THE WEST COAST GOLD-FIELDS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 328, 30 November 1865, Page 3

THE WEST COAST GOLD-FIELDS.

THE DIGGINGS AT DEUCE BAY, (From the Correspondent of the West Coast Times.)

The excitement and bustle which was occasioned by the arrival of the steamers and overlanders in Bruce Bay, three weeks since, has passed away; and many, disappointed at the gold-field, which they had fondly imagined would be opened for their profitable labor, still remaining undiscovered, have returned overland. Many parties of miners have during the last ten days been in the ranges, generally following the course of rivers for miles, and the result, according to their account, has invariably been a failure so far as finding anything of a payable character. They say that the rivers are difficult of access, on account of the dense scrub and perpendicular sides of the hills; and when they endeavored to traverse the watershed they would find that course blocked up by large boulders ; and although they found fair wash in both river and terrace, yet in no instance did they find indications of gold. The weather has been exceeding wet, otherwise their researches would have been more extended ; some of the parties, having determined to return after getting into the 10-v country, thought to make a more direct route to the sea, but were stuck up by impassable swamps, and forced to keep along the river bank. This is all that has been done as yet in this locality towards finding a Geld in the interior. Hunt declines up to this time to leave his beach claim which is paying, and show the precise spot which some declare he knows of. The principal, I may say only, locality where gold is being obtained is the Nine-mile Beach towards Hokitika, from the discovery point in Bruce Bay, the road to and from which is good. After travelling a mile you come to the Mate Kiver, where one shilling is charged for crossing. A few yards above, in a small bay, is anchored the cutter which brought Hunt and party down, while on the sea shore, immediately opposite, the wreck of Mr M‘Gregor’s Heather Bell is now lying. From this to the next river the distanec is three miles. At this river a Maori encampment is located, consisting of three men and a like number of women. They appear to live comfortably, and are very friendly. The chief informed me that he owned the area between the rivers, and if they got gold on his land he would let them mine very cheap. After being ferried over this river in a Maori canoe (the fare being 6d) we came to a bluff, which for an hour or two during high tide is impassable. This mountain is formed entirely of wash, and for a distanec of two miles presents a perpendicular face two and three hundred feet high. After passing this you again emerge on to a sandy beach, and crossing two small rivers, which are not difficult when the tide is out you come to Hunt’s rush. Five and and a-half miles north several payable claims have been found; timber for making cradles has been carried from Bruce Bay to it, so the value of the new discovery will be known in a few days.