WESTLAND.

Press, Volume XI, Issue 1369, 28 March 1867, Page 2

WESTLAND.

TIIE FOX AND PAKIIII DIGGINGS. A correspondent of the " West Coast Times," in a letter dated March 20, says : — After an absence of three weeks I have revisited the Pakihi, and I was much astonished at seeing so many new places of business erected during that brief period. The main street is now very nearly a continuous line of houses, whereas a very short time since there were large gaps here and there covered with scrub. At present Charleston promises to surpass Brighton in size and importance. I am decidedly of opinion that there will always be a larger population here thaii in Brighton, as the Pakihi is more of a poor man's diggings, the gold being far easier procured, and .the sinkiug much shallower. The works at the water race, which a party was about bringing in from the river at a sufficiently high level to command the

flat, were for some reason discontinued for a time, but I hear the shareholders aro about commencing operations again. Tho difficulty of bringing in a., rac« is very great, and the expense would be heavy. Should tho party at present attempting to bring in not do so, I think it would be a firstrate speculation of the townspeople to forma company and bring in a race themselves. No doubt it would pay a handsome percentage on the outlay, and would be the means of largely increasing the trade of the town, as it would give profitable employment to a great many miners. I am assured by many old residents that were water available there would be diggings on the Pakihi flats for years.

The great event of the week has been a bona fide good new rush, situated a few hundred yards to tho rear of Darkies terrace, about one mile from Charleston. The news was kept very quiet for some time, but it gradually became known, and the consequence has been a very large rush of miners. The ground has been pegged out for about two miles three or four claims wide. The prospects obtained are very payable—from one to three grains to the shovel, with from three to five feet of washdirt. The claims already bottomed on gold amount to between twenty and thirty. Many more claims would have been bottomed had it not been for the fact that.the Warden had granted protection for three days (from Monday, the ISth instant, to Wednesday, the 20th instant) on account of St. Patrick's Day. The rush took place on Friday and Saturday, and I believe many of the parties on the ground took advantage of the coming holidays to peg out several claims in order to " lay on " friends at a distance, well knowing that new comers not in the secret would, on seeing the ground pegged, naturally suppose the owners were enjoying themselves, drinking to the memory of St. Patrick. Tho new arrivals are naturally very much exasperated at being so baulked, as the owners of the claims are not obliged to be on the ground during the holidays; but as the protection expires this evening, I expect there will be great disputes and jumping of vacant ground to-morrow. This rush promises to be a good and extensive one, but there is already a much larger number of miners on the ground than there is room for. No water being available for sluicing will be a great drawback; however, the washdirt is rich enough to pay for pumping water. One of the good signs of this rush is the fact that many of the claimholders have erected substantial log huts, and evidently expect to make a long stay. I also observed many parties bringing plush, tubs, and timber to make boxes, in order to commence washing at once. The sinking is only about six or eight feet, and with the exception of a foot of surface, consists of very hard cement, underneath which lies the washdirt. The wash itself is not cemented, but is a brownish sort of sand, which will run through the boxes quickly. After two years extortion the miners are at length enabled to get beef at something less than famine prices; beef is now sold in the Pakihi from 8d to Is per lb. It is not quite so cheap at Brighton, but soon will be I think, as one large cattle dealer has brought about sixty head overland from Greymouth. This very necessary and desirable change is owing to the beneficial effects of opposition, there being now four " knights of the cleaver " established in Charleston.

• St. Patrick's Day passed off very quietly notwithstanding a large amount of pale brandy was consumed in honor of the saint. There were no sports in Brighton, with the exception of any amount of balls in the evening. At Charleston, £100 was subscribed for prizes; and leaping, running, and wrestling were carried on with great spirit until night put a atop to the sports. The wrestling was very well contested, and caused great amusement. In the evening balls were held in some of the hotels.

There have been no fresh discoveries around Fox's, but the terraces continue to yield splendidly. There has been a rumor of gold being found up Fox's river, but I have been so accustomed to hear that " yarn " for the last three months that I do not attach the slightest importance to it.

Some bad characters have made their appearance at Fox's, and several stores on the terraces have been robbed lately. A butcher, when going up the hill at the foot of the White Horse terrace, about eleven o'clock afc night, was stuck up and robbed of two shillings, fortunately the only money he had on him at the time. The police have arrested three men on the charge of highway robbery ; their names are Sydney James, alias Henry Hudson, Thomas Noon, and Thomas Cain.

A boat, with four men in her, upset outside Woodpecker bay. A number of surf boats that were lightering the Bruce were at once off with their crews to the scene of the accident, and succeeded in rescuing the drowning men. The boat was also recovered and towed on chore.

There are rumors very extensively circulated to the effect that good gold has been discovered four miles south of the Buller, and also within a few miles of here, up the Nzal river. No authentic details have reached mc, and I merely mention the matter aa a probably unfounded rumor that ia current.

In consequence of the increasing importance of Charleston, I hear it is the intention of the proprietors of the " Charleston Argus " to bring the plant from the Buller, and print the paper in Charleston, instead-of the Buller as formerly. "Writing again on the next day, he sa\s: — The new rush at the rear of the Darkies terrace is not so extensive as was supposed. The lead has been traced for about three-quarters of a milo. . In general it is only one claim wide, but in some places it extends to two or three. There are several dia-

putoe pending the decision 7;. Warder. • A rent many il u fp o , t!I Q been sunk, but there are m,,,, ilav o claims. n > P^iblo

The llaast.—Late advice* f Haast inform us that the , I ? there is steadily decreasing P , U ° U (loos not number more than' Con " rt * At the North ]Jeach 7 k aro about 100 miners ei mso Xl > are realisms from £:] to 17 ° each man. w Tho Kroundie ;P« week to work, the .inking bein.r c . " lcult only from ton fret to twelve foot' J &H but attempts to find another bott P: a lower level have B ig nn lly failed 1 to the superabundance of S!?5 rushes in from tho sea Tim ■ very "likely-looking" rai»4 "oVi' a terraces about a mile from tho b e ,? and more than one attempt l, a . I ; made to prospect them, b at w" T" trated by the immense qua ll ; water met with at the level of The miners on the South ings are making from £§ to jj: weekly a man, but every attemnt m*f to extend the patch has resulted IT* cessfully. The overland joirnt ! UC ' Otago to Westlaud has been'a,? 1 successfully accomplished, as on tl 16th instant a party of sevon headed by Mr Ihompson, a well k Otago runholder, arrived at lw town from the Dunetan. It appeJJJ from their statement that a paea l,» a ? ing down to the Wannka country etJ' at the head of the Uaaet rivei S being free from snow at this season of the year is comparatively easy t traverse. A Maori, named Jack ah arrived overland from Otago last \v ee l but by a pass at tho head of the Okuri river. Last Wednesday Mr Thompson and two ot his companions left on their return to Otago by the way the* oamo. The " Times " has been in formed by Captain Milander, of tho Star of Tasmania, that immediately previous to his departure from H aast River, very exciting rumors were in circulation concerning a supposed discovery of a new and highly payable country, several miles inland. Thereport was first circulated by a party of diggers who had just arrived at the township, and their tongues becoming loosened under the iuiluence of sundry nobbier*, the secret—if secret it be —leaked out. This state--ment should bo received cum grano salis, but at the same time may be accepted as an indication that pros. pecting is not at a stand still in the far south, from which may be deduced the inference that another and perhaps more profitable rush than the first will at no very distant date enliven the solitudes of the llaast district.