THE WEST CANTERBURY GOLDFIELDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2030, 24 June 1867, Page 3

THE WEST CANTERBURY GOLDFIELDS.

Boss District.—The escort came down from Boss yesterday afternoon with about 3700 ounces of gold; 1700

ounces for the Bank of New Zealand, 1300 ounces for the Bank of New

South Wales; and 700 ounces for the

Union Bank of Australia.— West Coast Times, June 21. Beticb Bat.— Our latest reports from Bruce Bay inform us that there are at the present time about two hundred persona on the several beaches, but that the majority of the miners are prospecting, and that, little gold is being got. The report that Jacob, the Maori, had struck gold in the ranges is untrue.— lbid. Gbetmouth . Tramways. Considering the dulness of the times the traffic returns of the Greymouth and Saltwater Creek Tramway shew a very satisfactory amount of business. For the week ending June 7 the receipts amounted to'£Bß 5s 6d, of which Mb 18s was for passengers and £33: 7s 6d for goods; for the week ending theT4th inst. the receipts were £BS. 7s, being £56. 7s for .passengers and'£29 for ; goods; Qrey River

Argus, June 18. V^oodstoce.—ln consequence of the rush to the Waimea, the number

of miners at Woodstock has been reduced to about 300; but it is hoped

that there will be a reaction. A few shafts have turned out duffers, but _ at the Bame time there are several claims

turning put well. There are three claims on the lead yielding about £2B j per man per week, and twelve returning about £7; while there are four or five other claims only giving wages. The place at present is quiet and dull, but will probably improve shortly.— West Coast Times, June 20. ELlmeri.—From the Kanieri, Mr

Warden Schaw reports as follows:—I lave nothing fresh" to report this week. I visited the Ho Ho lead on Friday last to settle some dispute on the ground. Shares that could have 'been bought on the Cockney land last week far £4O a share cannot now be

'obtained for £l5O, as very rich go, has been struck in several claims on the above named lead. A great number of miners have returned to "Woodstock and its vicinity during the past week, but nothing of much I importance has transpired since I wrote last,— lttd, •'_''•" Qhaemston Disteict.—ln our district we have a quiet week to report. Mining affairs everywhere, however, wear a very settled appearance, and if the rush to Waile's Pakihi has taken away a very considerable surplus population from the district it is at least satisfactory to know that the returns of gold have in no way diminished. The introduction of machinery lor the purpose of crushing the cement which abounds in countless tons in this neighborhood, is a matter which more especially calls for attention. At the Four-mile the machines erected have been found to answer every expectation, and there can be no doubt that a hundred such would all find employment. Charleston Argus, June 15. Pakihi—ln the absence of any direct return of gold from the ex. tensive rush now set in Waite's Pukihr we are informed that the, miners are still using every exertion to bottom, being strongly impressed that the district will eventually be productive ot I good results; and as the sinking is bo deep, and the miners have to contend

with great drawbacks in the shape of water and dear provisions, it is to be hoped that their sanguine expectations may be verified. The miners who have located themselves in this quarter are fully determined to give the place a thorough trial, and will remain until their labours have been attended with some definite result. .The supposed lend is nearly two miles and a-lialf W, and upwards of 1-50 wind asses have been erected, evidence ot the work going forward.-iM Ten MiLE.-The diggings at the Ten-mile Creek on the North Beach, from all accounts appear to be turning out wtremely well. There is a prettj large number of miners on the ground, m( Jt of whom are. making very handTomewages. Latterly the god from Ece has exhibited a great difference Character, some of it being fane , some coarse and shotty. The lattei

dfsoription is found in the crevices of the rocks, and we are told that " fossicking "is quite a remunerative 1 occupation. An extended claim was applied for the other day for ground ai Ten-mile by Edward Lunday, Richard SWeetlnan, Daniel Shannon, and James Armstrong, for 200 feat per man. Mr Commissioner Kynnerstey did not ghat'the extended area applied for, out consented to give the applicants protection until the application could bb heard in court.—Crew River Aram, June 20. J I Brighton District.—The latest njiuing news we have to record is of a rather scanty character; we can only confirm our previous report, that the district is still in a prosperous condition. The twelve men tunnelling ■party, between town and the Spring Grove Gardens, still persevera in their undertaking. The tunnel is now about 200 feet in" depth, and the appsarance of the wash is greatly improved. The object of the company is to strike, if possible, the Welshman's Lead, supposed to run along the terrace; and so hopeful are these men that they carry on tunnelling night and day by eight hours' " shifts;" bo that we shall very soon know if the Welshman's Lead can be traced on this terrace, and nexr our township. ' Anofcherparjiy of six men have also started tunnelling operations not far from the other party, with the same object in view. Our last news of the Buller is not very encouraging, the numerous long and deep tail-races commenced will take one or two months at least to complete, and they

will only drive a certain depth of the ground, so that pumping will still be required. The ground, although very extensive, is poor, and will only pay poor wages. The roads from the Buller to the new rush are in a very bad condition, and a great drawback to the advancement of the place.— Brighton Tims, June 15.

Bttmee Distbict. —From Addison's Flat the information to hand presents no features of importance., The miners continue to find the greatest difficulty in bottoming, owing to the quantity of water, and some few weeks must elapse before their labours are likely to be attended with any result, whether then payable gold will be struck remains a question. As stated, the sinking averages from thirty to forty feet, running quickly into deeper ground as the terraces are approached. The prospects as yet obtained are, with very few exceptions, but poor, and are not. likely to encourage operations of so expensive a character as are necessary on these workings. For some time, at least, a great deal of uncertainty must attach to these diggings, although _ many of the miners appear very sanguine; it is quite certain that a larger population has collected than the ground will support. The prospects pt the Buller are still doubtful, at least as indicated by the present appearance of matters. In spite of the extensive rushes to the Caledonian Lead, to the Lagoon diggings, and to .Dufty's, we have no accounts of any remunerative and'extensive field having been opened to the north of the Buller River, and vast numbers are wending their way to the southward all disappointed, and many greatly impoverished.- Chirkston Argvs, June 15.

Track Cutting.—Considerable progress has, we are glad to learn, been made in cutting buish tracks in the Grey district, under the instructions of the Government surveyor, Mr Aitken, and we have little doubt that this plan of opening up the country will be followed by good results, as parties of diggers follow up closely the footsteps of the surveyors, prospecting the country as they go. There are three parties of track-cutters at work; one cutting, a/ track from the Saltwater Creek in an easterly direction, which will be continued until it strikes Like Brunner or the Arnold, according to the nature of the country. Another party is engaged cutting cross tracks at intervals of two miles on this line. A third party has commenced cutting a track from the banks of. the River Grey, about four miles from Grey,mouth. This track will take a southerly direction to the Teremakau, intersecting the first-mentioned track about five miles from the Saltwater Creek. These tracks will follow the best grades for traffic, but owing to the very broken nature of the country and the swampy character of the ground in many places they will require much improvement before they can be considered in the light of roads. The country already traversed by the surveyors is described as being excessively rugged, it being necessary sometimes to deviate from the line more thanaßCore times in the course of a mile. Pack-horses have already

travelled over the lines as far as they ;are cut, although after rain they will be almost impassable for traffic- Grey Biver Argus, Jme 20. Abahubi.'—The report of Mr. Warden Keogb, from June 3 to June 15, is as follows-.-A. small rush has taken place to Sea Point, on the first survey line, occasioned by a re-dis-covery of the Arahura Lead, a little south of track. The prospects obtained were rich, but the sinking promises to be heavy, which will limit its number*, 'especially with the counter-attraction of the other rush northwards. The "Welshman's rush, now called _ the Chesterfield, is progressing satisfactorily, and as the gold is being traced

northwards into tue terracu wwm-uo the paddock, there is every, probability of its developing into a valuable diggings. Afortnightßuice I instructed the Mining Surveyor to mark off a reserve for business sites, and great activity prevails there amongst storekeeper! The formation of a good track, now being proceeded with by our engineer, will prove ol immense advantage; the conveyance of stores from the beach a present costing 15s per lOOlbs, and this packing done for the most part to men. On attentively examining tin ground I was induced to alter mi opinion as to this being a contmuatioi of the Scandinavian lead. Althoug the'general'churacteristic of both wasl and gold are Bimilar to those of the to

and' ; 4tu terraces Scandinavia, the diatatico jfrpm. the «ea.beach is not half. It must, 1 therefore, be so far as the Waimea district is concerned an entirely new lead, possibly a continuation of the Saltwater Creek lend, but I am not sufficiently acquainted with that locality to pronounce an opinion. The washdirt consists of 12 to 15 inches of brown sand immediately underlying a 4-inch deep brown cement, well impregnated with gold, which will pay well for crushing or burning, the whole resting on a false bottom of light grey sand. Sinking, from 30 to 45 feet and dry, but I eipect it may yet; run into deeper ground. Some attempts, but hitherto without success, have Tbeen made to reach the true bottom. Over 2000 men are on the ground.

Tee Waimea..—The progress of the New Lamplough Diggings during the week has been very satisfactory, a rich I lead of gold having been traced from Owens and party's, tho prospectors' claim, for nearly a mile in a northerly direction. Since last'week, Cope and party bottomed a shaft at the northern end of the paddock, and obtained a prospect of 3 dwts to a dish. Further oh.a claim wasbottpmed by theFrenehirian, or Cobb and party, who washed several dwts from a shovelful of dirt; and another by* Keid and party, at a depth of fifty-one feet, with a prospect of -3f dwts to a dish, to 18 inches of washdirt. Still further north, at the extreme end of the paddock, gold in payable quantities is also found, at a depth of about 50 feet. Between this point and the Kapitea Creek, a distance of about a mile and a quarter, tho ground is taken up, and a large number of miners are hard at work sinking. Up to. "Wednesday afternoon no hole hadibeen bottomed, but several parties sunk to a depth of 40 feet. On Monday last ground on

he north side of the Kapitea Creek s pai rushed, and a large population is ti low busily employed between here and \ ihe Saltwater Creek, testing the value t if the ground. So far a lead \ s found from the creek separating i ;he seventh and eighth Scandi- 1 iavian Terraces up to and across the i Paddock of about sixty acres on the 1 iop of the eighth Terrace, there being 1 svery probability now of the lead being i braced through the scrub to the Three- i mile or Eapitea Creek, and on the ] other side of it as far as the Teremakau. I The Laroplough township is now < extensive place, and is still growing, i Stores, butcher's shops and shanties, i are very numerous, and consequently the necessaries and luxuries of life are sold at rates as low as those which rule at the beach nearer Hokitika, notwithstanding that 15s for every lOOlbs is paid for packing goods from the beach end of the track to the township. A great rush was made for business sites in the Paddock whence surveyors had marked the line, of new track from the beach, and many disputes have arisen as to who has the beat right to hold, giving Mr. Warden' Keogh a good deal of additional court business, The township was first formed near the Prospector's claim,'but since the extension of the lead northwards, the Paddock has been selected as the better place. At the Kapitea Creek, bo sanguine are the miners and tradespeople that the lead will reach thus far, another township is being rapidly formed, so that, although the population is large, there is not the slightest danger of anyone dying through being unable to obtain provisions. Several Bhafts are sunk to the Bouth of the Prospector's claim, but without much, success at present, the dividing creek having either stopped the lead in this direction, or diverted the line of it. Great satisfaction is expressed at the conduct of the Government in calling for tenders for the making of a good dray road from the beach to the diggings.— West Coast Times, June 21.