THE BULLER AND GREY VALLEYS.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 516, 12 June 1869, Page 3

THE BULLER AND GREY VALLEYS.

ROUGH NOTES OF AN OVERLAND JOURNEY. (BY A CORRESPONDENT.) In my last few rough notes I Lad got as for as the Inangahua on the return journey from the Lyell district. From the junction of the Inangahua and tlie Buller to what is known as the Landing, up the Inangahua, is a distance of same eight miles, and the road is pretty level all the way, but there are several slips. In one place travellers have to cross a log, and, if they happened to slip, they would have a fall of some two hundred feet into the river. There is one store at the Landing, where goods are stored for the last rush in this neighborhood, at which there are about seventy men at work. There are three creeks—Martin's, Fox's, and Fossieker's. The writings are six miles from the Landing, and the road is through a fine flat piece of country until you reach Fox's Plat, a piece of clear land, about 500 acres in extent, found by Mr Fox about three years ago. Then you have about U\o miles to travel by a road cut by Fox to get in with horses, but I fear that it will be found too soft for horses. In this part of the country there are large numbers prospecting. Persons, on leaving Fox's for any of the old diggings up by the Saddle, can shorten the road by several miles by striking across the country, and coming on the river at Carey's creek ; and they will have a very good track all the way, as the country is very lightly timbered. The distance by this road iiabout live miles to Boatman's, and, it'you go by the regular track, the distance is twelve miles of worse road. I think that, by cutting the road on this side of the river, and, going some distance, a track from the Junction up to the Saddle might he cut in little more than half of the present distance, and certainly it would bo a better track, besides passing through some likely-looking country. At Boatman's therearo some thirty men still at work, and likely to be so for some time to come. Thcy'are making small wages. From Boatman's up'to the track over the Saddle, the road is cut along the side of the terrace, and is very good. From the Saddle track up to Darkie's is up the bed of the righthand branch, leaving the Fern Flat and several small workings to the left. The Saddle diggings consist of several gullies—Murray's, Darkie's, Soldier's, Nathan's. The workings are all sluicing, and most of the miners are making wages, and a few doing better. The road from this is up Soldier's gully, and over the Saddle to Maori gully, passing through several small gullies which are mostly worked out. were is a good number of miners at j fork in Maori gully and in the surrounding district. The work is all sluicing, most of the parties having of their own. After leaving Maori gully, you get to a road cut by Mr Johnston, and it certainly is a fine piece of work for a private party to make, as it must have c ost him a large sum of money. The next workings are several small gullies funning into the river by Johnston's |tore, and, like all the Saddle diggings, ™ey are ground-sluiced, water being toore plentiful here than at any other Part of the diggings that I had seen

up to this part of the Little Grey district. After leaving Johnston's store, the first diggings are round about Adam's Town. There are here a few claims doing very well. Between Adam's Town and the junction of the Little Grey there are several small gullies being worked. The miners in most of them seem to be making wages. The largest of these are Blaekwater and Mossy Creek. The next diggings of any standing is Noble's. The right-hand branch has still a large number of miners at work, and they seem to be ail satisfied with their earnings. Over the range from Noble's are Duffer's, Sullivan's, and several smaller workings, principally sluicing. From Duffer's to Napoleon's there there are two tracks, the best of which is back to the second right-hand branch of Noble's, thence along the terrace to Wellington terrace, where there are some fine claims, several of which are making as much as £ls per week per man. You here cross a bridge over the creek, built some two 200 above the level of the bed of the stream. The Napoleon lead begins here, and there are certainly some very good claims at this point. The workings differ from any that I had yet seen, as they are all wrought by tunnels, and all the claims have tramways to their tunnels, some of which are from 200 to 400 feet in length. The workings are all on the terrace, and, as there is difficulty in getting water up so high, some of the claims have aslantindieular drive to the creek, through which the washdirt is sent, the headings and other mullock coming out of the main tunnel.

Napoleon's is certainly the finest part of these diggings at present, as there are some 400 or 500 men at worlc, and getting gold. The township is built on the top of a hill, which is the highest in the district. Some of the stores are built on piles forty feet long in some places, while others are not so many inches raised from the ground. 1 n fact the floors of some are level with the roofs of the next buildings. There are several billiard-rooms, and there must have been no slight trouble in getting the tables up. On leaving the township, you get on to a very good track on the top of range, cut by Mr M'Donncll, and he certainly deserves all he makes, for it is a fine piece of road as far as Orwell Creek. In this district there are a good many miners prospecting, aud there is some likely-looking country.