CHARLESTON NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 257, 28 May 1868, Page 2

CHARLESTON NEWS.

Mining business continues very steady in this district; a few of the first machine claims have got worked out, but the blanks thus left have been more than filled by new ground taken up and machinery erected, and the machinists have their shops kept well going with work. The total value represented by the whole machinery must be very large, and not a little credit is due to the business people of Charleston who encouarged and mainly supported this large expenditure of capital. The large water race, belonging to the Cosmopolitan Company, is now very nearly completed after more than twelve months hard labour, and innumerable difficulties, occasioned by the rough nature of the country over which the race had to be carried. The power thu* made available will give a great impetus to the working of the ground on Back Lead and Darkies' Terrace, and we doubt not that the men who have displayed so much pluck and perseverance in carrying through such a formidable piece of work, will be as well repaid as they deserve. Although no payable goldfield ■ has been discovered in the back country, not a few miners believe that the metal is there to be found if the ground was properly prospected, but this is hardly the season of the year for that sort of game. A gentleman informed us a few days ago, that he found a pretty fair prospect of coarse gold at the back

of Kaka Terrace. It was in some ground on a clay bottom, the gold being of the size of pin's heads, and he is quite sanguine about finding a better prospect of the same kind further back in the ranges. This is the first coarse gold we have have heard of in this part of the country. It would be a great thing if the Government would cut a track for some distance inland, so as to allow the country to be prospected ; the expense would be toifling compared with the advantages likely to accrue. The bay looked quite lively on . Tuesday afternoon. No less than four vessels of considerable tonnage being engaged in discharging cargo as fast as possible, so as to get out again with as little delay as possible. We observe some men have put up a box on the beach, and are busy washing the saud. There appears to a certain quantity of black sand, but whether it is sufficiently payable has yet to be tested. A petition to the General Assembly, for an investigation into the conduct of the Commissioner, with reference to the Addison's Flat business, has been sent down here from Westport, for the purpose of getting signatures, but we are not aware of the measure of success which the object is likely to obtain here.