ADDISON'S FLAT.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 289, 4 July 1868, Page 4

ADDISON'S FLAT.

(fbom oub own- coebespondent). The new claims taken up on the Shamrock Lead are progressing very satisfactorily, sinking going on with as much rapidity as circumstances will allow. Two other extended claims have been taken up this week, by Darragh and party, and Caspersen and party, and others are projected. In a few weeks I have no doubt the whole lead will be occupied as far as the Totara river. The extraordinary richness of those claims bottomed encourage others to prospect farther on.

Sherlock's party tell me they are coming in again on Monday, with forty pounds weight, more of amalgam, only a fortnight's work' of five men, making the returns about £SO per man weekly ! they fuliy expect to clear out with a pile, from this claim. The gold is quite visible to the naked eye,, in the wash dirt; for my satisfaction, while there they washed three small stones on a shovel that had just come up, the three stones would fit in a pannikin, and about half a pennyweight of gold was found adhering to them. From eight to twelve ounces of gold is daily taken from this claim. This rich lead runs about forty feet wide, and outside it is another about" ten feet lower, but not so rich, yet containing excellent payable gold. The activity I reported to you on last week, on the other leads in Addisons, still continues unabated, and now that the tunnels and machinery are drying the ground the Addison men will reap the reward of their long patience and untiring labour. Another new wheel about 18 feet in diameter is erected and was christened yesterday, (Thursday.) The road to Addisons is now in tolerable repair, but several .bad portions require something still to be done, and in some places the track has to be abandoned by pedestrians. The road from Addison's to the Shamrock Lead has yet had nothing done to it, and is getting worse, of course every day, in fact there is no track at all, and it is most dangerous for horses to venture to carry goods ; some of the packers I have observed packing the goods on their backs, sooner than endanger their cattle ; this is a pitiable state of things, considering the large amount of gold getting there. Business is rather dull as only just now, any washing on the old ground could be attempted. Already, the quantity of amalgam coming in is telling on the trade of the place, much to the delight of the business people ; some of the Westport hotels yesterday felt the beneficial, and some of the Addison miners, the injurious effects of gold, when too freely spent in alcohol. Mr De Loree, has opened a photographic portrait room, and on Sundays especially, when the miners have some spare time, does a very good business, especially among the fair sex

who as usual have no objection to admiration. The great want of the place now is the track to the Shamrock Lead.