CANTERBURY GOLD FIELDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1354, 2 February 1865, Page 5

CANTERBURY GOLD FIELDS.

[FROM OCR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Teremakau, Jan. 31, 1865. If the of every year on the West Coast is like the Januaries of 1864 and 1865, the month with justice may be called " Saxby's own.' Four fine days up to the 24th, and one day's work since Christmas, has been our state of the weather. All the rivers and creeks have been bank and bank, and nearly all travelling, as well as work, has had to be suspended. On expressing to the Natives my surprise at the bad weather, at the commencement of the year, they said," When it rained, it rained—some moon good—some moon bad,'* reminding one of the Cornishman's famous answer to Sir Henry Barclay, who, when asked the likeliest place to find gold, answered, " Where 'tis, why there 'tis." So we on the coast can say, when it rains, it rains; and when it is fine, it is pleasant; and that is all we have yet learnt about the wet and dry seasons here. Newcomers naively ask, « Does it always rain here?" A man I saw yesterday, taking down his tent, told me he could get payable gold, but he would go to a country where he could see the sun. I have been tired answering the question, " When is the fine season?" and have found that the Mexican's « Quien Sabe ?" to be the best answer invariably to give.

I have purposely dwelt at length on the excessive rain we have lately had, considering it the best proof that could possibly be given of the prosperity of the mines. It is evident that men would not stay in such a climate unless they made more than rations. I finished my tout over the various diggings yesterday, a task I would not again willingly undertake. Men. are chary of giving information, especially when they have an idea that 1 heir earnings will be published. They know that in the event of a large population coming to the coast, the present mining regulations will be abandoned. It is absurd to consider that in a large rush 72 feet square per man would be allowed to be monopolised by one individual. Where claims are reduced to a moderate size— say BO feet per man—the ground becomes more easily opened, more gold obtained, more ground worked, and, consequently, the goldfield is extended.

Miners like to keep their earning? unknown, . P serve their ground being rushed, and to 1 much of the auriferous soil as possible. " e knew that there were claims on the ing £15 and £20 per week per man, until wo i the howl of lamentation given by men who abandoned them to come to the Totara. Commencing at the Grey, as the natural stnrt '"® place for a description of the workings, on y, creek will claim attention.

It is on the north side of the river; some seven m es above the coal at the gorgo, and found to con a gold that will pay by prospects from 20s to P man per day. This prospect can be obtained about 5 miles from its mouth to a similar dlst up the stream, which is remarkably rough—ful 0 huge boulders, a bad gorge, impassable for horses, and with a road almost as bad as the Totara. 011 do not care to work this creek, carrying provisions on their back from its junction with the Grey, over this bad road, while gold can be more easily obtained in other places. It is only fair to the creek to state that it rained all the time it was rushed, so consequently better ground may yet be found than is already known. Sooner or later a considerable population will »e located here. This is the only gold yet found on the Grey, but it is more than probable nay, almost certain—that in the coast range between the Buller and the Grey a number of payable creeks will be found, making the Grey as busy a centre of population and trade as is now the case with the Hokitika. A bridge is in course of erection over the' narrow part of the lagoon between the beach and the Maori reserve, while on the reserve a public house is being built. Some dozen or more stores on the Grey sell liquors, and goods to all comers, of which they have a good supply. I may mention in passing, that the coal up the Grey is being vigorously worked; a contract of 2000 tons having been let to be raised. The men employed to raise the coal receive £3 per week and rations, while the boat built at the Hohonu brings the coal down the river. This boat, intended for beach work, I may remark, was a failure, whether from faults of construction or bad management, I cannot say. Between four and five miles from the Grey we come to the Paroa, which has a small stream joining it, called the liakawa. As 1 before stated, there are about 200 men on the creek, making an average good wage—miners' wages, I mean. There are ten or twelve stores and shanties on the creek, to supply the miners with provisions, The ground is shallow and easily worked, but the gold is fine, and mixed with a large quantity of black sand—not tin, but iron pyrites. The storekeepers have cut a track through the bush leading up the creek, to enable them to pack their provisions. The creek will certainly support a larger number of miners than are at present on the ground.

On the Greenstone only about 100 people are left, having been attracted by the reports from the Waimea to leave their claims—some paying £6 and £8 per week —to go and try to find better ground. On the Three Mile, thirty men only are forking. These will be permanent, as their ground is too good to leave. Now, a reaction will take place in favour of the Greenstone, as there is a large amount of ground that will pay small wages—say £3 a week for a long long time to come. People cannot. get this on the mines in other places, such as Victoria and Otago, and the consequence will be that they will work this ground in preference to poorer. There is no other place for them to go unless the Waikato " may turn out," as they call it; and even then miners will not all leave a certainty for an uncertainty. Going South, the Kapitea, three miles from the Teremakau, is almost entirely abandoned. Three miles farther on we come to the Waimea or six mile creek, the great centre of attraction at the present time. There are fully 500 "miners on the creek, and" the more it is prospected the' more-ground appears to be found payable. The creek is very flat for sor 6 miles from the beach, almost level, in fact, when it begins to have a little fall. Above this flat portion of the stream the workings are situatedextending fully 15 miles—or, in an other way of putting the matter, as far as a man can' walk in a day without a swag. The prospects are various—from a grain or less to half an ounce to the pan. The gold is generally distributed mostly in payable quantities. Some of the claims the claimholders state to be rich. Four and five hundred a share is talked of by them as what they may expect from their claims. How much of this may result from an overheated imagination I am unable to state, as work was all suspended during my visit. Those, however, who were sent from the other rushes by their mates to report on the gold at the Waimea, hastily returned, and left their claims in other places to take up ground on the Six-Mile. I have known many men leave £6 a week and upwards on the Greenstone to go to the Waimea. The stores there are legion. A track has been cut a portion of the way from the contributions of the storekeepers, but I am forced to add that it needs some considerable improvement. It is by far the most extensive and best creek yet opened on the West Coast. There " Jemima of all nations" has taken up her stand; and bakeries, butcheries, and all the parai phernalia of a gold field are being speedily erected.

In my last letter you will remember that I stated some men were working on the Arahura. They have returned, not because they could not find gold, but because the weather was so bad and the river was so high that it were useless trying to stay there. They obtained, however, some nice samples of gold, in payable quantities in the gorge, Some fifteen miles from its mouth. Should a rush take place in this river, some difficulty may be apprehended from the Maoris, who will not allow the packers to take provisions up the river, which they claim for six miles from the beach, 60 chains wide. I suppose, in that case, a road must be cut through the bush by the packers themselves, as no aid can be got from the Government.

Next comes the Hokitika, the main township on the coast. It is a place fast rising in importance, and will rise in spite of no help being afforded it. Substantial iron buildings are in course of erection, and a town in embryo already formed. Publichouses, billiard-rooms, restaurants, and all the adjuncts of a town are being rapidly built. The river bar remains good, and people cannot be brought to believe its reputed changeable character. Gold is found in the Kanere and Kokatai branches, but like all other places, the weather militates against its successful prospecting. The steamers run there regularly, landing on an average 100 tons of goods a fortnight. Eveu at this rate of import there is not more than three weeks consumption on the coast, so I am assured by tle principal business men in the township. ere are about 20 business places on the Hokitika. Lastly, we come to the Totarft, containing » population of something over 100 men, making wage# some of them £8 to XiO per week. There are Ave stores on the Totara. _ We have thus passed in review tho various p aces on the coast where miners are congregated to the number of 1000 men. We find that this nu" l er ® men occupy over 40 miles of creek and river or , ings, so that, in Yankee parlance, they can "crowde<J;" and where every week fresh scor ics are made of auriferous ground, there wil s arce y be a fear entertained by new comers against ootamanil Victoria M well, I wish to be llc . ™ atood as to the nature of the goldfal 011

Co&st of the Canterbury proviireei fh the first place all the ground found on the coast as yet is sluicing ground. Nothing like sinking or a quartz reef has yet been discovered. Of the former there may be a chance in years to come on the terraces of the streams jof the latter none—for, in a coast line of over 100 miles, I have only seen one clearly defined reof. Now people when they know that it is sluicing ground alone will see at once that the chances of a "pilo" are few •, and whon I state that there is too much\wank, they will know that the gold is almost everywhere.

Secondly, the place is like no other where mines have been discovered. Jericho and Jordan bear a resemblance to it closely than any other gold field. The density of the bush, the humidity of the climate, the absence of all roads, the number and dangerous character of the rivers, all retard prospecting and settlement; but yet, in the face of all these difficulties, the country is prospected and wili be eventually settled. For old men, new chums, and ,'sickly people it is no place ; they had better go on a station for 10s a week than come here—but for men who are tired, who have found " no rest for the sole of their since '48 or '51, they can come here and make a livelihood—grow their own potatoes if they like to clear their own land—and possibly squat on and appropriate land unequalled for the production of vegetation—land it appears the Government care nothing about—or, instead of mining for gold, can go up to the Grey and raise coal on their own account and sell; or go up the Hokitika and cut down timber and export to the Melbourne and other markets.

Lastly, there is no rapid growth here. Everything, mines and all, are developed slowly and surely. On this ground I base my hopes of a permanent settlement, and sooner or later this place, rich in gold and coal, tin and timber, will, instead of going a-begging for protection, rank"[as a valuable possession. It will not take such a vast number of years for the Canterbury plairis to be entirely purchased, and then the province may be glad to turn their attention to this uncared-for spot. If the west coast of the Middle Island be ever valuable, it is well known that the Canterbury portion of it will be the only place available for an extensive agricultural settlement; for while Nelson has barely 100,000 acres of agricultural land in the valleys of the Karamea, the Buller,and the Grey,and the Otago portion of the coast next to nothing, the available land on the Canterbury province far more than trebles the land of the other provinces.

By the same hand, that I send this letter the storekeepers of the Hokitika have sent a petition to his Honor the Superintendent of the province, asking him to extend his protection over this part of the province. I suppose the only thing that would induce him to do so would be the loss entailed to the revenue by not collecting customs dues and licenses on the coast. We have fully 1000 miners here, seventy business places, stores or shanties, public houses, &c., &c., 100 tons of goods imported every ten days or fortnight, and a goldfield here that only wants population to double and treble the amount of gold raised, the exciseable goods imported consumed, the licenses taken out, and a greater general amount of prosperity. A considerable revenue can be already raised here, more than sufficient to pay all working expenses, if economically conducted, but not according to the present rate of expenditure, where fully £700 per annum must be added to the cost of the police for the important purpose of serving them out weekly their ration of floury tea, and sugar, and bad salt beef. The police are decidedly a benefit here, acting as a check on the viciously disposed, although it is a curious state to imagine a police force without a magistrate. While on this subject I might remark tMf"SSrgSSn L iiioliiiur has earned the esteem and regard of all who have 'had occasion to become acquainted with him for the promptitude lie has shown to every call, and from the great tact with which he has conducted himself in his difficult position. He is certainly the right man in the right place, although he may sincerely wish himself off the coast.

Provisions are cheap on all the creeks. Flour has never been over Is per pound, and that only for a short time on the Totara. Men cad live for about 30s per week, and would live far cheaper would the Government expend a little money in cutting tracks. I have written about roads till I am as sick of writing about them as walking over and cutting them. All the men, with one or two exceptions, who have lost their lives on the coast since August, have been lost for the want of roads. I wish every member of the Canterbury Government had to carry a heavy swag over the'roads we have here for a week, and it might possibly then prove as effectual as a bishop breaking his neck on a rotten bridge. Some people are agitating the Separation idea, and talk of getting up a petition for the purpose, so that they can employ the gold export duty to this purpose; but I suppose it will only end in talk. It is absolutely scandalous that we cannot even ride or walk to the saddle of the Teremakau without incurring the imminent risk of getting drowned.

Were a few tracks cut, cattle could be got down to the various diggings easily enough, and fresh meat obtained, which would prevent people from lying in their beds incapable and miserable, and rotting with scurvy. We pay gold duty and Customs dues—what get wo for them ?. A police force without a Magistrate, and a hybrid Government agent—half storekeeper half consul—with nothing to do, no power to act, and no power to enforce his authority; if he had any ! Govern us properly or let us alone, and save your money to give to your unemployed on the other side of the range. While we remember what money was spent on the commencement of the Waitohi dray road— enough to have made a good bridle road twice over —we sit down and laugh at the sapiency of some and the foolishness of others. We want no heavy official staff here ; no escort ,; no expensive paraphernalia of Government, but a few simple things.

We want a man to fill the office of Resident Magistrate and Warden—a man of colonial experience—a gold receiver, a mining surveyor, whose duty it should be to cut bush tracks, and lay off miners' claims and business frontages—a pilot, and a couple of Custom-house officers; and that is about all we want. Thieves, prostitutes, loafers, and hangers-on to the miners, are making a fast appearance, attracted hither by the scent of prey; and while money is plentiful, and liquor sold every where, how long, in such a country, is peace and protection to property and life likely to remain the order of the day? It will be wise for the Government to move in time.