WAIKAKA.

(From our oion Correspondent.)

I made a mistake in my last by saying that Mr Lyndon was the head of Simson and party's claim. I believe Mr Simson is the prospector, and another party, James Shepherd. It was Simson that sold a third share.

Messrs Lynn and Aiston are working a claim in the gully commonly known as the Miser's, with, 1 believe, satisfactory results.

I visited Messrs Barbary and Evans's claim during the week, and. am indebted to Mr George Evans for his kindness in giving me any information I wanted. The main tunnel is about six hundred feet long, commencing at the Big Waikaka side of the hill. It passes through the hill, and is continued on by tramway to where the race comes in from the Little Waikaka, in all about 1200 feet. They have cross drives in to the extent of 2000 or 3000 feet, which has thoroughly proved the ground, aud as they intend to commence blocking out, it will take them at least seven years to finish ; and considering that they can put through from 14 to 16 loads per day which has been proved to average half a pennyweight to the load, I consider they have got, as far as has been proved, if not the richest, the most systematically worked claim on the Waikaka.

Ward and party are at a stand-still. They are down about 87 feet ; but the water provokingly increases as they get deeper. They send up sixty gallons of water to half a bucket of washdirt. Mr Barclay, one of the shareholders, is on a visit to Mafcaura, and his partners are " spelling," waiting for his return, which was to have been a week ago.

Jowett and party are down about 30 feet. They would have bottomed, only Mr Jowett has been very unwell for the last ten days.

Wilson and Co., the Chinese, &c, are working away with the same success.

BurneLt and Pacey, amalgamated claim, have, with about 70 feet of tunnelling, struck what they believe to be the anxiously looked for lead. I visited the claim, and from the prospects I saw washed, I consider they have a good wages claim, that will last them for a year or more to come. The wash is about three feet thick ; and as the greater portion of the Company have been cutting the race hi (which they expect to finish in three or four days), I consider they are very lucky fellows.

Gillfoy and party are on the same lead, with equal success.

Campbell and Sutherland are the original prospectors of the lead, and have been on it for some time, but keep it very quiet. They are working their claim upon the same system as Messrs Barclay and Evans. Mr Sutherland informed me that he and his mate put through 30 truck loads in eight hours, which yielded half a pennyweight to the truck load, with every appearance of it continuing. They deserve success, as they have stuck to the ground with poor success for the last twelve or eighteen months. Three or four other claims have .been marked out on the same spur, the parties being very sanguine of the lead extending for some distance along the spur.

O'Shannassy and party are tunnelling in Logan's freehold, and appear to be making a living ; but as they are very reticent about giving information as regards their claim, my surmises are only from report. Business was very dull on the Waikaka last Sunday, and still we had some visitors. Among them I noticed Mr Donald Boyd, from Switzers.

So we are, it appears, <:o lose one of our business men ; and the worst of it is, the one we can least spare. Poor Tom Hunter. A great many will miss him on the Waikaka. He hasn't his equal as an amateur violinist in New Zealand. But storekeeping was out of his line altogether. It is to be hoped that the Waikaka will soon be blessed with a proper business man. To give you an idea of the extortionate" charges made on the Waikaka, a friend of mine was charged and paid for timber at the rate of 32s 6d per 100 feet super., and everything else in proportion. The only blessing we have in the business line is our butcher ; and he is without exception one of the most straightforward honest men I have met in $ew Zealand \ and I can safely say he loses nothing by it, although he has some slight opposition in one of the storekeepers. As I must now conclude, I wish to give a warning to the outside public, and that is, although I believe all those who are now on the Waikaka will make good wages for years to come, yet, considering the small amount of ground that the "V\ aste Lands Board intends reserving for mining purposes, I think the number of diggers now on the field quite sufficient for the quantity of gold likely to be got out of the reserve.