After doing a considerable amount of dead work in putting in a tunnel, the proprietor came on quartz showing a little gold, but nothing extraordinary. Driving has been continued up to about a week ago, when the leader was cut off by a clay seam. Instead of rising and fossicking about for the lode, he started a small drive higher up the hill, and after about ten feet of driving, he, on Thursday, cut an exceedingly rich leader, lying very flat in the bottom of the drive. From the first breaking down about a dozen pounds of fine specimens were obtained, and after more quartz was taken out gold was to be seen in almost every stone broken. Yesterday some more gold was obtained, and the face looked well. One peculiarity about the lode is that the clayey casing of the hanging wall is thickly impregnated with coarse gold. It is supposed the leader is a branch of the one worked below, and that it will junction with it further ahead. The main slide intersects the ground about three hundred feet ahead, and probably exceedingly rich gold will make where the lode strikes the slide. This claim will probably turn out a very good " spec. " to the shareholders. A little distance past the mouth of the gorge there are two claims working—the City of Manchester and City of Adelaide—both of which are getting payable stone. Both claims work the same lead, though it is larger in the former. Their stuff averages about an ounce per ion. The shareholders of both claims have recently gone to considerable expense in constructing shoots and hoppers down to the dray road. The great difficulty they have had to contend with is the scarcity of water and the consequent difficulty of getting stuff crushed cheaply. The shower which fell yesterday put a little water in the Creek, and now that the wet season is close at hand, this drawback should be obviated. The City of Adelaide now have a parcel of stuff at the Coulabah mill awaiting the commencement of crushing operations. Just above the claims named is the old

lIITLE LIZZIE,

which is still worked by the shareholders, though much of the richness which for three years made the shareholders happy has departed. Two parties of tributera are working sections of this mine, viz., JN icks and party and Barclay and party. Kicks and party have beeu making good wages for some time past. The claim furthest up the Creek is the Victory, which has been worked by Scott brothers with but poor success for nine years. Lately this claim has not been turning out much, but the shareholders expect to be getting something better soon. The determination with which these men have

stuck to their ground for years against a tide of adverse circumstances is to be commended. The chief want of the Creek at present is a good road up the whole of the distance, and we have no doubt that double the number of men now employed could obtain subsistence from this picturesque valley. Quartz leaders and reefs crop out in all directions, and a large proportion of these are auriferous, and would be payably so if a good road existed. The road up to the City of Manchester is at present in a satisfactory state, and will bear dray traffic, but when winter starts it might possibly make the transit of quartz more difficult. The central portion of the

"the tbamway —that is, the piece from the mouth of the gorge to the Victory claim—is fast becoming a thing of the past, and is only used by wood-getters who run the risk of smashing their trucks every load they bring down. Any repairs that could be made would be only temporary, and it would be advisable to remove the present rotten rails, when a little cutting and forming, together with the construction c? sl bridge or two would make a good rttid of it. All the batteries in the upper part of the creek are idle just now except the, Onehunga mill, a small six-stamper battery, which was crushing yesterday on stuff from the Trafalgar claim, Nelson Hill.