THE SOUTHLAND DIGGINGS.

West Coast Times, Issue 302, 11 September 1866, Page 2

THE SOUTHLAND DIGGINGS.

(fbom tub southland daily kews.)

The number of persona engaged in gold mining in this province has very gradually increased during the past month. The majority are located at | the Paihi, a diggings situated on the coast, about twenty miles to the westward of Riverton. The population there is now estimated at between 250 and 300 miners. They have until recently been occupied in washing the auriferous sand of the' kind found so extensively distributed on the sea beaches of the West Coast. Among other examples of very marked success we may place that of one party who have already realised well, and who have now about 200 lpads of washdirt stacked — estimated to turn out about 1 oz. per load. Of late severul parties have prospected back in the bush, about three miles, from the beach, with the result of finding some moderately payable ground. The auriferous drift has been found chiefly in a strip pf ground of variable width (from fifteen to twenty feet), on one side of a creek. The stripping averages about three feet in depth, with six inches to two feet of wash* dirt, composed,of gravel, and what miners describe as a greasy grey sand. The gold here, as on the beach workings, is exceedingly fine. The average earnings may be fairly estimated at one ounce penman per week, some parties are getting much more, while a few complain of continued bad luck. There are at present three stores at the township. .Provisions are moderate in price, bread selling at 4 s 6d the 4lb loaf; beef, 9d per lb ; tea, 3s 6d per lb ; sugar, 7d per lb. ' Tools ore cheap— long-handled shovels, , 10d each ; American axes, 103 ; sjuice forks, Ames No. 2, b^st quality, 15s. There is also an accommodation house, where meals are provided at 2s per head. Timber for sluice-boxes, &c, has b*een selling at 303 per 10Q feet super. The price of gold at the Paihi is difficult to fix, in the absence of any gold buying estab^ lishment. For clean washed, from L 3 9s to L 3 12s is obtained. Amalgamated and roughly retorted gold fetches L 3 2s 6d in Hivertpn. No post-office is yet established, but the continued development of mining industry will, it is expected, induce the authorities to make the necessary arrangements at an early date. Traces pf gold have been found on the beaches to the southward of the Paihi ; ana in the early part of the month intelligence was received here to the effect that a party of prospectors had succeeded in finding payable claims on the beach at Bushy Point, about ton miles from Campbell Town, Bluff Harbor. The announcement caused but little' excitement, as it was accompanied by the information that the workings were limited in extent, and the ground would soon be wrought out. Fifteen or twenty men are now working there, but their average earnings are not made known. They have, however, disposed of about 200 ounces of gold to the banks in this town, and appear to be satisfied with the results of their labor. The black sand found on all tho diggings in the Middle Island occurs in unusual quantity at the Paihi and Bushy Point diggings. Its spejific gravity is so great as to cause extreme Jifficuly in separating the gold, iii fact, by washing alone it is found^ impossible to win the whole, and the quicksilver processes now had recourse to. One or ,two small samples have been submitted to assay in Sydney, and the acting master of the poyal Mint ther,e has reported that a flarge per centage of platinum was conitained in one of the parcels submitted to test.

William Robertson, recently employed as a collector for the Grey River • Hospital, was brought up at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Greymouth, on Tuesday • last, charged with having embezzled moneys during his term of employment. He was remanded, for the production of witnesses, the M*4o*ate consenting to take bail for his axeP^ranco on Tuesday next, himself in LIOO and two sureties of LSO each. The sureties not being forthcoming the fIPOUBad wa» folwn ft til?