WEST COAST TIMES. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1865.

West Coast Times, Issue 40, 5 September 1865, Page 2

WEST COAST TIMES. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1865.

Miners at a distance from a newly discovered goldfield, on reading the reports that reach them from thence, are usually influenced in their opinion of tho capabilities of the country, both as regards its producing powers and its permanency, by the nature and peculiarities of tbe working, nnd generally their shi'ewd sense and practical experience help them to a pretty correct estimate of its absolute worth, and a very onerous duty falls to the lot of tho journalist to guide the public correctly, and rather withhold some portion of the truth of a report than run the risk of misleading. For ourselves, we think we may take credit in having carefully sifted facts, and striven to the best of our ability to separate the chaff from the grain ; so far we have reason to congratulate ourselves that our mining reports have been, if anything, within tho truth, and as such we can conscientiously publish them to tho world. The West Coast goldfields, from the time of their discovery up to April last, have been stamped by a peculiar characteristic, vzi.,' the instability of their woi'kings, for the discoveries then made being confined to small shallow creeks and gullies that were easily wrought, were soon ivorked out, consequentl ythe population wero constantly on the move, the generally received idea being that, although there was some fairly payable ground, it was of no extent, and would soon bo exhausted. Although a considerable number of minors visited our shores from time to time, they (up to the period above mentioned) were unfavorably impressed, in every respect, with the country, and many left without giving it a fair trial. Tho Kanieri goldfield, however, discovered quito a new phase, and filled the old West Coast miner with astonishment, for there tho gold was first found to exist in payable quantities in largo alluvial flats, bounded by tcrracos, which also proved highly auriferous It was then that the idea first dawned upon the mind 9of men, that after all, tho West Coast might yet turn out something more than a mere shallow sluicing country, and we had the pleasing satisfaction of adding the word permnnency to richness in our chronicles'; heartily did we congratulate

ourselves upon so auspicious an event, for we foresaw that other and more settled industries would have time to be introduced here — that our population would bo reclaimed from that excess of nomadism peculiar to gold miners everywhere, but especially so to those of the West Coast — and that in time we might hope to see our adopted country elevated from a mere diggings to that of a general producer and great commercial mart. Subsequent events have but tended, to strengthen this opinion, the Kanieri having quite realised the hopes that the return from its first discovery raised, and we can now truthfully a°scr't that we have within five miles of Hokitika, a goldfield that will support a settled population for years. The flats that were at first supposed to be patchy have been proved to contain leads, and leads that it will take some considerable period to trace and work. The terraces are a mere collection of made hills, auriferous to a greater or less degree, from the surface to the bedrock, and which will in timo bo removed from their present p sition into the river that flows by them, when sluicing shall supersede the present slow system of work. The river itself we know to be auriferous, and there is no doubt but in time will bo taken up by companies, diverted from its present channel, and the old bed profitably worked; and in referring to our Otago experience we are inclined to believe that although the Hokitika is a much larger body of water than the Shotovor, it is a river that could be far more easily handled, being more sluggish in its motion, and not subject to such sudden and violent flooding. Complacently, however, as wo look upon those " diggings " in our own immediate neighborhood, we still cast anxious glances " fuithcr a-field," and watch with intense anxiety the result of the various " rushes " that have taken place during the past three months. Earnestly did we hope that permanency as well as richness would be the verdict. Wo candidly confess that the Grey disappointed us, rich as it was to some few lucky ones, but the eld characteristic prevailed — shallow, easily wrought, and confined to creeks and gullies ; and after the turns of the first few hundred oat of the total number of the great rush that set in there had been served, the rest had to scatter themselves all over the country to look for something still newer. The consequence was that nearly twothirds found their way back again, and helped to swell the ranks of those who were turning their faces southward. Again did we pause for the first cry from thence. A rich gully had been opened that emptied itself into a large flat, and wo foresaw that permanency would again be ono of the results. We have not been disappointed. On Saturday we received information that the flat hsnl been successfully prospected, a shaft having bottomed at a depth of fifysix feet, 1 oz. 15 dwts. being the result obtained, and that there was every probability of a large extent of country of the same description being opened ; so that within twenty miles of us there is another " nuclus " formed that shall gather around it strong arms, stout hearts, and what is better keep them.