KANIERI.

West Coast Times, Issue 276, 11 August 1866, Page 6

KANIERI.

vein of gravel one foot in thickpess. This yielded |dwt and ldwt to the dish, but immediately aboye it there is a

layer of barren drift, and over this again about three feet of golden gravel that pays pays well. Taking the good with the bad, the five feet of gravel between where gold was first struck and the bottom will pay from £oz. to f oz. to the load. T snw a prospect of 2 dwts. of splendid gold, the proceeds of one dish of dirt oiit of this claim, and this induced me to infer that the ground contained patches which might very considerably increase the above returns in future washings-up. Above White's claim there are only two parties on gold, both of whom struck it fit 35 feet on the maiu bottom, and obtained the same I prospects that I have already quoto '. Beyond this the ground is unoccupied, ior although several shafts were sunk, the water was so heavy that they were abandoned before gold was struck. Returning to the prospectors' creek, a party of miners sunk a hole in the bed of it, and struck the payable wash-dirfc, three feet thick at 25 feet deep. It was resting on a false bottom. Below them, Greenaway and party sunk 40 feet, the last five through the bed of wash-dirt struck by their neigh • bors, and which gave them equally good prospects. In sinking the well-hole the main bottom of soft sand-stone was struck, and the intermediate gravel was found to contain a little gold— sufficient, however, to determine them to thoroughly test it after the richer strata above it is exhausted. Below this party, and between them and the Flat, there are three claims in work, all payable, and to the right of them Burke and party took a cutting into the brow of' the terrace on a level with the flab, and after sinking twenty-four feet, found they had gone through six feet of wash-dirt that prospected about loz. to the load. Two feet below this level the main bottom lies, and as the adjoining claim is getting very good gold . upon it, they are sanguine that when tested it will also pay them. This was the last claim I inspected on this rush, which, so far, has received no name to distinguish it from Commissioner's Flat. In fact, one is hardly necessary ; as it is very evident that the gold found upon the terrace is a continuation of that lead upon the flat, to develope which has so sadly bothered miners during tbe past fifteen months. There is certainly a difference in the quality, of the metal, that on the flat being much finer ; but the two patches are so close together, and the direction taken by the gold in each being similar, that I think there can be no reastraable doubt they are one and the same, and that in a short time both workings will be united. Standing at the lower end of the flat, looking upwards, the lead can be traced, about two claims wide, running towards the terrace, and beyond it in a N.N.E. direction. Like their fellow-work-men on the flat, the terrace miners find the ground somewhat difficult to work, as it requires close slabbing from top to bottom, and the drives also require to be very carefully timbered and close-lathed. The wash. i 3 exceedingly heavy, huge boulders of granite, slate, and sandstone abounding, which hinder the diggers considerably, and render the work somewhat dangerous, on account of the quantity of loose dirt so liable to be brought' away by their fall. Quartz boulders are seldom met with, and very" little of the stone is found amongst the wash-dirt, a peculiarity, by the way, exceedingly characteristic of the Kanieri workings, and indeed those of the Coast generally. Leaving the terrace, and advancing into the flat, a marked contrast is presented between the workings there and those just left. Upon emerging from the forest which covers the former, four steamengines, belching forth steam and smoke, can be seen upon the plain, a sure evidence that mining there has advanced many stages beyond the primitive days when wooden windlasses and manual labor were deemed sufficient to overcome the obstacles which lay between the miner and the hidden wealth beneath him. And yet with these improved appliances at command, the workings on Commissioner's Flat proceed but slowly, so much water is there in the drifts ; whilst the stripping is exceedingly heavy, and the ground difficult to keep up, Besides the engines, there is the large water-wheel of Smith and party, who have only just recovered from their late litigation with the United Water Race Company, which delayed them some weeks. The verdict, however, was in their favor, and they are again fairly at work, and at present are engaged breaking down and washing a stoup of wash-dirt eight feet thick, which yields, on an average, from lOdwts. to 12dwts: to the load. Gold is distributed throughout it, but not evenly, as sometimes a richer layer of gravel is found on the top ; at others, the bottom and centre drift is most deeply impregnated. To drain the ground elevators are used, but it is proposed to substitute in their stead Californian pumps, as the wear and tear of the former is something enormous. Next to the Water Wheel, the Independent Company, aided by their excellent engine and heavy force pumps, are doing a good thing. Months ago, before the engine arrived, and when the Flat was neither cleared nor occupied as it is at present, they, whilst waiting for steam power, stripped a large paddock to the wash-dirt, and are now employed sluicing it. The face of dirt is from six feet to twelve feet high, and after the largest stones have been extracted, it will pay on an average from Lls to L2O per man per week. This is an excellent return, but not always obtainable, for during heavy floods the flat is next to unworkable. In a former report I alluded to this company's plant, which is one of the best on the Kanieri. Since then they have erected another pump to supply the sluice boxes, which is a decided improvement, as it lifts the water no higher than the sluice boxes in the paddock, and just sufficient for the purpose ; whereas, before, the supply was drawn from that thrown by the main pumps, and which accordingly had to be relifted to the surface. On the eastern side of the Independents' ground Campbell and party are working a claim with which they express themselves perfectly satisfied. I heard it stated as a fact that a fortnight ago ten shares were sold in this claim for LIBO each, and that Ll9O was offered for another and refused. Their ground is drained by the Independent Company's engine. The New South Wales Company, the boundary of whose claim adjoins that of the two former, are driving the ground out, in preference to stripping it, and say that when sluicing they can make about 3oz. a day amongst them. Just now they are driving adits to an adjoining claim, which they have contracted to drain, as their engine is of sufficient power to keep three or four claims clear of water. The washdirt these adits are yielding is poor, but the manager informed me that in other

parts of the claim the ground was much richer. The N.S.W. Company was once designated by the separate names o,f " Philips and party " and the "Happy-go-lucky " crowd. The two have, however, since amalgamated under the above title. The company consists of sixteen t>'.i upholders. _ More in the centre of the flat the Kanieri Steam Drainage Company are making good progress, having fairly surmounted their many difficulties. ' As I have before stated, it was formed by four claims 1 which amalgamated to procure an engine. Of these the " Rand of Hope " and "Rise and Shine " are on the lead, which also cuts through a corner of the "Morning Star;" but the Nil De* da'idum is hardly proved yet, and it is feared I is somewhat out of the line. Save in connection with the plant there is not a community of goods amongst these men, each claim being worked by its respective party. Hitherto Californian pumps have been used for drainage purposes, but these will.be discarded when the iron lift forcepumps, ordered from Melbourne, arrive. The lead here consists of from eight to tea feet of wash dirt, which will yield from 10 dwts. to 15 dwts. the load. The last engine erected upon the flat wes introduced by the United Steam Drainage Company, which was formed by the amalgamation of four claims, containing in the aggregate thirty-one shareholders. Like their neighbors, however, their united interests extend no further than the engine and plant, each party trusting in its individual luck and original holding. They, however, combined- to sink an engine shaft forty-four feet by twelve feet, which is piled and framed from top to bottom, and last week wash-dirt was struck two feet thick,- twenty feet from the surface. The prospects obtained were not very rich, as a dish of dirt only gave 3 grains. The company, however, feel certain the lead is there, and are prosecuting their work with -vigor. The ground is cleared of water by a fourteen horse -power engine, consisting of a pair of cylinders working on one crank, with a large flywheel as regulator. The boiler is securely fixed, being built up with solid masonry, and, save by the steam-pipes, ij not connected \ with the rest of the gear. The engine drives a Californian pump fifty feet long, and fourteen inches by three and a-half inches in the clear, which works well, and thrown a very heavy head of water. A substantial engine-house is erected over all, and the appearance of the machinery bears witness to careful supervision and attention. In fact, all the engines on this flat are kept in really excellent order, and most creditable to the parties concerned. Between the United Company and the river there is no ground in work, as the one or two shafts sunk to test it failed in striking gold, and the water was found so heavy that the idea of working it by hand was at once abandoned. The workings on the " Old" or Kanieri Flat are gradually becoming contracted, as the outside ground is worked and abandoned, and most of the ground in work is held by companies, who work upon the same principle as their neighbors on " Commissioners. " The " Star" still used " elevators", as the lift pumps, sent for from Melbourne, have not yet arrived.. The week before last a serious mishap occurred to the machinery, as one of the pistons broke into pieces, and since' then the pumps have been driven by one engine only. At first it was feared that to repair the damage Dunedin or Melbourne would have to be applied to, but Mr Gordon, the blacksmith, volunteered to manufacture another out of boiler-plate, and succeeded in so doing. The greatest difficulty lay in casting the metallic rings ; but this he also effected in earthen moulds, and turned a most substantial piece of work out of hand, well finished in every particular. It was only completed on the day of my visit, and by this time both engines are doubtless at work. The Eureka claim, which is one of those drained by the Star engine, is worked on a twenty-eight feet level, where there is a bed of wash-dirt from three to six feet thick, which will yield from LlO to L2O per man a week. This party have yet three or four months' work before them, and intend when the bed is exhausted to sink for the main bottom. Next to them, the " Persevere" claim is working on a twenty-six feet level in wash-dirt from eight inches to four feet thick. The shareholders have realised as high as L'2s per week, but lately the yield has slightly fallen off, although good wages are still made with every prospect of six months farther work. This party also intend to sink for the main bottom. Murphy and party, whose claim is drained by the Westland Drainage Company's engine, are working some splendid dirt in their large paddock. The " stoup '' is from wour to eight feet thick, and has prospected ■as high as loz to the dish. It lies at a [level of twent-six feet from the surface. 'Adjoining them, Murray and party are also doing well, as they have the same bed of gravel, which has yielded, in patches, as much as 18 dwts. to the dish. There is every probability that both these claims will turn out handsome piles. InLytteltonstreet, the old v Flour of Wheat " claim is now occupied by the " Hibernian" party, who' sunk below the level upon which it was originally worked, and struct a bed of w ishdirt from four to five feet thick, that will yield from 60oz. to 70oz. per week. The " wash" in this claim is very heavy, and in .ny of the boulders require powder to move them. The Odd Fellows' party hold the adjoining claim, and a y e driving upon a 26 feet level in a layer of dirt five feet thick, which will pay each shareholder, say LlO weekly. These claims are both drained by the Westland engine. Only two of the river bank claims are now in. work, viz., those held by the Cumberland party and Townsend and party. The first, although many months in work, is not yet worked out, and promises to last as much longer. It is worked on a capital system and pays well. This party hold a large extent of ground, having purchased the " Ballarat" and " New Chum" claims, and have driven their tunnels to within twenty feet of the stores, a distance, I should imagine, of seventy yards. To give a description of the workings would occupy too much space in this report ; sufficient, if I say that they reflect the greatest credit on the management and pay well. According to the company's books, the average earnings of each shareholder is over L2O per week, and the yield shews no sign of a decrease. Seventeen wages men are employed in this claim, and from L7O to LIOO ,per week is paid away in expenses,