KUMARA.

Inangahua Times, Volume III, Issue 70, 29 January 1877, Page 2

KU M A R A.

(Peom our own Correspondent.) January 23rd, 1877. Since the New Year two new rushes have taken place. The first to some ground lying between the Shamrock Lead, and the town, and known as the Tuistreet rush. The sinking is the same as on other parts of the field, through heavy wash and large boulders, but it is shallow, from eight to twenty feet in depth. It is poor, but few claims getting payable gold, and if nothing better is struck will soon be deserted by the crowd. The other rush promises to be of more account, in fact it would seem as if a fresh impetus were to be given to the field. In the neighbourhood of the Larrikin's, which up to the present has been the ex* treme southern limit to which gold has been traced, the lead has been hunted for in all directions, but without any party being able to trace a continuation of it. The Larrikin's is now considered to be an offshoot of the lead proper, an arm I running out and terminating abruptly. The present discovery is more on the course of the old lead, and lies at an angle I between the Larrikin's and the river, ■ towards which it appears to be. again making. Over an ounce was got off the bottom of a shaft, which had been put down to a thin layer of wash containing a thin layer of gold, and then abandoned as being bottomed, Morgan and party took it up, and sinking a little deeper came upon several feet of good paying dirt, with the result stated. The gold is of a rough quality, and other indications, known only to the initiated, give hopes that they have now discovered the right run. Several claims are sinking, the depth being over 60 feet, and likely to deepen, as it is on the sideling of a hill. Foul air is often experienced in deep shafts, and even in sinking many days are lost when the weather is dull and heavy, as but little wind sweeps through the dense bush, except when a gale is blowing. The effort to trace the Shamrock lead is languishing. A little gold is got over a great width there, but the payable portion is in streaks or narrow runs, when poor ground is encountered, and prospecting again commences. The expense and time required to flume water on, and the height to be built up from which the foundations of the paddocks have to spring to give an efficient and lasting fall for tailings, causes a slackness on this part of the lead, it being a level flat, other parts of tho lead being diversified with ridget and terraces, and affording naturally better sites for mining

operations. Some good claims are reported at the head of this lead, and no doubt all or them in time will be got into working order. More confidence is now expressed in the payable nature of the field, though some surprise has been caused that claims with such b large average depth of washdirt do not send out weekly a greater number of loads. But the time taken up in removing stones and handling large boulders, with the tight nature of the wash generally, where every stroke of the pick hits a stone, limits the yield of washdirt to a quantity far below what might otherwise be expected. But even with this drawback there is a large area of ground opened, and in the course of opening that will pay when water is obtainable daily from three to six pounds per week, a few claims here and there exceeding the latter sum. Water is still the great want. The pros, pectors' race, whioh is a mine of wealth to the owners, supplies many claims, but nine-tenths of the whole will have to wait until the J£apitea race is in before they can be accommodated. The big flood that occurred a few days before Christmas carried the centre of the Kapitea dam away, as it was drawing towards completion. This disaster, howerer, will be a saving to the company, for the weakness of the design is now discovered, and alterations and additions are being made to prevent a recurrence of such accidents. The dam, however, will be finished long before the tunnel will allow water to flow through, which, cannot be before the middle of March. The work of taking the levels for the Waimea race between the proposed site of the dam and the Arahura river, is still going on. If the levels will admit of water being taken from the river, head* works, it is said, can be dispensed with, as there is a large supply of water all the year throagh. Some miles of the race between the piping and the Kumara diggings is laid off in sections, and doubtless tenders will soon be called for constructing it. Scacely a week has passed since the commencement of summer but one or two days have been wet, and the re» mainder threatening; exsellent weather for the state of the field, now poorly supplied with water-races, but very weari* some and damp in the bush, The town was not very extravagant during the hpli* days, so there is not much change to chronicle, or rather all the loose change changed hands, and the place has resignedly settled down for a, let us hope, short period of dullness. Banking com* mercial, business men, and miners generally, having become established, are now > called upon 10 aid the erection of build* 1 ings for public worship. Through the 1 visit and influence of Bishop Redwood, t tho Catholics of Kumara expect to have t a chapel ready for consecration by St. 'v Patrick's Pay. The public ball erected i

by the Good Templars, ia used every Sunday by the Presbyterians for school and Divine service, the service of t&d Church of England being conducted in" the Court-house. Both these bodies, I understand, are intending to erect build* ings .for .public worship. The new form of government as initiated by some mem., bers of the Grey and Westland Councils, will not soon become popular. Their proceedings, so far, have been a source of mirth and laughter. But Westland has always been famous for silly scences in its Councils, so that it does not cause much surprise. Great disappointment is felt now it is known that the All England Eleven will not play. It is mooted here as a reason of their not playing, amongst those who are up in cricketing matters, that having been whipped so badly in Australia, and still feeling sore, they were anxious to meet at first a club in New Zealand over whom there would be a maderate chance of obtaining a victory. But having by some means obtained the "averages" of the cricketers on the coast, they were doubtful of their chances, and persuaded their agent to find them a team from whom they could pluck the laurel.