6 September 1871

THE GOLD-FIELDS.

For some time past the attention of the public of New South Wales has been principally directed to the almost neighbouring gold-fields of Gulgong and Tambaroora.

These two fields are of an entirely different character, the one being an alluvial, the other a reefing district.

With regard to the first, it has already developed itself far more than had been expected in the first instance. The opening up of the Black Lead, which may to some extent bo called a cross lead, has given bo much encouragemont to the miners by tho really good yields

It has furnished that it has boen tho moana of setting other persons on the look-out for ai miar fields in othir directions whero thero are no eurfaco indications to guide the search.

The country in which the work is t being carried on is almost a level, or of so gently undulating a description as to approach almost to that of a level.

Ihus, as it has been very reasonably argued, the probability of finding old watercourses ia as great in one place as in another! .

, Thero can be but little doubt that the sphere of operations will b greatly enlarged

The legend of the fields named-Tambaroora, continues and Day after day vye hear of discoveries of Mina and loaders, until now it limy bo fiurlv said that thero is a string of auriferous claims into winch tho quart/ veins and loaders have bren minali) traced irom Hawkins rilli to lho Rod Hill at 1 ambaroota, n distance of somothing over fiv o milos.

With tho number of ilnims at work on this line, and tho energy with which tho sinking is being pushed on, it is quito certain that very much moro crushing j wir than that now emplo)od will soon bo required V iib ml) very fow exceptions tho chums and li isca along the whola of this lino mo fairly mid honostl) at vi uri , and should anything like good slono bo struck throughout tho string of danns, it is quito sure, since they aro mostlj in tin hands i f einipnnitB or largo mining parties, that work w ill bo i ushtd on to tho utmost

It is snlisfnctorv to lenrn that tho Willem reoffl at the bend cf the Claruico waters havo been showing out well, though it must be rather disarm iguig to the miners to find that aftir onl) a short stn 11 of work tho machine brought iii ti the ground should havo broken down, lho now j otent inliodui ed bj some persons recently of giv ing trashing jower to stampers by means of springs instead of wrights bos turned out a failure in this partiiular inst.nco though, where long land carringo had to bo inrurred, it yviuld be nn niimenso desideratum could any means bo devised of decreasing tho weight of tbo crus

27 January 1871

GOLD AND OTHER MINING.

During the past month things have been rather dull on the gold-fields, first, by reason of the holidays, and next, from the frequent occurrence of rain, especially in the districts on the coast-fall and in those of the westorn interior.

So great an effect has tho constant recurronco of ram had upou some of tho crushing-machmes at Tambaroora that three of thom, which havo been erected three miles from Hill End, the locality of the reefs, have been almost continuously idle for the last twelve months, because of.tho utter impossibilit) of carting stone ovei the saturated roads

We leam from a resident that not a foot of ground is now to be had at Hill End township, every available bit of fronting being now thickly built upon

But for the crushing batteries recently erected in the township, the miners would have been loft without n turns for their labour

As a proof of this, the Victoria uiachrao, which is capable of crushing 100 tons a week, only crushed 1313 tons during the year, the product of gola being 9454 o¿

From Gulgong the accounts are varied

The locil papers aio loud in expressions of confidence in the un- paralleled richness of this new El Dorado, as thoy hav e christened it whilst sever ii minors fiom Grcnioll wnto to tho Mitint} Ht cox! an) thing but flowing accounts, for, though admitting that taei« ure a few verv good claims ?upon tho Black Lead and Adums-somo of which will give £2000 a man- thov sa)

that there aie twenty which will barol) give uliving, and three tunes as mini which will not poy 1 ho depth ot sinking also varies, whilst the block and frontage claims are bo mixed up togothor as to give promise of a fruitful amount of litigatnn in tho future

Experienced minors declaro that no denned lead will be found, but that, if anything lb struck, it will only bo a chain of pot holes.

All accounts agree in giving tho population at about 3000 At Grenfell reefing has recently boon more prosperous than it haB been for some months past, soveral now reofs from which encouraging prospect« hav o been obtained, having been discovered

A good deal is also being done in tho alluvial, not only at tho Main and Star leads, but also at the Soven-milo At tho latter placo, a base line haB boon laid down, and fourteen claims have been marked off Of these, seven aro on good gold, giving prospects of from IV to 4 dvvts lo the dibh On the Lachlan, a party of prospectors (havo struck doep ground -with the boring michine, Bhowing four feet depth of wash.

Claimholdors in the Araluen Valloy havo as y et bean unable to get to work after tho recent filling in of thoir excavations Things aro consequently ver) dull, though a little lifo has been instilled into the dispirited miners by tho diBcoven of a promising reef at the Lowor Ataluen, on ground of Messrs Hassall and Itobei ts.

At Bell’s Creek and Major s Creok, reefing is going on vigorously, und tho machines havo constant work A fino reef, tho specimen stono from which guvo an averago of GO oz to the ton has also boen discovered at Bredbo, noar Cooma. Water still continues to be tho main difhculty which the roofers at Little Kiv cr hav o to contend against Great ex- pense has been gono to m erecting pumping machiner), but so large is the quantity of water, that if tho numpmg is allowed to cease for a short period, it is noxt to impos siblo to gel tho water down nenin

At the sanio timo the reefs, though narrow, are exceedingly rich, but in spite of tho largo yields obtained some months hack, tho illinois aro graduad) beginning to des» in of making theso reefs pnyablo , at all events during the piesent wet season Little or nothing is doing at Ki indra md on th lumut, the gold nctuillv bmghtlv gold buvcrsduung the last »ix months of 1S70, amounted to 1 >r>8 ounces

At Sebastopol and Junee, it is íoportcd tint th reels aie giving natisfactory if not evtiaordinnrilv large vields It is stated b> a Uraidwood pippi, that si vor ii lol s of silver havo boen discovered m the ranges behind Jinglomony, of great richness, thongh tho samples were tAkeu from the outcispping cap of the lodi A copper lode has also been struck in one of the ranges of the Jingera mountains lui’ Goui»cii oi E

8 March 1871

THE GOLD-FIELDS.

In passing along tho various leads around Grenfell, and witnessing the work that is being done, every one must feel an impression that the Grenfell gold-field is one of the most important in New South Wales.

It is tim» that tho vvashdnt taken from tho chums at tho Two-imie, Quondong, Stewart’s Gully, and Soven milo does not ymld pennyweights to tho dish, but it ia also true that there is a great quantity of washdirt, and that it contains gold sufliciont lo pay wages to working men.

It may also bo confessed that fairwagos-say fiom £3 fo £6 a week-aro now considered an object by our mining population, and that this is frequently realised by the miners upon lhoEmu Creek gold-field

In alluvial work, tho principal attiuction at present is nt tho Sovon mile, wheto it is fancied that lhere will ho peinnnont and profitable woiking» ihc recont washings at tho several mochines liavo tully como np to tho expectations of the elaiinholders, and work is being cirried on with renewed vigour upon ov cry portion of tho gold-field v/o, therefore, conelucfo that, notwithstanding tho gro-it finds thataro chronicled in the papers at dist mt places,

Grenfell still possesses thore subtlantml alliuctions th it will retain a large and intrinsic population There ure numerous gullies aid finis within a r-idius of len miles that aro well worthy Ithe attention of miners, and wo nresoinovvbiitsurpribcd that BO little effort for tho diseovciy of new leads is lindo

After all, thommciB do not reap (ho bcnoiit of now dis- coveries, tho storekeepers are cimched, and it is to them that persevering men should look for suppr rt when R eking 1 for now lends.

It is to tho reeling that all aro looking for ‘ valuable return, in this district. And anything connected with tho rtofs is looktd lorwnrd to with tho deepest interest.

24 March 1871

GOLD AND OTHER MINING.

A REFERENCE to our return of the gold produced during the last month, will give the pleasing information that the production is gradually increasing; and that the more attention is drawn to our gold-fields, the more they arc found to offer profitable occupation for labour and investment for capital.

As far as the sister colony of Victoria is concerned, the work of the individual miner has ceased, and mining operations aure almost exclusively carried on by companies on a liii’f;e scale.

Having so small a territory, it was not sui-pming that it should have been so*quickly oveirun by the miner, and that now scarcely a corner of it remains unprospected.

New South Wales, with a tenitoi) of four tunis the ixt ni of Victoria, has never bad the tenth of the miners employed in her tciritory that have boen working m Victoiia Consciiueiitly her gold fields aro ml) m the couise of development, and the area of ruiiftrons giound worketl forms but a very small portion of the auriferous ground AV Inch still remains to be worked.

As nuning falls oil m Victonn, anti as the wages paid there to men emplo) ed by the mining companies are reducpd, the AV orkmen, mosll) olel minora, AVIIO have had their chance in their da) omi missed it, look out for employment elstwheie, and ot every announcement of a new rush hundreds of them quit Victoria m the hope of bene- fiting themfcilves elsewhere

Hie news of the Gulgong rush, holding out as it did the prospect of that ne plus ultra of mining desire a deep le id, has had the effect of attracting to New South Wales a laige portion of thiä floating mining population of our neighbour , ani as these are mostly men of great enterprise, who have worked upon the chief of the really good gold fields of Australia, New Zealand, and California it is not likely that they I will leave a spot which they aro visiting in I the hope of procuring profitable employment for their labour, without looking round them a little, and though disappointed m their hopes of a deep lead, without testing some of the ground Avhich lies around them.

In this way the colony may benefit from the Gulgong rush, although the rush itself may not be so successful a* might be desired. Up to the present time it certamlv has not met the sanguino expectations that were entertained about it

About twenty claims on the Black Lead are on gold, some of them getting ver) handsome returns, a correspondent informing us that as much as two oimces to the load of wash has been obtained Seeing that there is a depth of wash of tluee or four feet, this gives something

A cry handsome to the claimholdeis Unfortunately, however, no gold has been struck be)omi these twenty claims although the adjoining claiinholders have been inde- fatigable m sinking to trace the lead

Looking it these failures, a ecntleman who visited the Gulgong officially expresses his opinion that so far from being a lead, the spot upon Avhieh the claims are getting gold, is nothing more than an undergrountl basin which has collected the auriferous drift, and that be) ond it no such drift will be found lins is a point AI Inch can only be proved by time, but as a matter of fact nothing has ) et been struck be) ond the Black Lead

At the same time, several alluvial workings have been opened within a few miles, by piospec* irs from the Gulgong, and there is every probability, from the influx of population, that that portion of the countr) Avili be fairly dev doped Hie rush to the Currajong has died out, it was evidentlv too hast) an announcement Hie field is an old one which was Avorkcd over seven)ears ago, and the discover) which caused the rush was nothing more than an old patch which had been left behind b) former miners, or which had not been struck by prospectors Hie same rcmaiks may be applied to a rush which is reported at the old Lurongilly gold field

This waa worked very extensive]) some eif ht or nine years ago , md any discover) there is lik ly to be nothing more than a patth About a fortnight back the discovery of a very fine reef was reported at Trunkey It was said that there was n body of stone fourteen feet wide, and that samples taken from the cip of the reef gave ver) nearly an ounce to the ton Such a reef must be a A cr) Aaluable one, and would pa) very handsomely, even if it gav e only half that quantit) to the ton We are informed also of the discovery of several other reefs in this district

The alluv lal workings at Emu Creek are looking up, although the )ield from the quartz has Intel) fallen off, none of the recent cniBlung8 reaching an ounce to the ton Hie Araluen claims have at last got to Avork again witlun the last ten days, after having been shut up against their holders for the last fiv e or six months, through the largo body of underground Avater that prevented the Avash-dirt from beuig got at, and wh ch overpowered the engines

Some of the washings from the claims are said to have been A ery good though the exact )iclds are not given In the ISorth, a very fine reef has been opened on the Hanging Rock, and has been traced for some distance One part) got as much as 150 ounces out ot a leader of the reef by hand crushing only, and the last report thence states that another very rich leader had bien opened, and tnat a nugget ot three ounces AV as taken from it The Perseverance and I iitiatic reefs in the vicinity of Tenterfield, are turn- ing out some Aery fine stone Hie general cry from ti e North, as well as from the West and South, is for mate iruslnng power, machines being m demand m all directions

24 July 1871

RANDOM NOTES BY A WANDERING REPORTER. GULGONG.

The question as to the right of conditional purchasers to select land on gold-fields prior to their proclamation is one that will require to be dealt with at once before serious, complications arise.

It was first mooted some five years ago, when a very extensive selection was made upon the Emu Creek gold-field. The ground then taken up included a large portion of what was then known as the Two-Mile Rush, and included alluvial ground then being worked by the miners.

Several quartz reefs were taken up in numerous claims, all duly registered, and a number of store sites and residentiary allotments. There had been considerable delay in proclaiming the gold-field, and the conditional purchase was madea prior to the pro- clamation of the gold-field, consequently there was nothing to stop it.

In this position of affairs the only course open to the miners was to proceed against the selector for trespass upon their claims. The Police Magistrate, acting mulei the Gold-Fields Act, declared the trespass to be proved, and ordered the trespasser to remove within fourteen days.

In the meantime, however, the selector, who was an attorney of the Supreme Court, naturally flew to that tribunal on appeal against the magisterial decision, and on that appeal the order of the Grenfell Bench was set aside, though I cannot at this moment recol- lect the precise grounds upon which the order of reversal was based.

This was certainly a most serious subject for consideration, seeing that the deci- sion of the Court virtually amounted to this – that until a gold-field was proclaimed a miner had no legal light of possession to his claim, and that no matter how much the ground might be, he was liable to be ousted at any moment by the free selector.

Serious as this view of the case was to the interests of the miners, the subject was allowed to pass away out of notice, although it might easily have been, foreseen that on the first discovery of a new gold-field, similar selections would be made, and smiilar wrongs be suffered by the miners.

It was,not till Gulgong had been proved to be a rich gold-field that it was proclaimed a gold-field under the Act, but prior to that one or two conditional purchases were made by selectors under the Lands Alienation Act.

One of these purchases only by a very little escaped taking in a large slice of the Black Lead. It woud perhaps have been for the better if the selection had cut across that lead, for then such an agitation would have been raised as would have forced the question imperatively upon the notice of the Ministry.

No injurv, how- ever, was done, and the selector had, at all events, sufficient consideration for miners, and others not to take up his ground on a worked or settled spot. But this was not all. When the gold-field was pro- claimed, its area was so limited that when the Three- mile Rush was opened, it was found to be outside the boundary of the legalised gold-field.

How this mis- take could have been mnde is hardly conceivable, seeing that tile Three-mile is nearly half-way between Gulgong and the old digging’s at the Pipeclay, and that the whole of the intervening country was known to be more or less auriferous. The mistake was made, and consequently the Three-mile was no sooner opened than a selection was made upon it. Others would have followed had not the Lands De- partment been rather more rapid than usual in its action, and proclaimed an extended area, of the field.

In this latter instance the selector, though he took up ground on the line of the run of gold, did not include any of the claims or storesites. He might have done so, had he desired it, and looking at the ruling of the Supreme Court on a former occassion, that tribunal would have upheld him in it.

As it is, mining in the Gulgong district is sufficiently checked by the im- mense areas of private property within the limits of the field, without further prescribing them by per- mitting selectors to avail themselves of the law for the purpose co shutting out others less versed than them- selves in legal management. Until therc is an alteration in the law, nothing can be done to remedy this mischief.

Except by a speedy proclamation of the ground the moment gold is dis- covered, conditional purchase cannot be prevented. Thus any person, discovering an alluvial lead, or a rich quartz reef, can easily secure it to himself, it not within the limit of a proclaimed gold-field, by taking up the ground by selection; thus scurring to himself a valuable gold-field at the small price of £1 per acre.

For this last there is no remedy, unless by declaring that all selections upon which gold may be discovered within three years of their being taken up shall be liablet o cancellation, with compensation for improve- ments, unless it can be shown that the ground had been prospected and the selector was aware of the aurifeious character of the ground.

With regard to other selections, the matter is easy enough, as all that is required is to declare that the simple fact of the discovery of payable gold in any locality shall at once exempt a certain area around it from conditional , purchase, and that any con- ditional, purchase beyond that area, if taken up subsequent to the discovery of the gold, should be subject to cancellation without compensation for im- provement, if it prove to be on the line of any lead or run of gold on quartz reef.

It has not in the least astonished me that this free selection, which was conceived in a spirit of the widest liberality, and intended to check the monopoly of land which was said to be going on a few years back, should now be used as a weapon against those who brought it into operation, and be made the instrument of a more crushing monopoly than that which it was intended to put down.

It is more crushing because it affects a class of men who follow an occupation the most laborious and at the same time the most uncer- tain in the colony ; whilst it benefits a few who take up the ground not for any legitimate purpose, as did the old so-called land monopolists, but solely to levy black mail upon the unfortunate miner.

Although, as I1 have said, this part of the country is very largely alienated, immense areas having- been taken up years ago, when the land was of little value, by gentlemen who have made an excellent use of their property and have largely benefited, the district and the colony, whilst they have advanced their own interests, the miners make no complaint on this, score, and fully admit the rights of property in these cases. On the other hand,tihese landholders have put no impediment in the way of the miners, but in almost every instance allow their grounds to be worked upon terms more or less liberal in proportion to the value of the improvements which are necessaiily jeopardised by the peculiar character of mining operations.

It certainly does not add to the beauty of appearance of a richly grassed and well fenced paddock to have row a of unsightly mounds of earth. meandering through it ; nor is it conducive to the safety of valuable stock and horses included in such paddock to have innumerable shafts sunk into the ground as so many traps for the unsuspecting animals.

Consequently it is only to be expected that a some- what heavy sum – heavy in proportion to the trifle paid to the government – should be demanded for the right of converting a fine pasture into an almost valueless tract of mounds and shafts. The miners acknowledge this, and when they fancy the ground, and believe they can pay themselves out of it, they readily give the amount demanded, and admit the right of the holder to do as he likes with his own. They are, however, most unmistakably (and I think with very good reason) jealous of the free selector, who, without any intention of benefiting anybody but himself, hangs about an incipient gold-field, watches the work of the prospector, and when gold is struck pounces down upon, the ground, takes advan- tage of the liberality of the Land Act to do the very opposite to that that Act intended, and lines his pockets at the expense of those of the honest and hard-working miner.

3 August 1871

PARLIAMENTARY PAPER. REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO THE “WESTERN GOLD-FIELDS.

Sydney, 12th December, 1871.

Our mission having been suggested by the advanced progress and importnnce of the Gulgong gold-field, we think it desirable to commence our report with that field.

The Gulgong gold-field is situated between the Cudgegong uiver nnd Wialdra or Becdy Creek, and occupies an area of country extending eight miles cast and west, nnd nine miles north and south, covering 01,119 acres, out of which some 16,*9(i acres have been alienated, or conditionally purchased. Tho land in this area is generally of a good agricultural charac- ter, bul being destituto of water a considerable portion still re- mains unoccupied.

At present conditional purchase nnd the measurement of lands for sale have been stoppod. Wo do not consider it desirable to remdve the restriction. A sketch showing the land alienated and unalicnatcd is nppended hereto, and it may he said thnt three-fourths of the unalicnatcd land is suitable for agriculture.

In the town of Gulgong the demand for building sites under business licenses has been fairly mot, and instructions arc in the hands of the local surveyor for the measurement of fifty more portions in arcas and localities suitable to the demand. A largo number of tho occupants under business licenses uro availing themselves of the right to purchase town lots in virtue of their improvements.

The number of men at work upon the leads is 1250, and the number holding by occupation of two hours’ daily according to the regulations is 580. Tho number of shafts sunk is 2220, and tho avcrngo depth of sinking 84 feet-in somo parts through a stratum oi hard basalt 33 feet thick.

Tho general population of tho town nnd field may be taken to be 10,500. This number has been arrived at by an cstimato checked by calculations from different data.

The number directly occupied m mining, as above Ehown, is nbout 1830,’ and the balance is made up of men engaged in the varioiia ordinary avocations of life, women, children, and idlers. Wc attach hereto a return Bhowing the bi-monthly yield from the period of the escort having been established up to the 30th of last month, showing a total of 65,300 oz. The reef on the Bed Hill, on ,tho slopes of which the town is situated, is thought to be the feeder of the leads above-mentioned, tho Black Lead and its tributaries to tho north-east, nnd the Cale- donian and other leads, as also the run into Mr. House’s paddock to the south-west ¡ while the Canadian Lead, six miles to the Eouth-cnst, is fed from the old Gulgong reef, which is now, and hhs been for some years past, in work. Thcso reefs are gold bearing, and there have in both casca boon rich Bhallow workings in their vicinity, which have led to the openings of the leads.

It does not appear that other similar sources of supply have been discovered -within what mny bo regarded as the present field, but there is a considerable extent of promising country of n somewhat similar character stretching uway in toe direction of the Mac- quarie Biver, throughout which gold has been found in various places. We do not anticipate any material falling off in the yield of the field within a period of twelve months ; but without further diEcovcrles we cannot look for a lengthened con- tinuance of its present importance.

The sketch above men- tioned will show the large extent of purchased land held in this part of the country, which circumstance undoubtedly tends much to retard the opening of gold workings. HoweTcr willing a proprietor may be to enter into even liberal arrangements with miners for opening his land, yet the fact that such arrangements aro necessary practically prevents the miners, unless under excep- tional circumstances, from giving nny attention to these lands, notwithstanding tho prevalent opinion that they contain good reefs and leads of gold. At Gulgong wc wcie impressed with the remarkable order pra Tailing among so’ large a population usually in the evenings thionging the town, which may be ascribed to the good disposition of the people, and also to the effective action of the police iu respect to thoEcwho arc not so well disposed. Our limited time did not permit of our making an examination of thenumerous gold-workings, both on Crown andprivato lands, in the Mudgee district ; but, from tho information furnished to us. and partly by our own observation, wo havo every rcajon to believe that, irrespectively of the Gulgong field, Mudgee will hold a high place as a gold-producing district.

21 June 1871

21 June 1871 THE GOLD-FIELDS.

Tambaroora.—The Hill End and Tambaroora Times of Saturday reports that a new rush took place last Tuesday, about two miles and a half from Hill End, near Oakey Creek.

The new reef is situated a little below one that was worked some years ago, when as much as eight oz. per ton was got out of it, but the last crushings only went two oz. which would not pay for working it, as there was no machinery near at hand, and the quartz had to be packed up Hawkins’ Hill and carted down to Tambaroora to be crushed.

The vein was not very wide either, and therefore the proprietors gave it up. Lately it was again taken up under the leasing system, and as there is a new crushing machine being erected in the gully, it will, we expect, all be taken up again, and worked with good results.

We have seen some of the stone from the prospecting claim, which looks very promising; and we hear that other specimens have been picked up on the surface along the line of reef. The line is taken up on both sides of the prospectors for a good distance, and applica- tion notices for leases are posted up for two, three, and four acres in several places.

The road for conveying the machinery of Price and Co. down Hawkins’ Hill is com- pleted. The party are now busy making dams and getting in timber for the bed of the machinery and buildings. When the new machine is completed, the quartz can be sent by shoots down the hill, where a tramway or cart road can easily be constructed, and the quartz conveyed to the machine.

If the new rush should turn out well, Price and Co. will have work for many years to come. At Hawkins’ Hill, Dwyer and party are still getting very rich stone. Krohmann and Co. are also getting richer stone this week than any they have ever yet got out of their claim.

Holterman and party are crushing at Mr Pullen’s, and will be finished next week. Their stone is exceedingly rich, and the result, which will appear in our next issue, will doubtless prove very satisfactory.

At the Hit-orMiss several additional claims have been taken up on this line of reef, and will, we believe have a good trial—parties now seeing that the reefs in this district can only be thoroughly proved by deep sinking, and not by just cracking a few stones on the surface.

Many reefs have in this manner been condemned as “duffers” in this way of prospecting in this district, which will probably yet pay handsomely for working. Several leases have at length commenced work on Sargent’s Reef and Golden Gully, but as they all intend sinking deep shafts, it will be some time before any definite result is known.

We learn from good and trustworthy authority that two or three buckets of exceedingly rich quartz were got by a party in a garden between Tambaroora and the Dirtholes. The exact spot is not yet known, as the party kept it quiet until they arranged with the owners of the ground, which was done this week, and we expect to see them at work on Monday, when the precise locality will be known.

The shaft of the Undaunted Gold Mining Company is down over 200 feet, and has for some time been sinking through the blue slate so famous for gold at Hill End. The sinking has lately passed through some of the veins which are looked for prior to striking gold, and is now on the hard blue slates in which the rich auriferous stone is found, so characteristic of Hill End.

Operations are commenced by the Northumberland Gold Mining Company. The tunnel at the foot of the mountain is being dnven from east to west, to intersect the large parallel veins of quartz which outcrop upon the surface. The contractors only commenced on Monday, and are already in ten feet, while another set of men are cutting an open surface drive east and west across the company’s property.

Gulgong.— The following is the Guardian’s latest rcport -In mining matters the past week has been a dull one , nothing new to report, unless it is the rumoured dis rov ei y of pay ablo gold in the Moonlight lead, at a depth of 170 feet.

The prospect is Btated to be over half a dwt to the dish, with the shaft not quito bottomed If this be true, the locality will likely bo thoroughly tested despite its depth, and it may lneiuce parties to reoccupy Adam’s lead, and give it a fair tnal, which it never has had The Black Lead muddle is becoming worso every week Summonses and cross-summonses havo been issued to tho Black Lead and Happy Valley men, sorre of which are set down for hearing next week Ibero can bo little doubt in the minds of unprejudiced persons that two distinct leads exist, possibly afew weeks more will make the fact clear to the most obtusa’mind, and so likely lead to n cheap settlement of the muddle

To aggravate the difficulty, the holders of the Parramatta Lead claim the supposed Black Lead, now that the holders thereon havo occupied the supposed Happy Valley Lead 1 his triangular duel will therefore lead to a nice question to le settled by tho Supreme Court, for all parties are deter- mined it shall not otherwise end. On tho Happy Valley, No 11 N have blocked off, and the owners state that the lead m that claim is 115 feet wido, except Nos. 4 and 5 no t thcr claims on the north end have as yet hoisted the flag, the ugh several of them have bottomed duffers owing to being too far to the west The Coming Event is very quiet, though sinking is the order of the day many duffers aro snnk, yet c’ain holders aro by no means disheartened, but sink again until success rewards them On the All Nations thero are n any claims being shepherded, a largo number Btubbornly holdirg the opinion that a lead of payable gold nxista in this lecahty

At the Ihree Milo Rush tho population is veiy little short of one thousand, and nearly all seem em plovcd The rush is about a mile and a half long, and being occupied pnncipally on tho block, a far greater num- ber of men find an outlet for their energies than if occupied on the frontage. Thero has been a fresh impotus gil en to the Purrainntta Lead, by the finding of what is now considered pay ablo gold m the vicinity of this load, near to a number of duffers Quito a ferment was created between the block men and frontage men, as to the title of tho ground , tho dispute is not yet finally decided I he population is still on the increase, “chiefly by arrivals frcm New Zealand

All seem absorbed by the various leads, but if a payable rush broke out within a reasonable distance, the unproved leads would bo soon comparatively deserted Major.’«; Creek -The correspondent of the Biaidtiood Slot xtor says -Some of our ground sluicers havo been doir g very well lately Dargile and Co still keep up their y leid, last week’s washing being about 62 ok The Enter- prise Company aro not doing so well as they have been I her r they intend to sink in tho boundary of Dargue’s claim in crder to cut the reef. N

ORTH JUNEE -Mining here latterly, says the corre- spondent of the Wagga Wagga Express, has been going on very quietly, as our population is but small, and crushing operations have been for a time suspended pending the completion of some alterations in Mr. Kirkpatrick’s machine. Wallett and Co are still very busy raising stone from their claim, which looks just as well as ever, and will, I am certain, give a very payable return.

There are at pre sent about 600 tons to grass ready for crushing. The im- provements in the machine will be completed in eight or ten days, and then the stampers will be again set to work. In the “Dust Hole” the shareholders have again got upon a nice little reef, which, judging from appearances ought to pay very well. Upon the Doctor’s reef Mr Kirkpatrick still holds a five-acre lease, and when the machine is again ready for work I hear that it is his inten- tion to raise some stone from it, and see whether it will not yield a better return than it did at first

All hopes of dis- covering alluvial workings have not been abandoned, is n ay bo inferred from tho fact that for somo littlo time I ast an energetic party of miners have been testing the ground below Wallett s reef. They have already bot- tomed two holes-one at a depth of 42 feet, and an- other at something over n0 feet, but in neither of these have they been fortunato enough to etnko anything payable.

The last shaft they intend to dnvo for a few feet, Mid then, if they get nothing, they will sink another one, and endeavour effectually to test tho grouud The Little Wonder reef I visited a few days ago, nnd I regret to havo to report that it has turned out a most complete failure The reefs there aro all worked out and abandoned, and the place looks as forlorn and desoíate as a duffer diggmga only tan do. lhere are, I thmk, about 100 tons of stone still to grass, and, when theso have boen crushed, there will bo absolutely nothing left for the ínichine to do.

Twenty tons from the Little Wonder itself yielded at tho rate of 11 dwfs per ton only, while three tons from a leader yielded at tho rato of 4 oz per ton But relatively good, as even this latter yield w is, it would not pay to get it, for the leader wa9 very thin, and the stone, encasing it, very hard, from the ‘”Possum Power,” another reef in the same neighbourhood, 42 tons rf stone yielded on crushing 15 oz 17 dwts. of gold, lust I enough to clear the expenses of carting and crushing. T

he after collapse of these reefs forcibly illustrates the folly of backing men up in prospecting, unless the work that is being dene can bo constantly overlooked, and the value of the reef w orked upon can be in some measuro tested

Euc Creek -The Mtmng Rccot ds report of tho 17th ib nt pended -Tho news from the Pinnacle and the other places which wero thought likely to draw away a portion of our j opulution has not turned out so favourably as was expected.

Tho sinking at tho Pinnacle has rosulted iu bolte ming the shaft, and not obtaining even the colour. At Orange, whero tho great find was the other day, nothing elso won h tpeaking of has as yet been obtained, as fir as wo can hear. Prospecting on our own field is being vigorously proceed with.

Tho eight men at tho Native Dog Creek are nt work night and day sinking a shaft, twenty foot from the old shaft, and aro sanguino (hey can beat tho -water and bottom. At the Native Cat gully tho men bottomed during tho week, at 170 feet wnhont getting a prospect, and aro now driving. In rei fing, we can still speak favourably of the prospects of thiB held.

A revival of the old reefing times, without the feverish and unhealthy excitement of those days, appears to havo taken place O’Brien is, perhaps, without exception, tho best reef in tho colony, showing a largo quantity of stone at a depth of 270 feet, of a quality yielding two ounces to the ton, and the s*ono being easily and cheaply got.

No. 1 north Homeward Bound is producing stone yielding over on ounce to the ton Tho Whito Rose is producing good Btone. 1 he old Welcome is giving some capital specimens, and looks likely for a good reef, and many othor reefs are lookirg equally well, lhere is more stone being raised now than bas bein before for some time, and the four machines are all fully employed At Mr Vaughn’s machine there wero this .week forty-one tons of stone flaishod from No 2 Lucknow, the yield being one ounce to the ton From No 1 north Homeward Bound thoro was a cleaning up of 263>tcns, the yield bemg 293 oz. 12 dwts.

This I machine is now on No. 3 Welcome. At the Brundah them was a little lot of 20 tons from the Prussian, which went at the rate of 8 dwts to the ton. The machino is now on the» Outward Bound reef. At Mesara. Bevan and Hopkirk’s there was, since our last report, a oleaning-up from O’Brien’s prospecting claim-the quantity nut through being 440 tonfl, the yie!d 806 oz. 17 dwts.

The machino is still on O’Brien’s prospecting claim, Mr. Cunninghame’- is under repairs, and will start again in a few days time. Tumut.-Tho correspondent of the Gundagai Times re- ports on the 14th instant :-On Monday last tho prospectors from Murphy’s reef brought into town a beautiful cake of retorted gold, weighing 138 oz. ; this was the product of 90 tons of stone, which consequently yielded at the rato of 1 oz. 8 dwts. l8 gTB. to the ton. Adelong. – Tho samo journal says : –

In mining matters we aro progressing x-ery favourably ; the report of tho Research Company’s crushing proved very remunerativo, and tho Camp reef is looking very well, several claims being in full work on it. Tho Research Company was formed by twolvo shareholders, who leased three acres of abandoned ground on tho Victoria Reef; a powerful pump waa procured from Sydney, and in time the water waa got under. The ground waa thoa secured, and on October 25th, 1869, the company first com- menced to Bink at 100 feet level ; sinking waa carried 20 feet through the white reef, and a smaUlotof stone crushed which gave about 1 oz. por ton ; tho proceeds paid for tho pump, timbering of Bhaft, &c;, and left, about £1 os. per twelfth share.

At this depth a rich loader was como on ; after sinking 10 feet through it another leader was struck, and when 16 feet moro had been put down, a crushing took place on April 23rd, 1870,16| tons for 96 oz., and 22$ tons, seconds, for 61 oz. ; sank 26 feet more, and crushed, November 19th, samo year, 83 tons for 210 oz.; sank 15 feet, and crushed, January 24th, 1871, 75 tonB for 236 oz. : being a total, up to this time, of 603 oz. from 197 tons, or a little over 3 oz. to the ton.

Up to this date about 76 feet had been sunk, at an average of about S oz. to the foot. Sank 20 feet more, and on lBt April last crushed 72 tons of stono for 180. oz., or 2_ oz. per ton ; crushed again on 10th April, 31 tons, tip, for 14 oz. Total amount of gold obtained in sinking from April 23rd, 1870, to April 10th, 1871, 797 oz., and the reef atiU in bottom of shaft about two feet thick, with from 2i to 3 oz. to the ton, the shaft being 301 feet deep.

April 3rd, 1871: Started driving at 260 feet level, and drovo 16 feel each way for 73 tons, giving 276 oz. 2 dwts., or 3 oz. 16 dwts. 15 grs. to the ton. Total amount of gold to date, 1073 oz.

IECurrAjong.-The correspondent of tho Forbes Times, 17th instant, writes :-Owing to the want of rain there is but littlo to report of mining affairs. We havo been in daily expectation of a rainfall, but have had none beyond a light passing Bhower occasionaUy-just sufficient 1er tho farmers, but none for the diggers. T

ho drinking water at tho No Mistake Lead is nearly finished, and some have been carting water from tho dam at Curra- jong township. No. 8, then, had a trial of five or six loads on Wednesday. Ono of the ptrty told mo ho was satisfied, as I think ho might bo, at 8 dwts. to the load. No. 15, Wyeth and party, are tho next to try a few loads; they commence to-day, from which claim better re- sults may bo expected ; but as the disutnco from the lead to the Currajong dam is over three miles there will only be a limited quantity per claim tried just to keep things going. Noa. 22, 23, and 27 bavo each been bottomed, and report from _ dwt. to 2 dwts. to the dish. Other claims, when tried last week, in the presence of Mr. Commissioner Dalton, did not show well, still the owners are confident of it being payable when water comes ; and when it does come there are five good dams now nearly ready to receive it, and once when they are filled there will be no lack for a long time.

26 July 1871

RANDOM NOTES BY A WANDERING REPORTER. TAMBAROORA.

I have, upon more than one occasion during the last fourteen years that you have commissioned me to visit and report upon the gold-fields of New South Wales, drawn attention to the extensive character and the proved richness of the reefs of this district.

Only so lately as twelve months back I had to remark upon the supmeness which allowed so valu- able a field for mining enterprise on the one hand, and for the investment of capital on the other, to remain so long unnoticed.

I have no longer this complaint to make, for our good citizens of Sydney would seem to have gone from one extreme to the other, to have been siezed with a sudden reefing furor, to have offered themselves up willing victims to every sacrificial speculator who may have chosen to erect an altar to the popular Dragon

No wonder that such excitement should hate arisen I can readily pardon it, for I honestly confess that the sights I have seen here down some of the rich shafts were quite sufficient to turn the brain of any person given to speculation, and to induce lum to invest his last sh.dh.ng in trying to get something like it

‘lhroughout the whole of this part of the district the lines of reef are tory clearly delinea, and run pretty regularly, t cry nearly north and south, with smooth and distinct wnlls, though these vary in character according to position, not being always of the same strata

On Hawkins’s Hill the reefs, tv lien first struck, at their upper surface tv ero found to lie horizontall), whilst the strata of slate in which thev were enclosed vv ere in a similar position , at the same time the super- incumbent trap rock, which ought to hat e lain hori- zon tallv, vv as lound to be m a t ertical position

The inference gathered from this, was, that bj the action of the primeval waters so large an amount of softer or more easily abradable strata had been washed away from under the impendent mass of trap, slate, and reef-that the whole had given way in so large a bulk as to prevent it being earned aw ay or broken up by the vast torrents of those earl) days of our world s history

Following in upon the horizontal lay of the reef, it would sometimes be suddenly lost, to be picked up again, pcihaps, a short distance ahead, but this time running vertically, dipping at an angle of about ten degrees cast, and then dip and angle is pretty regularlt preserved throughout the whole of the dis- trict Hie reefs are noter extensive

All the richest of the teins do not run more than three or four inches in wldth, whilst the widest pay- able reefs tv Inch hate been worked on the hill have not exceeded fifteen inch’s Something like eight or nine of these teins or îeefs hate been traced through the hill, and hate|been struck at diiferent points of the hill, and each is known usually by the name of the partt in whose claim it was originally struck I hat e t lstted and obtained full particulars from all the payable claims on Hawkins Hill, but it was hardly to be expected that I should descend the whole of the shafts, or make a personal inspection of the underground workings of every claim I hate done tins in about a do/en cases,

and it w as only the length of time which it entailed that prevented me from doing it in all instances I need hardly say that I rcceiv ed ev cry kindness and consideration at the hands of the miners, and that they all vied with each other in their endeanour to place as full particulars as possible at my disposal In fact, I am afraid that some of them took umbrage at my not descending their shafts, if so, I can only assure thom now, as I did at the time, that it w as only the loss of time tv Inch led me to refuse to accept the undoubted advantage which they offered

As the claim of Mr James Brown is the most cele- brated on the Hill, it was, naturally, the tery first tv Inch I desired to visit Without any request on my part, Mr Brown, the moment he heard the object of mt visit, offered to take me over his workings, and gite me every explanation and information I might require Tlus kindness was all the more gratifying from the fact that he was on that day about to break dow ii a bench of rock containing some three or four tons, which was known to contant some very rich stone Hie Northumberland claim, the property of Mr James Brown, has turned out up to the present trae gold to the value of no less a sum than £28,000 , and y et it is t ery little more than one man s ground, being only 12 feet along the base line of the reef, with a depth of 300 feet, or oO j ards on each side of the base line

It has now been at work about hve years, but it was not till July, 18ti9, tint thehch teins, the yield of tv Inch has been so astonishing, were met with Ijntil then the claim had been barely paying wages, but after the golden stone had been reached, it con- tinued to give splendid crushings up to the tory last, ?when 2300 ounces viere obtained from SOO tons of stu’F I use the tv oid “ stuff, because, besides the quart?, a tory large amount of the slate Ins to be sent to the crushuig batteries, owang to the gold winch is more or less scattered through Dus I shall ex phin further on, but I mention it here for the purpose of showing that the yield of gold, large as it is, bt no means represents the return from the quart/ alone

That, if crushed by itself, tv ould giv e a far larger yield, but being worked up with the slate, which cannot be thrown aside, because of its holding a pay able amount of the precious metal, the at erage yield per ton is much reduced 1 he claim is situated not quite a quarter of a mile from a blind gully which joins the first fall of the nuggetty Creek, and stands in the midst of a number ot rich claims, second only to itself Hie winding paths bj which these workings are reached are such as only quartz miners and mountain goats can trat ers» with ease At least that tv as my first impression, though bt dmtof daily toiling on them for the last ten days,

I hate got habituated to them to the extent of being able to traterse them without the fear of a slide into the Nuggetty Gully, some four hundred feet below, being always present to mj eyes The workings are reached bt a down shaft 130 feet deep, at which depth the descent is continued on the underlaj of the strata enclosing the reef and Us rich casing of slate for SO feet further, making in all 210 feet Besides this, portions of the workings hate been carried down 12 leet deeper than this JLhe haulage is done bj meanB of a horse-whim in the usual manner, but the difh cultt of obtaining a level platform for a horse-whim for the working of the shaft, for a blacksmith s shop and men s huts, and for the storage of the stone brought up for crushing, may be surmised from the fact that such platform has to be constructed on the face of a hill which «lopes down to the gully below at an angle of something like 3o degrees Some con- siderable expense has to be incurred m the construc- tion of such a platform, which has to be mainly quained out of the side of the hill, m the erection of huts and store rooms for rich stone,

m the construe tion of a whim with all its massive timbers, and in roofing m the whole of that part of the claim upon which work has to be carried on, including the ring lound which travels the horse that works the whim Having gone thus far with my description of the abov e ground, let it now be supposed that I am pre panng to go below I look down the shaft, which appears as black as Erebus, for the slope of the tinder- la) prevents the lights of those working below from being seen I receive my instructions-I am to take cue when I come to the roller at the top of the undeila), which catches the rope and pretents its chafing against the rock, against which it would otheiwise cut through its strands in a week I am to take care to turn my face round to the w est, so that I ma) push m) self oft from the sloping rock with mj feet, and walk down in tiue mining insluon, instead of being lowered j”no miniously on my back, like an empty hide bucket skedding down the boards of the incline I store up all the instruction thus git en, seat mj self in the rope, leccite a lighted candle in mj hand, and looking pro- bably not tery much unlike the candle-bearing peni- tents of the olden time,

I git e the signal and I descend onlv about three )ards, for the terrible draught up the shaft lins extinguished my light I am hauled up again, and mj candle is lighted Once more I am lowered, but I only descend some thirty feet when out goes the candle again Ihe manager of the works stops the descent, but I sing out to him not to mind the candle, and o i mj assuring him that I am in no wat alarn ed, andonlj onreceitmg tins assurance two or three times, does he give the order to lower atvaj I am jolly enough in the dewn shaft With my feet I keep ni) self from spinning round, a gjratoryper foirnniice that ropes m general hate a tendency to cause the unitiated to perform , and at last

I come to the roller Obejing the instructions I received, I turn mj face westward, and descend the sloping plat- form in the most creditable manner But I am in the dark, I hate no idea of the direction I am going_ and as I am, of courbe, guiding myself by the use I am making of my feet, I gradually, without knov ing it, get to the edge ot the timber track, laid down on the lower fice ot the underlay to prevent the bags from bemr rubbed to pieces against the rock I get to the cdr e of the track, catch re) foot in the wire of the aluira bell, tnp, tumble oter on my back, and. the next minute I find myself comfortably stowed away between the timber track and the side of the shaft, and the rope going gracefully down leavine mo behind, still seated, how aver, in the sling. When those below snw the bights of the rope coming down, and leaving the end up above, there was some con- sternation, for there vins no knowing vi hat had be- come of me, as from my having no lights I was in- visible I quickly put them at ease bj- responding to their call to nie I was only about twenty feet aboi e them, and could have easily descended that distance bj the rope ii I could only have got hold of it. This they would not allow me to do, but directing me to hold tight they gave the signal, and I was hauled up ignominiously from my recumbent position, and was then lowered dow n the rest of the distance without mishap. What I saw below I must leave for my next letter.

9 August 1871

GOLD AND OTHER MINING.

There is now being published in tho columns of the Herald a series of articles upon the rich reefing claims at Hawkins’ Hill, in the Tambaroora district, from the pen of our special reporter, who was deputed to visit this field for the purpose of making a close and careful examination of the locality to which so much attention has lately baen drawn.

By his account it would appear that the lino of reefs, or rather veins, of quartz extend from Hawkins’ Hill on tho south, across the upper part of Nuggetty Creek, then across Hill End Creek, skirting along the Bald Hills and the Red Hill, and crossing the spur of the latter which divides the waters of Hill End from those of Tambaroora, dips into Golden Gully. B

eyond this it has not been traced until it makes its appearance on the Red Hill at Tambaroora, when it again dips to rise again at tho Dirt Holes.

The whole distance of this line is somewhere about seven miles, and every spot where it is at all likely that the reef will bo found has been taken up either by workers or for speculative purposes.

Then ¡¡again the whole of tho western face of Hawkins’ Bill on the line of reef has boen taken up, the quartz hav- ing been traced down almost to tho lowest point of tho hill proper.

Besides this, from the lowest point two lines of reef havo been struck on tho opposite side of Oakey Creek, tho name of tho gully lying at tho foot of tho hill from tho point where Nuggetty Gully and HiU End Creek join each other.

Both of theso show a good prospect of gold ; and ono which crosses what is known as Withers” Hill is being systematically worked, it being the intention of Mr. Fullen to put h¡B small machine down on tho Turon so soon as he is able to replace it at Hill End Creek by the fine batteries tbat axe now nearly completed by Messrs. P. N. Russell and Co.

On the hill itself work is being carried on very, exten- sively, some of tho claims employing a large number of hands, though tho extent of ground held is only Bmall. Mr. Brown’B claims for instance, which has only a length of 42 feet on tho line of rcof, employs 14 men, whilst that of Messrs. Krohmcn and Co., which has a frontage of 165 feet on tho reef, employa 18 men, and will give work to 12 men, so soon as it has been fairly opened out, so aB to give room for them to bo put on.

From Mr. Brown’s claim no less than £28,000 hae been taken within the last two years, for it is only within that time that the rich veins have been struck, though tho ground has been in work for tho laBt ilvo years.

In addition to this, Mr. Brown has stone raised from which he expects to got another £12,000, so Boon OB he gets an opportunity to crush. From Kroh man’s claim 643 tonB of quartz have been taken, producing; 2499 oz. of gold.

Since then they have had a crashing of 18 tons,””which gave 2130 oz. From Paxton, Holman, and Co.’s claim about £1600 have been taken during the last twelve months. .

This claim employs 32 men, and a fifth share in it sold, about a month back, for £4000.

The rich, claims cn tho hill, at least such as have been yet pierced, lio in a lino about 200 yards long, beyond these/noith and south, tho ground, though in some cases proved to ‘ba pay- able, has not yet produced the riih stone of the other claims. T

he appearance of these veins is thus described by our reporter : “ We were not long delayed, for half-a-dozen strokes of the pick had not been given beforo there was an exclama» tion, ‘ Bero you are,’ and a small vein, about an inch thick, and closely studded with gold, was laid opén.

Bit by bit tho vein; was taken out, and then the bench was) Btill further entered. Behind the first vein the slatb which encased it waa also thickly powdered with gold; and only an inch or two or two at’tho back of this was found another vein, even richer than the first, whilst, as it fell, tho slate on its western face was perfectly suffused with gold, either fixed in it or retained there by tho stiff pipeclay which had forced its way through tho interstices of the rock. Still further in tho bench, or west, a very fine vein was opened, about threo inches in width, and showing on its western side so large an amount of gold,

BO closely packed in the stone for about an inch of its width as really to make it ! appear to consist of as much gold as stone. But, bosides I this vein, for fully twelve inches .the slate was as rich as tho quartz.

In addition to tho metal which covered, it as I ‘ have above described, numbers of small leaders of quartz, from a hair’s width to -perhaps a quarter of on inch wide, intersected tho slato in all directions. These veins all showed themselves to be moro or less auriferous, whilst tho slate in contact with them was likewise full of gold^” From Hawkins’ Hill to Golden Gully tho line of roof ia not only taken up, but every claim is being worked, and ia tomo cases good stono has’ ‘been struck, and there is now every probability that this splendid reefing district will be fully developed.

A largo amount of Sydney capital has been invested here, and were it not that some few doubtful speculations have been pressed upon the publier there ie. but little doubt that n good return will bo received for in- vestments in thia quarter.

At Gulgtsng two new leads are reported, on both of both, of which the prospectors havo bottomed on gold. No extensive washings have taken place, and tho highest yield hos been 1 oz. 7 dwts. to the load ; the fortnightly escort, however, keeps up, the last amount brought hence being 3000 oz, Our special reporter also visited (his spot, and he explains that tho reason there is so large an amount of un- employed labour here is, that men come on to. tho ground without tho meanB necessary not merely to go’ into the heavy and expensive work of deep sinking, hut oven to support themselves whÜBt they aro waiting some fresh, discovery. T

hen, again, tho really productive claims being in full hands, money is not being generally disseminated, and thns spending money, being scarce, the stores and other business (daces suffer and complain of want of trade. From the general appearance of tho. country thero is little doubt on tho mind of our reporter that rich patches of surfacing, as good as that found on the Red Hill ot Gulgong, aro to bo had for the looking for in tho neigh- bourhood of the present workings, whilst runs of-gold areas likely to be met with in other places as in the Hats upon which tho sinking is now being carried on.

Things aro rather dull’ at Emu Creek ; but there is the gratifying news thence that a belt of good Btono has been reached on the Homeward Bound reef, at a depth of 270 feet, after it had been confidently predicted that tho auri- ferous stono had run out.

This, together with thefact that at a depth of over 300 feet, the prospectors on O’Brien’s reef also came across Btono as good as over they had on tho surface, has satisfactorily settled the doubt as to tho gold bearing properties of the stone at a iow depth.

From Adelong, wo learn that Camp Reef is turning out some very fine stone indeed. The quartz is honey-combed, and it ia Baid to be “literally smothered,with gold.” Ihe Clarence £r(iwii»ir.gives a long account of the Nil Desperandum and Boorooh reefs, from which we gather that a very fine reefing district is opening up in tho north. Tho great drawback to the full development of this promising diBtriot, is tho want of crushing power. Being so far from the metropolis, its claims to notico are not much ‘attended to, especially aB tho northern journals have not done that justice to tho mineral wealth of the district which ita im- portance demands. -,

Mr. Barron, lessee of tho Elmore tin mines, near Inverell, ia engaged in opening out the ground leased- (800) aeres). Tho *re which is rather granular, and of about tho size o£ small swan shot, is being collected for Jthe prosbnt from the Burfaoo, and stowed m hags, ready for carriage to Syd- ney, where it is to bo tested. It is slated that the Fibroy Iron Works ot Nattai, near Berrima, havo been purchased by an English firm, who intend to work them upon an extensive scale.

3 November 1871

GOLD AND OTHER MINING.

During the past month the conviction has gained ground , that the gold-fields of New South Wales are about to occupy a better position than they have ever before done, , even in tho palmiest days of the first gold discovery.

The conviction has been caused not only by the continued richness of the fields already working, but by the opening-up of other auriferous ground, and by the earnest attention , which is now being given to this great branch of industry, by the Government,

Tno Gulgong claims continuo to turn out washdirt aa , rich as cvrr, nnd. the averago yield may bo fairly oati- , mated at a little short of threa thousand ounces per week ; ; but unfortunately the number of those payable claims do L not iucreaso, and boyond these thoro still existe tho ¡ same difficulty in tracing tho lead.

Nor havo any, ; additional leads been yet oponed, though sonio ^ two er three ar3 boing energetically prospected, and « as energetically shopherded. Il.ipp’a Gully and the Three , Milo rush still continuo to give employment to Borne oight .._ or nine hundred men, and thoro is considerable spéculation ] n rcgnrd to CIIUUIB which have recently been tnkon upon , privato land under arrangement with the holdors.

The j great drawback to tho extention of this geld-flold líos in ; he fact,tlmt the greater portion of the district is alienated l( from tbo Crown. Much of it’was taken up’in the very . earl} days of the district, when it was first opened up, and j when lund was really only of nominal value.

A further { qùantitjpvnB selected by conditional purchaso under tho , ¿anas’ Alienation Acts, so that tho miner is met on ev’cry sido hy fences bounding privato proporty, and often traces , thomns of gold up to tho very boundary line. The gontlo- , men owning property in thisdlstriot have behaved liberally r enough to tho mincis. No impediments havo boen thrown , in their way, beyond making them pay such au amount as , was considcied tufiicient to cover the damage done to tho , land bj the rooting up it nlwayb gels bef oro the digger quits , it. What with this circumstance, and what with, the un ccrtuiuty ia regard to the exfenbion of the load, tho Govern- , . ment itnaturally doubtful about incurring any largo ex- , pcnditurc upon a spot whioh may probably be deserted bo-,, foie two 3 ears havo gono oicr.

In order to secure eomo- , f thing lil e duta on which to act, tho Government have’ap pomtccl a commission to -wi-il the 8pot,jBld to inquirffinto , the various subjects connected with this’gold-field, so that_ 5 the Go ernment may bo enabled to act upon definite under- ‘ . standing instead of cquandering monoy as has been dono on. i foi mer occasions, without anj rommensurate return. Tho , thrco gentlemen selected to act upon this commission havo ¡ been well chosen, so much 30, that thoir report, from their , knowledge of our gold-fields, may he looked upon aa – authoritative, ,

Iho extensive roofing district of Hill End and Tamba« , roora ia being moro and moro developed every day, , although it is to bo regretted Hat so much speculation is . now going on. Lenses aro “taken up in the moat random j nmr.iicr, and companies aro projected and floated umonçBt , persons w ho w ithout tho slightest knowledge of tho locality , aro at once taken with the name of Tambaroora. Though . all the rccfB and veins in this extensive district are koowa [ to havo been richly payablo wherever they havo been worked, slili whero companies are formed morely for the purpose of pushing shares into tho market, thero is very * little expectation of euch a management as will lead to a ,’ payable return.

Tho crushing batteries aro all in full work, but some uneasiness is beginning to bo felt on tho subject of the supply of water. * At the Bushman’s Lead, at’tho Currajong, tho lead has , been Etiuck half-a-mile away from tho last claim on gold, . whilst, strange to say, the intervening olaiins havo not yee r boen ablo to hit tho gutter, Thero have boen some wash- ings going from half-an-ounco to an ounce to the load,but ‘, the washings havo not been extensive owing to the want of ( water. This part of tho country is peculiarly dry and ‘, sterile, tho watercourses being nothing moro than blind , arceks;

Etill it is represenied to bo favourable for dam making. Thero isa population of fiftoen or sixteen hun- dred on Iho ground, the largo number of persona coming- ‘ in from Gulgong and elsowheto being balanced by those 11 who are leaving daily for tho now gold-fields on the 1 Bland. 1 Of this, tho latest discovery wo have as yet no certain ; information.

It is in tbo Bland district, and near Lake Cowal, and a large extent of auriferous ground is said to ‘ havo been opened. Our Emu Creek correspondent, writing from information received from persona who havo visited 1 the spot, is under the impression that a very extensivo gold» ‘ field has been discovered. At present, tho workings are ‘ « represented to bo ehallow, with no great extent of washdirt, but what there is of ii boing rich. Several parties are prospecting for deep ground. Tho Government have . directed Mr, Commissioner Clarke to visit the ground in. / order that definite and reliablo information may bo given ; to the public. His report has not yet been received. , The Gold Commission havo been «appointed for a ^ month, to enable them to draw up a report upon tho evidence taken. That report ia probably now ia the , hands of the Government. , , i Tin has been found in very considerable quantity pver a. , large tract of land on the banks of tho Macintyre, near Inverell. Tho lands on which tho oro was first discovered, were, as stated in our last summary, taken up by the , Elsmoro Company, but sinco then it has been found over a very oxtended area. J Several now copper mining companies have been pro- jected ; mineral loases aro being taken up both in the west , * and south for working copper oro. . ,

19 December 1871

PARLIAMENTARY PAPER. REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO THE “WESTERN GOLD-FIELDS.

We had the advantage of full discussion respecting the working of the regulations, and had offered to us many conflicting opinions.

The following points were brought prominently under our notice :

’-1, the relative advan- tages of the block and frontage systems ¡

2, the modoof working the frontage system (if adhered to) so as to avoid litigation and obviate unnecessary delny in opening the ground ;

‘3,” thoqucstion of better defining the distinction between the ministerial and the judicial functions ol the commissioner or administrative officer ;

4, the constitution of the Court of Appeal:

5,’prospocting claims ;

C, water rights ;

7, bízc of claim» ¡

8, mining surveys, registra- tions, und fees ;

9, leases.

Much diversity of opinion has existed, and continues to exist, among the miners as to’ the relative advantages of tho systems known as the block and frontage. For suoh a field as Gulgong the balance of opinion appears to bo in favour of’the frontage, lhere can bo no tqucstipn. that that system provides for obtaining the maximum of gold with the minimum of jabour and cost.

Taking some average claims upon the Black-Lead; wo find that before coming upon the gold the oliiimholdcrs had sunk somo,six shafts, at a cost approaching, on the ‘whole;’ to £1000.

It is, urged that, without the assurance of ultimately coming upon tho lead which is afforded by the frontage system, minors would ho unwilling to undertake the opening 6f ground of this character at so large a cost, and would he unable without tho security in- dicated . to obtain the credit, and assistance needful to many of thtm while carrying on the work;

Those ‘who advocate tho block system have’ in, view ) the extension of claims! to “such a sire, oven from two-thirds .of an aero’ up to three «cres per man,’ as’ would ‘throw tho’ field Into occu- pation by fewer men than now work it, and would- thus, strengthen “the complaint against the’ frontage’ system that so muoh ground, is held (although only fora’time’uri to the period ‘ or ‘ blocking on*!’) by comparatively, few men.

Having carefully considertdMhtt’rçjTscmsr Tar lind, against thb -frontage Bystom, wo hnv£ arrived ota conclusion in favorer of its ‘ continuance, and Will proceed to suggest alterations with “a view to’its ¡mpreved ¡working.

In advocating-thc continuance of the frontage Bystcm, “*fe dp. not desire’,to propose any «Iteration, ia tho minimum depth iliirl ne- row estublMiid therefor, vu , 100 feet, wothiukthat gnundit lesser depths «buuld bo worked In the block

One of tho gnaiist difficulties attending the working of tho frontngo is that cn” “1 bv the c»niergcnco of leads, which at Gulgong proim ii to give ri’o to serious litigation Under the fiittini, régulations the îeglstritlon lor a lead carnes the ni.lt to n claim when (,o!d is sttuck upon that loud only liny certniniy provide for n preference to the shareholder oi tho m mur lead in cuse of a junction being formed

But it is leforc Hie jurction tukini, place that the difficulties arc occa su ned A jimmi lead c in very properly ho followed in caso of a coin crpiit, tendency only to the protecting paiullcl of the scnior lind J. lu shun holders oi the Finior lead have the right of sink- ing nnyvi I ire n ullin their parallel, and thero is nothing to prcv ent Hum if tluv think the junior lead to bo the better, from getting po «rs’ion ot that lend, asserting it to be the lend foi which they vie re rcgistirnl which assertion it is most dilllcult cither to prove, oi diFpi o i c vi it limit a (,rc at delny to the general working of the Hold in traeirg the tutlcrs ela m by claim

To obviate this evil, wc ucon mind that the registration fora lead should cirri ii itli it tie »ditto nny lend whativer that may bp struck within the pnrnllcls, irrespectively of such lead being the ongmal gutter or not ïhe advantage that vi ould thereby accrue to claimliolders on u senior lead vi ould ho bnsed upon the foundation or all golil fkld light-pi mut}

And In view of this advantage, we think that the frontngo might well bo reduced toa uniform width of halt-o mile Ibis would have tho effect of opening a greater nreu orcountry to occupation, and lessoning the complaints aa to monopily J hi claimholdera upon a junior converging lead should nave the light to endeavour to tiacc their lind alter blocking oil of the claims on the semor lind, before tho wings arc thrown open to occupation in ordinary blocks 1 or the satisfactory wo-king of the frontage system it is most needful that i competent mm ng surveyor should bo omploj ed, under the direction ot tho commissioner, by whom should he prc I ored plans of the lends and claims on an intelligible scale, for rcjerence m case of disputes and foi «cncrnl information

Where tbo lends ire of such importance at thoso at Gulgong, the plans might he lithographed, and copies kept m Sjdnoynnd at the. principal tovins throughout the colony lho officer, wo think | should have a fair retaining salary and »ho survey andregistration fees It is desirable th it the duties of auncyor and registrar bo combined The scale of fees, as regards amount, will need iovi «mn the snnicsvstem of survey und registration is even moro urgently needed for claimB on quart/ reefs W c tbuik that the present modeof blocking off a frontage claim shoi lil bo amended bj fixing tho timo it twenty eight days, but reserving the wings lrom actual workmg in blocks until the next chum in alliance ma) have struck the gutter

One of the most objcctiorable features of the frontage system is tlio personal occupation toi a portion of the day of lines or sup- posed lines of lead by a large number of non-woiklng miners, cimmonly known as “shepherds” pending tbc tracing of inch lends ‘Ibis personal occupation is needful to identify tho minci with the ground for vi Inch he is wnitmg, and H docs not appear that any nu uib by registration or other«iso, has yit been devised to provide in nny other way for that ldcntillcalion Although this idleness is niccs’urih legalized, it must bo horne in mind that in i’ccp ground under the block system thero is also much non-lcgalucd idleness, as many wait (only pretending to work) tho results oi the sinking in tho neighbouring ilums.

It has suggested it=clf to us that, where water or other works 1er the benefit of the field ure undert iken, the regulations might afford ncilitics for making avaduble the labour of these “ shep huds “ under a system of tickets of exemption, to bo certified t j by tbc perons in charge of the works, which would Tceognisc such labour as equnnlcnt to the prcsint occupation of claims on tlio leads, mid Identify the miner with the ground It was uiged upon us that rights defined hy written regulations form a better protection for mining property than action at tho discretion of the commissioner notwithstanding tho loss In the elasticity of the regulations that would follow the doing away with the discretionary power now imposed for many objects, wc arc of opinion, hiving rignrd to tho large interests now bemg accumiilntcd in the ndv meed prosperity of the gold-fields, th it I the regulations should ann at the substitution of wnttcn rule foi discretional y power in all cases wherein such written i ule is prac- ticable

Some ministerial rower must in any case ho with the com | missioner, or administrative officer, but wc think that any fatm e legislation, whether by Act ot Parliament orof lcgulationa thero under, should carefully distinguish between tho ministerial and jud mai functions And wo further think thnt, even in the tol- mer, thero Bhould bo provision for the officer to bo assisted by assessors, where lie may deem such assistance to bo ncccs«nry, or it may ho demanded The question of official machinery foi gold ililds management will be dealt with furthci on in this I report ! The greatest grievance on tho gold fields lsthcprcscnt constitu- tion of tlio Court of Appeal Ab the law now stands It is pO Bible for nny two Justices oi the Fence, who may oi may not hwe anv sjecmlInowlcdge of the difficult questions which continually nriso, to award away mining property to n value that could not be approached m ony other pursuit by a li«ser tribunal than the Supreme Court

A newly constituted Appeal Courts the first und most urgent necessity for legislation, and tho subject w ill be treated of in our general suggestions to follow Ibero is a dcciro that, in order to picolpita’c discovonc«, prospecting claims should bo freed from all conditions is to labour, nnd that the areas should bo extended, we t Lui li that the ii(,ge»tion might be adopted with advantage the existing regulations as to water-rights ure lnsufiicicnt and crumped in their lonn, they do not provide the necessary pio ttction and facilities for waterworks ona lar^o acilc looking to the continuance of the frontage system for deep ground, no representations were made to us

In fal our of an ex- tension ol the existing area for ordinary alluvial claims Some pcrsoEB have advocated a reduction in the present si?o of such claim«, but in this v cw wc do not concur 1 or claims on quart/ reefs, a committee representing tho quart? minors of tho Tambaroora district recommend an exten- sion in length to -to feet, and m width to 200 yard« We would almost be dispo’cl to allow a greater length, but think that the recommendation of the committee may bo accepted As concerns leading of alluvial tracts, wo do not advise ¡my de- parture from the principle at present obtaining, by w 1 ich such lenses t iken up of right aro restricted to iib indoncd ground

But wc tbuik that thero should be provision fir (.ranting lenses of new ground under exciptional circums’jincis lhefoim of measurements for leased tracts foi quurU mining can, wc think, with advantage, bo amended, so as to allow a w ldtli of 200 yards to he obtained where the applicants may dcsiro it i he rental aad lubour conditions for holding such lcn«cs hnvo been represented to us, tbcono as unduly high, and the othei as oppressive and discouraging to enterprise We do not attach much impoitanco to the question of rental, but the lab lur conditions should, m our opinion, be so ananged as to obviate needless expenditure, whilo guarding against the holding of lut ils foi ‘jeeulitive purposes

There should bo provision for a minimi m ot lubour until tho mine is opened and brought into working condition A scale of two men to the acres would pro- bably give a fair minimum, and the maximum should not exceed oro mau per acre J.ho udoption of this reduced scalo would obi ute the necessity for considering whether tho cost of muibimrv should be computed ns an equivalent to 1 ibour M ith regard to the most desirable machinery for gold-fields administration wc arc of opinion that somo important changos m the preccnt arrmgements uro uigcntly rcquued Upon such Holds as Gulgong and [tambaroora it is most necessary that there should be competent persons holding the conjoined olilccs ot nuning surveyor and rcgi-trar Theo officers should have no judicial nutliont), but would net in nssi tiug tho commissioner, ard generally under his directions, besides performing the duties that may bo laid down by tho regulations, and which should include supervision of underground operations in relation to secunty ol Ute and property

While wo sec no objection to polno mngisliatcs perform ng tile duties of eommisslonor on un- important fields m the neighbouihood of the country towns for which they hold their appointments, wo think, whero tho field ib of itecli ol sufficient importance to possess a town requiring a resident ofllcer that that officer, whether under the numc ot commissioner or warden should bo an officer attached to the department of the Ministci lor Lands this ofllcci could perlorm the duties of police mut,id trate, but our object ia to cxpre«s our senso of the necessity for his bung a gold Hilda olliccr, having the quaitlications fir gold fields duties, and liable to tcmoial from place to pine nB circumstances may require Formerly tbc duties of polico magistrates wera attached to the gold commissioners, and the nrruni cment worked very well Um ing now offered our opinion as to the officers needed upon the moie important fields, w

e como to consider the dip titmcntul nriniitemcnts necessnry for the efficient working of tbo service AVc think that, tor the interests of the goldfields and of the coloiy gcnei ully, there Bhould bo n principal mimiig surveyor attached to the r’cpnrlment of the Surveyor-General, who should be a gentleman of both scientific and prnctic ii knowledge It would be his duty to instruct the mining survcyois upon tho fields, and direct the compilation ol gold-fields maps und collec- tion of teolo¡,icnl and practical information which would be avuilablc to the public,in Sydney nnd at tho chief centres of populatitn

There uro many non judicial matters in which it is desirable that local commissioners should aot under tho guitlincc ol a superior officer, and thero must be a channel through which tho direc- tions ol the Minister can b« conveyed to tho local officers Supervision by visit« from a superior officer are fie qumtl} highly advantageous ior these reason*, wo think it ae«lrable that thcra should bo one administrativo officer placed nt the head of this sub-dcpaitmcnf attached to the Secretary for I nnds, undci the designation of chief commissioner Mines othor than gold, with the exception of coal, might bo Included m tho chai gc of thib officer His head-quarters would bo in Sydncv, and he would therefore be available for advising tho Ministci in mining matters

In offering this recommendation, we are) not insensible of the inconvenience likoly to arise from dping away with tho district (,old fields offices, especially the Wcstcin, nt which there is lurge business, most of which would havo to bo brought to Sidney If, however, it be thought better, instead of establishing a bead oftlco in eydncv, to letain tho present offices of commifasionorfl in charge of tho divisions ef the gold-fields, north, west, and south, the administration under the Minister for Landa could ho carried on bj tbo=o officers, who should hovea distinct authority ovei tho local officers in their respectivo divisions

In that case the sci-n tiflc offlco proposed to bo attaohed to tho 8urvcyor-Gencral would bo for purposes of compilation and information only Further, this quctlion will bo atrectcd by considerations respecting tlio constitution of the court of appeal, on which wc arc now about to enter .

The court of appeal, in our view, should bo constituted of a jury of four mincis, selected upon somewhat the samo plan by which special jurors are obtained Tho presidency of thooonrt lies between cither judges of mines specially appointed district court judges charged with tho additional duty, or tho commis- sioners in chnrge of the general district» above mentioned The first proposition would Involve a large expenso The second would have the disadvantage of dolajing important w orkB until the period of sitting could bo reached. V o arc disposel to pretor tho last ulternativo The piesidents or chairmen would be offi- cers having a largo knowledge of gold mming matters, and would nccessailly he gentlemen of grctt maglbtiriutcxperience

From our com ersntions w ith miners wo behovo that such a court would giyo satisfaction lhere should bo a further appeal to tho buprimc Court, cither in the usual manner or by a case Btatc 1 1 he regulations generally require recasting, and a tcrations in many minor pointa beyond »lioso above mentioned We think thnt for this purpose it would be well to obtum the nssistanco of persons conversant with mining who may be qualified to rendel it

In dealing with the question of communication with Mudgee aud its adjacent gold-fields, wo aro under some difficulty in the . absence ot knowledge as to the general policy likely to be adopted | f or the internal communication of the oolony Tho Mudfjcoltoud is now in toleinblo order , there arc between the”station and Mudgee thirty seven mile’s metalled, which have remained good during the late sevore scaaons , much of tho ro roiiirjder is cleared and drained, and parts graded and culv cried, as per statement in appendix I, but twenty-six miles of metalling aro urgmtly required beforo the next wet Bcason, nt a cost of £22,000, and there will then bo unmetallcd nlno miles of tolerably good natural road, which for «omo time can be travelled in thç wettest seasons Tho amount annually granted for tins load-BowenfolB to Mudgee, eighty miles lor some years has been £50 per milo, or ¿HOO a year A special grant of £5000 was mado in 1870, and for tho last two years £3100 was expended, in adianco of tolls to bo col- lected-the total expenditure slnco 1857 between Bowcnfclls and the municipal boundary, bemg about £53,000

The value of tho works now remaining from this expenditure, as shown in appendix, amounts to £42,000, leaving a balnnco of £17,000, which, divided over the fourteen j cars, would glvo an expenditure of £10 10s per mile per annum, for the malntonanoo of tho finished rond and the construction of temporary works for keeping passable tho remaining portion, Having regard to the commercial importance ot Mudgee and the surrounding gold fields, and the necessity foi keeping open the communication, which would bo almost closed should a v t winter occur-nnd bear ng in mind that, leven ii a railway vue commenced nt once, it could not bo completed for thicc jo ,s-wc have nD hesitation in recommending that a sum of £2’ JUO be a » Mr Johnson wishes it to be understood that he abstains from offering nn opinion respecting the administrative arrange- ment*.

I once placed at the disposal ot the engineer for roads, so as to prccludo tho possibility of an interruption to truffle, this amount to ho considered an anticipation of the usual subsidy, which should be withheld nntil tbo sarao bo recouped to tho 1 rcasury, the road being maintained during the interim from the proceeds of the toils This wc recommend entirely irre- spective of and apart from the question of rulway comniuni

For a railway the natural surface of tho country along the greater portion of the present line of road is much too steep, and Hie chance oí o better line nt nny distance to the right or left is restricted as far as the Crown Bidge to the west tide of the existing road, the deep valley of Capertee cutting oft ill access on the cast side , , , , . ,.

The grades on Chorrj tree Hill may be cased by going to the kit ol the road at Bound Swamp, and hy crossing thcpicsent line and keeping np tho villey of tho Bunning Stream, and theneo over towards Bylstone, to get more open ground foi the descent to tho Cudgegong I rom llylstono to Mudgco tho difficulties, though considerable, arc not so great as on the route of the present road, Aaron’s IVs being neaily impracticable for a r lilwnj, and the country from Cudgegong to Mullamuddy Creek requiring cxpensivo works, on account of the Bhort undula- tions

It is impossible to estimate the cost of a railway on this i onto without detailed Burvcvs, but wo aro convinced that when a line is being constructed, all other things being cquil, and taking into account the cost of on entirely now plant of rolling stock, and shops, machinery, and appliances for repairs of the same, either at Wallerawang or Mudgee, the difference between a Uno on a 3 feet 6 inch gauge and a light extension of tho present gaugo will, if nny, be to small as not to justify tho expense of transhipment of goods and live stock at tho junction estimated at IcaBtas adding ten miles, or 12 5 per cent to the distance Woro thcpioposcdlino to Mudgee several hundred milos in length, and not connected or likely to ho connected, w uh any system of railwavs, the question of a 3 feet G inch gauge might then be worthy ol’ consideration, and oven then only ot consider ation, as it must be recollected that n0 3 feet 6 inch ralwayfor heavy tiofUc has yet been made with such grades as those on the Blue Mountain line, and kicpmg down the grades as dono in Queensland, lengthens the tracic very ranch, and in a difficult counlrj muBt increase the works lhere is much miBapprohcnsion on the re lain e cost of lines on different pnuges, and on the cheap- ness of American railw ays, nil tho coll itérai saving made In con- structing cheap lincB on tho narrow gauge is attributed entirely to the reduction in gauge …. , , .

Much stress is laid on a 3 lect 6 inch line being cheaper milo for mile, but it has not been pointed out that in a difficult eountrj the length of tht had pieces of line will bo as 30 to M, tho piopor tionsol the equivalent grades, so that, to mako the change an e conomy, ov er thobc places five miles of the narrow must cost less than three of the wider gaufce The same fallacy cviBts in many cases w ith refei enco to the cost of American railways, where the difficulties have been evaded by lengthening the line, for which there wu-i frequent!) u further inducement m tilt subsidy in land or moncj allow ed per mile of Uno generally I ho cost of American railw bj a has been understated, as, though first cost per milo may be low, the maintenance for several yenis is very hcay, amount- ing frequently to reconstruction, 60 that Ihcical cost of the lino is greater than ii mado substantially in the first instance 1 hough the e lgencies of tho constiuctlng companies may render this cutirte ncces-nn, it does not follow that, w hen lines are being corstructed hy the Government ol a country, such a course is either necessary or economical

It is stated on good authority thet the outlay upon ordi- när) Arrencan huts has been lrom £8700 up to £15,000 per mile, almost invariably on Einglc lines with earthworks for the most pait of a very simple character, with the timber foi sleepeis obtained from the road side, no fish-plates, scared) any aitilicial drains, v ci y imperfect if any ballasting until after the lines have been opened (which has in many cases led to senous injury to the inila and to accidents), “with wooden temporär) sta- tions, and the lind for the same freely given by the owners, without tunnelling, and w |th bridges and viaducts on timber piles, and with the cost of working moio than double tho late per Hain mile in Lngland Hie above figures, of course, do not refer to lines over unoccu- pied prairie countr) , whero there aro no earthworks, bridges, drums, fences, or station buildings, nor an) land to p ly for Hie adoption of the 3 feet 3 Inch gaugo by the Indian Govern- ment is very much re’ied on as an argument in favour of reduction of gauge, but it should be recollected that thoro tho existing gauge was 5 feet 6 niches, and that there aro 10,000 miles of sub- sidiary lines proposed on the nanow (3 icet 3 inches) gauge, and it ma) be mentioned that several miles of a line on a 1 feet gauge have been taken np and relaid to the regular gaugo, after a hoax y sacrifice of rolling-stock and peimanent way Mr Molesworth, the Lngmcer-in Chief foi Railways and I ublic Works for Ceylon, a rrum of recognised ability anil stand- ing in the profession, concludes a report on tho Fcstiniog ltailwa), with reference to a prcciocly similai case ia tho extension to Mudgee, by stating-”

I nm stronglv of opinion thatieioinin rolling stock is much more required than in gauge, and 1 think it would be well, when any gauge has been once adopted in a country, to seo how far it may be possible, by means ol modern npp lances for passing round curves by engin.es speciall) designed foi low speed and by light rolling Btock, to sccuic tho ndvantuges of ft light railway without having recourse to a break of gauge “ Though the distance from V allerawnng to Mudgee by road is but seventy-two miles, the length of railway cannot bo estimated at Ices thin eighty miles, in consequence of tlio necessity for lengthening the lino to oicrcomc the steep inclinations of the eoiu tr) with grades of even one m Hurt) , and presuming, for purposes of argument, that a line could be mado without station buildings and m the cheapest possible way for £5000 a mile Uiotie,h we do not assoit that it could be-tho minimum cost would then bo £400,000, and the very shortest tune tho line could be made in would be three vcars lho leccipts at the Wallerawang station for the twelve months ending Sith September, 1871, exclusive of freight on plant, i.c , for extensions, haicbeen Passengers, 8190 £8,151 0 0 Goods, 7788 tons 14,000 0 0 £22,151 0 0 It is vet) unlikely any permanent increase would arise, even if the îailw ly weic mado to Mudgee, as this includes all the goods ud pisEinger trrflic to Gulgong, but, n’snming that all this traffic vas conveyed the whole eighty mik«, tho receipts would be 8100 pafsenjrcrs, nt£l £3 190 0 0 7788 lons ol goods, tit Cd per ton pel mile lJ,17fi 0 O £23,760 0 0 50 per cent deducted for working expenses 11,883 0 0 would IcftTC £11,083 0 0 no the net receipts Deducting the proposed outlay on the roid from the assumed cost of rulway would leave £3*5,000 as the net cost, the interest on which would bo £18,750, so that the receipts must be supplemented by £8807 innually to pay j per tent interest on cost of construction, and thi3 under tho most ia. o ai able circumstances possible-assuming tho vet y lowest co>-t of construction, a very high proportion of goods and passen- gers at present rates, and at the mean rato of working expenses, which in all probability would be much higher It will be seen that, m the estimate for the railway, the rates aEsumcd for pas cngers arc about present rates on ro id, and foi fcoodBl7s Cd per ton less than present road rates, so that the annual saving on cairiagoby construction of tht railway would be £0301 Having given tho mo6t careful consideration to tho question of lailwa) communication to Mudgee, wo uro of opinion that if an) lines oft the main trunk routes uro to be .undertaken by tho Government the claims of tho Mudgeo district, m respecto! popu 1 mon and produce, and tho commercial prospcotsof a railway, arc superior to those of any other province , yet wo do not reel justified in advising the construction of such a line, becauso it would not form part of a general design of railways tor the colony, into whioh Mudgeo as well as other country now un- opened, by cither rail oi rind, might be taken. It may fmther he horne m mimi, when tho road works pi oposcd aro complete, it ib not at all lmpi obablc that traction engines, now being rapidly brought into use on the ordinary roadB in England, may be made avail iblc on the road V allcraw mg to Mudgee, and the cost of haulage at all BcnEons bo reduced to the ordinal) lau wa) rates With refciencc to the roads between Mudgee, Gulgong, nnd Tambaroora, and Bathurst and Tambaroora, the road to Gulgong from Mudgee and S)dnc) is common to the Mudgee and Welling- ton and Mudgee and Dubbo roads for sc cn andu half miles to Slashers Hat, Gulgong can also bo reached hy the road from Mudgee to Denison Town, tho former ia the bettor, hav ing no lulls or very bad ground, but it is subject to interruption at slasher’s Fl it by the tlo«ds of the Cudgegong It is recommended that the vote for the Mudgee and Dubbo roud for 1872 be antici- pated, and placed at the disposal ot the road department, to do on) urgent works on road from Mudgee to Slasher’s Tlat, and that a special sum of £100 be placed at the disposal of the depart- ment, to clear, drain, and otherwise improbo the road from Slasher s 1 lat to Gulgong, and, in order to obviate the inconve- nience felt in and about Gulgong, and to prevent dangeious acci- dents, it is also recommended that a sum of £150 bo placed at the disposal of the police magistrate and some trustees, to HU shatts and remove obstructive timber on the numerous approaches to the town It mi(, it also be advisable to place a sam of £1200 on the Tstl mn’rs for a bridge nt Slasher’s 1 lat, which lus boen lequircdfor some time, as many hies have been lost there 1 hose amounts will, it is considered, meet all present require- ments between Mudgco end Gulgong, but must be suppltmei ted should a further accession of population or a wet winter occur. Ihciouto to Tambaroora opciiB a larger question Ihe neces- sity for a better and moro direct route between Muiigoe and Bathurst li is long been felt, and tbo proximate opening ot the lailway to Bathurst eivesitiiuthei îninoitance irrespective afthc gold workings at Hill Tnd, so that any cpenditin c fsi local pur- poses should bo made to conduce to the formation oi the through louto as much as possible At prcEcnt the trafile route to Tambaroora from Sydney is via Vt nile ra wang to I uhriibucca, forty mil’”) by the “Mudgee Bond, and thentc by a ridge ro id, via G button’s 040 acres and Sally’s 1 lat to lamburoora, thirty ono miles over an unformed mountain track, on vi hich there has been little or no expeiulitui e lho Trinbaroora people havo found this the best rood, and aro nnious for its improvement, because thoy have hitherto con- sidered Bathurst inaccessible, which it certainly is for wheels hy the piesent direct route, and nearly so hy the Monkey Hill line, on which n great proportion of the wholo traffic is carried, chiefly forufcc and brcadstuffs , but from the reports of tho road supenn tendent who has been mEtructcd to examino tho line via Bruin- bun to Winburndale Clock, we have somo hopes that on further examination a practicable hne will bo found in that direction to Bathurst, this would red ice the distance from Bathurst to Tam- baroora to about thn ty-flvt miles, in lieu of the present route % ia .Monkey Hill, nbout forty six miles, and on it tho wholo ot tho ‘ Hill 1 nd and lambaroorn traffic could bo conveyed from Bathurst and the railway terminus, nnd when tho road from fambaioora to Mudgee is in better oilier, and we now rccommeud that it should receive a larger share of public mono), communication bctw e en Bathurst and Mudgee w ould be considerably improx ed lucilities would nlso bo afforded for the cartage of the nuait/, S.C , to the mer, to which no doubt many of the crushing cstab lishnicnts would ho rcmov ed if a good road existed I ending these improvements, and tho opening of the railway the load lrom lambaroorn to Sally’s Flat should receive a larger grant than it has done, to provent the grout mercase in ti anio milking it impassable f As the town of Hill Tnd ma) bo considered more permanent than moBt gold fields’ towns, it is hoped that a municipality may before lone, he established, to includo Hill Lnd and Tambaroora, but to meet immediate wants wo aro inclined to recommend that the Gov crnment should supplement each £1 collected for the iin- ji ovement of the streets at Hill lind hy £2, the metalling oí tho permanent street through the town la absolutely necessary, and will cost £300, to which, under this arrangement, wo propoEo the Government should contnbuto £200 W’o rccommond further that, the road from Tambaroora to Hill End should bo rated as flrBt class, nnd that in addition any local subscription should bo supplemented in likt manner With refcrenco to the water supply, tho time at our disposal ia is too limited to enter ipto the detail we should wish and that the suljcct irquircs Water is much wanted at Gulgong and lnra baroora, both for gold “Hashing and domestic purposes; and at theiormor placo conEldeiable privation, illness, and retardation of work aro likely to uriso from want of it The country at Gulgong, though undulating, is generally low, and when thero is any interval without rain, is very dry, tho soil being non rctontiv c both on the uplands and creeks, bo dry as to hmt hitherto prevented tho oocupation of tho country for agricultural purposes The present source of supply both fer mining and domcBtio uses is chiefly irom Bredv Oeek, supplemented when the rainfall pei mit« T> ‘«mi i >, i nfi -o in tho best positions oloso to tho town The consumption for dm. S le p nio»ui Is roughly estimated nt Ij.OUO g illonB ptr diem, nr-J lit t i ty puddling maohlncs if it full voik would rcq tim each lo.uuJ r iloaa per day, oi a total oí 300,000 gallons ‘o gold-washing alone At Bcedy Creek thero were eight puddling n actiines and two pumps for the town supply, which is ohiofl) oorl d thencu three miles It costs from Is. 6d to 2s a cask, and from 180 to 200 casks per day, cr say 12,000 (allons oro delivered at a I cost of about £15 per day, or ncaily MOO » month, for domestic uso only, from this ono som co The waterhole supplying thcso demanda contained approximately 2,100,000 gallons, and was receiving from the stream above about 70,000 gallons per diem The present Budy Creek supply ia by no moans to bo iclicil on, as it ceases running for many months in dry seasons For domestic purposes, it is doubtful if the usual gold-Held expe- dient of oh’nimng water from nb indoned shafts will answer here, ns wc wcic informed that tn most mstanccs they do not retain tho watci, which seems to percolate into tue substrata If tlic statements as to the running witei In the cavernoui opening in ti c limestone Bubstrata are to be relied on, it might bo found advisable to pump from the subterranean stream, but no definite information can be obtained on this point until tho com- pletion of a ventilating Bhaft now bring put down, the foul ail in the original shaft preventing inspection two proposals have been mado for the supply ot water by § invitation to Gulgong The ftrfet, for which permission has ecn obtained and a water right taken out, is to cut eight miles of laco from Reedy Cicek near Mi Chapel’s cngino to a rcervoir on tho Hats near Gulgong, tho raco to have a sectional nrcn of tw elv c and one third fLDt, to bo capable of carrying if full twenty million gallons per diem, with u f ill of tour feet per milo, flic reservoir is roughly estimated to contain, with a dam fifteen feet high, tw mtv million gallons, oi, excluding evaporation and absorption, sixty days’ supply for the puddling machines and domestic purposes While this project, if well catnod out, might yuld a handsome rcvenuo to ita promoters and augment to a most desirable extent tho present supply during ordinary seasons, it would hardly be safo to rely on it solely for the Biipply in droughts, ns in tho flist place Keedy Creek at the point where it ia proposed to take off the race frequently stops running for montha It was discharglrg about 30 0(10 galfonB per diem from a catchment oX 220 square miles, during the CommiESioneis’ visit With due consideration to the priority of occupation by the parties down stream, the water could only bo withdrawn in lresbcs, which only occur at long intervals and for short periods, so that, even if tho reservoir were full, quite half ita oontcntat would disappcu by evaporation and absorption in the dry months, so that littlemore than thirty days’ supply could bo de- pended on Tho greatest quantity of water to ho obtained from this catch- ment, during njiar of excessive drought, could not bo estimated at more than one fourth of the whole rainfall, thirteen inches, * and a very small proportion of this could be forced into tho raco, and that quantity would stiller a further diminution of 15 to 20 per cent during tianslt Vi o haTO not seen, nor nrc wc in a position to give, any reliable estimate of the cost of this scheme, but the worka proposed aro simple nnd feasible, and if tho projectors determine on carrying: them out every possible facility should be given, butwc could not recommend tlio grant of a Bubsuly or oxclusiv e right to Buppljr Gulgong Tho regulations however, should be so amended as to givcnmplo protection to the property in the water, and to dis- tinctly provide the right of the disposal to the public It has also ¡jeen proposed to pump, by a Btcam-engino from Keedy Creek to the tow n, n distance of three miles, and with a pro- bable dlflerencc of level of 140 feet This proposal would involves largo outlay, and moro compile itcd work, the engine and pipes alone would cost about £4 00, and a storage reservoir should bo provided to guard against droughts Ibis would require almost ne grout an expenditure for a race and dams as tho first named scheme, ns no one would proposo to pump into a storngo reser- voir, involving thocoBt of raising water to be absorbed lind eva- porated m addition to that consumed The third scheme proposed is to convey water from the Cudge- gong at some point above Mndgcc , and as tho minimum flow of this race must not bo reduced, this plan would also necessitate an intermediate Btornge reservoir. It was- proposed to get up nn as- sociation m Sydney for this purpose, but no steps have yet been taken to carry out the project lho Cudgegong above Mudgee unwatcrs 483 sqaartf miles, which, with a minimum rainfall of thirteen inches, as observed nnd furnished to the Commission by Mr G II Cox, would givo a probable discharge of 18,000 000 O00 gallons a ye ir Thus, tho quantity at present required for Gulgong could bo easily supplied from this source, with nil necessary additions for evaporation and absorption cn route It is a question for survey as to whether a reservoir for this pui-poEe should be higher up tho liver or imtcrmcduitc between Gulgong and Mudgee I he Inghci reservoir would invelvo gi enter expenditure for races, but might cconomi o in tho pur- chase Of land and afford greater facilities for construction and storage, and also a greater commaud of country Though wo arc not at present prepared to recommend tho Coi eminent to undertake works of water supply to tho gold- fields, weare so impressed with the advantages which would bo derived from a roll conceived plan economically designed and carried out and it is so absolutely necessary to the success and extension ol the gold-fields in this district, that wo would advis« the Government to hnvo accurate surveys made of both the above projects and any other feasible means of Bupply which might bp pointed out, and also estimates of cost of same with works of the» same charactci as have been so successfully carried out on a larga scnle in California, and to some extent by pi lvato enterprise la the colonies TIioeo estimates and plans could be placed at tlio disposal of persons proposing to undci take the supply, and they mifcht ultimately form the basis of an arrangement with a com pnny to carry out tho works, any concessions to whom ahould bo conditional on the proper execution of tho work and maintenance» ot tho supply pioposed At Gulgong thero docs not appear to bo anj ground to which ground sluicing could bo properly applied On account of the great elevation of Hill Tnd, the choice o£ sites for a gravitating water supply js cry much restricted, thtj area lying above tho town being eo small Ills i cry difficult to estimate the quautity of water roquircd here cither for domestic or mining purposes, but the domestic» requirements might be put at about 10,000 gallons per dlcm, and ns the number of stamphcads nt work is 51, the water required for them w ould bo 4000 gallons, ora total of 14,000 gallons pee diem The old shafts are more availablo for house supply hero than at Gulgong, and the strata generally more retentive and wator benring, the rainfall is alRo probably much in excess of, and more eienly distributed, than at Gulgong, on account of tho greater elevation ‘T” lhere ib no river or stream of suffield« height to make it available without pumping, but two or three sites for reservoirs havo been proposed, the mobt eligible of which is high up on the ^ ravine unvvatenng tho northern slopo of tho Bald Hill Into this an area ot about 300 acres can be mado to drain, and by at dum 38 feet m height on the upper sido tho water could bo re- tained at a height to gravitato to nil but tho very highest parta of the town While wo consider tho execution of this work an absoluto necessity it Hill 1 nil is to continue to increase, it is too local in character to reemo moro than a subsidy in nid of any amount tho municipnlit}, or inhabitants m the absence of such body, ma} bo uispnsul to ixpend on it, but ab at Gulgong, wc think it advisable tho Government should havo a careful sun ey and estimate made for tho guidance either of tho municipality or persona disposed to undertake it as a spécula- tion lor golc, washing purpose« there nre several largo dams owned b} Messrs Chapel, Bullen, and others Thoso gcntlomen complain that the penalty for infringing their rights ¡b insuffi- cient IVhatcvcr alteration in the regulation is necessary Bhould bemnde to meet the case, as enterprise of this sort deserves every cncourngcincit Should a demand tor further crushing power arise at Hill End, it Is possiblo that on the opening of the road to the Turon much of tho crushing will be dono near the nvci, where the water is so abundant Indeed the present arrangements for conveyance of * quart/ at Hill Lnd are of the must primitivo character, and wita. a little mutual co-operation could, with great advantngo, bo re- placed cither with a wire tramway or narrow gaugo railway. The saving in a viry short time would no doubt ropay the whole cnpital of Buoh an undertaking Our attention was called at Gulgong to tho necessity for bring- ing the town undei tho lownB Police Act, ; Victoria No 2 This wo think to be very dcsirablo It was also urged that Gulgong Bhould be made tbo plnco of nomination for tho Western Gold- fields electorate, hut we regarded the question as being without our province It waa rcpicsented to us that there is a very in conv cnient delny in tho delivery of the Sydney mails, which do not reach Gulgong until about 10 am of tho morning iollowinR Hie day of their arru al In Mudgee, w hilo newspapers aro brought out byprnato coaches, and urnvo at b p m of the samo day. lho lnifeo and important commercial concspondonco of Gulgong appear« to us to require a change in this part of tho mail arrange- ments Tho following subjects were brought under our notico by aomo icsidcnts of Mudgee -1 That Mudgee m ty be mado an assizo town, 2 That Mudgee receive additional representatives 8. fhat tho cnttro polico district of Mudteo be converted in ono inumcipabty ,4 1 hat a Burvey bo made of the district of Mudgee, showing the auriferous Government lund from that of private property-there bung many old giantB in tho diBtnot abounding; in gold that hav c nov cr been surveyed ,5 I hat miners bo allowed to dig on privnto land, by paying u tun remuneration-suoh re- muneration to bo decided by arbitration With the exception of Is o 4, wcconsidir tho subjeota without the scope of our inquiry A gener ii Burvoy of tho auriferous Crown lands of the distriot would involve a greater expenditure than we could recommend, and also involvoa classification of auriferous and unauriferous lands-a question beyond the pro i Ince of an ordinary surveyor Howovcr, as the greater part of tho alienated lands of this district aro comprised in old grants, the making of which has probably becomo obliterated through ngc, wc consider that recommendations proceeding from thn gold commiBsioncr for tho re establishment of boundariis In tho iicinity of cither actual workings or localities in which bonafldo prospecting may be obstructed by reason of apprchendod tiespaes, should meet with attention, and the boundary Unca bo marked by tho local surveyor Tlio follow Ing minor requirements wcio suggested for our con sidciationby tho committeo representing the Tambaroora real- , dents -Hie necessity for a court house and alBO alojt-up at Hill J nil 2 rho establishment of n District Court 3 lho necessity for n powder mnga/ino 1 rho necessity for a proper, post-offlco and nn official post-master at Uilll.nd 5 folographio communication 8 l’ollco requirements It appears that three-fourths of tho business now transacted at the police office at Tambaroora comos from Hill End, a dlstanoo of 2 “6 miles, and tho same remark would apply to the gold-flolds business A look up will bo required at Hill End, and wo think that it would bo well to have also an inexpensive court-house and gold offlco to which tho lock-up could bo attached, and wherein the commissioner and polico magiBtrato could hold court, and transact business on alternate days The business pcop c represent the necessity for a district court, nnd the great inconv cnicncc and expense to w hich they aro pat in inking their cases to ¡Bathurst Fiom what wo could loora ** there would be many cases tried in such a court. It ia most urgently necessary for tho safety of lifo and property that a powder magazine bo at once established The estimated cost, to hold ten tons, ia £100 It might be taken charge of by the police The residents aro willing to pay a rato of Id por keg; pel week, which would almoBt pay a keeper Tho present post offico is quito inadequate for the requ’re ments, and insecure, we find thnt so many us 3Ga letters havo been stamped for one mall There should bo erected without delay a sutllolcnt post-office, and an offiiial postmaster is moro incited at Hill Fud tliun at Tambaroora, whore, we aro informed, theio is kow such as officer ** rho telegraphic communication w ith Hill End ia very largo nnd important, and wo would recommend that tho present in Btrununt bo replaced by one communicating diroct to Sydney. With regard to polico, tho residents ask for tho addition of ono mounted constable, whom they would expect to bo useful in coso of emergency, and who could ccort persons with large quanti- ties of gold to tbo escort station at lambaroora. Wo think that this application is reasonable The pressing requirements of oni rcspcotivo dopartroonta havo prevented us from giving to the details of tho nuraoroua sub- jects comprehended In our commission the full examination that wc could havo desired. and, as regards tho gold-fiolds, although, wc bai e necessarily entered into tho questions that were brought to our notice, wo have been aware that tho Govornment was about to como nto possession of an exhaustivo report from tbo late Koyn! Commission P. F. Arums. IlAnoí.D M. CUAN. WlUTTHtODALK JOHNSON. WrLLrAM C. Bkkhett. –