KARAKA CREEK.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3664, 23 September 1880, Page 2

KARAKA CREEK.

This locality, on which the.hopes of the pioneer miners of this goldfield were once centred, -is again beiug vigorously pros-, pected—many of the old. claims being pegged out. The creek is, indeed,-the only opening for poorer miners, nearly all the available ground in the other creeks being under lease or license. I paid a visit to the creek this morning, Thare is a good road up as far as the Moa tunnel— a point a mile below the head of the tramway, but the tramway itself is in such a bad. state of repair that it is hardly safe to take over it the few loads of firewo 'd, which constitute the chief article of traffic at present. The bridges are rotten and shakey: indeed they are barely safe for foot passengers. I thiuk, and my opinion is confirmed by what I heard from several miners up the creek, that a great mistake was made in not removing the tramway altogether, instead of construottng the nevv road on the opposite bank of the creek' Had this course been pursued, a good serviceable dray road would be in existence to the head of the creek at preseut, instead of one only half way up. Of the batteries in ,the creek two—Bull's and Fisher's—are kept going pretty regularly, though a scarcity of water is frequently experienced. Binuey 's battery and the Onehunga mill also crush occasionally. The cost for cartage from the present head ef the road to the foot is four shillings per load, rather an exorbi tant price 1 think, seeing that Mr Unthank, the tramway lessee, is prepared to carry quartz the same distance on the tramway for 2a per truck load —that is provided a few repairs are executed. I nptice that the County; Council, in allocating their portion of the £10,000 vote for goldfields'roadsa..d works have placed very little for the Karraka, which, I think, is scarcely right. £50 or so iuigQt at next meeting of the Council be struck off each allocation for expenditure iv the Karaka. Ihere cannot be far short of one hundred men now working in this locality. The Joker on Una hill employs 15 or 20, including tributers, and has turned out a good deal of gold. The shareholders spent a very considerable amount of money at the outset, and their enterprise is now having its reward. Next above them at Rocky P,oint is the City of Manchester and City of Adelaide, claims that have been worked with fair success for several years. The

old Moa and ground iv that vicinity has been pegged out and operations are vigorously in progress. Childevhouso and party are working from the Moa tunnel, and have a splendid looking reef, which however has up to the present yielded only very moderately, the average being about 6dwts per ton Half an ounce would give good wages although the ground is very iiard. Tins same party, up to a f«w months ago, worked a piece of ground higher up the creok, and did very well, obtaining averages of 20 and 30ozs per load from one small stringer. Their last crushing was equal to l|ozs per ton, but as they were working ~at the creek level, the water proved troublesome, and it was decided to seek fresh fields, The Unehunga and Little Lizzie continue to give small yields of gold occasionally, ar.d Binney and party are making a living out of the old Lord Nelson. This sauv piece of ground nearly ruined Mr Binney some years ago. In addition to the claims I have enumerated, there are several others, each employing their two or three men, but with the exception of the Victory none of them have been yielding anyhing lately. I hope tho next time I have occasion to refer to the Kartika, Creek that its condition will be more prosperous.