BOATMAN'S CREEK.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 946, 16 March 1872, Page 2

BOATMAN'S CREEK.

(from a correspondent.)

"Wishing to find out the amount of work done on the reefs since my last visit, I took the track formerly "made by the alluvial miners when Boatman's was first rushed. The trai k leads along the bank of the creek for a dis. tance of 8-J miles to the Gorge, or as some of the residents insist upon call ing it Goryetown.

There is a fine belt of agricultural land extending to within one mile of the reefs, which could be easily cleared' it runs parallel with the river for a distance of 10 or 12 miles. It is astonishing that this land is not ap. propriated for agricultural purposes, as it is the best in the district. There is a fine site for a town at the foot of the Gorge, a mile this side of the reefs; there are three stores there at present and several iu course of erection. The goods are conveyed upon pack-horses to the stores, and the miners have to pack them on their backs up to their claims, up the bed of the creek, a work of great labor and considerable risk, owing to the deep water holes, large boulders, and steep sidelings in the creek.

Arriving at Thompson's reef I was astonished to find scarcely any work done since my last visit. The pro. spectors, Peter Thompson and party, have driven into the reef about five feet; their claim is about fifty feet above the level of the creek, on the side of a high range; they are eo& strueting a tramway about a hundred yards in south to carry their stone down the creek, as the next claim, holders objected to their throwing the quartz down on their claim, which it under the mouth of Thompson's tunnel. No. 1 South claim is in the bed of the creek, extending a considerable distance up the hill. There are six shareholders in it. They struck the reef in the bed of the creek, which shows excellent gold-bearing stone. No. 2 South, eight men's ground, M'Laren and party, have got some loose quartz boulders in their claim, which is considered a sure sign of find' ing the reef near the surface. No. 3 and 4 South, amalgamated, 12 men's ground, have applied for under lease. No. 5 and 6 South also applied for under lease. t There are fourteen claims on this line of reef, each claim representing about tell men, which, if the claims were represented and in working order, would give 144 men. At present there are only about sixteen men work' ing on the ground, owing to the delay in granting leases. Several claims have been taken Up on the west side of Thompson's line, under the impression of getting the underlay of Thompson's reef. Amongat them are E. A. Drury and party, and Shannon and party ; both have ap> plied for leases. Caple's line, which is about 600 feet lower down the creek to the west of Thompson's reef, is represented by about 200 men. Several claims have got the reef, which show 3 excellent stone. Thomas and party, six men's ground, On this claim, which is considered the Prospector's claim, the whole of the shareholders are working, and expect to strike the reef daily. Brown and party are also working their claim, as are also Caples and party, who have got the reef in their claim. Eymer and party have also got the reef. Jerry Murphy and party have ap» plied for a lease of ground to repre* sent 37 men. To the credit of the claimholders on this line of reef, they are pushing forward the work with great energy.