THE KUMARA.

Evening Star, Issue 4277, 10 November 1876, Page 3

THE KUMARA.

The writer of the following letter is a very old Otago and West Coast miner “The rush is one of the largest rushes that has ever taken place to the West Coast. A great deal of poverty prevails ; hundreds of meirare walking about penniless, and a Seat number leaving. The lead of gold,.so r proven, is about one and a halt miles long and about three claims wide, containing seven feet of wash-dirt that will yidld from a grain to a. grain and a half of gold to the dish or about eight dwts. to the load, which will pay, with practical men, seven or eight pounds'- phr - man ; per week. You will say “very good”; but let me tell you the difficulties: you have to contend with before yon can possess one of the above claims and.get it in working order or receive a dividend, which is the cause of so many leaving. At the first Start you must go in the bush, which is thickly timbered with the finest red pine and a dense scrub underneath, select your ground on the supposed line of the lead, and peg your claim at each comer. You have next to sink a shaft, from sixty to eighty feet, on the terrace, requiring timber from top to bottom taprospect for the lead or run of gold. If successful in striking the lead to work yonr claim systematically, you will then have to drive in a tunnel from the face of the terrace 600 ft or 800 ft, according to the position of your claim ; also, to bund a paddock for your wash-dirt, make sluice-boxes, and other necessary appliances required for working your mine. This task will take a good party of ’(hen six months to accomplish, when they ean settle down to two or three years’ work with r the. above returns. A great number have their tunnels in and getting eut washdirt ; but very little gold can be obtained, owing to the scarcity of water, which will be plentifully supplied in a few weeks, when the races are completed. Yon will now understand how ridiculous it is for men to rush here with a little money where there is no credit; and as I knew many iu Dunedin to throw up gof I billets. Provisions are cheap. Beef, 6d and 8d; mutton, 4d and 5d per lb wholesale, about Dunedin price. Brsad, the dearest article, Is the 41b loaf. Everything else in the shape: of provisions is very reasonable. The township is assuming large intensions, containing several first-class 'lotels, banks, stores, &c.; and will be in a short time the largest town on the West Coast. The fare from Greymouth or Hokitika to KnmaraJ(isJAo3 1 by coach.—W. G. Nourish.”