WEST COAST.

Otago Witness, Issue 1340, 4 August 1877, Page 3

WEST COAST.

KUMARA. The Kumara Times thus reports upon the mining operations in this district for the week ending July 21st : — "Mining during the past week has presented no features of special interest. The frosty weather has not tended to increase the supply of water, and on the north Bide of the river a number of paddocks are, in consequence, unable to be washed. Here a movement is on foot for bringing in a race from the Greenstone, the miners being apparently under the impression that the Dobson's Creek Race, which has just been surveyed, and a report upon which appeared in yesterday's Kumara Times, would be at too low a level to admit of its being used for many claims. A letter from Mr Wylde, who surveyed the race, however, points out that the level will be all that can be desired. To the north ©f Quinn's Terrace a number of tunnels, which are on gold, are being put in, the owners being thoroughly satisfied with present prospects. Between Murphy's Rush and the punt also tunnelling is being proceeded with, and the claims are on very good gold. At Hayes Terrace, a claim on Wednesday bottomed at 17ft. The prospects are reported very good, and numbers of shafts are being put down in the neighbourhood. It is estimated that about 300 miners are working on that side of the river. On the Kumara side there is every indication of unshaken f&ith in the future, and much dead work in numerous claims is being done. Where | the water has been brought in, washingup takes place about every three weeks, with average results. An exceptionally good yield has been reported to us, where a party of four realised £144 for nine days work, being at the rate of £4 per day per man. This must not be taken as indicating anything like the ordinary return from claims here, but shows that, occasionally, a ( patch' can be struck. Lalland and party, on the Dunedin Fiat, have resolved upon ground sluicing, and are about to construct a tail-race 90ft. below the surface at their claim. There I will be an excellent fall. Turnbull and party, in the adjoining claim, have commenced their tail-race. The prospects of claim-holders in the neighbourhood of Blake's Mill are still described as good ; but though claims have been marked off for about a mile, they are, for the most part, only ' shepherded.' A claim is stated to have struck gold at 51ft., about a week ago, in the terrace towards the Larrikins, but is not bottomed yet. The minors have water to contend with, In

the Larrikins, tunnelling i 3 being carried on with vigour in some of the claims. The length of these varies accordiug to the thickness of the terrace which has to be pierced; one of which we visited will measure, we were told, about 1200 ft. in length. It is not yet driven quite half way. The " tank " system of working is found to be so successful at the Larrikins, that it is now about to be adopted in a claim in the Shallow Lead." J REBFTOK. The quantity of amalgam collected at the battery of the Wealth of Nations for the week ending July 21st was 301ozs. We take the following items from the Herald of the 21st July :— The quality and general appearance of the stone recently struck in the Nil Desperandum admits of no doubt that it is a continuation of the Hercules block, the crushing from which, some two years ago, gave an average yield of 2ozs sdwts per ton, and enabled the directors, after paying off the company's liabilities, to declare a first dividend of 28 6d. Shares are now in demand at 3s 6d. A fourteenth dividend of three shillings per scrip, amounting to £900, has just been declared in the Energetic. Work on the different levels, driving and stoping, is going on as usual. Tenders for reletting tho coal-mine are invited, to close on the 20th inst. The new Independent tunnel is now in 270 ft. MOKIHINUI. The crushing of Halcyon stone has | yielded 19dwts to the ton, a yield which is considered very satisfactory. LTELL. The Maruia Lyell cleaned up, with a result of about 3ozs to the ton.