FIFTY YEARS AGO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16051, 18 October 1915, Page 10

FIFTY YEARS AGO.

LIFE AT HOKITIKA.

A GLOOMY OUTLOOK

(From the HEH'ALD of October 18. 1865.)

The following private letter, written in ! Hokitika, has been received by a gentle- ! man in Auckland: —" I arrived here yes- j terday morning. The day was -dull; the ! wrecks on the beach added to the gloomy appearance. I was struck with the ] hundreds of men who hold the beach and | landing. I thought that, as it was Sun- : day, the men had come to town, but I found that such was not the case. The men are waiting for something to turn up, and would be glad to get work. It ! must bo very evident to anyone that if i there are payable diggings here, as repre- j .rented in Auckland, so very many men ! would not be idle. That there is gold j being got I am satisfied, but only from I small fields. Hundreds are loud in their [ expressions of disgust and disappointment, j There are five steamers lying off the bar. ; People are coming here from Otsgo, Mel j bourne, and all the New Zealand pro- ' rinces. The state of things, as far as I have yet karatand I have not been j idle—is far, very far, from satisfactory. Old diggers have no confidence in the ' country. The Grey is represented as be- ! ing worse— the people sick with swamp ' lever. There is a fine long street formed, ' containing over 50 hotels, stores, etc., none i of which presented a very busy appear- I ance to-day even the "hotels. A man ' assured me just now that he saw things sold on Saturday cheaper than such articles could be had in .Auckland. Meat is lSd J»r lb, bread 2s for a 41b loaf. There j is none of the free-and-easv rollicking air ' °if- would expect to see in'a diggers' citv ! which I consider a very significant sign I of its condition.'' !