THE HAAST RIVER RUSH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 37, 14 February 1867, Page 2

THE HAAST RIVER RUSH.

[From the West Coast Times, February 11.] The llaast, February S. I write in haste, and under the usual disadvantages peculiar to mining reporters on a new rush, where, to use au old saying, everything is up=ide down — not excepting the case wliich serves me for a writing-de.-rk. Favored by lovely weather our passage from Hokitika iu the good steamer Kennedy was exceedingly delightful, its pleasure being much enhanced iy the considerate courtesy of Captain Carey, who left nothing undone to promote the comfort of the seventy or eighty passen gers ou board. We arrived off the Haasfc river yesterday morning, nnd at, half tide ran inside, followed by the steamer Yarra with a number of passengers from the Alhamura. A safe landing was effected, and being aware of the importance of an early communication concerning this much overestimated gold field, I at once "'made tracks" for the diggings, and the result of my visit I hasten to sond you in a somewhat brief report, which, however, is reliable, being the result of personal inspection and inquiry. The diggings that are just now unsettling the minds of' so many hundreds of people are situated in a gully about three miles south ofthe Haast river. This gully is shallow, but clearly defined by low well formed ridges on either side, aud, lies about 300 yards above high water, its direction being in a liue 'with the coast, or S.W. aud N.E. The strip of country between ifc and the beach is fiat and intersected longitudinally by low broken ridges, whilst a large track of swamp some 400 yards wide, is met with iu its inland side ; beyond that again a terrace of some height which, from its appearance ought to contain gold. That, however, is a matter of pure surmise, which perhaps may be determined by the prospecting researches of the very considerable crowd of diggers already assembled here,, and for whom there is no gold unless they open up new couutry. From Haasfc river to the diggings the road lies along the beach, aud at high water is the most fatiguing to travel I ever met with on the coast, being formed of loose shingle that offers scarcely any resistance to the footstep. Eight glad was I to reach a cluster of tents, the nucleus of a small township, and strike into a lateral track that led direct to tho N.W. end of the workings. Here, the la--fc claim ou gold was afc work. As the Tasmanian Maid leaves directly, I have no time to enter into a detailed account of the lead — for such it is — but shall merely state that I found it between half and three-quarters of a mile in leugth ; the sinking being from four to fourteen feet, through coarse brown sand, loam, and fine shingle. It is evidently a beach

formation, as the false bottom dips seawards at the angle peculiar to those found at e\evy other beach workings on the coast, whilst the washdirfc is fiue black sand intersected by layers of common beach sand and gravel. The lead is about forty feet wide, and the best claims are situated in the present centre of it, where the sinking is shallowest and the washdirt thickest. I conversed with several of the shareholders who occupy claims there, and found them very communicative, but prone to the most extravagant ideas touching the value of the ground. I made no secret of my mission, and several times was told to take a shovel and prospect for myself, the best obtained being at the rate of i'dwt to say half a tin dishful of dirt, or from -J-grain to 2.igrains the shovel prospect. The shareholders, however, are beside themselves with exultation, and believe that their '-pile" is made and " no mistake." Duffy and Warren, the. prospectors, are more moderate in their anticipations, bufc think the washdirt will pay from loz. to l|ozs. the load, and, as it is three feet thick, they are justified, in calculating upon a '"rise" of two or three hundred pounds each. Towards either end of the lead the ground deepens and gets poorer. At the south-west end the gold is lost in a lagoon, whilst, afc the opposite extremity it has run into deep and wet ground, where the work of tracino- ifc will prove laborious and difficult. Many affirm it has run oufc altogether, but that I don't believe, not considering one or two half-bottomed paddocks fair criterions to go by, although fair, to admit thafc the prospects of claimholders are not very encouraging. The question, however, will be decided iu a day or two. The majority of claims on the lead will pay from "tucker" to small wages, and this is the belief of many shareholders who adopt a moderate tone in their estimation of its value. Hundreds of men are walking about here idle, and express their disgust at what they choose to consider a swindle on the part of some person or persons unknown. Luckily they have neither the press or the steamboats to blame this time — it was private letters from a Cew iusane diggers tbat did al! the mischief, their excited imagination having converted grains into pennyweights of gold. In conclusion, I wain all diggers who meditate taking a trip here that there is no ground opened for them — they must prospect on their own account.