OKARITA.

West Coast Times, Issue 277, 13 August 1866, Page 6

OKARITA.

(from our own correspondent. ) July 29. The event, of the week has been the " rush 1 ' on the Bank of New Zealand, by depositors and holders of notes of that Bank. When the English news came in, it was whispered that the Bank of New Zealand was broken, or severely shaken. Rumor, with its hundred tongues, soon carried the tale abroad, and immense excitement was the consequence. The good folk of Okarita had the first start, and made the most of their time by withdrawing their deposits, and changing Bank of New Zealand notes for those of the Bank of New South Wales ; the manager of the latter bank exchanging notes as fast as they were presented. " Soon the news stole along the beach to the Five Mile, and travelled from one end of the lead to the other in an incredibly short space of time. "Rush for the Bank!" was the word. Down went shovels and barrows, sluiceboxes were left uncleaned, and the Bluff at the end of the Five Mile was soon swarming with men panting, rushing, and perspiring in their, mad haste to be amongst the first in Okarita. Hunt's rush at Bruce Bay in the scrub was nothing to it. Of coursa as they came in they all rushed to the Bank, and eagerly awaited their turn to withdraw their money. The panic ceased the next evening ; but during the time it lasted, I am told upwards of Llo,ooo was withdrawn. We arc now left without a Warden until the 15th instant, in consequence of Mr Price being obliged to go to Wellington on public business. What are litigants or parties requiring injunctions to do in the' meantime? Surely, before removing Mr Frice for so long a time, the Government ought to have provided a substitute. I am informed on good authority that a small hatch, such as would belong to a small schooner, wag washed ashore nt Gillespie's Beach. I also Ireard that portions of wreck were cast on the beach near Bruce Bay. They may be parts of the Caroline. Two miners, named John Sullivan and Samuel Boyle, whilst on their way to Okarita, by moonlight, last week, came across a seal at the long bluff. Although, not knowing at first what it was, Sullivan at ouce threw himself on it, and a regular fight took place, the combatants rolling over and over. Sullivan, however, proved too strong for the animal, and succeeded in holding it until Boyle smashed its head with a large stone., With great difficulty they managed to carry the brute into Okarita, when they deposited it in the store of Messrs Henuely and Foley. Sullivan was severely bitten in the arm in the affray. The p.s. Bruce still adorns the south spit, but it is expected she will soon be afloat again, as the ,works necessary for re-launching her are vigorously carried on. ' The weather has changed. Last evening rain set in, and continues falling steadily ever since. Upwards of 6000 oz3. of gold were shipped by the banks last week. From the Five Mile there is very little to report. All the miners are hard at work, and most have good reason to be very well satisfied. In some of the "deep wet claims at the south of the beach work is vigorously carried on, even on Sundays. The water met with boing so heavy that the miners have to wait until low-tide, in order to take off the bottom, and even then it is dono with great difficulty; in fact, most of 'the washdirt has to be fished out of from eighteen inches to two feet of water. A few days since I saw one party taking off the bottom, and although a powerful Californiah pump, manned by four able miners, was kept continually going, the water could not be kept down. Since then the same party have procured another pump, and by means of the two are enabled to take the bottom up dry, The gold obtained pays very well for all the labor, the prospects being from one to two pennyweights to the shovel, with about six inches of wash dirt ; but it must be remembered the stripping takes a great deal of the gilding off the gingerbread, as it varies from twenty to thirtj' feet, and has to bo harrowed away a long distance towards the swamp at the rear. Tail-races have been cut, at great labor and expense, into this swamp, and although there was great litigation about them when they were being cut, all hands now acknowledge their utility, indeed only for them it would be impossible to work any of the deep claims at the south end of the lead. It has been found that a sheepskin placed at the bottom of the sluice-box is a capital thing for saving the very fine gold, which, without its use, would be lost. Oije patty on tho Five Mile tried it for a week, and although at fhe end of the week very little gold could be seen on it, nevertheless, on burning the skin, no less than two ounces of dust were obtained. I recommend this very important fact to the notice of your mining readers. The exact locale of Hunt's rush at Bruce Bay has, I think, at length been found. Some miners, only just arrived from Bruce Bay, informed me thai a party vrho had been prospecting a considerable distance inland, a long way below Bruce Bay, had got into a gully where they found a deserted tent. Some candles were found in it, and hanging to a post in front oM: the tent were three Maori hens, but the flesh had completely decomposed, and nothing was left but the bones and feathers. Now, Hunt was known to be an adept at calling Maori hens to him and snaring them. But to put the matter beyond dispute a book was also found, which it ha.-* been ascertained was borrowed from some one on Hunt's Beach by Hunt. The party that found the tent tried the gully, but could get nothing payable. At Gillespie's, things are very dull, and the population is rapidly decreasing, but there will be a considerable number of miners located there for a long time ; for, although the ground is poor, many prefer to work for steady, though small, wages than run about and perhaps make nothing at all. Large quantities of goods continue to be sent down, however, as on last Monday I observed no less than twenty pack-horses in a mob, heavily laden, going to Gillespie's. About fourmiles up the Omoero (the first river met withjon Sandfly Beach, as" the traveller is going south) some thirty or forty miners have lately set in to work. The prospects obtained, although by no means rich, are sufficient to induce parties to remain. Three or four applications for water-races have been made already, which shows the applicants have confii d»nce in the groun 1 Until I hear more

I cannot recommend any miners to venture there, as I have spoken to several of the miners who are working up the river, and some give a favorable account, whilst others give an unfavorable one. An old miner I spoke to called it a confounded " stringer ;'' nevertheless I see a good deal of tucker and tools are carried up weekly. The Waiho hap been very uncertain in its movements lately. Instead of running into the sea straight, or a little to the north as formerly, it now runs paraHel to the beach nearly /half a mile south. A lake has been formed at the usual crossing place, upon which the ferry boat can ply safely in any weather. I have no doubt the next fresh will open a channel in or about the usual place. The water is backed up a long way in the river, and should it be backed up much further, the store of Mr Allen on the south side will very probably go afloat ; even now, at high tide, the water covers the floor. From the parties mining ten miles up the Waiho I have received no intelligence, as none of them have been down for their week's provisions.* An importation, which promises to be of vast importance to the entire community ' for years to come, has been introduced at considerable expense from Melbourne, by Messrs Williams. It is one of Wilkinson's patent amalgamating machines, and I consider it is admirably adapted for working the poorer ground on the beaches which would not pay by the ordinary method of sluicing. At present I cannot speak positively as to the merits of the machine, as, when the prospectors tried it for the first time last Thursday they were obliged to knock off, as it wa3 found the nitric acid used Wad of inferior quality. Next week I will bs enabled to furnish you with the result of a week's washing, as I propose visiting the Messrs Williams' claim again at the end" of the week. The place Messrs Williams have chosen as the scene of operations is on the Waiho Beach, a short distance in the scrub. I consider the site unfortunately chosen, as the dirt is very stony, and I know the ground to be very poor. Had Messrs Williams made enquiries, I think they could have been directed to other parts" of- this beach where there is a large quantity of washdirt, with very few stones. For the information of your readers, I will endeavor to describe the machine, which is exceedingly simple and inexpensive. It consists of a box about 12 feet long and four feet wide, with an incline of about one and a half inches per foot. About two feet from under the hopper there is a trough, through the entire width, in which is put about twenty-five or thirty p mnds of mercury. Then there is a revolving brush, made out of whalebone, which revolves in an opposite direction to tho flow of water ; and the action of this brush is to bring the mercury in the most lively manner to be intermixed with the sand and gold brought to it, by which means it is impossible for any gold to escape. There are two of these brushes and troughs, and they, as well as the hopper, are turned by a flywheel and band of leather. The entire bottom of the machine is covered with copper plates coated with mercury. The water required is supplied by a tin pump, and I believe the machine is capable of putting through from fifteen to twenty loads per day. I am of opinion it is a most efficient apparatus for saving gold ; but for it to pay it is absolutely necessary a site should be selected where there is a large quantity of poor dirt easily procurable.