DR GILES'S REPORT ON THE BULLER DISTRICT.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 513, 5 June 1869, Page 3

DR GILES'S REPORT ON THE BULLER DISTRICT.

A lengthy report by the Warden, Dr Giles, upon the progress and prospects of the Buller district, has been published by the Provincial Government. We quote in this number the portion having reference exclusively to the diggings, reserving for a future issue Dr Giles's remarks on the " town and neighbourhood of Westport," the agitation for Separation, and the general prospects of the district. Addressing the Provincial Secretary, Dr Giles says : I have the honor to report, for the information of the Government and of the Provincial Council, upon the general condition and progress of the Buller district of the Nelson Southwest Goldfields, during the twelve months ended on the 31st March ultimo. It will be necessary, as on a former occasion, to give a separate consideration to the different localities which constitute distinct centres of population and of mining operations ; but I may premise generally that the condition of the district as a whole is satisfactory: that, though the expectations formed have not in every instance been realised, yet there has been decided progress, and that the past twelve months have fully established the claims of this district to be regarded as one of the most important and lucrative fields of labor to the gold-miner in the colony.

addison's. This, as tbe oldest of the diggings in the neighbourhood of Westport, will first receive attention. There has been a very considerable diminution of the population of this locality, which cannot now be estimated, according to the best information I can obtain, at more than 300 persons, including the places in the immediate vicinity, a fact which speaks for itself when it is remembered that at the last census the population for the same district was computed at upwards of 1,500 men. In my report made this time twelve months ago, I remarked upon the great difficulties which the miners at Addison's had to overcome in consequence of the wet nature of the ground, and I expressed my hopes that a radical remedy for this evil would be found in the long drainage tunnels which were then being made. These expectations have been fully justified. The advantages of these tunnels soon became so obvious that other parties began to make use of them by branch drives, and no difficulty has been experienced by reason of the wet since this course was adopted. Unfortunately, however, the ground did not generally turn out so rich as had been anticipated, and to this cause is to be attributed tbe diminution of population in this locality. But ground whicb is not rich enough to support a large number of miners in the ordinary manner of working, will give employment to a more limited number, and will prove adequately remunerative when the method of ground-sluicing is adopted. This mode of working is now coming into use upon Addison's and the adjacent pakibi, and applications for extended claims and mining leases have been made. With the exception of those claims that are working upon the old systen, both at Addison's and the Shamrock Lead, either by means of deep drainage or machinery, the method of ground-sluicing is likely to become the principal mode of working in the district in question, and is, I think, likely to prove sufficiently remunerative to prevent the district becoming deserted.

BULLER VALLEY. In my la3t annual report I could only mention this district as one which was then shewing some symptoms warranting the expectation of a future development, but concerning which I was not in possession of much definite information. The Government is aware of the importance which this district has assumed within the last few months. It is difficult to form a rough estimate of the population of such a line of country as is presented by the Buller Valley and the tributaries of that river, but from such information as I am able to obtain, I reckon the number at about 500, to the Matakitaki inclusive. The principal difficulties with which the miners in that locality have to contend, are two —the want of a road, and the want of water. The first of these will shortly, by the direction of the Q-overnment, be remedied, and I think the result will be seen in a farther expansion of the gold-diggings |Q that district. The want of water 'a felt chiefly in consequence of the mode of working—ground-sluicing—-which requires a considerable quantity of water to enable it to be carried on efficiently. This is a difficulty which, when access is facilitated by means of a Wad, may perhaps be successfully met by the miners combining to construct

arge water-races in suitable situations. Pending the formation of a road, I have endeavoured to make what provision was possible for facilitating travelling up the valley, by granting free publicans' licenses to such persons as were willing to keep ferryboats at all times available to passengers.

The establishment of a police-station somewhere in the neighborhood of the Lyell junction is a matter which I think will shortly require consideration. The occasional visits of a constable, even though frequently repeated, will not, in my opinion, be sufficient for the wants of the district. Some notoriously bad and ruffianly characters have found their way to the neighborhood of the lyell: some serious breaches of the peace have occurred; and on more than one occasion it has become necessary to despatch constables specially to that locality to apprehend offenders of this sort. The existence of a police-station there would conduce greatly to giving to the peaceably-disposed part of the population a feeling of confidence which at present they want. The presence, moreover, of some one authorised to distribute miners' rights, and to receive applications for registered rights, would be a great boon to the miners, who at present are obliged to depend in these matters upon the friendly offices of a storekeeper, if they would avoid frequent journeys into Westport—a system which is at the best unsatisfactory, and which on more than one occasion has given rise to contusion and difficulty. Upon the whole, I think that the Buller valley is a very promising goldfield, and thattheensuing twelvemonths will probably witness a considerable development of its resources.

CALEDONIAN AND OTHER TERRACES. The diggings whieb at the time of my last annual report were confiued to the Caledonian, German, and Poverty Terraces, have since experienced a very considerable expansion in a northerly direction along the coast, and to the above names are now to be added Giles, Pochforr, Hatter's, and Christmas Terraces, all of which are the scene of active mining operations. These terraces are uniformely worked by means of tuunels, most of them of considerable length, and some of them expected to be, if not actually driven, to an extent of 2/100 feet, ft is unfortunate that this length precludes the occupiers from the advantages of frontage-tunnelling claims, which it was the intentiou of tbo rules to extend to parties engaged in tunnelling to strike gold. "A simple alteration of the rules in tbis respect, whicb has already been the subject of correspondence between myself and the Government, would remedy this defect; and since the want of this has now again made itself felt in consequence of the commencement of some new and more than usually laborious workings on these terraces, I hope to see the alteration proposed shortly carried out by bis Honor the Superintendent.

The gold upon these terraces is generally looked upon as a lead, and known under the name of the North Lead. I have great doubts whether it can properly be so styled, and though one or two miners of much experience have expressed their opinion to me that there is a distinct lead of gold, I am convinced, both from the formation of the ground, and from the uncertainty generally experienced by the miners iu trying to strike the so-called lead, that it would bo a great mistake to regard these deposits as in any way analogous to the well-defined leads in the rock formations of Victoria. Many of the miners have fallen into this mistake, and have been led by it into a misunderstanding of the rules, and into a good deal of unnecessary litigation. I think the terraces which I have mentioned will probably give remunerative employment to a large number of miners for some time to come, and that these workings are not unlikely to extend still further to the north.

These are all the gold workings which require particular mention. I had to report a year ago the collapse of Mokihinui, the condition of which district has not materially altered since that time. I believe that an inconsiderable number of miners are still at work up the river or in the neighborhood, and a scheme is now on foot for the formation of a company to work the coal at that place—a scheme which deserves every encouragement that can be given it. lam of opinion that the terraces and other places in the neighborhood of Mokihinui have not yet been thoroughly explored; and should the line of workings extend along the coast to the north, Mokihinui may again become a centre for a limited population. The Waimangaroa quartz reef has made no material progress since my last report, and though a new company has been formed, and a mining lease obtained, no results have as yet been effected.