the public for carting washdirt, and they are making from 50s to 60s a
day, not bad wages these poor times.  A great deal of ground which twelve
months ago was reckoned too poor to work, is now being worked, and
although not out of the way rich, still men can knock out fair wages; in
fact I believe there are not only thousands of tons of stuff, but millions
of tons that would pay handsomely by working in a wholesale manner.  Of
course this would require capital and machinery, and wells would have to
be sunk and dams made.  The climate for three or four months of the year
is favourable, for work being carried on, and some seasons there is said
to be a fair rainfall.  Last year there was plenty of rain a few miles
from here, but somehow the heaviest showers passed more to the westward of
the conglomerate.  There are one or two men working on a hill to the
right, going up to Grant's Gully, and they are said to have got a good
show of gold in the cement, but the high price you have to pay for
blasting material and the distance from any crushing plant militate
strongly against developing either reefs or lodes.  However, it is to be
hoped some kind Samaritan, with a spare thousand or two to invest, will
look this way some time or another.

At the Four Mile, very little work is being carried on owing to the
scarcity of water.  The reef-owners sank to a depth of about 30 feet, but
were not successful in getting water.  There are said to be a few men
getting gold at what is known as the Granite, about thirty miles from
here, down the river, but no startling finds are reported.

As far as the Ashburton is concerned we are as much in the dark as ever,
but it is to be hoped next mail will bring some news, either good or bad,
about the rush.
The Nullagine, June 25.