MINING SUMMARY.

West Coast Times, Issue 579, 2 August 1867, Page 5

MINING SUMMARY.

The month just lapsed has witnessed very little stir or excitement amongst the West Coast miners; who lacking induce. ! ment to scour the country, massed them' selves round the principal mining centres ! in good winter quarters contented with. | moderate returns until the adrent of spring gives renewed impetus to pros* pectiug. .It must not, however, be sup* posed that the workings in hand are what in digging" parlance is termed " tuokor and and small wages ground," for on the con« trary, t3ie extension of some of the older diggings — Waimea to wit — has been attended by very profitable results, many of the claims' having proved rich beyond the most sanguine anticipations of the holders The Waimea" maintains its supremacy as the most populous and productive of the Westland districts, as scarcely a week passes but we hear of the opening of new ground • in some out of the way and hitherto unthought of corner within its boundaries, thus 'further proving how extensive andrich are its resources. In no mother district is the gold so generally and widely distributed. The names of its various workings may be truly termed legion, so numerous are they, each supporting its community of miners in comfort and in some cases affluence. That our readers may be enabled to form some idea of the ramifications of the Waimea goldfield, we give an epitome of a few of the chief workings, the number of their population, and rough estimate of the weekly return per man. Commencing with German Gully, we find it contains about 100 miners, who earn from L 3 to L 6 per week each man. At present their operations are much retarded by a great scarcity of water. About eighty miners are at work in Maori Gully, and being tolerably well supplied with the element, make very fair wages, the better claims yielding from LS to LlO a man weekly. . A great deal of poor ground is in hand that will not pay more than from L 2 toL4. CalUghan's Gully retains a population, of about sixty diggers; the majority of whom hold good claims, but are compelled to stack the washdirt pending thi? advent of rain. The gully is covered by immense heaps of auriferous dirt, which, from the prospects washed, promises ; to yield very richly indeed. Italian, Gully is h'eli in, ill repute, but for aU that 'carries nearly 100 diggers, who make but low w'age.s, 'the average earnings per man being estimated at about L 4 weekly. Scarcity of water is the cause, hi a great measure, of this low return. ' The same may be said of the Lefthand and Middle Branches of the Waimea, 0

where 200 minors are at work, some of whom succeed in " knocking out" as much as L 5 and L 7 .per week, but the majority find it difficult to make " tucker.' 1 Up the right-hand branch of the Waimea-ana the adjoining gullies, 950 men are Assembled, ana having a good supply of water at command, they are enabled to secure payable returns, which, aro quoted at LlO and Ll2 weekly. The poorer ground yields from L 3 t> L 5. In the Wainira. proper, including the track as far as Stafford Town and a few adjoining gullies, 700 miners are busily employed sluicing and tunnelling. They obtain very fair wages, about L 5 per man weekly being the average return* A few fortunate ones who are working in Tunnel Terrace make Llo per week. The Scandinavian lead may be set down as being occupied by 400 men, who are very highly paid, whilst Pipers 's Flat is accredited with 1000. Of the above places, Piper's Flat is held iv highest favor just now, a very profitable rush having taken place there about three weeks ago. The lead, for. such it has been proved, is coutained in a high terrace bordering the flat, and is heading direct for another separated from the first by a small creek only. The diggers are sanguine the lead will not only be traced into it, but through a line of similarly formed terraces to the South. The lead prospects very well indeed, ldwt and 2 dwts the shovel, being not uncommon. The longest worked parts of the Scandinavian Lrad are pretty well exhausted to first workers, but not to fo.«sikers, who eagerly take up claims as they are abandoned. In many instances this gleaning process is found to be exceedingly profitable. Not a little outside ground is in work on the Scandinavian lead, and pays well. The New Lamplough diggings have not extended during the mouth, bat the lead there, so far as it is proved is very rich, although narrow. Prospects equally good as those we quoted in our last Summary* are still obtained — from 1 dwt to oz the dish, being the return from the best claims, which are expected to send many a digger out of the country with a handsome pile. The population of New Lamplough may be set down at about 600, of which number one-sixth may be classed as camp followers. We have often mentioned Blakes Terrace in our monthly notices as a good diggings, and although a long time opened, we are still able to speak favourably of the place. That it was not worked out and deserted long ere this is to be attributed to the nature of the ground which is exceedingly difficult to work being deep, wet and heavy to strip. The superabundance of water has been provided for by the construction of tail-races, but the other disadvantages are only to be overcome by steady hard manual labor, and hence the time occupied in extracting the gold. The totaJ. number of the Waimea population may be set down at 5,500, of which 500 undi-r the designation of business people. The quantity of gold sent down by escort frmi the Waimea district during the past month may be estimated at 7,255 ozs., but this we believe falls short of the absolute quantity extracted from mother earth, as not a few large sized parcels from New Lamplough. were forwarded to town by private hands. If we say 8000 ozs. for the month we shall not be far from the truth. The old Kanieri has during the month fully maintained a reputation for general productiveness, but its day for large yields to the individual digger once of common occurrence has, we fear, passed away until another main lead of gold is Btru k in the wide and unproved strip of country between the present workings and the snowy range. The many workings constituting the Kanieri goldfleld have during the month employed a goodly number of gold seekers. Tho»e located about the Hau Hau and Big Paddock dingings have been the most successful, and we may quote their returns at fully L 7 per week to each man working on the leads. The Three-mile Creek also bears a good name and carries a population of some 500 men. Tiie number of works about the Hau Hau and Three-mile will be more than doubled, when a plentiful supply of water for sluicing is made available by the completion of the large head-races now in hand from the head of the Arahura. The only organised companies in tbe Eanieri District are located on the old Five-Mile flats. Wo have mentioned them in former summaries as the Western Water Wheel Company and the Victorian Co-operative Company. The latter is yet engaged upon preliminary works, and nas erected two engines for pumping and winding, and also constructed a tramway leading from their claim to the river to convey away the rubbish. The sluice boxes will also lead down it from the poppet heads, so that when the process of washing is going on, the tailings will be effectually and easily got rid of. This Company expect to be in the receipt of returns by the latter end of this month. The Western men have long since proved their ground to be exceedingly rich, and did very well indeed up to the begining of July, when an unfortunate mishap to the water-wheel delayed them nearly a month until the broken axlo was replaced. Since then they have been much hindered by floods, but are now in good working order, and command returns that would be deemed splendid on any goldfiold in the world ; from L 8 to L4O per man, weekly, being the yield. The Woodstock diggings, which were somewhat dull at the date of our last summary, have brightened up again. New ground was opened at the end and at the side of the old workings — the prospects being quite equal to any before obtained in this locality. It is now believed that Woodstock will extennd down the river to Arthur's Town, and the more sanguine of the diggers do not despair of tracing the gold across a high terrace that separates Woodstock from the Totara country. Mining in the Totara — or, to use the name it is better known by — the Ross district, has assumed such gigantic pro porrions by the successful adoption of the leading system, and is, withall, of so permanent a character, that the effects of a month's labor are scarcely recognisable in the large and well-ordered claims. The most noticable event was the publication of the Scandinavian Company's first halfyearly report, from which it appeared that the total produce of the mine for about four months of actual working upon gold, realised when sold L 4510. As a set-off against this sum, there is L 4160, the cost of plaDt, and L 3377, working expenses ; tb« large balance thus placed pn.the Dr. side of the company's account

being more than covered by L 3400 of subscribed capital) in fact, the company retained in hand the 3um '6f L 3? 2to the good. As the claim ls'only just opened and is certain to last for years, the above result was rightly considered to be most gratifying, especially when ie toras announced that for the future the mine would pay a kand.some dividend; equal to about li 9 per week upon each share. The folldwing interesting particulars of the working of this mine are supplied us by the manager's report, which was read at the half-yearly meeting. The report says — "The amount of gold obtained from March 23 to date {July 10) was 1170 ozs 11 dwts, which realised, at 76s 3d, L 4500 12s 8d sterling. The total number of trucks i aised i'l that time has been 30,760, of which 19,917 were washdirt, 19,860 mullock and stones ; there arc also 578 sets of timber sent below. The length of main drives opened up extending to our boundaries south of the shaft is 1460 feet, and we are blocking back to the shaft from the same. The engine, machinery, plant, and underground workings are all in excellent working order, equal to any claim on Ballarat or elsewhere, the erections and arrangements being substantial and efficient for all requirements. lam happy to -congratulate you on the state of the mine in general, there being at the lowest computation eight months of very profitable ground opentd in this portion of the claim, and the working expenses in taking this ground out will be considerably less than when the main drives were progressing. The ground north of the shaft dips at a steep gradient, and I should recommend it to be worked from below, opening out the shaft about fifteen feet deeper,- so as to work the third bottom on the south side the shaft, in which level the washdirt is exceedingly rich, with at least six feet of dirt.". Since the publication of the above report, the Scandinavian returns have steadily increased, the yield of the last three weeks having averaged at the rate of about 22 ozs per day. The Totara Goldfiold from the depth and difficulty of its workings is of all others in Westlaud, the one where a combination of labor and capital can bo best employed to advantage, aud as the New Zealand Jaw relating to gold mining by companies is very liberal in its provisions due advantage has been taken of it in the above district, where at the present tinio there are seven or eight large companies who have leased areas of ground varying in size from four to ten acres. Of these, and ranking next to the Scandinavian is the Morning Star; which got fairly on gold at the commencement of last month, and since then have been hard at work putting in main drives. Blocking out one corner of this claim will, it is believed, commence in a week or two, and then the returns will be quite equal to those of the Scandinavian claim. We are sorry to say that the Prince of Wales Company is in difficulties, not through the poverty of but on account of the inability of the shareholders to meet their calls. We understand that a new company is forming with capital sufficient to carry out the speculation. The army of whim claims between the Steam Companies and the entrance to Jbne's Gully have been busily at work during the month fully maintaining the rate of yield we have quoted in former summarys, viz., from L 4 to L 25 per mau weekly. The lower levels of some of the claims were swamped out by a rush of water sent down by the heavy rain that fell in the middle of the month. This entailed only a very slight loss of time upon the shareholders, who opened out upon the next bottom above, and were very soon in the receipt of excellent wages. It is one of the peculiarities of the Totara diggings that the gold is not confined to one bottom. but is found in several stratas of gravel in the deep flats. There is much profitable work in hand about a mile south of Boss, in Donoghue's Gully, and on the flat at the foot of it, where the Alexandra and Energetic Companies hold large areas of ground. The former has just registered, and elected the manager and engineer, and will proceed at once with the erection of powerful steam machinery. The Energetic have broken ground, and keep down the water by water power, having built a large overshot wheel, which so far answers well. Six other companies whose holdings amount in the aggregate to about eight or ten acres, have taken up grouud adjoining theabove twocompanies. The shallow grouud about Eoss is held by many sluicers, who now that water id plentiful, make very fair wages. The population of the Eoss district is estimated at about 4000, and the quantity of gold sent into town by escort during the month, may be quoted at 5000 ounces. No improvement has taken place in the condition of the Southern Goldfields (Okarita and Haast) during the month. Okarita maintains about two hundred and fifty miners, who make on an average from L 2 to L 3 per man weekly; but the Haasfc is absolutely de o erted, we don't believe that ten diggers are left there. At the date of our last advices about forty remained, but we were given to understand that they were on the point of starting t« Big Bay, a locality some forty miles further south.

An influx of diggers from the Nelson goldfields gavo a slight impetus to business in the Grey district, as several of the deserted workmgs there have thereby been re-peopled, and found, upon further trial, to contain a good store of the precious metal. Big Creek, in the neighborhood of Moonlight Gully, attracted'inany of the wanderers, who were fortunate enough to strike soni« very rich ground there, the yield for one fortnight being over 700 ounces. The workings iv Canoe Creek have also paid well during the month. We have heard nothing from the Arnold and Twelve-mile diggings since the date of last summary.but advices from the neighborhood of Lake Brunner encourages a belief that a new and important goldfield will yet be discovered in that district, which has ever been held in high favor by miners, as possessing every outward indication peculiar to rich fields. Men are now working there and getting payable gold, according to the " Grey Argus," which, in its issue of last Tuesday, says :— " The existence of gold there h«s been frequently establislied, but the extreme difficulty of travelling about the trackless bush, and the great distance from depot-) of supplies, have prevented anything like systematic prospecting. Still, a lew parties of men have from time to time penetrated this part of the country, and in some instances have found inducements to remain. Wo are informed, on very good authority, that

about forly nlen^ are working at, a place called Jones's Creek — one of the small feeders of the lake — and are 'doing well. Our informant c'anie across a party of these niett whilst bo'atiug their provisions over the lake, and they stated that there were several other gullies of a similar character which had not been prospected. The men said that Jones's Creek is on the Nelson side of the lake. There can be little doubt that, as the country becomes opened up by tracks, the Bruuner Lake district will become au important goldfield."

TheJNelson goldfields, which are merely a continuation of leads first discovered in Westland, have yielded *rcli during the month, but discover unmistakable symptoms of decline, the best of the ground beiug nearly worked out. Nothing in the shape of new country has been opened of late, and the much vaunted rush at Waitcs Pakihi, near the Buller, is likely to turn out next to an utter failure, unless an effectual plan to drain the ground is introduced. There is no doubt that gold in payable quantities exists there, but the depth of sinking (60 feet) and superabundance of water has so far defied the diggers to extract it. The local papers tell of claims containing eight and ten feet of black sand that will prospect lgr to the shovel throughout, but we have not yet heard of any definite results in the way of escort returns. Diggers who have visited the place speak of it in most dis-" paraging terms, but the opiuious of disappointed men must ever be received with caution ; so we hope that the Buller will some day prove its right to be classed amongst the profitable gold-fields of the West Coast. The old Pakihi and Pox's Eivcr rushes retain their population, which is saying a great deal in their favor. The alluvial workings at the Pakihi are well nigh done, but acres of ccirent containing more or less gold, are found there, and employ the bulk of tho population in crushing it by hand. Several crushing machines driven by horso power have been erected, and we hear that a large company is forming, with the intcntcntion of introducing au immense steam Slant, that will put through niauy hunred tons weekly. Such a speculation can hardly fail to pay well. Mauy parties have been prospecting to the northward of the Bulfer, and one or two small rushes have taken place in that direction lately. They, however, proved unimportant.

We regret to say that that work of paramount importance to Westland — track cutting — has been brought to an untimely close, by the action of the Provincial Council during its last sitting, a vote of supply to carry out the undertaking having been refused. We are amazed at this display of parsimony, not to give it a worse name, as it is well understood on both sides of the province, that unless the bush is opened by tracks, prospecting the back country is a next to an impossible work. The total quantity of gold exported from Westland during the month may be estimated at 27,500 ounces — a very marked and satisfactory increase upon the returns for June. Of this amount, 17,500 ounces is the produce of those goldfields south of Teremakau, including \Vaiuica, Kanieri, and Eoss. We are unable to give the Grey returns accurately, but feel sure they will fall very little short of 10,009 ounces.