MINING INCIDENTS.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 534, 24 July 1869, Page 2

MINING INCIDENTS.

Considerable efforts are being made in Canterbury to encourage the discovery of gold. In an article on the prospects of gold being found in tho Province, the Timaru Herald asserts that there are men now at work and have been for the last nine months, who are earning " tucker " from alluvial diggings. Two men are mentioned as having brought 26 ozs. to 'Timaru some time ago, obtained from alluvial diggings, and which they publicly exhibited in tho town. The Herald is very hopeful that alluvial diggings will be found shortly, at all events in the south of the province. A quartz reef recently discovered at Bendigo Gully, a few miles from Cromwell, in Otago Province, has exceeded even the very favorablo anticipations which were formed of it, 238 ounces of gold having been obtained from 10 days' crushing. The plant, and machinery of the Ida Valley Quartz Mining Company were offered for sale by auction, at the rooms of Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co., last week, and were purchased bv Mr W. H. Cutten for the sum of LBOO. Of the Wellington diggings the Independent 'says: —They are wifchinhalf-an-hour's walk from our office, and may easily be found by taking the left hand track on the top of Baker's hill. Six or eight shafts were sunk, but as yet the bottoms have not been reached. The pick and shovel were actively at work on the shelving terrace, and tin dishes were being freely used. Out of eight or ten prospects washed in our presence from time to time, during the afternoon, it was gratifying to observe gold in more or less quantities in every dish. The precious metal is, however, remarkably fine, and although there is no exaggeration in saying that some of the prospects contain as many as 100 specks of gold, yet the return in our opinion will not exceed one ounce to the ton of wash-dirt. Erom the Gulf of Carpentaria we hear that gold has been found in several places after a most pluckily executed prospecting tour, under the leadership of Mr A. S. Holmes. Two spots claim especial notice, viz., the Cloncurry Eiver, and Gilbert River. On both payable gold oi very good description has been found; but the thorough exploration of the country about the spot where some heavy finds have taken place has been retarded by an almost total absence of rations. The Cloncurry Eiver diggings are about 2SO, and the Gilbert diggings about 2GO miles from Norman. Both, says a correspondent of the Sydney papers, will be the chief means before long to recommend the Gulf to outsiders as a

field of immigration. " But until then" he adds "my last word to intending immigrants to the Gulf is Beware—look before you leap."