TOTARA.

West Coast Times, Issue 93, 4 January 1866, Page 2

TOTARA.

Rosstown, January 2.

Christmas-tido and Now Yoar'a Day week, tho attendant festivities have been duly honored by a hearty observance throughout the- district. Although rumors of great preparation for fun and frolic in Hokitika enticed many of our digging friends to spend their holidayin town,' there were still plenty of choice spirits loft who would not bo lured by the voice of the distant charmer, but preferred enjoying themselves at homo, and thoy did right merrily ; of course every Briton, as a matter of conscience,' bolioves in tho traditional smoking hot cheer of homo associations, whether he sojourns near tho pole or under tho ton id zone, and albeit tho thermometer on Christmas day marked a very comfortable degree above freezing point, suggestive of pleasant pic-nics and cool viands in shady retreats, rather than festal baked meats and savory dishes, yet the good old customs were well kept up, the note of preparation for tall-feeding sounded in nearly every household, from tho diggers' modest six by eight to the pretentious hotel : and overy where good cheer abounded. The weather throughout tho holidays has been beautifully fine, and there has been no lack of out-door amusements, A subscription of some £79 was raised foi' prizes for the usual sports ; i and a committee, consisting of Messrs. Baker, Field, Cornish, Jones (2), Moran, and B Ryan, appointed to take tho management thereof. Their arrangements were perfect,,nnd gave general satisfaction. Instead of adopting the usual questionable custom of holding tho sports in the public thoroughfares, a space of ground at the rear of Campstreet was levelled and covered with sawdust, and being securely roped off, afforded capital arena for the display of athletic prowess. " A varied programme of sports was prepared, and tho prize's for wrestling, leaping, running, vaulting, quoit matches, and various other trials of skill were well and fairly contested, tlie 'competitors in many instances being so equally matched that the winners had to exert no mean display of skill to gain their laurels. The wrestling matches were very closely contested, and the umpires had .some little difficulty in deciding the claims for supremacy.. Prizes wore given to Harris, Freefced, Smith, Ballarat, and an eccentric individual rejoicing in the happy sobriquet of the Jolly Packer. A quoit match at 21 yards obtained sixteen entries. A foot race of 200 yards was essayed by % fiftcen light-footed opponents, and cleverly won by Canadian Join, Williams coming in second. The games on Boxing Day were fairly concluded by sundown ; and throughout tho week, matches of more or less moment have taken place. Lovers of tho light fantastic business had also ample opportunity to enjoy ■ themselves, ball and supper at the Bendigo, -and also at Jones' Provincial Hotel, being freely patronised. It is pleasant to record that good order generally prevailed. There was no lack of money afloat, and a fair amount of liquoring indulged in, but beyond sonic occasional wordy warfare between a few excited roisterers, who seemed to differ in opinion rather than actually quarrel', very little disturbance took place, and - tho energies of our model Christchurch policemen were by no means severely taxed to keep her Majesty's lieges in good order. Mining affairs are beginning to show a moro promising aspect than of late. Sinco the ill-advised rush to Netherwood and party's prospecting claim, which proved such an utter delusion to "the crowd of miners who wandered thither, little or no excitement hns been ocqasioned by minors 'of reported new discoveries..; but our minors have shqwn a wise inclination to set steadily in to work every inch of ground known as capable of yielding fair wages, and many bits once deemed valueless are now, by careful working, made to realise good results. On tho flat below the township, to tho > left of the now Government road, the diggings are rapidly extending, and the larger portion of our present population are located there. JXo definite lead or

race*of gokl can bo said to have been, yet discovered on this flat-— here, as elsewhere on the Totara, the ground being patchy— but some vory good finds ha.ye cheered -the owners of several claims of latej and the prospects genorally are very encouraging. In one instance 12 ozs from t'le bottom of a small paddock were recently obtained, and in another claim, in which tho ground is being tunnelled, an occasional pound weight of gold is got, between a single set of timber. Curious to relate, the most fortunate amongst tho. gold-seekers on these diggings are | thoso who, previous to sotting in here ! were in the last stage of hard-up-nees ; and believers in the doctrine of chance, may find ample proof in favor of the digger's hacknoyod maxim, that luck is everything. # One cheering assuranco that minina is now being commenced by a careful and systematic method of workiuir is shown by tho recent erection of a poworful and well constructed doublo liorso whim on the claims nearly adjomnjg tho stroet of the lower township Somo twenty shareholders have oinaV gamated, and obtained an extend of ground sufficient to warrant the expense oi machinery, and although tho sinking is now nearly 120 foot deep, every confidence is felt that tho venture will prove successful. Somo of our business men havo an interest in" this undertaking, and it would be well if traders were moro generally ready to foster mining enteipnse. Tho easiest wrought po£ turns of this goldfield havo long since been worked out by tho fi w t lucky arrivals, and much of tho ground remaining wi 1 nover prove remunerative unless capita aud labor combiuo, and subject it to systematic and scientific methods of working. We can now boas. v of a. well built &uf a1??a 1 ?? i)l?i )l ?? S(mt > lo °!< upon, and

of lite, and also many of the luxuries arc obtained easily and cheaply, and the diggings as yet continue to yield richly, llosstown shows every outward indication of present prosperity, but it requires a very confiding imagination to calculate on a long continuance of brisk trade, in a place solely depending on tho labor of a mining population, lacking in most instances tho pecuniary means to adopt any otticr than tho cheapest and most primitive appliances to aid them.

In the outlying gullies many parties aro btill vigorously at work. In German's, most of the creek bed claims are exhausted, but the terraces and little spurs arc being paddocked and tunnelled in every direction. At Swiper's the population has somewhat diminished of late, consequent on the difficulty of working the ground, except by the aid of good pumping gear. Tho claims continuing in work aro all yielding well, the Big Paddock claim being ospeoially good, 8 ozs and 10 ozs per day being

no unusual yield therefrom. Threo or four stores and a bakery have lately been started here, and provisions are sold cheaper even than at Ross, and to parties of miners commanding some means to start with, there is ample scope and ground enough to repay their labor; but to the unluo.cy miner it offers but scant inducement, unless he be con; ' tent to fossick out a bare existence*. At Donohue's the mining interest is progressing ; the population has dwindled down to 200 souls, but the monthly yield of gold will fully average 1200 07,5 ; and although the lion's share of the spoil comes at present to a lucky few, the claimholders generally have good prospects before them. The terrace claims, wherever water has'yet been carried, turn out well,* and a race will shortly be completed by McGuiness and party, , which will command much high ground hitherto untouched, and the success of their enterprise will, doubtless, stimulate many* others to similar undertakings,, it being the opinion of all experienced miners who have visited the locality that no better field for sluicing purposes need bo desired than the terraces and slopes forming the boundaries of this flat. i

Deep sinking is now carried on chiefly by' means of lifting whips, worked by horse power, of which there are now some eight or ten in constant employment. " This appliance is simple in construction, but most effective in operation, consisting merely of a stout beam firmly fixed at an angle of 45 degrees over the mouth of tho shaft, and from which depends a stout hempen cable running over pullies. At one end of this rope a /strong bullock hide bucket with iron fittings is appended, and to. the •other end a horse is harnessed —the bucket being lowered, at a given signal, the animal walks along a short made for the purpose, and quickly hauls up tho water or wash dirt on to a- small stage erected for the purpose, where a man is stationed to empty it. The driver meanwhile unhooks tho slack rope, turns the horse round, and fastens the rope to the collar ; and thus, as' the horse walks back to the shaft again, the bucket is safely lowered to the bottom. By this method a considerable save in manual labor is effected. The news which reaches here from the Okarita district, is still very vague, and contradictory. Returning swagmen speak of rumored rushes and anticipated new discoveries, but as yet nothing very encouraging seem likely to be realised.. Your correspondent travelled- thither a short time since, and, except on the beach workings some five miles south of Okarita, failed to find any miners who would own to earning more than a bare sub' sistence. Between the Mokinui and the Wanganui rivers about one hundred meu were there located, mostly engaged in washing the sand from tho sea beach. Some few were using quicksilver and cradles of superior construction, obtaining water for washing by using Californian pumps and long toms on the banks of the lagoons; but in many instances the means used to save the gold ,were miserably ineffective. An ordinary small sized cradle, and a shred of old blanketing, was the principal stock-in-trado of . many parties. By the side of this was a trough', hewn out of drift wood, and capable of holding peihaps six bucketsful of water, and from this theman working the cradle filled his dipper, and the supply was replenished by one of his mates bringing water from the sea-side, his • only vessel for carrying it being oftentimes the ono solitary billy Two others brought the wash sand in a handbarrow, or, lacking that appliance, in a shirt tied at the neck and slung across the shoulders. No wonder if beach claims down south are said not to pay, whilst thus imperfectly tested.