OKARITA.

West Coast Times, Issue 315, 26 September 1866, Page 3

OKARITA.

(fbom oub own correspondent.)

The population of this district has been steadily decreasing for the past two months, and within the last fortnight several scores have left .for Hokitika, allured by the brilliant accounts received from the " Waimea, and other places in s that neighborhood. Should the miners leave at the

rate they haye v been doing, the Okarita district promises to be as bare of populati mas it was a year ago. The beaches are almost worked out, and no inland discove-. Ties of any. importance have rewarded the enterprise of prospectors. No doubt the search for gold inland has been only very partial in consequence of the difficulty and expense of penetrating: and carrying provisions'through tlfe bush, but sufficient gold coarse gold, too — has been obtained inland, in the banks of several streams, to warrant the opinion that good-goldfielda exist jnland, and would be found if properly searched for. If the Government would spend a little revenue derived from this district in cutting some maiu tracks for a few miles into the bush, it wonld act wisely. No single party of miners can afford to undertake such a heavy job as cutting a track preliminary to prospecting, the consequence is the place is becoming deserted, and the country remains unprospected. The tracks could be cut at a trifling expense, and under the direction of Mr Surveyor Moeller — who is permanently stationed here— such tracks would also greatly aid that gentleman in^making a complete and accurate map of the district — a work on which he is at present engaged. , It is much to be regretted that so short a space of time was allowed by the Government for miners sending in suggestions as regards the amending of the mining rules. Down here we had hardly heard suggestions were solicited when we were informed it was too late to send any. Some new rules are much wanted, and gome of the 'old ones require amending. A rule, imposing a heavy penalty on any miner marking out more than one claim on a new rush is much wanted, a3 it is a common practice for a party to mark out six, or even a dozen claims, and a late arrival on the rush cannot get a claim, except he is " laid on" by an acquaintance. To the marking out of so many claims may be attributed the fact ©f so many leaving new" rushes disgusted, and giving the rush a bad name. The Goldfields Act also requi r es an overhauling, particularly section xxiii. I was engaged in a case on the Manuherikia, where a most shameful advantage was taken of the wording of the section alluded to, by one partner to defraud his mate. ,

From up the Omoero, on Sandfly Beach, the accounts are far from encouraging. A great many have lately left, and there cannot be more than from twenty-five to thirty- miners remaining there. The few that remain are doing a little, and some doing fairly, but 1 cannot hear of any good claims. The ground is patchy, and the gold coarse, so there is little prospect of the place becoming a permanent diggings. A most painful occurrence has happened at Gillespie's Beach. Mr Brennan (a brother of Mr Brennan, of the firm ot Brennan and Byrne), who was in charge of a store there for Brennan and Byrne, was found lying in the store with a self-in-flicted pistol wound in his face. A messenger was immediately despatched for \ medical assistance, and Dr. Bennett soonj arrived, who pronounced the wound to be not dangerous. The wounded man was ; able to ride oti horseback from Gillespie's to Okarita^ so I suppose the injuries cannot be very severe.

A new rush took place at the rear of the slaughter yard on the Five Mile. The prospects are very good, but the amount of ground is limited ; nevertheless, many miners are busily sinking about the new workings in hopes of striking something good. Burne and part}' have applied for an extended claim of three-quarters of an acre on the Waiho Beach. All the gold obtained on this beach was a long way above the water level, and it is the intention of this party to sink below the water in search of another payable- layer of black sand. They have constructed a head race, and are now busily employed making a- tail race. ' There will be sufficient fall for the water to turn a small overshot- waterwheel, which . they intend to place oh the claim, should the water prove too heavy, and the prospects warrant the expense. It is to be hoped their exertions will be crowned' with success, as the beach workings above water level are undoubtedly exhausted.