CHARLESTON NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 309, 28 July 1868, Page 2

CHARLESTON NEWS.

It is curious to observe the improvements made from time to time in the mining machiuery of this district, as experience is gained from practical working. Nothing shows this more than the increased table surface now given to the machines of latest construction, and we noticed this particularly when looking at the new battery and tables of Evans and party at Darkie's Torrace. The additional bat-i tery consists of 10 iron stampers, of a weight somewhat lighter than those of the older battery, and the spread of tables is the largest in the district. This claim is uow of considerable extent in fact the whole of Darkie's Terrace is now in the hands of three or four large companies, namely, Evans and party, Hunter aud party, Davis and party, (the Nile Company), and another party, who have an iron battery coming to hand ex Nightingale. The steamengine on Evans' claim is very powerful andwill be able to drive the two batteries with ease. The new work will probably be finished about Wednesday, and. then it is expected the amount put through will amount to 350 loads per week. Hunter and party, who have the next claim are, understand doing well; they have the advantage of a less costly motive power in the form of a plentiful supply of water, brought in by their own race. Davis and party likewise enjoy the same advantage, only on a larger scale, their wheel and battery being of great power, the stampers being the heaviest on the Pakihis. This company has the first to initiate heavy machinery but they they have had to wait a long time before reaping the reward of their labors. It is considerably more than a year since they set in to bring in the'r big race from the Nile river, and from thetime they commenced to crush their operations have been a good deal retarded by accidents of one kind and another, the most serious being the fracture of the stamper lifters owing to their being manufactured of cast iron. It appeared doubtful whether others could be got here to supply their places, but Mr Pow took the matter in hand and turned out the job in first-rate style, the new lifters being made of malleable iron and consequently much stronger than the ones they replace. Though onlylately working with six stampers this machine gets through a vast quantity of dirt, and we noticed the plates (a week old) were looking very well indeed. All the parties just named have a long time of work before them but the hundreds of tons weekly removed will get into the Darkies terrace and ultimately reduce its level by about ten feet. There are some patches of rich ground but the average yield .of the cement may be said to run about 5-dwts.

Charleston ought to be prettywell supplied with vegetables this coming season if one may form an opinion from the extent of ground brought under cultivation during the past six or eight months. A good deal of ground has been taken up for agricultural and garden purposes, coastwise, northward of the Nile, the soil there being very good. Even the swampy, and apparently profitless land on the Charleston flats is being made something of by indefatigable industry and the aid of manure.

The fine schooner "Wild "Wave, Captain O'Brien, arrived safely in the bay on Saturday, from Canterbury, haying been a fortnight out. She brings a cargo of produce, chiefly oats, consigned to Mr Oasgoine.