The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1872.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 921, 1 February 1872, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1872.

FURTHER IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES at the INANGAHUA. A cokhespondent furnishes the following particulars in respect to important quartz discoveries at Boatman's Creek near Redman's. Great excitement was caused throughout the Inangahua district last week in consequence of the discovery of a new reef at Boatman's. A miner named Peter Thompson and five others applied for a prospecting area in that locality, and on Saturday night last a regular rush set in from Reeftou. The ground is situated about ten miles up Boatman's Creek from its junction with the Inangahua River, and on a low range above the gorge, closely resembling the appearance, of the country at Murray Creek. The excitement was such that men started away in order to mark off their claims at midnight on Sunday, and with only a candle to light them on their road, traversed a broken country covered with thick bush and intersected by innumerable gorges. On Monday there were fully two hundred men in a state of ferment marking out claims, and the same afternoon the prospectors uncovered about thirty feet of the reef. The quartz is of a whitish colour, and the gold, unlike the Murray Creek reefs, runs in veins through the stone. This rush had not subsided ere a party of six, four of whom are Dennis Quigley, Francis Walker, P. Monahan and Dominick Gallagher applied for a prospecting area between Boatman and Italian Creeks. This again caused

a rush, and the alluvial workings at Redman's Creek in were totally deserted, the miners having rushed off to secure claims on the supposed new reef.

Space will not admit ot our publishing in our present issue the report of Captain Baldwin's interesting lecturj in its entirety. It will be concluded in our next.

The members of the Church of England at Addison's have subscribed funds towards the purchase of a building for ministerial purposes. A small sum is still required in order to render the building in every way suitable, and to this end the committee invite assistance. Subscripts ns will be received by the Rev. W. C. Soutar.

Our readers will be glad to learn that a portion of tho money lost by Mr F. Courtney, Reefton express carrier, has been returned. A letter, signed " Honesty," has been received by Sergeant Kiely enclosing the missing purse, forty-five pounds ten shillings in notes and gold, and a cheque for .£4 10s. The latest news from the Lyell is that Zala and party have suspended crushing operations in consequence of a deficiency of water. Tho reef continues to improve in quality, and stone is n - -w being got out which surpasses even the former in richness.'

ExcAytionally rich stone has been recently struck in Rody Ryan's claim, Inangahua; Mr McLean is placing machinery on the ground. A rush has set in to Boatman's, situated about eleven miles on the Westport side of Keefton. About 200 men are on the ground, and a well defined reef has been struckSpecimens containing coarse gold have been extracted, the metal lying in layers through the stone. The discovery is causing considerable excitement. The sittings oi the Resident Magistrate and Warden's Courts, Westport, have been adjourned from Friday the 2nd instant until Saturday the 3rd. To-day being the anniversary of the Province of Nelson, the Provincial Government offices in Westport will be closed. \ Mr Warden Broad will proceed to Reefton this mor-iing. Sittings of the Warden's Court will be held there daily from the sth to the 12th inst. A Court will be held at Christy's on Tuesday, the 13th. We understand that Mr Button and other members of the bar in Westland have been retained in cases to be heard at Reefton.

The barge Blackwall, Balston, master, has cleared for Picton. She was expected to cross the bar last night.

Instructions have been received from the Provincial Government to proceed forthwith with the erection of a Court House at Reefton. The money set aside for the work is £SOO, and tenders will be invited for its construction without delay.

We leam that two sections in the township of Reefton have been disposed of for the sum of .£3OO. The purchasers were Mr Graves of Messrs Graves and Fleming Messrs Stitt Brothers, and Mr Thomas Field, all of Westport. Stone is being deposited ;n the Buller bank between the Upper Wharf and the Bright street Wharf. The protection has been greatly required to avert the detrimental action of the surf upon this portion of the bank.

Captain Leech, Harbormaster, returned to Westport yesterday from a visit to.the Inangahua. Like all who have recently visited the locality, he has returned strongly impressed with the capabilities of the Inangahua Valley and the value of the quartz reefs already opened there. In our last issue we furnished particulars of the disastrous wreck of the Pioneer, the property of Mr Eeuben Waite. The loss to her owner is indeed a heavy one, as, we believe, that he had just succeeded in opening up a. trade that would have proved profitable to himself and to the business people of Westport. Some consolation is derivable however, from the fact thatthe Anatori river had been safely entered and her small cargo landed prior to the disaster; and we can only regret that the cargo had not been a larger and more valuable one, in which case Mr Waite having met a good market would have been enabled to make up a good sum towards replacing the vessel. He has brought a fine sample of coarse gold to town which he states was obtained from Donlan's and Dodger's gullies. From the latter locality the gold is coarse, little water worn, and strongly impregnated with quartz, evidently having been detached from the matrix at no great distance. He states that four times the quantity of gold could have been purchased by him, had he had goods with which to supply the miners in that district. Amongst his own cargo he had a small lot for a party of miners at the Karamea, and on his way up to Westport he was waylaid by the party, who insisted upon compensation for the non-delivery of their goods. He naturally resisted the demand, and after receiving bodily ill-usage was compelled to part with 4oz of gold representing the value of the goods short delivered. An information has been laid, and yesterday Constables Williamsand Stephenson started for the Karamea to arrest the alleged offender, who is stated to be a miner named Quinlan. To add to his other misfortunes, we regret to learn that Mrs Waite is lying a helpless invalid at the Karamea suffering from an affection of the throat. Mr Waite informs us that he has made unsuccessful applications to the agents of the various steam boats requesting them to call in at the Karamea to bring her away. Considering how largely the owners of vessels are indebted to Mr Waite in opening up the West Coast goldfields, one would have thought that any such application would have been promptly and cheerfully responded to. He speaks very hopefully of the district around the Anatori as a gold country, and predicts that ere long it will contain if considerable digging population.

Mr Murray with his troupe of equestrians and acrobats entertained the Westport public in his circus in Gladstone street on Tuesday and "Wednesday evenings. Their performances were highly applauded, and they succeeded in drawing crowded houses. The riding of Master Brame was particularly bold and graceful, and as acrobats he and Master Murray, a boy of eight years, are really excellent. The various jests in the ring were very clever and much enjoyed by the audience. To-night Dick Turpin's celebrated ride to York will form part of the programme. The company give x>ne more entertainment in Westpovt previous to their departure for Charleston. The "Nelson Examiner" writes:-—Dr Hector returned from the West Coast by the steamer Murray, on Thursday evening. Ilis report will, of course, be first furnished to the Government. We learn that Dr Hector thinks a good deal of the Inangahua reefs, but does not think the Mount Rochfort coal-field so extensive as Was supposed* The prospectus of a new morning paper is published in Wellington. It is to be on a company basis with a capital of .£2OOO in 2000 £.l shares. Its name is to be the " Daily Advance," and, says the " Post," its " motive, power," as is to be Mr Edward Jerningham Wakefield."'