THE BULLER RIVER.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 476, 11 March 1869, Page 3

THE BULLER RIVER.

(fbom otte owk coeeespokdent.) Since my last communication to you considerable changes have taken, or, rather, are taking place here. Mr O'Brien has put up a new hotel, and Vlr Sloane is preparing ground for the erection of a store and hotel. A new butchery establishment, by the former owner, has been erected, and a bakery establishment is in full operaration. They intend to pack baked bread to the several claims between the Lyell and the Nekton, a distance of ten miles, which will be a great accommodation and saving of time to the miners. Preparations are also being made for two shanties along the road, and the female population has also considerably increased. A good many miners have lately arrived, several of whom are from Addison's Elat. Of the latter a party are sinking a shaft close to the township, and are sanguine of success.

Several prospecting parties are also out in the direction of the Upper Lyell, as the country is very promising, and so many have come up here lately for whom there is no room or water on the old workings, that they are necessarily obliged to prospect. The great want is water. Thereismuch ground that would pay if water could only be had. The parties who are bringing in the Eight Mile Creek are actively at work. They have made several modifications in their intended work, having changed the course of the race to a higher level, thereby getting into much easier ground and avoiding a large quantity of fluming which, on the completion of Mr Coe's survey, they found would be necessary if the original level of the race was adhered to. Now they are sanguine of being able in about two months to deliver water. M'Coll and party have also started a large race on the Lyell river which will well remunerate its enterprising projectors. The Manuka Elat tunnel is still progressing, but nothing payable has yet been struck. One of the parties on the Maori Terrace who managed to obtain from a neighbouring claim their night water, for three nights last week, realised, an ounce of gold per man for each', night that they had the use. of the water. This proves the richness of the claims on the newly taken up ground there.

A party of Italians who have been quietly working for the last three years, or so, above the Newton, or about twelve miles, on the duller, above the Lyell, are going home this week to their native knd taking

with them £ISOO per man. They leave their ground, huts, &c, &c, to some old acquaintances, j • ■ Pringle and party,, late of the Constabulary, have bought the ground held by Scott of the bjg nuggets, and, are sanguine of realizing handsomely there. The first day they tried their luck on the Lyell they took about an ounce of gold out of the crevices of the rocks in the bed of the river. Eaces and fluming are coming in in all directions, and from all possible places. Money is veryscarce owing to the long continued drought, and the number of claims which are idle for want of water ; and consequently business people are very dissatisfied at present. An officer of the constabulary has been here for some days and has. issued a number of miners' rights and received numerous water I and other applications. Why not have a constabulary office and one or two members of the force stationed" here permanently ? The petty, mean, way in which the Nelson Provincial Government handle things is truly contemptible.

There has been almost a rush here latterly. I presume the fact of the other goldfields having so many of their claims worked out has been the cause of it. I hope that nothing I say will increase it until some new gronnd is struck, as I think that until then, or until the Q-overnment open op some more country by cutting tracks, there are as many people here now, if not more, than this portion of the district is calculated to support. We sadly need a post-office here, and would not mind if it was even called " Bochfort," if we could only be sure of getting our letters.