OKARITA.

TO THE KDITOn OF TUB WEST COAST TIMEB.

Sin, — Wo in this outlying district havo only tho press to look to, so that wo may learn the news of tho outward world. Ono piece of intclligonco convoyed to us by tho last arrival of tho Bruco somowhat excited our rather quiet little community- -I mean tlfe various roporta which havo been promulgated by tho press of Hokitika, concerning tho discovery of rich ground near Okarita. The only construe* tion I can put upon tho matter is, that some tirao back a party of Muoris discovered gold at the head of tho rivor called tho Wnitanga. Thoy bad great faith in this district, and a mixed party of Europeans and Maoriß waß formed for tho purposo of prospecting tho ground. It is also Burmissod that a lettor was sent by tho Maoris to a party of Maoris at tho Groy advising them to loave for Okarita at once. This is so far carried out by tbo arrival of a party of Maoris, five in number, fully equippod for a journoy of somo sort, and who • only Btaycd in this township a day. Since tho last sailing of tho Bruce the most conflicting reports havo been circulated hore, as rusheß haro beon spoken of in all directions around Okarita, bufc tho only ones that havo assumed anything liko roality aro as follows— A rush to tho Three Mile in the bush, at tho back of tho old workings on tho beach. This placo is known as tho First Beach Diggings, and waß almost descrtod, tho claims having been worked out ; tho prospects are spoken of in variouß ways,- but until I learn for certain I will not givo them currency. Tho second rush is to tho Five-mile Beaoh.the place where all the rich olaitus are situated. Tho returns from this locality reminds one of tho palmiest days of Victoria. It appears that a flat, covered with light scrub, lies at tbe baok of this beaoh, which, on being tested, gave prospeots so oncouraging that an 'application was made to the warden for o prospecting claim. This wa» refused on account of its being too near a known gold-field ; but the news Boon Bprend, and the ground was at once rushed, and claims pegged out for over two miles. Some six or seven claims have beon bottomed ; the prospeots obtained are from 1^ dwt to 3 dwt to the shovel ; twelve feet si ripping arid two feet washdirt. This may not be the same in all oases, nor must I be accused of writing too favorably, having confined myself to facts that many gentlemen here can tes'ify to. The township is quite deserted ; many parties, even tradesmen, have left their employment and gon9 digging ; aot an idle nmn~ can now bo seen in tho township We know for a fact tint six or seven pounds per week, with tuoker, has been offered for men to work a claim.

Tho tradespeople havo not been idle : buildings aro increasing in size and importance. Amongst tho moat prominent aro tho buildings eroctou and in course of construction for Messrs P. Swoonoy, Wood's Mercantile Hotel, McOulloch's Royal Hotel, King and Thompson's Okarita Hotel, and many oxtonsivo stores. On Wednesday ovoning last iv meeting was called for the purposo of collecting a fund for cutting a track through tho bush from Canoo Point, which is about four miles from Okarita uo tho river and navigablo for boats. Prom this place tho bush commences, and is about twelve milos through to tho Lake, which is navigablo in all directions for a considerable distance Tho track required is eight feet wide and will oxtend ten or twelve miles unless somo nearer point is found, whon thore is a proper survey made. Tho chair was takon by Mr S. L. Marks, and tho following gontlemcn woro elected as a committee to carry out the object of tho meeting — Messrs Woods, Miller (trcaauror), Ryno, Mitchell, Byrne, Cole, Murphy, Bull (secretary), and Shea. The first resolution proposed was that a subscription list be at once opened to aid the Government in raising sufliciont money to out a track to the Lake, as gold is known to exist in that locality, but owing to the present state of the oountry, miners could not work the ground, without great loss of time and hardship in carrying tucker through the bush. The committee were so far successful, though bub a small proportion of the inhabitants of the town have been canvassed ; the amount subscribed amounts to eighty pounds, and the promises made amount to thirty more, so that we may feel satisfied this will at once be carried out. Tenders have already been called for. The reports coming in from tho outlying districts of Okarita-*. are very oncouraging. Tho Saltwater River— aT^ place about fifteen miles from Okarita, which was rushed somo few weeks back, and declared a duffer, is now rowarding a few who determined to givo tho place a trial; there oro about eighty or ono hundred men nt work, and making fair wages. From the south I have**** reliable intolligenco of Cook's River, somo twenty-five miles from this place, having been favoured by a gontloman well kuown horo, with permission to make an oxtract from a letter he had received. His correspondent states— " Wo aro now at the beach, three miles from Cook's Hivor, and twenty-fivo miles from Okarita. Wo have bottomed and aro doing vory fair. Those new diggings aro likely to be move permanont than tho usual beach diggings, thore being gold found in tho bush. At present thore aro from sixty • to seventy mon there, and no tucker nearer than tho Waiau river.

Jackson's Bay is also sharing a portion of attention. Before the rushes hero took place, about fifty mon chartered tho City of Nelson, and procoodod in hor to that place ; sorao report is said to havo reached thorn from tho Huust river. Mr William Fox, of now rushes notoriety, is their leador. , I havo to cravo indulgonco for writing at this length, but owing to tho many vaguo reports that havo appeared in tho papers at different, times, has induced mo to trespass on your spaco. Hoping this roporfc will, in sonio measure, rectify this. lam Sir, yours respectfully, S. T. B. Okarita, Fob. 17th, 18G6. *•

TIIE BATTLE OP THE NOBBLEftS. X« THH EDITOR OF TUB WEST OOAST TIMBg. Sir,— Permit mo to offer a few remarks upon the uotico appearing in your isauo of to-day, to the effeot that certain publicans were " agreed" (a greedy lot iv my opiuion) to uphold the prosent prico ot a nobbier, namely, ono shilling. After stating this determination, which cannot but be admired, even in so unworthy a cause, to adhere to tboir charge, the nolicoadds, "becaus* a genuine article cannot be retailed at a reduced prico ;" leaving the uninitiated to ihfer that they had been in tho habit of selling the "genuine" heretofore. oven that the "nobbier" were always represented by its orthodox measure, namely, a wine glass, or, in the language of Colenso, half a gill, we know by the wholesale price of spirits, &c, published weekly in your journal, that publioans can well afford to reduce their prices. Why should the retailors of spirituous liquors be entitled to receive " shent per shent" proßt, when other goods are Bold at' a moderate advance upon the prices they would realise in eld-established towns? Ie it because they pay no rent ? Is it because the glass, commonly usod by them possesses a deceptive property of magnifying its contents ? Js it because an engaging-looking creature behind the bar, enveloped in muslin and smothered with jewellery, is the medium through which one is permitted to sip one's nobbier of P.B. ? The remedy tor this abuse is in the hands of tho public ? Let the followers of Bacchus patronise the shrine of tho rosy God, where lib itions, vulgo nobbier*, may be obtained at a reasonable price; then the agreeable publicans will find that half a loaf is batter than no bread. Allow me to subsoribe myself as one possessing Itkitikv, Fob, 81.