AUCKLAND BUSH.

West Coast Times, Issue 176, 12 April 1866, Page 3

AUCKLAND BUSH.

(PROM OUR BPECIAL BErORTBK ) April 2nd. Most changed, desolate, and dreary is now the appearnnco of the Auckland Hush, which, but a few short weeks ago, was one of the richest of our beach diggings, beinji noted for the heavy parcelo of gold it sent into the market, and also for tho lar^e number of miners it so profitably employed. The placo was then a hyeword in everybody's mouth, and that miner who was so fortunate as to hold ground upon the lead, even if if was only a v bit of spare," was considered to havo been specially favored by the blind goddesa, and as one who was nearly certain to oitlior make his " pilo " or obtain a handsome " rise." Liko all new leads that yield good prospects when first oponod, the Auckland was, as our Yankee friends would say, considerably "cracked up," for most glowing and fabulous reports were industriously circulated of astounding finds by "c»ap wo arc acquainted with," and prodigious " wages " made by " oid mates. ' Consequently the disappointment oxpericriced by those diggers wbo were too late to participate in its riches was excessive. Rlany a beach was afterwards prospected by them iv the hope of obtaining similar returns, but as our Cornidh brethren so truthfully remark, "where 'tis, there 'tis." and although as likely-looking places have since been turned over, the result in many instances was to throw some discredit on that trite old axiom that " like breeds like." The Auckland rush, however, needed no exaggeration to add to its fame, H for the yield week after week stamped it as .one of the richest of rich VVestlaud beaches. Indeed, it is doubtful whether any oilier beach on the coast, if the Three Mile south of Grey mouth be exoepted, bus turned out so well, for taking the lend from one end to the other, a distance of "quite ten miles, and which of course would comprise an immense number of claims, nearly every yard of it was proved auriferous, and every claim paid high wages — from £8 to £100 each man per week Were it only possible to ascertain the absolute quantity of gold which lias been extracted from it first and last, I feel confident, the a nount would be astonishing, for it is calculated that on an average shareholders on the lead proper realised from £200 to £«00 per man. Admitting this to be an approximation to the truth, a rough estimate' mny be formed of the yield ; for, allowing the lead to be two iiiilus or 3520 yards long, and that ft claim I held by four men would have a frontage of lliir'y yards along it, it will he found on calculation that there were, 117 ninety feet by ninety feet claims, which, at four men to each claim would pivo a total number of 468 working on the lead, a number I am sure very much within the truth. Now, allowing these men to have each made £200 only (gross) the value of the gold tuken out would amount to the very modest sum of £93,600. It will be observed that no allowance whatever is mado for the " outside" or ground not absolutely on the lead, a great amount of which was turned over and yielded fair wages. lam convinced the above calculation to be most moderate, and that 30 per cent might safely be added and then the truth not exceeded, as some portions of the ground were wondrously rich, in proof of which assertion 1 can adduce an instance of one man realising out of an area thirty feet by twenty feet. Altnough I have several tim*»s reported on these workings, I never knew a miner whose claim was on the run 'confess to less than £7 per week as his earnings. But the glory has indeed departed, its day is past, and the once rich claims then guarded with such jealous care are now iv the hands of a few " fossickers," who, lacking better employment, have enrolled themselves amongst the " block and pillar" company. All attempts hitherto made to trace the lead southwards have failed, the little creek running out of the swamp being still its boundary line in that direction, and although the ground has been sunk upon in all directions, no payable gold was found. This sudden falling off can only be accounted for by the change in the formation of the ground, both on the Jurface and underneath, as at no great distance from the above creek is the north end of the lagoon which runs up from the Arahura, towards which those wbo prospected found the false bottom dip very considerably, and become much broken up ; also, that the little gold found there was scattered through a jjreat thickness of drift, the percentage being so small that it was deemed worthless as wash dirt. At the end of the lead there are still some dozen men employed working the old ground, and hoping that they may yet trace that which has been lost, either into tlio swamp or out on ibe beach. I consider the first direction to be by far the most likely one, for the swamp, unpromising as it appears, presents no mean in • dications of golden deposits within its depths. On either aide of it gold in payable quantities has been discovered, and as the swamp is perfectly level and has been proved, by sinking, to rest upon a bed of clay, it is believed that underneath that a strata of auriferous gravel would be found were it only possible to overcome the water and sink deep cnouirh to reach it. This swamp is only one of the many which border the coast from north to south, and all of them present similar features to the eye, a very light growth of timber being the most striking. At present they are looked upon as worthless, but in my opinion they are susceptible of improvement, and could, by a thorough system of drainage, be converted into valuable agricultural land. But at present this idea is

not genernlly entertained, and the, only value placed upon them is for the richo they arc supposed to contain in anothei form, viz., that of virgin gold. No sys tematic attempt has yet been made to tesi their value In this respect, which is much to be regretted, as it is of the utmost im portance to the future well-being of Westland that the question should be decided us soon as possible, and every encouragement given to those moro enterpris•ng amongst the miners who are willing to risk both time and capital in so loing. There are many at the Auckland rush whoso attention is directed to this particular swamp, for I am told that tw« or three companies are forming for the purpose of cutting tail races into it at low water level, and as there is a fall of at leas' nine feet from the surface to the sea, all tin surplus water might be thus drained off. •md then by the aid of Culifornian punipthe false bottom could be reached, provided, of course, it does not lie at toogreai a depth. But even if it did, and such ordinary appliances were found insufficient, there aro miners enterprising .enough to place machinery (cither steam or waterpower) on the ground, if extended area? were granted them by way of inducement. If the Auckland swamp was prospected, and found to be auriferous, what benefit would accrue to every section of tho community? for the coast would be torn up from end to end, and remunerative employment of a permanent character thus provided for thousand?, hundreds of whom are at present runuing after worthless rushes, dissipating their time and hardearned game. It is therefore most desirable that every ouoouragement should be given by tho Government to intending prospector*, and tho discretionary power of the Wardens stretched to tho uttermos-t — for which ever way the question is settled, results the most imoortant will follow ; as, in the event of the swamp being proved a " duffer," it mi^lit be made avallablo for cultivation, and either loosed or sold, as hereafter should be determined on. The same rulo may be applied to every other upon tho coast. Application was made to Mr Warden Pohaw, no later tbau last woek, for proteolion for a tail race, which he refused, as the parties had not complied with the form of application laid down in the Goldlields 1 Regulations (Clause 4, section 22.) No blame can be attached to him for so deciding, as it is clearly the duty of miners to abide by the laws laid down for their guidance. Let those — wbo ivishing to construct tail races, apply for protection — go through the necessary. formula; and I feel quite sure such will be granted them, provided uo valid objection be entered against it by others. On my last visit to the Auckland rush I traversed quite amile and a half of the old lead, and in that distance counted about eighty men in work all with few exceptions fossicking aod not making more than ordinary wages, say from 12s to £1 per day. A few however were doing better amongst whom is Bill Hyde's party, who are still getting large returns, aud Bolmer who is working ground which he stated would pay Bevoral ounces to the load. There are also some three or four parties besides who arc just finishing their claims, and confess to the old standard of wages. I conversed with a great many of those whom I met with, and although they one and all believed that the old rush hiid seen its best days, were yet sanguine that some gold would be found in the vicinity. The swamp they particularly believcdin and expressed great anxiety to see it tested, and with the exception of one or two, declared that provided it was, they would carefully bear the inconvenience which the loss of its water for washing purposes would entail upon them, but considering that it would take a very long time to drain it they believed they should suffer out little, as by that time the ground they were working would be exhausted. Such was the conclusion I came to myself, and thought that the Warden would be quite justified in registering the tail races for the above purpose, and that before Iv decides upon not doing so be had better visit the locality and both see and hear for himself.