CHARLESTON.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 718, 1 October 1870, Page 2

CHARLESTON.

(fEOJI OTTE OWN COEEESPONDENT.) Thursday. Nothing of any moment has transpired since my last, excepting the long looked for rain, which has come at last, and bids fair to fill the dams before discontinuing. The shop adjoining the Camp hotel, at present in the occupation of Dietz, tobacconist, has been sold by Mr Daley, privately, for £7O. The frontage is only nine feet, and though a valuable stand, the price, in the present state of things is considered full value. He has also disposed of his share in a lease on the Town Lead for £3O, and a few weeks ago refused £SO. Mr Daley, who has been some years resident in Charleston, where he has held the appointment of gaoler, is clearing out to California, leaving Auckland on the 7th inst. . During the stay of the Christy's they gave a benefit in aid of the Irish State Prisoners' Fuud, resulting in the sum of £l6, being handed over to Mr M'G-ratb, treasurer to the local committee. An inquest was held at Brighton on Monday last, before C. Broad, Esquire, district coroner, on the body of Richard Hawkeswood, a shoe-maker, residing at St. Kilda, who was drowned while attempting to reach a rock distant about three hundred yards from the shore, for the purpose of gathering sea fowls' eggs. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death. Deceased was about 39 years of age, and leaves a wife and four children, totally unprovided for. SABDIITE TEEEACE. This once thickly populated lead is now all but deserted, and was abandoned by the majority of the miners soon after it had been taken up, on discovery that the ground was at too high an altitude to enable water

to bo laid on at a cost that would enable the ground to bo remuneratively worked. The Excelsior Company had secured the only small supply readily available, aud having sufficient demand for their water on the lower ground, did noc care to incur the expense of carrying it on to the terrace, and consequently the ground had for the most part to be abandoned. M'Kay and party are the only miners at work there now. Their claim is comprised in a six acre lease held by six shareholders, and the plant consists of a six-horse power engine, driving eight wooden stampers of 1601bs each. About 150 tons of cement are put through the batteries weekly, and the company employ four wages men. They earn about £9 weekly per man, but have been recently idle for want of water, and they have ground sufficient to employ them for several years. One of the shareholders pointed out to me large quantities of cement I that they were throwing aside which would pay the company well if they had sufficient water to drive a wheel. This party, and Greenwood aud Co. of the Four Mile, are the only two claims using engines. The Maori Chief Company hold a lease on this terrace as well as on the Back Lead, but are not working it in the absence of water. There is something said of a party being willing to convey twenty heads of water on to the terrace if he can obtain a guarantee from responsible claimholders to rent the water for twelve months. It may not be easy to obtain the guarantee, but if the water wore brought in there would scon be a population glad to make use of it, and to pay a good rental. BROWX's TERBACE. These workings lie to the north of the Nile river, in the direction of Addison's, and employ but a very small population as compared with the large number of miners once located there. At present there are only three claims being worked, and they have been recently idle owing to the dry weather. There are not more than twenty men engaged in this locality. The three parties are Cronin, Orr, and Taylor and party. The working is cement, and the machinery is the same as that generally in use—water-wheels and stampers.