THE KANIERI.

West Coast Times, Issue 347, 2 November 1866, Page 3

THE KANIERI.

(from ouk special reporter )

Ihe old Five-Mile diggings have certainly not* improved in appearance since the date of my last visit, und an air of dulness prevades the | lace, strangely contrasting with the bustling activity which, daring its palmier days, marked it as one of the best rushes in the country. The extent of workings now absolutely in hand are woefully circumscribed, being reduced on the old flat to a mere patch in and about the township, whilst the terrace presents quite a wnste of deserted grcHnd, so covered with heaps of debris, that not a yard of the original surface can be seen. There is no disguising the fact— which even to a cisual observer is only too apparent—that the Kanicri lias witnessed its best days, i lthou«h I, for one, entertain the opinion that much gold yet remains to be extracted, but by quite a different system of work to any hitherto introduced there. In a month or two at the turthest those claims which are worked by small companies, will be exhausted or rather worked out on the present level, and unless the main bottom is reached in the meantime, and proved payable, the majority of the shareholders will assuredly leave the district, to seek their fortune in later discovered fields But even should this take place, the future of the Kanicri is far from unpromising, as it offers every inducement for the formation of large companies, who by leasing extensive areas of «• round, and liberally ez- { tending capital on machinery and preiminary works, 1 would be certain, in the long run, to obtain very handsome interest on the original outlay. The idea of rapid " pile" making must, however, be discarded, and the speculation placed on a hound coinnmveial basis, so that by adopting strict economy and careful calcu lation, and the introduction of the latest appliances tor saving manual labor, the largest possible margin for profit may be secured. I trust by the commencement of the ensuing year to see half a dozen such Companies formed on Commissioner's and Kanieri Flats, feeling confident that the ground is to be piofitably worked in no other way, whilst such an oiganised system, which would necessitate the employment of hired labor, would prove of incalculable benefit to the distiict, by attracting a population which must prove permanent so long ns the woiks in hand continued. I am of the opiniou they would last for yeais, and the two flats alone would support, in good circumstances, from 200 to 300 men. There is certainly not that number of buna Jide miners located on them at present ; and oi those who are, a considerable minority are doing next to nothing. On the Kanieri Terrace there are several sluicing parties at work, and getting excellent returns for their labor. The two parties known as Gibson's and Key's still occupy the point overlooking the river, and by the aid of the sluice box and bose turn over a great quantity of ground in the week, and succeed in making excellent wages. Once upon a time the above point — densely clothed with timber — towered high above the river, but the persevering labor of these men i have woefully reduced i£iu size, and so'tUb aheap of debris will alone remain to mark the site of that which was

once some of the richest ground on the Kanicri, Proceeding up the terrace nearly a quarter of a mile of ground, deserted save by a few btray parties, is traversed, and thtn at a point where it reaches its greatest altitude several, extended sluicing chums are reached, which pay good wages, and promise to last for many months. The first of these is held by Chiffins and party, "who have leased an acre of ground, and ■work on the hydraulic system in a face nearly fifty fett high. In fact, they turn the whole terrace behind them, and put every yard of dirt through the boxes, and as there is a little gold distributed all through the face, whilst a licher layer is found below ; they succeed in making very high wages, their individual weekly earnings sometimes amounting to between L2O to L3O. Water for sluicing is obtained from the Pioneer race, a tunnel having been driven through the hill, through which a hose is laid that conveys the water from the race. We believe the claim will last for twelve months. Next to them. Wauson and party also hold an acre lease, and are sanguine that a long spell of work is before them. They incurred groat expense and trouble in opening the claim, having been compelled to drive a tunnel 200 feet, through which to lead the water. A present the claim will pay about Ll p<r day each man. The adjoining claim is held by King and party, who have also leased an acre, and can make from LBto L 9 per week. They obtain water from the United Company's race, from which it. is conveyed by a huge flume running along the face of the terrace, but at such a distance from it as to be out of the way of falls of earth and timber, which continually take place. A party of Germans are at work in the adjoining cutting, and are reported to hold one of the best cl: ims on the terrace, their earnings being set clown at Ll2 and Ll4 per week. Montgomery and party come next, but, less fortunate than their neighbors, succeeded only in securing a piece of spare ground which, howe\er, will not be worked for three or four menths, and promises to return L 8 io LlO per week each man. Beyond them a party are tunnelling in a quarter-acre section, far above the level on whi< h the sluicers are working. They are wi iking payable ground, which proves that either tin- j.'old is not confined to a single lnyer of diift or, that the auriferous vein rises and dips along the terrace The next section, which is an acre in extent, is held by M'Lean and party, who have intersected the terrace by a tunnel 300 feet in length, s.nd laid down a line of sluiceboxess through it. They are working on the opposite side of the terrace to the other parties, and pass all the dirt through the tunnel, facing tl.e ground out from back to fiout. This claim also pays fair wages. Be;, oi d this, towards Tucker Flat, the terrace is not f-o rich, although L several claims are in full work in that direction and laying modi rate wages. The heavy wash however, runs thinner and breaks off in places, and a bed of dead is met with instead, but at the other end of the terrace, close to Tucker Flat, two or three parties have set in and struck good sluicing ground. It is therefore prolable that patches will be met wish in the intervening space. I was surprised at the change which [had tiiken place on Commissioner's I Flat sintemylast visit, and felt g^ie^ed ithat it was so much for the worse. The JKanieri Steam Drainnge Company has tollapsed, as three out of the four claims which were held by it proved duffers, and in consequence the shareholders deserted them. They of course retained their interests in the engiue, which were purchased by the shareholders in the Band of Hope claim — the only claim of the four that turned out payable. But the working expenses of an engine were too heary to be defrayed by a single party, and accord-

ingly negotiations were entered into with Mr Emerson, the proprietor of the New South Wales engine,, which mas then situated on an adjoining block of claims he was under contract to drain ; and as it was intended to remove this engine lower down the flat, he very willingly came to terms with the Band of Hope men, and transferred his contract to them. Accordingly, their engine was nt once removed, and is now hard at wnrk draining the ground. Thus, there are only two engines at work on the Flat instead of four, which two months ago ga\e the flat such a lively appearance ; the United Steam Drainage Company having also collapsed since then. On the day of my visit, the Flat appeared unusually dull, as though the Band of Hope not being ready to commence anew, the Independent Com puny's engine ceasi d |inmpin«r, not caring to contend unaided with the immense body of water which the Flat contains. '1 he shareholders were however at work " stripping," and in reply to my queries, said that the ground paid well enough, and but for the time lost through floods they would have made a very handsome thing out of it. They anticipate (that by Christmas their claim will be finished. The " Auld Reekie " claim, which is drained by tbe large water-wheel erected by Caldweil, Smith, and party, is I now in the hands of eight men who were once divided into two parties, but, amalgamated their ground for the purpose of introducing a better system of working it. They expressed themselves, satisfied with the returns, and well they might be, as the claim contains a stoup '»f washdirt from four fett to six feet thick, which will aver- | age from half an ounce to twelve penny weights to the load. Some n'ght or ten claims are still in work on the forty foot terrace, nt the end of the Flat They aie paying from Lo to LlO per man weekly. On the Knnieri Flat the Star and Westland engines are in full work, and. favored bythe latefinewc ather,keep the waterdown without difficulty. The claims round them are still paying well, but, as I before stated, will soon be worked out. I understand that the two pumping companies have amalgamated, and as the success of the speculation is entirely dependant upon the support they receive from miners who hold payable claims that require draining, they wisely determined to seek fur another bottom, and commenced sinking a shaft at the beginning of the week. It is down five feet below the old le%el, and from the appearance nf the dirt gone through, hopi s are entertained that payable gold will be stiuck at no great distance beneath. I inspected some dirt out of the lowest strata reached, and certainly consider it " very likely looking," as it consisted of a hard cement gravel, intermixed with good-sized boulders. Moreover, it contained gold, and would prospect eight or ten specks to the shovel. A fortnight's work will decide the question as to the existence of a main bottom with an auriferous bed of drift resting upon it. The Cunibei land claim, on the river bank, is not yet finished, although the best portions of the ground have long since been taken out. The manager (Mr Smith) informed me it would still pay small wages, but thought that the party meditated leaving it, not caring to work for indifferent returns. I presume that the claim will be eventually sold, as much ground remains that would pa}' from L 4 to Lo per week.

I paid a flying visit to Woodstock, on the oppose side of the Kanieri. and found the placo exceedingly dull and nearly dtseittd. Preparations-, however, are making to re-work the old ground systematically, a party of eight men, who style themselves the Enterprise Company, having constructed a water race three miles in length along the side of the terrace, at a height of nearly 50 feet above the tint, across which the water is conducted in a high, will built flume, about fifteen feet from the surface. Sluicing, of course, is the modus- operand! to be adopted, and this demands a good supply of water, to secure which another race "is to be cut from a cnek of sonic size on the opposite side of the range. The new ditch will be a mile in length, and piomises to be an expensive affair, as the cutting in some places is remarkably heavy, whilst in others high fluming must be resorted to to bring the water along the side* of stei p terraces and across gullies. The three miles of race first constituted proved a heavy undertaking, as one or two of the cuttings were over forty feet hif>h. Three tunnels, from forty feet to seventy feet long, were driven through terraces which intersected the line, and a long detour round the points thus avoided. The Enterprise Company' have been employed eleven months in the construction of these works, and have discovered a patient perseverance under difficulties of no ordinary kind which is exceedingly commendable, and will, I trust, be rewarded by a crowning success. Very satisfactory progress is making by the Maori Reserve Gold Mining Company, as marly seven chains of the tail-race is cut and culverted. It is expected that the wlu'e length will he completed in a fortnight or three weeks.