OUR WEST COAST LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2205, 4 June 1896, Page 21

OUR WEST COAST LETTER.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Westport, May 27. THE LAST OF A NOBLE SAILOR.

It was Sunday morning, and the cold grey shadow caßt overnight by tho gloom of the bitter blizzard roaring through tha Grey Gorge duiing the 12 hours previous had given place to the warmer sunlight of the departing autumn. The ripple of the river, vanquished by the flood tide, had also ceased, and the smooth waters and the calm blue Bky begot laughing jealousy. Suddenly 'there was a rush amongst the lounging loiterers on the wharveß to a point of interest. A body had been fished up by the draggers, and now lay faca upwards on the pier-end planking. Stepping up, I beheld all that remained of my dear old friend Mr Koyworth, late chief officer of the popular Waisui. Three nights previous, whilst endeavouring to ascertain how bin vessel was trjmined, he had overbalanced and gone down with his life into the dark, biting waters, to leave it there till tbe last trump shall sound the recall. Overcoat, regimentals, watch and chain, ring on his finger, arms in an attitude of defence, the latter aurely pointing to the supposition of a final stand against the' laifenemy. Mr Key worth was a noble seaman, and a? I thought of his kind consideration for all of the passengers on the down coast tiip, added to his hearty manner, full of life, this awful stillness seemed unreal. Returning shortly afterwards, all I found was the wetted shape of a human being on tbe planking. That was the last trace I shall ever see of the late Mr Keyworth. REEFTON AND PROSPECTS. The influx of English capital has resulted in the taking up of every inch of known and likely auriferous area, has doubled all house property and suburban sections, and lent a brighter aspect to everything calculated to make all things resound with the umnistakeable bum of prosperity. The coincidence was, too, that just about the advent of the aururu king quartz reefs which had long been sought deep down unbared themselves in tbe bowels of tba eartb, and moreover oheeved with golden dividends long expectant but well nigb disheartened shareholders. Chief amongst these was that celebrated old mine the Wealth of Nations, and the Keep-it dark, the Globe, and the Progress mines, and the new order of things bath set in which, adhered to, must give permanency, system, and circumstantiality to the field. Time was when these mines made calls, found the reef, and gouged out its very eyes to recoup impatience ; then when the block was cut out and all trace lost, prospecting drives, adits, winzes, and experimental shafts bad to be made at the expense of c^lls once more, until- shares become narrowed down by forfeiture till the last drop of blood was wrung out, and the works ceased and the company sank to a name — a mere cypher. Now we find the owners sinking and driving on and all around tho quartz, and leiving ifc there like coal pillars, »<j monuments of golden wealth to be taken out when required, so that the daya of systematic development have succeeded thoao 1 of mere haphazard "kyooting," which I supposo means holing into the ground wherever a. bit of golden quartz peons out. We have long called out loudly for foreign capital, and now it is pouring in no one doubts the early development and systematic remunerative workir>g of not only lieefton, but the whole of the West Coast goldfields.

GREYMOUTH reckons "it ia in it, t?o," for quite apart fiom the fact that it is the termini of all the railway*, it is also the port of entry for tha whole coast southwards to Itosfetown. Its coal at Poiut Elizabeth, Coal Greek, Brunuer, and the Blackball, tho output from which increases ; its richer quartz reefs atLangdons, and bigger sluicing claims eagerly sought after by booming syndicates, and its daily growing timber industries— airfare remarkable evidences of its rapid growth, advancement, and prosperity. HOKITIKA hath big hopes, too, for the goose which layeth tbe golden egg hath builded there her nest, and the shining bird— golden evangel : what you will — bath also taken to the endeavour to solve that knotty riddla— puzzle of two and a-half decades — of how Bhall we got an adequatß water supply at sufficient altitudes to profitably Bluice down the auriferou't placers of our high lands 1 Mr Zi man's purchase for a cool £50,CKJ0 of the Humphiey's Gully claim is the first solution for the constant supply dreamed of by tha nine-mile water race will now be fetched in, and tbe well-known axiom in all successful gold-mining of this nature—" rip and tear away,"— will be speedily wrought out by mining on tbe most gigantic scale being carried out all over the Hukitika portion of the Westland field.' Aa a re=ult the whilom Capital may once again, Phcenixlike, ayise from her ashes. At anyrate,'house property is rising iv value, one hotel having two weeks ago fetched £1000 cash which two months back would not have commanded £301). ROSS, that wonderful town of ups and downs, many auriferous layers of alluvial, the heavy watev on which has hitherto jealousy guar led their hidden treasures ; whose quartz reefs higher up, although never propirly developed for want of capital, are also to have a now lease of life, one codicil in the deed not being clear as to whether Mr Ziman, the German syndicate, or Messrs Mills and Co. 'are to have the pleasure of freeing the*e drowned nuggets and making the whole place boom by their profitable extraction —is also to be in the swim. Up among the -mountains immediately overlooking the3e inexhaustible mines a far richer quartz reef than any hitherto found, has become unetirthed. It is situate at Cedar proek on the southern slope of the Mikonui, and will now be developed and worked profitably on the lines chalked out by Mr David Ziman at ReeftoD. The reef, over 4ft thick, is solid, aud shows fine gold all over tbe stone, and an as*ay thereof made last week at Christchurch gives the very gratifying result of 89oz of gold to the ton. The reef is in a special claim called the Alpha, and the line tbereof runs through the Omega and the Republic. It is the general opinion tbat never before did the prospects of Ross aud d strict look so bright and promising. WESTPORT. The town of Westport and the district of the Buller are not going to be behindhand in the tide of prosperity setting in en the West Coast, for Westport'B harbour has been improved and deepened to such an extent that at the time of writing there is a depth of 30ft on the bar, which fact is enabling steam colliers of much larger draught than hitherto to load with coal and depart with safety from the port. As a consequence the out-, put of the black diamonds is largely increased, that of last week being much over 8000 tons. Then, vigorous prospecting has been resumed at the Mokihinui quartz reefs, and good hopes are entertained of such once celebrated leases as the Red Queen, the Republic, and others. Up at the Marauhea a new auriferous resf has been discovered by Mr George Walker, of Rocklands, by the Buller Gorge. It measures from 3ft to 10ft in thickness, is exposed for 1000 ft, and shows excellent, gold finely disseminated throughout. One piece of quartz in my possession should yield from 3oz to 4oz of gold to the ton. Three special Ciaims have been taken up, and t heat then wiU

I be a rush for areas next week. The Government, jecognising the Importance of the find, are letting the road in sections, and sanguine expectations of trie early opening up and development of this field are widely Mitortstned. A Fright and a Narkow Squeui. As tbe wn train of the M okihinui- Westport lirte neared the latter town an axle of a loaded coal waggon snapped and derailed tbe train, all but the engine. When the passenger*' carriages, which were fall, began bumping over tbe sleepers of the line consternation seized the occupants, many of them jumping out, but happily without injury. When the train was filially Drought to a standstill tbe rent of the passengers also got out, and completed the journey afoot to Westport. ' MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. Mr Napier Bell, 0.E., recommends Government to extend the north-east breakwater of the We«tport Harbour works by 300 ft, arguing as a reason that iv such a case the bar would become deepened by 10ft. The main south road is being pushed on by co-operatioD, aud the probability ia that this year will see it completed for vehicle traffic as far as Okarote. Mr R. M'Kenzie, M H.R., who ha« been giving an account of his stewardship to hi 3 BuJler constituents, has been veceiviug at everjr csntre addressed lieaity votes of thanks aud contHeace.