THE OTAGO GOLD FIELDS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 5, Issue 235, 30 November 1861, Page 2

THE OTAGO GOLD FIELDS.

The Escort arrived at Dunedm on the 15th inst., with the astounding quantity of 35,100 ounces of gold. Mr. Cobb's coach had been engaged to bring it down. ' The Oscar and Omeo had sailed for Melbourne, the former with 10,000 ozs., and the latter with 22,000 ozs., making 32,000 ozs. of gold that has been- exported in these two vessels alone. A party of four Wellington, men (sailors) had just returned to Dunedin, with £350 a man, being the proceeds of 3 months work. And we find it stated in the Witness of the 9th that four men then in town had, in 13 weeks, cleared 22 lbs. weight of gold each man. Several new rushes had taken place, especially towards the Blueskin mountains. At the same time we hear of much privation amongst the unlucky and the lazy.

[From the Correspondent of the "Independent."] Dunedin, Nov. 12, 1861. The supply of news just now is but scanty, and scarcely anything of note has taken place since my last communication. The gold fields are still progressing as regards the extent of ground opened and the gold obtained. A few days since I received a letter from a friend who is engaged in a store on the Waitahuna Flat, who is an old resident of Victoria, and has had some experience in the diggings there, and he speaks very highly of the new ground. He says — c I am delighted at the look of the diggings, the diggers seem so happy and contented, and all obtaining gold in more or lesß quantities. I have met with near a hundred Oastlemaine men, and they are all well satisfied. I believe that five ounceß per week per man is the general run, at a rough guess. There is, I should say, from five to six thousand men on the ground, and I think the' flat will not be worked out for three months to come. The depths of the claims are generally from ten to fourteen feet deep, and I have seen it quite as wet in Victoria. In fact, to 'tell the truth, I can hardly resist the temptation, and every one seems doing well, and very likely next time I write I will be a member in the great lottery of gold mining.' By the same letter I see the price of provisions have fallen considerably since the commencement of the diggings, and the letter also speaks very favorably of the temperance ■of the diggers.