KANIERI.

West Coast Times, Issue 304, 13 September 1866, Page 2

KANIERI.

BY OUB SPECIAL BEPOETER.

Since my v last report upon this fielH the course of events there has been attended by changes so slight in appearance as to be almost imperceptible, the community having settled down into -a btead) huni-drum-every-day state of existence, which, however beneficial it inW be in fostering the resources of a district, is not prolific in noticeable events. Evidences in the shape of tastefully erected business places, substantial miners' residences, cultivated patches of cleared land, and, last but notleast, the presence of the giant power steam, are not wanting to stamp this locality as one of those permanent centres of a thriving mining industry, upon which the ultimate. prosperity of the entire district is founded. The place has, however, a dull dreary look, which is certainly not preposessing to a- casual visitor, and is caused by the preponderance of worked out and deserted ground over that in occupation, and is always attended by a small population which scattered over a considerable area ; and, excepting on special occasions, never massing, would induce a belief that Its absolute number is less than it really is, succeeded by an impression equally erroneous, that the resources of the place being exhausted, it was slowly, but surely, undergoing desertion. It cannot be depied that the Kanieri community ha 3 much decreased within the last six weeks, but this has been caused less tlirough its inability to support a larger number than the counter attraction of the late discoveries in the Waimea district, which hare not only drained it in -this re-

spect, but caused a considerable diminution in the population of nearly 'every other field on the coast as well. But numbers will be certain to again return to their old haunts when the excitement occasioned by the new rushes has abated. As I stated in a former report, the Ka • nieri is no longer a " poor man's diggings," as nearly the whole of its workings is occupied by sluicing parties and companies, which are employed, aided by watti , and machinery, in extracting the precious metal from tfte terraces and deep and wet river flats. I am sorry to say that in neither of these branches of' mining is such progress making as was once expected, the bluicers .being at % a stand-still, lacking water, whilst the flat workings are much retarded by the superabundance of that element the terrace men are so desirous of obtaining. Very feasible hopes were entertained that the Pioneer Race Company would long agfo have finished their new ditch from M'Orae's Creek, but the difficulties of cutting it proved so gtesit ihat tho work has" been unavoidably delayed, and even now its completion is noL anticipated tor a we,ek or ten days. As the cieek is of somo size, Ihe ditch will eairy an abundance* of water in wei weather, sufficient to supply ihe whole terrace, ami in dry weather it is calculated I hat at least teii or twelve ground feluiceheads of water will be always available. The United Race ..Company, whose flume along the terrace runs parallel with and close to the Pioneer, afe not, 1 believe, making any further attempt to increase their supply, so that in dry weather there are not more than ahi heads of water in both races, a qiiKUiily totally disproportionate to ihe demand. .That the old terrace should look wretched and deserted is, ' therefore, nol to be wondered at, as, without permitting a monopoly, the race companies cannot gua.ranteo any party a constant supply of water, and are compelled to, in turn, dole Du£a scanty allowance to those who^re willing and able to pay for it. I conversed wilh several miners who hold shares in sluicing claims on the terrace, and they declared that the ground would pay veil if water could only b? procured, and that the place would then assume a very different appearance, as every yard of ground \\ould be in hand and working. .Notwithstanding that the terrace is laboring under this great disadvantage, it still yields a goodly quantity of gold. On its extreme ■ point overlooking the river, Key and party," and Gibson and party are doing exceedingly well. They tre working on the hydraulic system, and are fallowing into the hill a bed of auriferous drift from ten to twelve feet thick, at a level of about twenty-live feet from the surface,, and thirty feet above the river. They wash as lhe\ go, and turn the whole face behind them into sluice boxes, which curry off the detritus into the river.'' This work requires at least one sluice-head of water, and to secure it an arrangement has been lately entered into with the United Race Company for a steady supply. Key and> party are. 'earning from LlO to L2O each man weekly, and their neighbors are' doing nearlj as well. Besides these men, there are two or three parties about a quarter of, a mile from the river, on the eastern slope of the terrace, who are also making fair wages. Of 'these, Smith alid party aro about the luckiest, having been - employed, during the last eighteen months in one claim, which has paid well through oHt, and is. not yes exhausted. About a dozen parties are scattered over the rest of the' terrace, who work when water is to l>e had, but one man assured me so scarce was the element, that during the last month his party had only sluiced three days and a half. ' Excepting one or two outside claims, the ground in work on the Kanieri Flat is situated in and around the township, where the Westland Star company's plant h situated. Just now this is flooded, as the engines have ceased pumping, pending the erection of *a new pump by the Star Company, who some weeks ago sent their engineer to Melbourne to procure one of the best that could be obtained. He returned by the s.s. Otago, bringing with him a pump dn the centrifugal principle, which cost nearly L3OO. It is partly in position, and will fat in working order in the course of a werk, and , driven by a twelve- horse power engine, is guaranteed to throw twelve hundred gallons of water per minute from a depth of sixty feet. The pump is simple in construction, consisting of a cast-iron chamber, in shape notunlike a large cheese, inside of which is a fau or disks-also of cast-iron. The chamber is fixeu on the top of the shaft, and to it ten-inch pipes are attached, , which lead into the pump well. The lower joint "of the piping contains a valve, which when shut, prevents the water escaping, as the pipes must be filled to a level with the chamber before the pump will work. The suction power — if such if may be termed— i& supplied by the fan, which is twenty-two jnchts in diameter, and works upon a spindle. This being connected to the engine by a band, is driven with enormous rapidity, turning the fan at the rate of Irom six to seven hundred revolutions per minute, and the water thus caught is whirled upwards into the discharge pipe, and a constant and heavy stream thrown out. The centrifugal principle as appliexP to pumps is of old date, and was discarded as ineffective ; but certain improvements upon the old plan having been made, it 19 now in general uso in Victoria, and answers admirably, repossessed one great advantage over the ordinary pump, viz., that it is not liable to choke, and ia able to throw not only water but ccarse gravel ; and to prevent stones of too large a size from enteiinji the pipe, the lower joint is fitted with a rose-end, perforated with holes, about one inch in diameter. Those claims which are drained by the two companies are paying remarkably well, although the majority are standing idle waiting for the engines to re-commence work. Murphy and party, who belong to the Westland Company, have just finished a large paddock, 50 x 30 feet, out of which they obtained no less a quantity than seventy-one pounds weight .of gold-dust. A great portion of the claim is still untouched, but it is not anticipated to turn out so well, although it is believed to bo extremely rich. Murray and party, who hold the next claim, are also working rich ground, in proof whereof a share in it changed hands last week for the sum of L 250. On the other side of Murphy's claim, Shanks and his mates are doing well, and when in fair work, can make on an average from LlO to Ll2 per week each man. The shareholders in the Hibernian claim, Lytteltonstreet, have no reason to complain, as they confess to a weekly dividend of L 9 to Lls per man. The claims above enumerated

contain a great thickness of washdirt, and will not be worked out for months. t ' On the river bank only one claim (the Cumberland) is now in work, and in a few weeks it is expected that this also will be worked out. It is still yielding well, although the payable ground is becoming very circumscribed. The least valuable portions of the claim are let on tribute, but I believe the results are not particularly satisfactory. Townsend's claim, *whioh adjoined the Cumberland, was finished last week, and an excellent piece of ground it proved itielf, for, from first to last, but little less than 2000 ounces were extracted from it.

Since the date of my last report, two mining companies on Commissioner's Flat have collapsed, as ways and means for the further prosecution of the works could not be devised. The New South Wales Company was the first to stop work, and their claim ,and plant were afterwards sold by auction, realising the ridiculously low sum of LlO4. The engine alone is valued at L4OO, besides which there is a circular saw, pumps, and other appliances for working cieep and wet ground. Mr Emerson, of Hokitika, was the purchaser, aud since then has let the claim on tribute to a party of Cornishmen, who, on consideration that the claim is kept dry for them, or in other w-irds that pumping expenses are defrayed by the proprietor, have agreed to pay him two-fifths of the gross yield. The new party commenced work yesterday, and as the cluim is known to contain one or two layers of good dirt, they are sanguine it will pay fair wages. The other company to which I alluded was the United Steam Drainage, which, like the New South Wales, ceased to exist through the pressure, of circumstances. The plant and claim have been made over to a new company, which will issue its prospectus, and register in the course of a week or ten days. The ground thus bought is to be paid for in paid-up scrip, the United shareholders preferring this arrangement to that of selling the plant, &c, by auction. The new company purpose making application for a three-acre lease, and if it is granted, erecting very powerful machinery, and sinking at once for the main bottom ; but as the speculation will be somewhat extensive, the greatest portion of the capital for its futlierance must of necessity be raised in Hokitika. lam inclined to believe that if properly conducted the enterprise is likely to pay, as the main lead of gold runs directly through the ground it i 9 intended to apply for. The remaining companies on the fiat are in a fairway of work, and 1 believe obtain, when not flooded out, steady and remunerative wages. . The Morning Star claim, last week, paid a dividend of L 9 to each shareholder, and' next to it the Rise and Shine Company also obtain good returns, The Independent Association, which includes R&nkin's, Campbell's, and Grant's claims, is a payable spec, as .some portion of the ground yields heavily. Caldwell and party, who. erected the large water wheel, haye — after an expenditure of many months of unproductive labor — let the ground on tribute to Jackson and party, who are now employed making new Californian pumps to replace the elevators which have been hitherto used to drain the ground. t

Taking Commissioner's Fiat on the whole, I am inclined to believe that it will not pay for the immense amount of capital and labor expended on it, unless, indeed, the main bottom when reached is found to carry another layer of golden drift. That the bed rock will be eventually struck I have not the slightest doubt, but the result of such an undertaking is another matter upon which it would be idle to speculate. The forty feet workings at the head of the flat have not extended, and may be said to consist of seme eight or ten claims which pay on an average about L 7 per week to each shareholder. The gold is much coarser than that in the fiat, as I heard it is not uncommon to find small nuggjets weighing from 1 dwt. to 6 dwts. The Kanieri township is extremely dull, and business men aver that ready money was never so scarce before ; they are, however, sanguine that when more water is available for sluicing, the yield of gold will increase -and the population also, which will give trade a much needed impetus. . . I was glad to see such good progress had been made in the erection of the Church of England, which is almost completed, and should be Teady for consecration in a month. It is a neat, substantially constructed, little building, in- size 40 feet by 20 feet, and capable of holding some 200 people. ,