THE WEST COAST.

North Otago Times, Volume IV, Issue 56, 16 March 1865, Page 3

THE WEST COAST.

The following is from the "Lyttelton Times" of 7th and 9th instant : — "Accounts continue to reach us of the strong movement of people north-westwards towards the land of promise on the west coast of this Province. The rush maintains its full force, and it may be said that men are passing up the North road " in heaps." Of these, by far the greater proportion may justly be set down as bona fide experienced diggers, worthy of the name. Some few, of course, are inexperienced townsmen and lads, who have no idea of the hardships they must endure, and whose immediate future accordingly it is not hard to foresee. If they ever become experienced it will be at the cost of great discomfort, we might say misery. But many of them, in this rush as in all others that have gone before, will never see their destination at all. In all probability they will fail to cross the Teremakau saddle, and after bringing up on the hither side of that point, will return as speedily as they may, and pronounce an adverse and contemptuous judgment upon the diggings at lar^e. The best gold fields have always many such persons to condemn them, who have discovered from their rash venture nothing but disgust at themselves for their folly in setting out at all. We are looking ahead a little, however, for as yet we hear of not one single returning digger — in itself no insignificant fact in a new rush Those who go up seem to possess more than an average amount of supplies, in the shape of " the needful" and otherwise ; and that there is little fear that we shall hear of much distress on the road. The journey itself is being shortened by the extension of coach accommodation. On Saturday, Messrs Cobb and Co, made an experimental trip in the new direction, and took the first load of passengers as far as Horsley Down station, belonging to Mr Lance. This point is within a few miles of Waitohi Gorge, whither the stage might have i been extended, but for the want of accommodation at that point. The road is described so far as being very good indeed ; and we understand that, if accommodation be provided, the coaches will run regularly to the Gorge. To supply this want, we believe that Mr Leith is now engaged in erecting a first-class building ; and no doubt when the next quarterly licensing day has passed, this time next month, a satisfactory establishment will be at work there. The hotels on the road, at Kaiapoi, Saltwater Creek, Leithfield, Weka Pass, and elsewhere, are regularly crowded, and seem to be reaping a harvest out of the occasion. Up to the Waitohi Gorge provisions are plentiful; but, beyond, they must be expected to be running short. The state of the road is so far tolerably orderly, and by no means so rowdy as might have been expected. A few acts of fraud and theft are reported, however ; and as the police usually stationed on the road happen to be called off by the sitting of the Supreme Court just now, protection is not to be found when wanted. A case is mentioned in which a gentleman who had been imposed upon with a fraudulent cheque, finding no redress from the authorities, rode up country after the culprit himself, and brought him down to Kaiapoi in handcuffs. Horses have been missed also ; and things will, of course, get worse unless something is done. A few mounted men, for instance, might be profitably employed in patrolling between Saltwater Creek and the Gorge. Mr Shearman, the Commissioner of Police, and his party, who left town on Saturday, made Leithfield that evening, and intended to reach Horsley Downs the following day. Thence one day's march will take them to Taylor's station on Lake Sumner. The party was in excellent condition when last met with, on Sunday, and the Commissioner seemed confident of success. In town the excitement does not abate. The news from Nelson is favorable ; and men who have been absent from Christchurch only a few weeks have made their appearance again handsomely furnished with the precious metal. Our shipping columns^ show a gratifying amount of commercial activity. "Thh Okitiki. — Captain Gibson, the Port officer of the Province, leaves to-day for Nelson, on his way to the West Coast. He has sent forward by the 8.8. Waipara, which left on Saturday, the signal and semaphore gear for the entrance of the Okitiki river ; and he takes with him a proper pilot boat, so that everything which can be foreseen as likely to be wanted may be ready in a

few days after his arrival. The boat taken is that which has been in use at the Sumner bar, and its place will, at present, be supplied by one of the harbor boats ; but steps have already been taken to provide a proper lifeboat for Sumner. The river Grey will also receive attention. The Canterbury " Press" says the Government have announced that they had taken steps for appointing a resident magistrate, a warden, and a mining surveyor; that a gold escort would start in a few days ; that Mr Rolleston was about to go himself to superintend the starting of the departments of the Government, and to call at Wellington on his way to arrange with the General Government for the establishment of a Customhouse and Postal Services; that a competent engineer was to start shortly to get the track cut through so as to expedite the passage of the gold escort, and that Captain Gibson was to go round to see what can be done to render the navigation of the bars as safe as possible. The information as to Mr G-. Dobson's expedition to open up the Waimakariri route was repeated ; but a piece of information was given by Mr W. Wilson which, to our mind, settles the question of this route. He stated that an experienced digger, named Hunt, had prospected the Oteira Valley, and describes it as mostly open grass land. If this be true, Mr Dobson's work is very trifling, and the route will be open in a few days. The excitement consequent upon the opening of a new gold-field, and the usual rush thereto, is making itself more apparent in Kaiapoi every day. Nothing else is talked of. The usual business of the town is at present but of a secondary consideration. The crowds of diggers constantly passing through the town, on coach or on foot, is some h'n;; astonishing. It is computed that not less than a thousand diggers have passed through during the last eight or ten days, en route to the West Coast, This day (Wednesday), up to three o'clock, ten vehicles, three of which belong to Cobb and Co., loaded with diggers and their swags, have driven through the town, which, added to those who, either by choice or from force of circumstances, have decided upon tramping the distance, will make at least a total of 120 diggers in one day. As yet, we have not heard of any departures from Kaiapoi; but from the intense excitement felt, we expect shortly to have a diminution in the number of our surplus labor, and also of the employed. People are merely waiting for news as to the probable lasting properties of the present.