LATEST FROM WAIPOKI.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 32, 21 December 1861, Page 4

LATEST FROM WAIPOKI.

Mounted Constable Garvey, who was despatched to the Waipori by Mr. Commissioner Branigan to report on the new gold field said to be found there, returned last night. He reports about 400 persons there. As ruany as 1500 persons had been there, but numbers had left. Many were still coming in. No provisions were .to be had. The diggings are on the Lammerlaw Creek. The opinions on the prospects are divided. Gold could be found far and wide in small quantities, but the majority of the holes did not disclose payable gold. The prospectors obtained the 36 ozs. on the bed of the banks by digging a race. The gold was found at a depth of two feet. From one hole sunk on the bank, half an ounce was obta'ned, at a depth of about four feet. It seems probable that sluicing will pay well, but whether the gold field will prove remunerative to work on a small scale remains first to be seen. The miners can do nothing till provisions are sent up. The prospectors had obtained in all abou* fifty ozs. The road to the diggings was frightfully bad. Whether the miners had formed exaggerated notions of tift prospects of the place— whether they were dispirited by the absence of provisions ; or, whether the field is really not a very promising one, the fact is undoubted that the miners generally returned disappointed.