THE UPPER BULLER.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 501, 8 May 1869, Page 2

THE UPPER BULLER.

(from: a correspondent.)

As the prospects of the up-country diggings on the Buller and Lyell rivers are now a source of interest to the inhabitants of Westport, and as that part of the country is looked upon as a kind of land of promise, a few notes by an eye-witness of the development of the resources of the country may not be uninteresting. The township of the Lyell now begins to assume some proportions, and consists of four stores for general merchandise, a blacksmith's, shoemaker's, butcher's, and baker's shop, besides several shanties where the indispensable nobbier can be obtained by any lucky individual possessing the needful shilling. The principal novelty in the digging line is the opening of some rich ground on the Maori Terrace, about seven miles from the township, and, as the water-races are now nearly finished, some good yields of gold are soon expected. The other terrace workings between the Lyell and Newton are giving pretty good returns,and3lozswere, on Sunday last, brought into town by Martiu and party, who are working near the famous Dublin Jack's Ten ace.

The Lyell still gives employment to a limited number of diggers, and good wages are obtained there. Ono claim, in their last week's washing, got, besides several pieces of course gold, a nugget weighing sozs. There is some talk of a large race company being formed to work the terraces on the Lyell, the want of water being at present the greatest drawback to their development. The plan, should it be started, would bo to take the water from the creek itself, about four miles from its junction with the Buller, and flaming it along the terraces to that point. The speculation is a most promising one, as, besides rendering the terraces workable, the creek itself, by the withdrawal of so large a body of water, would be comparatively dry in fine weather and rendered easily workable, and, from the quantities of nuggetty gold taken from the bed of the creek some six years ago, there is every prospect of more of the same sort being obtained. The wet weather prevalent in Westport for the last few weeks has, unfortunately for the Buller and Lyell diggings, been confined to that township, only one or two wet days having been felt up country. The want of water is the chief drawback to the district, as the whole banks of the Buller for several miles are only workable by water-races having their supply in Manuka Flat, and as the fall thence is very abrupt, the freshes so soon run down that at least three days' rain a week is a necessary evil to keep up anything like a workable supply. A canoe accident, fortunately attended with no serious result, happened last week on the Buller. A party working on the opposite bank of the Buller to that on which the track runs were crossing to their claim, when the canoe capsized. The two men were fortunate enough, however, to cling to a snag and reached shore ip safety. On the following morning they, having recovered the canoe some distance down the river, essayed to take her up the river again, but the tow rope parted in a fall, and she again went down, and is probably lost. The rivers Matukatuka and Marawheia give employment to a limited number of diggers, and in both good wages are obtainable, but in this district as in the others the want of water will be a drawback to the settlement of any large number of miners. The population on the river Buller and its tributaries is from 600 to 700, most of whom are getting from " tucker " to, say, £lO per week per man.

The meat market is well supplied from Nelson, and beef and mutton range in price from 9d to Is per pound. Bread is selling at 2s the 41b loaf; flour 30s the 50 lbs, Other necessaries are at fair prices considering the price of freight from the Buller, and the cost of living will be from 21s to 30s per man per week. The want of direct postal communication is keenly felt, for, although Mr Adank receives and dispatches the letters for miners, the receipt of them, from "Westport is only casual, and depends on the courtesy of the boatmen plying on the river.