Page:Rambles on the Golden Coast of New Zealand.djvu/195

Rh below the surface, and the tail-race must be of the same depth and with sufficient fall to enable the stuff from the claim to travel without blocking it up. Then a water-race has to be brought in to the claim from a higher level. This is termed the head-race; and as the water is the great motive power, it is necessary that there should be a large and very regular supply. If possible, the race is brought in from a river or good-sized stream, but should this not be practicable, reservoirs must be built to catch the rain. For a large claim the race is made of sufficient size to convey 250 inches of water. To construct these head and tail races is often the most arduous undertaking, involving considerable outlay of labour and capital. But where payable gold has been proved to exist, and it is within the range of probability to get at it, the gold miner knows no such word as “fail.” He may have to bring up his tail-race for one or even two miles, the greater part of which consists of tunnels with dimensions of 3 ft. by 4 ft., and which, if they are not through solid country, must be timbered. He may have to go for two or three miles to get his water, and then conduct it over rough country, always preserving an even grade; sometimes having to convey it by means of box fluming or iron piping along the face of steep precipices, or across deep ravines. This sort of thing has no doubt to be done on most goldfields, but especially on such a field as Addison’s Flat, a visitor could not but be astonished at the immense amount of work done by parties of from four to eight men, and at the ability they have displayed in overcoming every difficulty in their way. Not many miles from Westport a party of six men have worked steadily for more than four years, to open up ground which they have every reason to believe is payable. A tail-race has been brought up for a mile and a half, and water conducted on to the claim by a head-race more than two miles in length. There are at least twenty tunnels in the head and tail races, three of which are each quite 1000 ft. long, through country difficult and dangerous to work, and another is through a hill range nearly 2000 ft. in length. Without the aid of engineer or surveyor, these miners started the tunnel on either side of the range, and met fairly in the middle. Through it they have brought their water from one valley into another, and then on to their claim. This is but one instance out of many on the Buller goldfields of what courage and energy can accomplish.

It is a question of considerable importance whether new fields are likely to be discovered in the Buller district of sufficient value to attract a large population. Much likely country remains as yet unexplored, especially between the head waters of the Mohikinui and the Lyell, and further north in the Karamea riding of the Buller county. Important discoveries may any day be made in these places.

Throughout the Buller district many miners are also engaged to some extent in pastoral pursuits; and smiling homesteads, with good orchards, are a common sight. As a natural result of this more settled life, the miner is in a great measure free from the follies and vices so common on the diggings in former days, but happily in other respects his character is not changed. Now, as then, he is an open-hearted generous man, ever ready to extend a helping hand to any one in need. The genuine gold miner of to-day is essentially an honourable man. He is one of the brightest examples of the self-reliance and exertion that ennoble life. Of the Buller quartz reefs which have of late attracted