THE KUMARA RUSH.

Evening Star, Issue 4239, 27 September 1876, Page 3

THE KUMARA RUSH.

A letter, dated the 14th inst., from a person on the ground, is published by the • Southland Times,’ which vouches for the trustworthiness of the writer, who has no hesitation in saying that the rush is the best which has taken place on the Coast for the last ten years. The sinking in the claim of the prospectors is about 10ft, of which there are Bft of wash-dirt, which will yield about a grain to the dish, or from four to fire pennyweights to the load. There arc twenty-five or thirty claims on this shallow ground, which runs into high terraces where the sinking is from 70ft to 100 ft, with from 18ft to 30ft of wash-dirt that yields prospectors five pennyweights to the load. J*he lead on this ground has been proved to be more than three miles in length, and not exhausted at that, but its width has not yet been ascertained, although it is known to be able to accommodate from three to four claims. The writer says at the time of his writing there were 4000 men on the ground, and the cry was “ still they come ” from all directions. Greymouth had been cleared of all its spare men, who had taken up claims on the rush. The writer concludes by wisely giving what he calls the dark side of the picture. It is no use, he says, for a man to go there without money, for all the claims in the terrace will' have to make tunnels varying from 600 ft to 700 ft and 800.'t, mostly [through hard reef, and it will take from four to six months to get in, and he can assure strangers that they will get no “tick” on the rush. He adds that a company is bringing in a race and sluice-head of water, that the township which has sprung up is more than a mile long, and that stores and shanties are still going up on all sides. He thinks that by Christmas it will be the largest town on the Tl eat Coast. Coaches run daily from Groymoutb, charging 7s 6d for each passenger. He hj» ars it reported that the lead has been struck on the Grey side of the Teremakau, but cannot vouch for the truth of this. The low ground at the rush is not very wet, and the reef in the terrace appears to run level with the claims of the prospectors.

Think between thinks, if you please, bui don t dnnk between drinks.