MOUNT BENGER.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 91, 6 November 1869, Page 3

MOUNT BENGER.

(From our Own Correspondent.) Our races, as your readers are already aware, were a great success; the weather being remarkably fine, and the attendance all that could be de desired. The Island Block squabble is the most prominent subject of speculation, at present in everybody's mouth. How the Grovernment will do to close the final scene, remains to be seen. I scarcely think they will dare to sell in opposition to the unanimous wish of the entire district. A most extraordinary case of resuscitation has just taken place at Roxburgh—a piece of land which existed about six years since on the east bank of the Molyneux, was surveyed off into a township ; shortly afterwards it transpired that the land was found to be highly auriferous. On this Mr. Warden Simpson, who was then in charge of this district, caused the G-overnment to cancel the survey and declare the land open for raining purposes. The entire frontage of the surveyed block extending along the river bank, was afterwai-ds granted to different parties as iniuing claims 5 and you may be fully aware that after six years active sluicing has been carried on, a considerable breach has been made into this surveyed township; in fact to such an extent has the sluicing been on, that a good number of the sections have been cleau swept into the river. The Grovernment have now startled our weak nerves by announcing their determined intention to sell this township, including these sections which once existed, but which now exists only in the remembrance of miners who have been fortunate enough to reap a good harvest for their labour in sluicing them away. It is evident that the Grovernment, in their wisdom, intended quietly to dispose of these sections by keeping the residents here in the dark upon the matter, as they carefully arranged for the sale to take place at Clyde, over thirty miles distant, instead of being in the township itself. This step they have now retracted and intimated that in deference to the wish of the people located here, the sale shall be held at Roxburgh. It will be a delightful Chinese puzzle for any purchaser to find his section—even if he buys one which has not been sluiced away—as it is a matter of impossibility to find any of the survey pegs originally driven in the ground.