KANIERI.

West Coast Times, Issue 233, 18 June 1866, Page 6

KANIERI.

i (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) I Since my last report on this field, which \tas taken some ten weeks since, a very marked and perceptible change has taken place in the outward appearance of the tbwn and workings. The former has very considerably extended in the direction of the cump, which may be mainly attributed t6 the progress made by the Commissioner's Flat miners, and the construction of that useful work the Kum'eri tramway. To thoroughly realise the progression of the Kanieri-ites, whose movements though store are ' slow, it is necessary to abstain from visiting them for a month or two, returning, however, a lively recollection of their condition at tlTe close of the last so- 1 journ, and having done so, I must needs confess that the advance they have made warrants my opinion of their untiring energy and perseverance. In a former report I stated that the district was undergoing transition— that the day of more pick and shovel digging had passed away, and that henceforth the further development of the Kaniori must depend upon co-opera-tive labor, and the introduction of Bteam and water power. This assertion has been fully borne out by the turn of events, for the system advocated and then only introduced, has made immense strides, and is daily being regarded with greater favor by that class of men who, in every gold country, have ever been found ready to cry down that which they choose to term •—monopoly. Nature and the common sense of others has opposed them, incontestibly proving that these puny efforts of the individual or individual parties to be quite inadequate to reach those treasures placed beyond the reach of other than skilfully-directed and united labor. The principal workings in the Kanieri which were once situated on the old Flat and terrace, are now found on Commissioner's Flat where several steam-engines and a large water-wheel are erected, and a considerable population located, Wonderful are the changes effected on the flat during the past twelvemonths ; for then it was unclaimed bush, almost impenetrable, the haunt of wild pigeons and other forest birds which made their nests in the branches /of the tall majestic trees that lifted their stately crests heavenwards. Beneath, all was a mass of marsh and decayed vegitation, through which tho prospector wearily plodded and delved through, hoping to reach those treasures that past experience and the instinct possessed by every truo digger taught him lay hidden there. How those pioneers labored and persevered, the present state of the flat must afford ample testimony even to those who knew it not in the days I liave alluded to above. It is almost unnecessary to state that it is entirely occupied by companies, of whom one, tho Kanieri Steam Drainage Company, is registered according to the act. Their workings were the first I visited, and felt pleased to observe that after all their misfortunes they' have at last succeeded in erecting a snlended engine, which in my opinion, is the best contained in the district. It is a portable double cylinder of fourteen horse power, and does tho work required of it well and smoothly : the excellent condition it was in, the perfect cleanliness of,all its parts, on which not a speck of rust'was visable, attest to the care and close attention of the drivers. The company have sunk, a 1 large paddock, which is down to the washdirt, and are at present draining their ground by tho aid cf a californian pump, the largest I ever saw, its length being 52 feet, with « b >re eighteen inches by five inches. It is, however, inadequate to overcome the immense body of water in the drifts; and the Company have, therefore, sent to Melbourne for a double action force* pump, which they expect will arrive in the course of five or six /weeks. In the meantime, they prb' pose removing the large bed of washdirt already uncovered, and we believe that the old pump will be sufficiently powerful to keep down the water while they are so employed. Although these men have been hard at work during the past seven months, not one shilling — in the shape of returns — have they yet obtained out of the claim. Good prospects can, however, be washed out of the top layer of washdirt, varying from £dwt. to £dwt. the dish ; and as the bed is estimated to )e eight or nine feet thick, they are hopeful that the paddock now in hand will nearly cover the expenses already incurred. " To carry off the water discharged by the pump, a tunnel has been driven out of the paddock 3ome ten feet from the surface into the small creek, which lias cut a passage through the Flat ; and the consequence is, that when the river is flooded, the water is backed up into the claim, and all work thereby suspended. To avoid this delay and inconvenience, it is purposed, when the new pumps arrive, tp block up the tunnel, and lift tho water to the surface, where it will be discharged into boxes, and conveyed to the river. This, I feel certain, is the only way to get rid of it, and thoroughly work the Flat, tail-races ([although very useful in their way) being in this instance rather a drawback thau otherwise. There arc thirty-six shares in this company held by as many working men, who occupy between them four 90 x 90 feet claims, aud a special site for the machinery. / The claim of the Intlepc <lt t Company is situated next but one v* that of the Westland Steam Drainage Company, and is held by two parties of miners, who united for the purpose of purchasing an engine, which drains both claims. It was the first at work on the Flat, and is an excellent piece of machinery of 10-horse power but a single cylinder only. It, however, works well, driving with much ease a double-action force pump, worked by two connecting rods, having a centre swing. The pump has four feet stroke, and van discharge with ease 500 gallons of water per minute ; and even when the Flat is flooded, is still able to keep the claim dry, if coal instead of wood is used for fuel. It is unnecessary to expatiate on the superiority of the former as a steam raiser, and it is much to be regretted that a seam of good steam coal has not been found in the neighborhood, for the imported article when landed on the claim would prove an insuperable objection to its general use by mining companies. Like their neighbors, however, the Independents burn wood which, notwithstanding its sappiness, keeps up a sufficiency of Bteam for ordinary work, and something to spare besides. This company have sunk an immense paddock, out of which they have already taken a great quantity of wash dirt, and much yet remains to be broken up. Touching the

quality, however, they "Were exceediugly reticent, but admitted it would pay well, as there was a thickness of fourteen feet of gravel containing gold } and as 1 the bed rock has not yet been reached, they are sanguine that heavier deposits than any yet discovered in the claim will be found there, providing the under drift can be drained. Like the Kanieri Company, the Independonts keep all their gear in good order, and certainly possess the most perfect 41 plant M that is to be found on the Kanieri. I believe Mr Gordon superintended the erection of the pumps and also the engine of the Westland Company, and much credit is due to him for the perfection of all the arrangements ; and next to the Independent Company, a 12-horse single cylinder engine drains the ground held by Phillips' party by driving a large Californian pump, which, although fixed in a perpendicular position,, keeps the water down. Payable wash -dirt was struck in this claim fifteen feet from the surface, and although the top layer is the richest, gold is found distributed through the bed of drift as far as it has been penetrated. Prospects from a J-dwt. to 1 dwt. to the dish can be washed out of it. Work, however, has been much retarded lately, through the sides of the pump-well caving in, and the consequence wus that the paddock was partly flooded until a new one (which is not yet quite finished) was put down. I noticed a very great convenience on this claim that must save the share - holders a great deal of time, and which the other companies would do well to introduce :— attached to the engine by a driving belt is a circular saw used, of course, for general purposes, but chiefly to cut firewood into lengths ready for the furnace., Much labor is saved by this contrivance, and more time. Re-crossing the Independent Company's olaim, tho large water-wheel erected by Caldwell, Smith, and party is reached. I §aye a full description of the wheel and ume in a former report, which was then not quite ready for work. Now, however, the elevators arc in position, and the wheel kept constantly going ; and although work is not so far forward as I expected to find it, very fair progress has been made. The motive |,ower to drive the wheel is supplied by the United Water Race Company, for the consideration of £15 per week. Water, however, becoming scarce through dry weather and frostsf rosts on the high lands, it was found that nearly three times that figure" could be obtained elsewhere, so the company endeavored to break through the agreement which they had signed, and about three weeks ago cut off tho supply. Such a proceeding was objected to by Caldwell and his mates, who at once instituted legal proceedings against the race men, and obtained a verdict of damages for loss of time, and that the agreement was certainly binding. A fortnight was lost to the water-wheel party through this occurrence, who had only re-commenced work a day or two before my visit. They are now sinking the well deeper, and state that the claim will pay well, as there is fourteen feet of wash dirt resting on a sandstone bottom that will pay all through. Nearer in to the Terrace, a claim was bottomed last week, out of which good prospects were obtained, and a little higher up the flat another party sunk a shaft which promised to yield good returns for the labor expended. I must not forget to mention Grant and party, who were amongst the first to set into the flat last year, and certainly the first to introduce machinery, in the shape of a handy little overshot-water-wheel which works a Californian pump. Under ordinary circumstances this power would have been found amply sufficient, but the underground lake, subsequently pricked into, proved too much for it, and now the shareholders intend to erect pumps which will bo worked by the Independent Compnny's engine. Nearer the river, four parties have amalgamated under the name of the United Steam Drainage Company, and purchased the engines and boiler once belonging to the old Wakool, and are now employed getting them into position. The company consists of thirty working shareholders, who intend registering under the act. Payabjo prospects I'avo been obtained out of this claim. As it is now believed that the gold runs from the terrace across the flat in the direction of the river, a great deal of that which was once considered to be outside ground, has since been taken up, and is now closely held. Attempts were made to bottom it by hand, which resulted in a failure, although I heard that small prospects had been obtained out of the lowest vein of gravel reached.' There is no doubt this ground will pay when systematically worked, The present state of the old Kanieri Flat is not calculated to create favorable impressions in the mind of a visitor not well acquainted with the district, as the late heavy rains so raised the river that nearly every claim was flooded, and work in consequence almost entirely suspended. Tho two steam engines are also idle — that of tho Star Company, through some hitch in the elevators, whilst the Westland Drainage Company are busy erecting another nine -inch lift-pump, as one was found insufficient to overcome 'the water. This Company possesses a very excellent and valuable plant, having a 40-horse power engine, a corresponding boiler and pumping gear to match. Sub-, stantjal wooden buildings are erected over all ; and the orderly, clean x appearance of every part of the works denotes how careful is the supervision exercised. A large paddock, 40ft. x 40ft. has been sunk to tho top of the wash,and the " stripping' 1 is stilj being proceeded with ; a tramway having been laid down from the cutting to the end of the v tip," on which a horsetruck works and conveys away the surface mullock. I was not able to discover what prospects had been obtained out of the paddock, but was given to understand that they were ' payable. I am sorry to say that the Star Company are compelled to incur another heavy outlay in providing new pumps, as the elevators hitherto used are a failure, the, expense of keeping them in repair being something enormous. An order*has been accordingly forwarded to Melbourne for two powerful iron lift pump's, which may be expected to arrive in about a month or six weeks. Two of the claims drained by this Company are paying remarkably well j for out of Rutter'd lOOoz. weekly can be obtained when it is in .full work ; and the Eureka will yield nearly as much. Tho Blue Jacket clajm is, so far, no good ; but the shareholders intend sinking on to tho main bottom, on which the rich bed of drift is supposed to rest. On the bank of river only three claims are now at work, Hawkes and party having worked out and deserted theirs. Of these, Townsend's is supposed to be riohest, although the

Cumberland purty are making excellent wages. The latter have a long spell of work before them, having bought the Old Ballarat Company's Claim, which was worked on the false bottom, and now has to be re-worked on tho main. I cannot say that mining on the old terrace is in a very flourishing state, for the ground being poor and the price of water very high a great many claims have been deserted. Theie are, however, a few still pay.irtg good wages, but the majority yield from 11 tucker" only, to L 5 and L 6 per wefek. It is, however j likely that an improvement in these returns will take place, as the Pioneer Company intend reducing the price of water to sluices. : Amongst the Kanieri improvements, the tramway for supplying tho town and diggers with firewood must not be forgotten, It extends from the centre of the township, across Commissioner Flat, and soino distauce up that terrace which bounds it on the eastern side ; and is forming a great boon to the inhabitants, and a source of pi'ofit to the proprietors. According to the provisions of the Act, it is under the supervision of tho Government, which ha 9 decided on a scale of charges that in my opinion aro somewhat of the lowest. The population of the Kanieri district may be estimated at about 3000, and the weekly return of gold at from 1500 oz. to 2000 oz. Trade is moderately brisk, although storekeepers complain sadly, as, in fact, they always do, under any circumstances.