WEST GOAST.

Otago Witness, Issue 1478, 13 March 1880, Page 10

WEST GOAST.

Speaking of the Seventeen Mile rush, the Grey River Argus of the 2ndinst, says :— Those who have sluioed or cradled any wash-dirt are getting good returns. One party has lately washed out 15oz for the week's work, and then a portion of the week was devoted to getting timber Other parties who have driven new tunnels in their claims for main tunnels have again got prospects considerably better than the "grains and grumuts" referred to in last week's Argus report from No Town. The Tail Bace Company have set in to bona fide work under the working management of Mr P. Sherlock. Twelve men are engaged on the work, who no doubt will give a good account of their labour, as the whole of them are thoroughly well posted up in the science of hard graft in connection with gold mioing. Some prospectiug is being dono north and south of this place. A party is prospecting north of Canoe Creek, hopeful of meeting with success. Messrs Carton and Hinton are prospecting somewhere about the head of the Ten-Mile Creek. As Mr Carton is a practical prospector, well known in the Reefton district for his energy and perseverance in pushing into unexplored tract 3of country in seavoh of gold, something profitable will likely accrue from his prospecting tour.

At the Karatnea, gold mining baa waned to one payable claim. But as the survey of the inland track is about to proceed, and there is hope that the formation thereof will shortly follow, the opportunity will soon be afforded to fairly test whether there is any good gold country there. Two new rushes are reported (says the Wosfc Coast Timea of tho &*h) one at Mount Greenland, near Ross, and the other on the north side of the Teremakau, on the road reserve, at Noonan's Ferry.' As yet there are no particu-! Jars to hand, but the pro3pect3 in each instance are snid to be favourable. The Grey Biver Argus of the same date says of the Teremakau rush : — Tho new discovery, whioh i 3 a blacksand lead, and supposed to be a continuation of the old beach lead, runs into the agricultural lease of Mr Noonan aud the freehold property of Mr Montague. It is understood that the Warden, James Mackay, Esq., visited the ground yesterday with a view of making himself acquainted with it, as disputes are bound to arise between the lease and freeholders and the miners.

Matters at Eeefton are summed up as follows by tho Inaugahua Herald of the 23ch uifc : — The Westland battery is keeping a number of stamps running on stone for the Golden Fleeoe Com. pany. Owiug to the dryness of the season, the supply of water is insufficient, and anything like a (satisfactory quantity of stone cannot be got through. The battery manager has his hands full since, owing to the short supply of water, streaming down cannot be done whilst tho battery is running. Up to the present there has been no amalgamating since this crushing was oommenced, and to meet current demands it i 3 expected that the directors will be compelled to strike a call. This course is recommended by many of the local shareholders. At the mine the main works are progressing with the usual" good speed. The contractors for supply of quartz continue to keep up an abundance of stone. Mining at the Victory claim is all but at a standstill, there only being two men prospect ing south on the nresent level. A prospectus is in circulation in Reefton for the purpose of forming a new company, with the object of buying and working tho Victory Company's mine. In reviewing the production of stone raised from different levels, and noting more particularly the great increase m the yield of quartz raised from the winze very recently constructed, the ground deserves further prospecting. The Golden Fleoco Extended claim is immediately north and adjoining this lease, This company will agaiu shortly have another crushing, one of the paddocks being full of stone. There are a number of miners breaking down quartz in the southern portion of this leaso. Tho reof being worked is reported to ba of largo dimensions, and to contain a large percentage of gold.

The last report, in the Inangahua Herald is dated Ibe 20th ult. It is as follows :--

United Inglbwood and Worth Star.— The cutting out of chamber has not made much progref s since my last raporl. _ About 20 tons of quarlz has bseii obtained during the last month or so from the ground over iho inuiu tunnel, there still remaining a quantity of Btono to be pro-

cured from the same portion of the mine. The stone is considered by the tributors to be payable.

Golden Treasure.— l visited this mine on the 16th ult., and was informed that the usual prof gress is being made in sinking the filling-iu shaft. In the stopes I notioed that the stoping timbers were from six to twelve feet long, so that it will be seen that there is a large body of stone now being broken down. The lode in the north No. 1 stope was not so wide as that in the south No. 3 stope, their being in the latter from ten to twelve feet of reef, whilst in the former it is about five feet ; but in this face a portion of the lode seems to have gone into the hanging wall as will be seen on inspecting the ground alluded to. The contractors for breaking down quartz report having sent about 200 tons of stone since first starting operations. When going over the mine the main south tunnel was being carried through a country in which there was about a couple of feet of reef, but as this lode is considered to have a northern strike, I should not be at all surprised to hear that the present contract for exteneion of the tunnel will cover the extent of the blook now being worked, but as there is a great distance to the boundary, it is probable that blocks may exist in this level in the southern portion of the mine. The engine shed that was almost destroyed by fire has been replaced by a new one with an iroa~> roof. At the time of my being at the mill the newly-appointed battery manager was engaged in streaming down, which has since been partly abandoned, as I was informed that there was not sufficient water to keep the whole of the stampers going as well as simultaneously carrying on streaming down operations. A partial cleaning up has taken place of a few tons of quartz, and some vague rumour got afloat cansing uneasiness, which I believe to be quite unnecessary, aa I have made enquiries, and find that no general cleaning up has taken place which would enable the value of the crushing to be fairly estimated. Wealth of Nations —Fifteen heads are now running on stone raised from the Independent, and five are also employed reducing quartz raised from the Enterprise. l fhe > stone raised from this portion of the mine is of much better quality than that raised from the first-mentioned ground.