THE RUSH TO THE HAAST RIVER.

Dunstan Times, Issue 252, 22 February 1867, Page 2

THE RUSH TO THE HAAST RIVER.

(Abridged from the letter of a Correspondent to the "Westlaiid Observer.")

On Sunday morning last the p.e. Bruce took her departure for the Haast, with about twentydiggers en route from Hofcitika ; but the erertions of the usual advertising medium, the bellman, failed in procuring any addition to the number of passengers, notwithstanditig the rumours which have lately been in circulation of the number at the Five-Mile only waiting a chance to get down. The Bruce arrived at Bruce Bay at about six p.m., and steamed in and anchored, the weather having somewhat cleared up, but only the hills immediately around the bay were to be seen, the higher ones being enveloped in clouds and mist; and yet even then the bay had a fair appearance The bold land at the lower end, which stretches out seaward and protects the anchorage from the south-west, is wooded to the summit; whilst fringed with rocks at its base, it forms a pleasing contrast to the long white beach which stretches away up the coast, well set off by a low wooded terrace in the rear, a few buildings lending life to the scene. But on a fine sunshiny day the view is beautifully grand. Beyond the beach and the wooded terraces lie bush-covered hills, whilst again above them rise the granite-looking mountains, and higher still the snow-clad range, Li3sing the very heaven?, seems to have warred with the clouds, and clothed itself with their spoil. About a mile from from the Bluff a small river runs out, which should be available for Bmall drawing four or five feet of water, but the channel appeared indifferent, and a short distance inland the river runs in two channels, divided by a sandbank. There is very little doing at Bruce Bay, and only about twenty men in the neighborhood, the want of provisions having caused many men to leave ; but those that aro there are said to be doing fairly. In the night the Bruce steamed ont of Bruce Bay, and, going easy, at about five a. in. (Monday) brought up off the Haast in four fathoms, low water, the entrance bearing S.E. half S., distance about one mile ; the larger Open Bay Island bearing W. by S. j S. ; the rock off tho mouth of the Haast, W. J S. Some miles in tho rear of the entrance ia a remarkable conical hill, aud visible to the southward are others of the samo form, but not so great. Care would have to be exercised in navigating to the southward of the river, a« roc lis might bo

expected. Tho weather was atill thick and *°ggy> hut gradually cleared, and Captain Kerley steamed close in for a look at the ri.-er, -fmd there appeared to be a good channel running N.E. and S. W, -with plenty of water ; but not liking the look of it inside, he determined to send he whale-boat ashore on the beach, and, if expedient, so to land the passengers. The Bruce then steamed back about a mile, and Dan, with a crew from the Bruce's men, landed in the boat, but with difficulty, from the surf on the beach. Some thirty or forty men had congregated on the beach, and the boat was taken up and disappearedin the bush, and as afterwards appeared, was carried across the beach into the lagoon which runs in the rear of it, and pulled down to the mouth of the river. After waiting sometime off the beach, the Bruce steamed down to the bar again, and Captain Kerley determined to go in, although there was evidently a considerable fresh running out, from the large extent of discoloured water. Steaming in a small signalpost was observed, and Dan, flag in hand, prepared to exercise the office of signalman. However, Captain Kerley experienced no difficulty in entering, carrying in twelve feet least water at two-thirds flood; but as he had expected, had some difficulty in finding a berth inside, the thick water rendering it difficult to keep the channel; but running over in the main channel, towards the south bank, found nine to ten feet of water, and anchored close off a low bush, about a quarter of a mile from the mouth of the river in the main channel, which is here about 500 yards wide, and lay there just long enough to discharge the passengers, and then steamed out to sea again. "Viewed from seaward, the Haast has the appearance of a fine river. At the rear of the north beach, which is bright, and stated to be as hard as that at Bruce Bay, is a low wooded terrace, and between it and the hills, other low terraces are said to bo, but are not noticeable from seaward. Along the beach a few tents may be seen; the miners being at work in that direction as well as inland. The north beach runs down in a narrow line to the mouth of the river, and tho lagoon, meeting the river at right angles, runs along for a considerable distance in the rear of the beach, and is connected with the main channel of the river by one or more smaller channels. There is no lagoon to the south, but the beach runs down in a narrow bank for a few hundred yards to the channel, but to be partly overflown. The low bush, off which the Bruce lay, commences at the beach, and runs in a straight line for 600 or 700 yards, when sand bank commences, high water it would the bush •continuing at the back of it; but the main .channel of the river runs pretty straight until reaching a fine of hills sweeping round from the north beach beyond the lagoon, and with it, of -course, the river must incline. The Haast is said to be a tidal harbor, but appearances would lead to the belief that the influx of tide must at any time be inconsiderable. So close to the bar as the Bruce lay, the water was perfectly fresh, and although two-thirds flood, the current was strong out; but at the same time, it should be observed that there had been a fresh the day previous, the water being still very niullocky. Tb.2 appearance of the river seems to indicate extensive freshness ; atd, indeed, it was stated that they overflowed all the low land. From the narrownees if the beach extending north from the south bank of the river, it might be expected'that such a river would be likely to shift its outlet frequently ; but that appears not to be the case, and is caused, I suppose by the straightnees •with which the main channel of the river flows from the hills to the beach. The channel is wider than. Okarita, but from the current out, I should expect a heavy bar whenever there was any sea, and it would only be safe for sailing vessels to attempt it with a good breeze at any time. The Glengarry, which brought diggers from Hokitika, sailed in, and was towed out by the ship's boat, so strong and straight was the current out; but the bar must have been very much smoother than when the Bruce took it, for a boat could not then have looked at it, much less towed. From information obtained from a store-keep, or who took a passage up in tho Bruce it appears that only a small quantity of gold has been got—fine bright gold, weighing particularly wclL Including the miners by the Bruce, therj would be approachihg 100 men there. A number who arrived by the Glengarry had four month's provisions with them to give the place a trial; but those who who took passage from Hokitika in the Mary Von Avery were landed at Jackson's Bay, and unfortuniscly lost a great portion of their supplies in rafting over Jackson's River. There were only eight men in the district previous to the arrival of tho vessels mentioned, about twenty men who had been prosprcting having left the district to journey northward overland. Fortunately for the miners, there are plenty of eels to be had to supply the place of fresh meat. The Bruce left the Haast at about half past ten a. m., and the weather clearing up a view of the coast was obtained. Capt Kerley steamed for a look at the Pareka, a good looking river a few miles to the southward of Bruce Bay, well sheltered from the south-west by rocks. To the .south of Bruce Bay the hills approach close to the sea—long bluffs being common with strips of beach sometimes in front of them. The overland journey to the Haast must be attended with difficulty as well as danger, doth from the bluffs and the rivers. When abreast of Mount Cook the clouds cleared off, affording an excellent view ; when the southernmost (the pointed) peak appeared ta be considerably higher than the norhern{the broad J one, whilst viewed from Okarita the reverse is the ca3e. The Bruce anchored off Okarita the same evenine-. The "West Coast Times" gives the following report on the recent news from the Haast River t—The arrival of the Bruce yesterdaj morning from Haast River supplied us with further intelligence of the diggings lately discov ered there, and although it is exceedingly mea gro so fir as absolute detail is concerned, i' quite confirms tho former report of tho opening of new-and payable ground. At the same tim< ■cwrtain of the statements in circulation yester day were exceedingly exaggerated, inasmucl that we were gravoly told, not a claim on th< terrace was paying less than £2O per week ■ •whilst one out of three was certain to yield ; "homeward bound pile." It is quit* unnecessary

for us to comment upon the absurdity of such a "gain" as not a digger of six months' standing but would "pooh, pooh" it as so much "bunkum," although quite prepared to buckle on his Bwag and risk a compaigu at the " Dorado" that promised such brilliant results. However, there are a few grains of truth to be gleaned out of this superabundance of chaff, quite sufficient to prove that a very fair rush is in hand, and that those men who were first on the ground can hardly fail in securing payable claims. As we stated in a former issue, the diggings first discovered at the Haast are situated on two low terraces, some two miles north of the river, and thither the earlier arrivals flocked, but the number being quite dispioport:on;ti to the extent of available and payable ground, caused many of the disappointed ones to scatter and prospect elsewhere. The result was encouraging, as gold was struck on the beach south of the river and ii such quantities that placed beyond doubt the value of the discovery. From what we can gather, the workings are situated on low scrubby sand terraces, a short distance above high water mark, the sinking being shallow with the usual black sand and light gravel for washdirt, out of which very fair prospects were obtained. 1 dwt to the shovel is the highest returns we have heard of, but nearly every claim bottomed yielded from that amount downwards to one grain. Touching the extension of the workings, we may state that there is a probability of their yet reaching the Habuka river, a distance of six miles south from the Haast, as it is said that terraces of similar formation to those already prospected extend almost unbrokenly to the former stream. The Haast river diggings may, however, be considered as essentially beach workings, and beach workings only, as through the ne; r approach of the high ranges to the coast line, the margin of back country left by such a configuration is ev.y narrow, much broken, and not at all likely to contain gold in payable quantities. But between the river Habuka south and Bruce Bay north, there appears to be a long line of available beach that will very possibly be found auriferous in places, and hence bo able to support a moderately numerous population. The same paper of the i/th says :—-" A large number of persons left town yesterday by tho Kennedy and the Alhambra for the new rush ai the Haast. The former steamer took alone ;i bout 100 passengers. The passengers for the Alhamdra were taken out by the river steamer Y jra, which r.c companies her on her trip. Al. together there must be some 1500 persons on the ground, and we fe3r it will be found that the rush has already been overdone." And on Friday it is reported : —The excitement occasioned by the rush to the Haast still continues. Diggers continue to pour into town 'en route' for this the latest rush. The steamboat agents' offices are hottfly besieged by crowds \\ho, with shovel and swag, arc eager fo secure passages by thajvery earliest mean?; Only yesterday morn ing the Tasmanian Maid arrived from the Haast and at noou she cleared out crowded for the same place. The p. s. Lioness and Persevere ar3 to proceed to the same place."