GOLD DREDGING ON THE WEST COAST.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10635, 20 April 1900, Page 5

GOLD DREDGING ON THE WEST COAST.

VISIT TO TEE CLAIMS. (BT OLE SPECIAL JLEI'OBXKK.) The rapidity with which gold dredging as a means of winning the auriferous treasures from the West Coast rivers lias grown in favour during the past twelve months is. in many .respects, little short of wonderful. A year ago the companies floated or projected could a-lmoKt have been-counted oo the lingers of one's hands; now their name is legion and the cry is "still they corn*." Hardly a week now passes without bringing at least two or three prospectuses of new companies and as for the future supply the remark of a recent visitor—that the Coast is simply a, forest of pegs —conveys in c highly exaggerated form, of course, some idea of tli« present state of affaire. None regret more this "unhealthy boom" a* those who have the best a«d real interests of the Coast at heart and who would rather that results should be awaited before oaibarking on the industry on too gigantic a scale. In order to ascertain, as far a< »>«>sib!e, the nature of the claims floated and under offer to the public a representative of "The Press" waa despatched to persouaSly visit them and obtain on the ground the most accurate information, respecting tiit-m. Tho results o'. his investigations are given below. THE KUMARA DISTRICT. There are at present but few companies whose ownutious are hi the vicinity of Kumara, but the well-known auriferous character of tte country makes their proxpecte promising. A euusklar.j.bie nuiuoer vi u*uns-s «till exjatiuue to make a living m the Kuman district at sluicing—either working on th«;r uvra behalf or a.s wages xntn, the weekly nay of th* latter ranging from £2 10s u> 10s. Ihere are «Lv dredging uDixnxtoira which have been floated, theJocalitv vi whuxc prospective operations is within" a radiu* of live or »ix miles from Kutna-m. Tho majority aru situated ou the UrevuxUine Creek, as it is lucidly known though" it in on tlw maps as th c Hohoou It is a tributary of the T-eremakau, joining it on the left bank almost o-piwesjU' Kuiuora-, and ha-s numerous feeders which all flow through known aud proved auriferous country. In addition the terraces oa both. «dcx have been sluiced

and in several parts are still being sluiced. The Duke of Edinburgh terrace, on the left bank of the creek nt«ar the township of Ureenstone, six miles from Kumara, was worked as early as 1864 and prior to the •owmencement of operations at Kumara. About half a. mile from Kumara is situated the Teremakau Gold Dredging Company's claim, which extends for a mile down stream ' from the old traffic bridge ami contains . ulxiut 99 acres. At this point on the river ( and above the bridge the tailings from the uluicijig claim* have been deposited, and their depth varies from 25 feet to 150 feet. ; The Company's claim includes a large area of Hats, which are- considered good dredg- , ing. The claim has bet-n prospected almost opposite the confluence of Greenstone Creek mul tin? river. It is said, but the information is not official, that eight grains were ob- , taimd from this bore, the contents of which ttcie about four cubic feet. The depth of tho bore was 56 ftvt. Though the river rises rapidly wlien in flood, the local expenetice is that the Hoods do not last more . than a day or two, and it is not anticipated that they will interfere to any great extent, if at all, with the winking of the dredge. Messrs Cutten Brothers are at present preparing tiie plans for the dredge. It. is estimated that there are about ten claims pegged out on the Terernakau below the Tereiuakau Company's claim, and that about nix prospecting licenses have been granted with retfpeet to claims above the bridge. There is so mo talk of putting on a dredge nn the river opposite the Dillmanstown tailings to work them and also a portion of the river. The first claim on the Greenstone creek i> thit of the Greenstone Junction Gold Dredging Company, which includes a portion of the flats on the left side of the Terecnakau, and extends from the junction of the Teek uikl thu river for a considerable distance up the creek. Much of the area consists of flats, and the claim is looked upon as :ontainmg £ood dredging ground. The Company also have an option of some freehold flats adjoining. On the left bank of the :reek is Cape Terrace, and on the right Westbrook Terrace, both of which are being iluiced with gocd resultw. The Junction Company's claim is about 125 a?res in extent, and in the centre of the stream, some distance from the junction, bottom has been reached at from 18ft to 24ft. There is some drift timber on the flats which will be easily removed, whilst it is not expected that any buried timber "will be found. The floods are not of great extent. The pontoons for the dredge are in course of construction on ft site on the Kumara side of the Teremakau, near tho bridge, and it is expected that, given favourable weather, they should be finished in a month or six weeks. The dredge will be 85ft long and 29ft wide, end Messrs Luke and Co., Wellington, have the machinery in hand at present, the contract time for delivery being the end of August. The engines and tumblers are on the way out from England. Dr. Scott, the cliairman of directors, states that in all ■ probability operations should commence about tho end of September. The dredge is to have electric light installed, and will be fitted with a telescope ladder to provide for the deeper ground to be met with at the mouth of thu creek. The claim is well thought of, and the shares? were quoted locally at from 8s to 8s 6d, but there are practically no sellers. Tho next claim up stream is that of the Greenstone Gold Dredging Company, which contains 92 acres. The tailings from Westbrook Terrace run on to the claim, but there is said to be bub little silt from them, which remains in the creek. Much of the area consinta of flats, in eorae cases with standing timber. Near the upper boundary of the claim the Big Fuchsia creek, which flows through gold-bearing country, joins the Greenstone creek, whilst the One (Mile Bush on. the same, the left, bank, ie known to have good gold. Bottom has been reached in the claim at from 22 to 25ft. Plans have been prepared for the dredge, and it is hoped that operations will be commenced -within six months. The Greenstone Creel: Gold Dredging Company's claim adjoins that of the Greenatone Company, and the two claims are nomew'hat similar in their character. Three prospecting shafts have been sunk on this Compant , * ground, and the reeults -were conx'.derCl satisfactory. It is reported that , f 'm the early days a nnggeb weighing 18oz 'm found in this portion of the creek by Chinese, the remains of whose -workings are Ftill to be seen. The Blackwater creek joins the Greeustone near the top boundary of the claim. Contracts for the and machinery have been let, and it is probable that the dredge wijll start wori about December. Tlw Three Mile Greenstone Gold Dredgfn«r Commny's claim is the next, and comprises 100 acres of good dredgable ground. The creek begins to narrow about the lower boundary of the claim, but no difficulty will be experienced with respect to sufficient water to float the dredge. Th« pontoons are be'-nsj built on a sit<* a short distance beyond the bridge on the Grevmouth road. The framework has been finished, ar/i a •tart has been made with the plankin? of the side*. The work nhonid be completed in about two months. Gold has been found on botb HioVs of the in the claim. Beyond the Thre" Mile Company's claim, And almost ot>pogif*« the Greenstone township, is the Great Greenstone Gold Dredging Company's claim. This company has Been floated within the la*t week or two on the Coast, and it is intended to put down a bore *o test the tround. The tailings from tfoe Duke of Edinburgh terrace workings •com* down a considerable d\tanc« int*> the creek, and are said to eontf»in\jrold. Ncme of the ground embraced in the area has be*n bottomed, but ?ood yields have been obtained on both banks. Numerous prospecting Poenses have been taken out in respect to other claims in the Kumara district and vicinity. The*"* are at Foley's Creek, a tribntarv of the Blackweter and Grwnstone Crokt at Kaoitea Creek, nbout tbrve miles south of the Terem&kau River, ther*} are four or five claims being prospected in the vicinity of the Lamplough lead, one of the riches*, if not the riches* lead, on the Coast, while others •re being prospected in the Taipo river, and numerous other creeks and rivers in the dis-