WEST CANTERBURY GOLDFIELDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1504, 7 October 1865, Page 2

WEST CANTERBURY GOLDFIELDS.

(From tht West Coaat Times, Sept. '40.) KANIRRI. Vague and extravagant rumour# from the unknown south have penetrated into every hole and corner of thi# district, un#ettling men'# minis with glowing account# of riche# that are to be had for the mere gathering in those region# ; and although these accounts, when sifted, are unreliable in the extreme, the very fact of #o many being affected by thi# " rushing" fever goes far towards hood-wink-ing others, and tainting them with the same disease. Metaphorically Bpeaking, men's faces are all turned to the south, and their thoughts, as shown by their conversation, dwell incessantly upon this Ultima Thule of the West Coast goldfields. In this district the epidemic is raging fiercely; every one is ready to pack up and be off that can possibly afford to do so ; and should the first accounts that reach us be at all favourable, we anticipate a rush that will nearly depopulate the Kanieri district. Even in that early stage, parties who are working good claims have sent pioneers ahead, to prepare and make ready the way ; and that restlessness and desire for change so peculiar to miners is now fully developed, and promises to be the means of dissipating many an ounce of bright gold hardly earned on the Kanieri. For all this, mining matters there are decidedly flourishing ; the old ground is yielding well, fresh is opening up, and from the visit we paid this district on Thursday last, appearances augur well for its permanency and progress. Any one who ha# taken the trouble to explore the Kanieri Flat, is aware that it is of no slight extent. On the one side it is bounded by the Kanieri terrace, which runs for a long distance nearly in the same direction as ! the river, but edging gradually inland, and on the other by a range which terminates in a steep bluff on the banks of the stream some half a mile above the town, and which gradually draws nearer to the terrace as it is followed inland, until a distance of about two hundred yards separates them, which may be put down as the average width of the fiat afterwards. The fiat between, after running for a mile or two in the direc tion of the terrace, turns towards the river, and once more joins it abont two miles further on. This formation would naturally lead one to suppose that at some former period the Kanieri river had run down there, and that the portions of the flat proved to be auriferous may, at one time, have been likelylooking beaches of the ancient river-bed. This theory is feasible enough if the strata already gone through be examined, for everywhere river and lake action is perceptible. All over the flat, from four to sixteen feet of clayey sediment, full of timber in every stage of decomposition, lies on the top of a heavy drift, that is in some places auriferous close to the surface loam, but in others several feet of it have to be gone through ere a payable | layer of gravel is reached. The fact of the gold in this drift being found at different depths, shows how often the river-bed must have changed its position, and some concepj tion may be formed of the power of the ! former stream by examining the huge smooth-washed boulders that are daily brought to light by the pick of the indefatigable miner. The presence of the claycy sediment may be accounted for, by supposing that the water of the river was once obstructed in its outflow, or ran at a much higher level than at present, thus forming lakes in all those indentations of the ranges that are now flats, and which gradually became filled up by sediment and deposits of timber and vegetable matter washed there by eddies of the river, then running close under the opposite range. In such an unctuous soil as this would make, the growth of vegetation would be almost spontaneous, and in a very short period those bare, dreary-looking newly-formed flats would be clothed by nature with a rank luxuriant undergrowth, and. later, ornamented by the same beautiful hand with those stately f«rest trees which are now condemned as a nuisance, but which hereafter will be a source of wealth to generations that Bhall succeed us. When the Kanieri flat was first rushed the ground was taken up for some distance along it, and many holes and paddocks were sunk in what was afterwards left as duffer ground, the then holders objecting to work for mere tucker, preferring rather to shift their quarters and solicit fortune elsewhere. During the past fortnight, however, a very considerable accession to our population has taken place from other provinces and colonies, and the result is that many of the new comers have been indnced. through the established reputation of the Kanieri as a gold-producing district, and their own impecuniosity to set in here and be content for the present to make that tucker which was scornfully rejected by their predecessors, and moreover give the outside of the flat a thorough prospecting. We certainly anticipate very favourable results from this new rush on old ground. From our own observations, we believe that there are two distinct runs of gold in this fiat, commencing where it begins to widen out, but both running out of a patchy lead that will be traced up what we choose to consider as the old bed of the Kanieri river ; for, although the area of ground enclosed by the terrace and range is really one flat, it is by the miners considered as two, being intersected by a narrow ridge that has no connection with either, but rise# suddenly out of the fiat, and extends to the river and creek which runs on the south side of it, and extends along the flat beyond where the spur end#, thus forming a line on each side of which is situated the old workings of the Kanieri flat, and the new ones in Commissioner's. Between the two there is at present no connection-, both are good, but the latter are both deep and wet, and the inequality of the depth of the ground between them, and its poverty, induces us to suppose that the gold found In Commissioner's ia another lead altogether, which will be traced down by the camp to its junction with the old lead immediately in front of the Kanieri township, in thoso claims now occupied by Townsend, and I lan-Ices and party. Machinery, however, will be required to thorou.hly work this lead. Most undoubtedly it is no poor man's diggings i and tho parties who first struck gold there, and who cut tail races to drain the giound, and have steadily stuck to it since, are apparently convinced that no ordinary labour will succeed, and are now employed erecting machinery for its efficient working, (ertainly, the introduction of power other than manual is not general, there being only the two parties mentioned in former reports at present engaged in so doing, of these Grant and party ait '•Hiding a water-wheel, R „d providing they can get sufficient water, which they say they can at all times, except there should be a long spell of dry weather, we have not the slightest doubt but it will be a success.

The wheel It«e!f will bo an overshot, nine feet •ix Inchea In diameter; it Is to be so fixso that the top will bo level with the surface, and will drive two large Callfornlan pumps that will have to lift the water twelve feet. The head race cut by thin party U finished, the water being within one hundred yards of the claim, and a line of flumlng l» »" » now required to bring It right on to the wheel } they expect the work will be completed In a fortnight or so. These men have obtained payable gold, and have every prospect before them of a long Job. Next to them, Hankins and party are at work erecting a horse power to drive their pump* f this la merely a whim reversed, with a single section having a rim round it for tba rope to run in, instead of two connected by batten*, which form the drum of the ordinary whim. Their work i« not above half completed, so we ihall reserve any further note of It until It li flnUhed ; there are ten men in the party, and a hard-working "crowd" thev teem to be. The proipeeti they obtained were very good. Above them, cloier Into the right-hand terrace in going up the flat, are the proapectora and two or three other partie*. Theae are getting gold, and don't appear to be »o troubled with water; neither i« the ground quite «o deep. The flat beyond them has been rushed ft long distance ahead, and many holes are sinking. We heard of nothing having been struck worth mentioning, the prospects that have been obtained not exceeding seven grains to the dish i still, there is plenty of time yet, as the rush only set in » few days ago, and the ground is difficult to test on account of the heavy wash, depth, and wetness. Another week will, we have no doubt, tell • tale about it, and it is to be hoped that this fine-looking flat will not deceive the expectations formed of it. We certainly think if all hands would set in and bale with a will, that the water would soon be broken, for there are twg parties working claims quite by themselves that find they can master it by the aid of 28-feet Californian pumps ; whilst, at a short distance from them there are to be seen paddocks with three or four windlasses over them, deserted on account of the quantity of water to contend against. This certainly would lead to the supposition that the water, like the gold, is patchy. There is nothing fresh to communjcate concerning the old workings. On the terrace itself men are steadily at work, and turning out a good deal of gold. Steele's party, and the claims round them, are paying very well; and the holders of claims round Spurling'a store are doing as well aa ever, their " screw " still keeping up to ten and twelve pounds per week. At the upper end of the old flat the old ground is being re-worked, and the workings extended. The main body of the flat that has proved so good shows no decrease in the yield. In Lyttelion street, the claim that waa once called the Flower of Wheat, is now Barrett and party's, and after all the yarns about it. has proved really payable— 12 oz. 5 dwts. of gold being taken out of a set and a half of timber. M'Grath's claim is yet giving good returns, although the payable ground has not proved so extensive as was at first anticipated. Last week the Ballarat company sold £125 worth of gold for their week's work, and James and party are not far behind them in their weekly average. The expenses of these claims are, however, very heavy, which considerably reduces the nett profits. The claims close to the edge of the river are being more vigorously worked; a number of hired men are employed—the shareholders, doubtless, seeing the necessity of getting the gold out before the heavy snow floods come down. Taking it on the whole, the Kanieri is flourishing, and every succeeding week gives further evidence of its right to the character of a permanent goldfltid. The business people in the township seem inclined to improve and extend their buildings ; trade is slightly improving, most articles remaining firm at former prices.

WAIMEA. Mining affairs in this district generally present a much more lively appearance than they have done for some time past. The township of Waimea, of late so deserted, is now getting quite lively, the number of arrivals being daily on the increase. A very fair proportion of the miners who have arrived by the Melbourne and Dunedin steamers have found their way up here, and appear generally satisfied with the prospects of the district. Numbers of miners returning from the Grey, in various stages of impecuniosity, axe setting in in all directions, and, in most instances, I am happy to say, are getting tolerably well paid. Much of the ground in the vicinity of the township that was abandoned during the rush to the Grey ii now being reoccupied, and worked in a style which proves that the present holders are men of the right stamp, who will make the ground pay by dint of hard work. Mehan and party having completed their race, are now busily engaged in constructing their dam. This is the largest dam in the district, being upwards of forty-five feet in height, and proportionately strong. The company, consisting of six men, are bringing in five heads of water, intending to groundsluice their dirt, their claim being situated on a terrace where the party have obtained excellent prospects. If the laudable example set by this enterprising company was more widely followed, this already important district would rank second to none on the West Coast. The Ballarat claim, held by Stewart and party, is likewise boing worked in a thoroughly systematic manner. The headrace is completed, and a good face opened. The ground is to be worked by tunnelling : two well-timbered drives are being put in, the whole height of the drives being wash dirt, which is carried in barrows to the head of the sluice boxes. The paddock at the mouth of the tunnel will contain sixty or seventy loads of dirt, which can be put through the boxes in a day. Several months' work have already been expended on this claim, but as the party are now ready for washing, I hope shortly to be enabled to report favourably of the claim. The escort, on Tuesday, took down 2000 oxs of gold, and during the past week the banks have purchased a considerable quantity.