WAIKAIA BUSH DIGGINGS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 240, 5 September 1872, Page 8

WAIKAIA BUSH DIGGINGS.

(From our WJdtecoinb Creek Gon'espondent.) (Held over last week. Several years ago payable gold was got here, but it was confined to a few small patches. The population has never been great. About 12 months ago, an impetus was given to the place on account of. good prospects — six' pennyweights to the dish — being got on the other side of the river. The prospecting claim turned out a good one, as did. "also another near it ; but the others that were opened at the same* time were not of much account. Still, the ground has not been much prospected; and, may be considered new ground, and I have no doubt- better. gold will yet be found. There 'are five parties at work, including one of Chinese, but none of them : are getting anything at present. These diggings are about midway between Switzers and the Whitecomb, at the head of the Waikaia Flat, and are' about fifteen miles lower down the river than the claims at work on the Upper Waikaia: I think it very likely that in course of time both diggings will join, as they and the Whitecomb are fed from the same source — auriferous ranges running parallel with the river. - Payable gold is known to exist between here and the Whitecomb, as at the first of the diggings one or two gullies were wrought with satisfactory results, but as at that time it was very difficult for men, and im- . possible for horses to travel over the ground, indicated, on account of the steep rocky bankd of the Waikaia, and the density of the bush further back — this part of the country never got a fair trial. It was" also a T long distance with bsl 'roads \§ fetch, precisions, a^

they had 7 to.be bfbughirfromSwitzjers. or the .Teviot, either place being .up-; wards of twerityvmiles off. The ciit-J ting of the track through the bush fromißwitzer^to the Whitecomb and Upper Waikaia will eventually be the means of' opening- up this part of the country, arid there, is no doubt of its auriferous nature ; but the question presents itself, will this track be kept open ? Hitherto, its maintenance has been a heavy burden on some of the business people of Switzers, who have employed men to keep it in repair. The packing does not pay them at ten shillings per hundred pounds (and more especially when the ro&ds are bad), the distance being upwards of thirty miles. lam afraid if Government do not keep the road in repair it will become impassable, and have to be closed, which would be a very serious loss to the districts concerned,, viz., Potters, Campbells, Upper Waikaia, and the Whitecomb, as when the ranges are impassable to the Teviot, it is the only outlet the miners have from those places.

In mining matters there is nothing new from the Whitecomb and Upper Waikaia. The river is low, and the miners at both places are hard at work. We had another heavy fall of snow last week, which, added to that already fallen this winter, makes an unusual quantity on the ranges. If w"e get a mild spring, we may expect very high floods in the river.

I have not heard anything further about the petition to annex the Upper Waikaia to the Switzers district. Up to the present time, I have purposely refrained making any comments upon it, although frequently requested to do" so by most of the old residents about the Whitecomb, as well as some on the Waikaia, who advised a counterpetition to be. sent, which would contain the signatures of more than half the inhabitants in the locality concerned. I consider a counter-petition unncessary, as some time ago we petitioned to be annexed to the Teviot. That petition was granted, and most of us do not wish another change. The Warden knows this ; and no doubt he will be consulted by the Government before any change is effected. In conclusion, I am bound to btate that it was wrong and ill ad vised for one section of the inhabitants to send a petition affecting the whole indirect opposition to ;the other, and that without even consulting them. If a petition had been' sent asking assistance from Government to improve the road, before spoken of, without any reference to the Warden's district, it would have been a real benefit, if granted, to the whole community, and everyone would have signed it.