The Argus at KellyGang 30/10/1865
MINING AT MORSE'S CREEK
Report from the warden, dated 30th September last: "There is a good yield of gold for the month, viz., 3,297oz. 10dwt" to a working mining population of 2,804, and as against the last year's return the comparison is favourable, notwithstanding our unfortunately dry winter. The quartz gold yield is 788oz. 10dwt. to 220 working quartz miners. On our 'deep lead' the Morse's Creek (or Township) Company's claims have been proved to be exceedingly rich, but all work is now suspended, as the company are fetching from Chiltern much more powerful machinery for their claims. This company has had to contend with a great deal of water.
On the Ovens River the 'deep lead' has not yet been discovered, but at Harrietville, on that river, about eighteen miles Bright, a rich sluicing claim is being worked by one James Manfield, who in one week cleared £65, the 'stripping' being only from three to seven feet, and the gold coarse. "I think there will be a good deal of prospecting this summer towards the head of the Ovens and Buckland Rivers, for quartz, in the country between Harrietville and Crooked River, via Dargo. At present the track is not clear of snow. "
A few, but at present only a few, of our miners are talking of spending the summer months in prospecting the Hokitika and Grey country, west coast, Middle Island of Kew Zealand. "I much fear that there will be a great scarcity of water on the Morse's Creek and Ovens River Gold-fields during the summer months of 1865."
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