THE HAU HAU and THREE MILE.

West Coast Times, Issue 593, 19 August 1867, Page 2

THE HAU HAU and THREE MILE.

Of the various workings constituting the Westland G-oldfields, few, if any, are of so lucrative or permanent a character as those of the Hau Hau lead, Threemile Creek and Big Paddock, and it is really a matter for wonderment that ground so long in work should still yield abundantly, and give besides sterling 'promise of many many months of profitable labor to the hundreds of fortunate men who occupy the claims. Contained witlun a radius of six miles from town, with which they are connected by an excellent tramway, these diggings are most favorably situated, being easily accessible, salubrious in climate, and tho transportation of goods to them now being effected with ease by means of the Hau Hau Company's tramway, all those necessaries that make up the sum substance of good living are to be procured in abundance, and at rates very slightly in advance of town prices. In fine weather a great deal of pleasurable interest is attached to a visit to the above diggings — albeit the ways are somewhat niirey, and the country rough to travel over. Encasing the nether person in stout boots and leggings will, howover, provide for the one difficulty, and a stout coat and fair powers of endurance eft'ectaally-surmount tho other. Eighteen months ago this section of the llanieri goldfield was scarcely accessable, so villiauous were the roads to be traversed so impenetrable the bush that covered it, and excepting to a very few whoso business compelled them to visit it, the place was a terra incognita to town residents. But sinco then ai wonderous transforma? tion has been effected in the features of the country by the axe of the miners and hundreds of acres of bush having been cleared away in the immediate vicinity of the workings which can now be traversed from end to end with comparative ease by the. pedestrian. Almost a crowning finish was placed upon this goodwork by the construction of the tramway which traverses between two and three miles of very bad walking ground — soino parts of it swampy, the remainder being gullies and terraces, deep and precipitous and very thickly timbered. Laying down a lino of rails across country of this description was an arduous and expensive undertaking, heavy cuttings being necessitated through terraces and along the sides of the gullies. The work, however, was admirably carried out and redounds to the credit of the Company, who, we believe, will yet receive a handsome profit from their spirited" speculation. The tramway terminatos in the south-east corner of the Big Paddock, about a quarter of a mile from the Hau Hau lead which is thus easily reached along a rough bush track, constructed by the packing fraternity. Other two tracks branch off from the terminus across the Big Paddock — one leading to the Three Mile, Creek, the other to Paddock Township, which commands the several leads running through it. Of these there are four, running parallel to, but widely separated from each other, and as the same heavy gravel and sand formation is found throughout the Paddock, it is naturally inferred that other leads of gold will yet be struck in the at present blank spaces. The gold, however.runs in narrow streaks, at depths varying from sixty to a hundred feet; and, therefore, prospecting such ground proceeds but slowly, and is not regardeded with much favor by the diggers, involving as it does heavy labor and expense. Of th» leads in hand, Madman's, Cement, and New Churn's* are partially exhausted, but not a, few claims are still in worK, and yield no less abundantly than when first opened. Some of the diggers on Cement and Madman's gross from LlO to Ll2 per week, but this high rcfrurn is exceptional, as the average weekly earnings of diggers do not oxceed LA and L 5. Considering the nature of the ground, which is deep and difficult to work, the Big Paddock is regarded as one of the least profitable workings in the Kanicri district. The fourth and latest discovered lead was rushed about three weeks ago, and has been, we believe, been named " The Blacksmith s." It was first struck on the side of the terrace formed by the falling off the elevated plateau known as the paddock into the low country which surrounds it. As in the case of the other leads the outcrop was struck on the sideling, and the gold then followed in by tunnelling. A bona fide lead was thus developed by the prospectors, and afterwards struck by a party of miners, who sunk a shaft 50 feet deep in the paddock ahead of the tunnel. This caused a rush, and a line of claims was marked out across the paddock, and several shafts sunk with spirit. Only a few, however, found the lead, whin-h is very narrow, not being more than twenty-five feet wide, and rather poor into the bargain, as the auriferous layer, some six "inches in thickness, is composed of cement that requires to be burnt and pounded before submitted to the action of water, and, so far as proved, will not pay more than loz. to the load. The prospectors' claim and the one next to it^,re scarcely so good, as in some places tho washdirt is only one inch thick, and-when pounded and washed only yielded 15dwts. to the load. The lead, however seems inclined to improve as it is followed into the Paddock, and better prospects aro therefore anticipated out of the shafts now sinking, and which are oxpected to touch the false*<bottom this week. A short cut through the bush in an easterly direction from tho Big Paddock leads on to the Hau Hau lead, which is in full work from Tucker Flat — its southern extremity — to the Three Mile Creek North. That section of tho lead contained between Ballarat Hill and the Flat has been opened nearly eighteen months, and yet not half-a-dozen claims have been worked out and deserted. The gold runs about fifty feet wide, and was first struck xipon what is termed a main bottom, consisting of a close sand.«tono, which, we are inclined to think, is only a stratum overlying heavy drifts

containing gold. The sandstone lies at a depth of from eighty to one hundred feet, and carries a layer of washdirt, composed of cement and gravel froma foot to eighteen inches thick. This level proved very profitable, as in a few of the richest claims it yielded from LSOO to LBOO per share, and, excepting in one or two places, paid good wages throughout the lead. A few claims arc yet working upon it with ■ splendid results, as the men admit

they can make from L 2 to L 4 per day. This level is exhausted in tho majority of the claims ; but another auriferous vein was struck about eight feet above it, and pays most remuneratively. It is, however, not so rich as tho sandstone, for although in some cases it gives from 30s to L 2 per day to each man, the average return does not exceed L 6 per week, which, however, is likely to be maintained for eighteen months or two years. From Ballarat Hill to the Threo-Mile Creek, the Hau-Hau

Lead runs through several high spurs of the coast range. Of these .two are mere ridges, scarcely twenty feet wide, and were therefore not deemed worthy of a name ; but the others were respectively called Ballarat and German Hills, and the Third, Second, and First Cement Hills.

Quite two years have elapsed since the Cement Hills were opened, whilst Ballarat and Germans have been in work during the last twenty months, and so far as the main lead is concerned may bo pronounced exhausted by the first workers. But outside runs and patches have been since discovered, and the old lead is being reworked by tho sluicing process whero water is available. It is only so on Ballarat Hill to which." a water race has been constructed from the head of the Hau Hau Creek by Ponsen and party, who propose extending it to German and the three Cement Hills. Ballarat Hill is occupied by about thirty men, who have riddled it with tunnels, and are taking the ground out bodily and pass every bucket of dirt likely to contain gold through the sluice boxes. This sweeping process pays well, from L6toLB per week, being a very low estimate of the weekly returns per man. The old lead in German Hill appears to be quite deserted, but an outside run has been struck lower down the spur and is worked to advantage by some dozen or fifteen miners. The washdirt is almost pure cement, and needs to be burnt and crushed before the gold it contains can be extracted. " Fossickers" hold undisputed possession of the once enormously rich Cement Hills, and find that by carefully manipulating heaps of old tailings a profitable livelihood is to be made. These hills, as their name iiuplies, abound in cement, and are more or less impregnated with gold from the surface to the sandstone bottom. Worked by the simpler processes of mining, such ground would be scarcely remunerative ; but, if it were passed through a ground-sluice, and the cement it contains forked out, thrown on one side, and afterwards carefully crushed, we are confident that the return of gold would be something to be wondered at. Many diggers entertain a similar opinion, and we understand a few of the more enterprising of those located ? there are determined to test the question, and to that end are making preparations for the erection of a crushing mill to be driven by steam power. They have already applied for and obtained permission to construct a dam between the first and second hills, and expect to have stampers in position in the course of two months. A small machine upon the Burdan principle has been in use for many months at tho foot of the second hill. It is of simple construction, being formed of a cast iron basin that revolves upon a spindle fixed at an angle of about forty-five degrees, and with a cog wheel attached to its upper end. The rotary motion is supplied by means of another spindle placed horizontally, having a cogwheel in its centre working in the other, a handle for turning the machine at one end, and a small fly wheel at the other. The machine is securely fixed in a stout wooden frame.

The basin contains a quantity of quicksilver, and a heavy iron ball 160 pounds in weight, which, as the machine turns, rotates with considerable velocity, and reduces to fine powder the tailings with which the basin is fed on its upper side, and also thoroughly amalgamates with tho quicksilver the gold so freed. The process is, hoy ever, exceedingly tedicus, as we should imagine that not more than three or four loads of tailings could be passed through the machine in twentyfour hours. It in owencd by Cassel and party, who express themselves satisfied with the result of their speculation. The Three Mile Creek diggings,although one of the earliest discovered upon the Coast, are not half exhausted, and support a very thriving and numerous community. The Blue Spur Lead is the main stay of the place, and carries about two hundred men, ot whom more than one-half are working upon its lower end— the upper being held by some half-dozen parties, who are working extended claims and leases in the old ground. Sluicing is of course, tho modus operandi m working tho ground, and to do this offeetually extensive preliminary operation? were ne-

cessitated, and carried out with a completeness and skill highly creditable to the parties concerned. This part of the Spur Lead is far higher than the creok that runs through the flat, and thus there is a good fall for the tailings, which are carried off by means of largo tail-races cut into the spur from the level of the creek. The works of Beard and party, who hold a half-acre lease, are well worth inspection. These men have been engaged during the past six months in cutting a heavy tailrace 400 feet long, and in some places thirty feet deep, through a solid bed of gravel. They struck payable gold on the edge of the old lead on Thursday last, and are now hard at work opening out a face, as they intend to take the ground before them, and pass it through a line of sluice boxes leading into the creek. They have secured an abundant supply of water by constructing a head-race, having its source in the Blue Spur Creek, at a distance of three miles from the claim. They have expended L6OO hard cash in these preliminary works, but anticipate threeyears of steady employment at a high rate of wages. Adjoining them, Crawley and mates hold an extended claim, that is worked in a similar manner. They have thoroughly proved the ground, which will pay each man from Ll to 30s per day. On the upper side of Beard's claim, Tairey and mates have just finished a claim which has kept them employed during the last eighteen months. The ground, was driven out to a height of fourteen feet, and paid excellent wages, as the weekly returns per man seldom fell below LB. This claim is likely to be again taken up and reworked from the surface — in fact we believe that the entire Blue Spur will be removed by the aid of that potent agent water, and passed through sluice-boxes. The lower end of the lead runs on a level with the ThreeMile Creek, and is still in the hands of the first workers. The gold runs poorer as traced downwards, and is lost altogether about half-a-mile below Beard's claim. Of the other workings belonging to the Three-Mile, those on the Arahura Plat are the most important. The ground there is shallow, and of a clayey nature, very suitable for puddling, and accordingly four pug-mills have been erected, and have so far paid very well. The Three-Mile can boast of a small but thriving township, wherein all the useful trades are worthily represented.