HAU HAU.

West Coast Times, Issue 944, 1 October 1868, Page 3 (Supplement)

HAU HAU.

Thursday, Sept. 17.

The news from the Hau Hau this week is, on the whole, of a very cheering character. The Duke of Edinburgh Lead, which was ' expected by a great many to have turned out a failure, has now been proved, beyond a doubt, to be — if not a success — a lead upon which miners, by steady work, can earn fair wages. There have been about half-a-dozen shafts bottomed on payable gold. Hall and party, who washed up last week, got a prospect of more thau an ounce to the lonu in

cement six inches in thickness. _ This ■will pay them small wages ; but if the sameprospect continues through the whole vein something more will be made, as it is confidently predicted that the cement will be found to increase in thickness. Sandy and party are getting much better wash, and tlu-y now hope to make a fair amount out of their claim. Alick Nesbitt and party have struck gold, and we think that their prospects must be pretty gdod, for they have removed their hufs on to their claim, and have made every preparation for setting in. There are three or four prospecting parties trying to ascertain. whether a continuation of this lead exists behind the Cromorne Gardens Hotel. They appear very sanguine of success, and some of them even venture to predict that the load will be found to cross the tramway. Should such be the case, the Duke of Edinburgh will rival some of the best leads on the Hau Hau. While on the subject of this lead, we may remark that a great misconception, appears to exist in the minds of residents, even in the Hau Hau itself, as to which lead the name Duke of Edinburgh is applied to. Some imagine it the Prince Alfred, and some the Galatea, while the lead itself isjenown generally by the name of the " new lead." A number of the residents in the district have, therefore, to prevent coni'usion, dotermincd to cull it by the name of the " Bowc-n." The Priuce Alfred Lead is being, as usual, steadily worked ; but thorc is nothing particularly new to report from it. Doyle and party and M'Gregor and party had a washing-up last week, which turned out exceedingly well — far better, indeed, than the parties themselves expected. The party of darkies who hold a claim next to M'Gregor's have also washed up, and although the amount of gold they obtained has not transpired, still, from the somewhat " tall" style of dress they appear in on Saturday evenings and Sundays, it is imagined that they got somethiug good. Lcuug Hong's party of Chinamen — eight in number — arc hard at work in the claim which wo reported in our last issue as having been purchased by them from M'Quilkin and party for the sum of £45. They appear to be pretty well satisfied with their prospects. They have built a couple of huts, and have now settled down fairly to their work. The only thing we have to report from the Galatea this week is that a couple of claims on it have been abandoned as not payable. Those who are working arc, however, still making wages. From the Omco Lead the most interesting item we hear is that Messrs Eraser and party have got their crushing machine on to the spot where it is to bo erected. They have engaged an engineer to put the machine together, and in about a fortnight the thudding of its stampers will be heard on the Omeo. The miners who are working in the vicinity will experience great benefit from this machine, as they will now be able to have stuff crushed with payable resulis, which, by the old hand process, would not give tucker. This, of itself, is great advantage, and will tend greatly to settle the place, for men will not now leave places where they can earn good wages for localities to which rushes might be taking place, however attractive the accounts therefrom might be. In the Little Paddock we notice that Messrs Eraser and party have not, as yet,' got their crushing machine properly to work, in consequence of the fine weather we have baen enjoying lately, causing a great scarcity of water. We think that this impediment to this party's working will be soon removed, and that rainy weather will set in soon. On German Hill, Blue Spur, things are quiet. In our last issue we inadvertently committed a great error in our notice of Faulkner and party's claim, by stating that that party were making £10 a week a man. We now hasten to correct our •error, recording the correct amount of their weekly dividends — which is, on an average, nearly £20 per man. On this place the tunnel belonging to Harper and party has been driven in a considerable distanco,aridbettergokUhanhilhertofouud hasbeendiscovered init. Comingrightbnck to the tramway station, and from thence along the line, we find that midway between the Hau Hau township and the Lock-up store, Chin Tap and party — consisting of six Celestials — are working in the tunnel formerly belonging to Wheeler and party. They are very shy and reticent, and appeared to know how to keep their o n counsel, so than we can give no information whatever as to their prospects. This is the whole of the intelligence we can gather concerning the Hau Hau ; but we cannot conclude without impressing upon the capitalists of Westland the immense advantages that would be conferred on all classes of the community were some crushing machines established in the district. We have referred to this subject before, and shall do so again in our next issue ; and we will here merely state it is the opinion of every practical miner on the Hau Hau that were half-a- dozen of powerful crushing mills erected in convenient places on the various leads, the population of the place would be doubled ; and although there might not be great finds, good wages would be made by every one.

Thursday, Sept. 24.

The Hau Han district has now almost recovered from the spell of depression it has lately been suffering from, and the residents therein arc more sanguine and hopeful of the future than they have been for a long timo past. The erection of the Enterprise crushing machine has, as we predicted, inaugurated a new era in the history of the Hau Hau, for now -the attention of men of capital Seems to be directed towards the place. This will be productive of results the most beneficial, and will give a now lease ot prosperity to the district. A gentleman resident in Hokitika visited the Prince Alfred Lead last week, accompanied by an engineer, in order to ascertain the probable expense of placing a crushing machine on a site on this side of iho Hau Hau. It is not as. yet certain whether this gentleman will carry out his idea ; but if he does, ho will not regret it, for all tho claim holders in the vicinity are willing, should a reasonable ra'e be charged for crushing, to guarantee to give him the whole of their cement. On the Omeo Lead, the machine of Messrs Fraser and Co. is nearly completed, and wo understand that the ceremony of christening will take place next wcL'k. M'Kay and party are proceeding to' erect a machine, to consist of two batteries each of four heads of shod stampers, to be worked by a water wheel.

The Duke of Edinburgh Load is looking more and more promising every day, and no doubt can now bo entertained but that a number of miners will find profitable employment on it. Messrs Hall and party, who have christened their claim, .which is situated ntixt to the proprietors of tho " Working Minors," lmvo'jjot thoir tunnel iv 10Q feet. They are now eu-

gaged in puttiug in their main drivesj ami will shortly commence blocking out. Their prospects arc from six to eight grains to the dish, with cement of six inches in thickness. They are now ready to work, as their race from Crane Creek is completed, and all the timber they require is on the ground. Messrs Anderson and party and Wardrop and party have completed their tramways, and are making ready for burning. The prospectors' kiln was burning at the time our reporter visited the lead, and in our next issue we shall be able to publish the returns obtained. The Prince Alfred Lead is the same as ever, and of the Old .Han Hau we have nothing to report. A slight increase has taken place in the population this week, and the storekeepers say that business with tbeni is rapidly improving.