KANIERI.

West Coast Times, Issue 56, 12 October 1865, Page 2

KANIERI.

(PBOM OUB SPECIAL BEPOBTBB.)

During the past week, mining [in this district has been much retarded through the excessively wet weather, which has caused tho flooding of every creek and rivulet, and sent the river roll* ing to the sea, in a muddy volume, five and six feet higher than the ordinary level. An unparalleled state of mud and quagmire has been the result, which, combined with the continuous rain, has caused the almost total suspension of busiuess. Miners working in open claims were driven to their huts, where their time was spent in incessant cribbage playing, grumbling, and keeping their fires alight ; and one facetious individual was heard to say that he " was now so used to being wet he did not think he should feel comfortable if he happened by chance to get thoroughly dry." TDark heavy clouds of mist rose from tho river and flats, wreathing itself amongst the trees, which wore dripping with moisture, and aggravating, in a tenfold degree .the intense gloom of the scene. The claims on tho river side were all swamped out, and in * both tho Kanieri and Commissioner's Flats the water backed up the tail.rac« in the claims, causing a rise of four and five feet, and compelling those who persisted, in spite of the weather, in working, to resort to stripping and clearing the surface of timber and scrub. In spite, however, of this depressing state of affairs, some littlo progress has been made in mining matters. Certain points of tho district have been further developed, whilst others again have been proved no good. During tho week a rush set in to a gully between Tucker Flat and tho Kanieri Terrace. It was caused by a shaft, at sixteen feet, washing ono ounce and a half out of the dirt taken from tho bottom, or rather layer of drift that is called the bottom ; of course tho whole gully was speedily marked out, and a good many holes were sunk ; but excepting ono of them, all wore duffers ; even the very claims next to the prospectors' wero barren, and in consequence it is again nearly deserted, a few of the persevering ones alone staying to givo it a further trial. Some say it is only a patch. I, however* think tho contrary, and am quite con*, vinced that gold will bo found in payable quantities in other claims than the two above mentioned ; for in the generality of ca9es a new locality has to he rushed more than once ere its absolute worth is discovered. In my last I informed you that a rush had set in to Commissioner's Flat, and that strong hopes were entertained that gold would bo traced from the prospectors upwards ; such, however, I am, sorry to say, is not the case, all the ground on the left hand— and whioh is shallow—^being no good* There are two or three claims working on the right, close to the low terrace, that aro getting gold, but the ground being deep and wet, long Californian pumps aro needed to drain it, and much labor and expenditure of money to prove it. I certainly think that gold will be traced formiles upwards, but as I said in my last, this is no place for the" poor man, tun© and capital being needed to thoroughly test the resources of this part of tho district. Testing tho Flat lower down is being proceedoa with but slowly; I am, however, glad to see that the miners seem fully aware of tho necessity of combination of labor, whioh alone will enable them to subdue the water—the great drawback here ; a several claims adjoining each other, intend, as soon as preliminary operations are completed, to set in together, bale, pump, and try to get down that way. I have bufc little doubt of their eventual success. Grant and party are getting on well with their water-wheel. It is already fixed and most of tho buokots hi. In the course of a week they expect (weather permitting) to open their claim once more. Itankin & Go* have completed then* horsepower and noarly finished the pump. It is a Californian, 30 feet long, and in sifce 10 x2\ inches. They will bogin to balo shortly. Nearer to tho river, abreast of tho Camp Reserve, ten men havo organised themselves into a party and taken up a large claim. They intend to put machinery on the ground at once, and give it a thorough trial. It is thought by them that an elevator will answer oetter than a Californian pump, and should this idea bo adopted, the Kanieri will see tho introduction of the first elevator on tho West Coast, as they have already of the first water-whael. I think myself tho idea is a good one. Still it should bo borne in mind that although an elevator throws more water, much moro power is required to work it than pumps. From this Flat no returns worth mentioning need be expooted for another fortnight ; I think that by that time an idea of its roal value will be formed. There is nothing fresh to communicate from the old workings, on Kaniori proper, minors having settled, down to steady work. Week after week ono sees tho same faces and hoars the samo results ; all are making wages — from four to twenty pounds per man a week. It almost impossible to form even an approximate idea of the quantity of gold taken out of this district, in consequence of tho mou soiling thoir gold so indiscriminately, a groat ninny preferring to go into Hokitika and' dispose of it there, whilst others reftiso to soil it at all, but rather hold it, waiting' for a riso in price, whioh they believe will come some day,* but whioh Ido not. I know ono party of mon who on Saturday last carried sixty ounces into town to soil ; and ono storekeeper on the. Kaniori township who buys his 200 ounces on the Sunday., I think if we, estimate tho weekly return of the Diva-Mule diitrict at

from 2000 to 3000 ounces, we shall not be far out in our calculation. The preparations for the reception of our worshipful Warden, Mr Schaw, are nearly completed, and time they were } I suppose the place will be nearly worked out ero he takes up his abode here ; and it certainly does not much matter now whether ho comes or not, as tho district is so settled that vory few disputes arise, and it is rather a pleasure than otherwise (barring the rain) ( to walk ' into Hokitika to decide little differences. There is a good road to travel over, and a good dinner at tho end of it to be had in one or two houses I wot of. Mr Schaw has already mode his presence felt in the vicinity of his future abode, he having - stopped sundry claims from working within the precincts of the reserve, and great was the outcry thereat. Our friends on tho " t'other side" aro in a jubilant state, in consequence of a rush hiving taken place on the terrace, on which stands Woodstock Town. It ap« pears that a run of deep ground intersects this terrace, but in consequence of there toeing so much water to contend with, no hole ever was bottomed there, though many tried to. A party of Victorians, however, set in, and- finding that there 1 was no getting down directly in the gutter, sank a shaft upon the reef farthest from the river, and. at thirty-five feet commenced driving ; they broke through in the deep ground at about thirty feet from the shaft and got gold, but how much no one knows. I made the most careful enquiries on this point, and have come to the conclusion that nothing mora was obtained than a strong "color," coarse in quality. There was some report about a pennyweight to the dish, but 2 don't believe it. I need hardly say that every inch of ground is taken up, and as this shaft is s\ink just beyond the Tunnel, called so, *'par excellence," on account of its richness, I really think that it is very likely a continuation of the same gold will be found their ; for it is the opinion of every practical miner that all the lbeach and river between Kanieri and Wood* Bfcock will pay. Woodstock, certainly, is thriving, the lead of gold in the Maori Reserve paying very well indeed; and although it cant, I am sorry to say, so. far be traced downwards towards tho beach, it is being followed up alongside the high range on the Government ground. This is all the better for the diggers themselves, as they are saved any trouble about_ permission to occupy from the Maoris, and can now trust to that magical piece of parchment, the miner's right, which ia a dead letter lower down. I ouce thought that this lead of gold was a continuation of that on which are working Messrs Arthur Hyde and party ; but now I am inclined to change my opinion, for it has already rearched a point past their claims and close under the range. In fact, the foot of the range covers some part of it. Some little distance abovo the last claim on tho lead there is a break in tho range, forming a deep gut, with a low terrace on one side of it, and, from the lay of the ground and th» fact that gold has been found in this terrace, I am induced to think that out of this gorge, or gully, the lead has come ; and a Woodstock resident told mo that he had followed it up four or five miles, so there is plenty of scope for a deep lead, for deep it will be, and very wet, the last claim that is driving being forty feet deep. They are driving through the reef into the deep ground, and have not yet obtained any prospect. Abov,e and below them gold has been, found ia payable quantities, the next claim above having washed five grains to tho dish from the top of the wash ; and below, the Homeward Bound party, next to Mitchell's, have six feet of dirt that will prospect from a grain to three-quarters of a pennyweight to the dish. As the lead runs down it gets shallower, until at the claim next but one to the creek it was found at eight feet, and there ended, or apparently so. The tango that I havo before spoken of is here again intersected by a creek, and forms a narrow spur of entirely made ground 5 holes have been sunk on it to the depth of forty feet, and could go no further on account of the drift and water. It is supposed that the lead has spread out hero under tho spur, and appearances so far justify the supposition, for in those claims working round tie foot of it the wasu-dirt is found to improve in quality as they work into the hul. The side of this spur is all marked out, the owners of tho respective claims waiting until the ground is more drained by the tail-races from the river. From the Homeward Bound claim downwards I should say there are about twenty payable claims on the lead, and if it widen, as it is supposed to, there will be room for as many more. I hear that prospecting is going on a mile below the creek. There is certainly likely looking country that way, and I should not be at aU surprised if some of the many gullies and creeks running otit of the ranges were proved to bo highly auriferous. I am afraid the tiat itself will be too deep and wet for a single party of men to tost.

How Webstbb Hono his Scrani!.— -The elder Webster was a New England farmer of the old school, and was deairous of bringing up his sons to Bgricultaral pursuits. On one occasion Daniel was put to mowing. He mad« bad work of it. His soytke was sometimes in the ground, and sometimes over the tops of all the grass. Ho complained to his father that his scythe was not hung right. Various attempts were made to hang it better, but with no success. His father told him, at length, he might hang it to suit himself; and he, therefore, hung it upon a tree, and said, "There, that's just right." His father laughed, and told him to let it hang there, — Charles LanmatC* Private Lift of Daniel Webster.