PROSPECTING. Dunedin, 16th April, 1862. To The Editor of the OTAGO DAILY TIMES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 131, 17 April 1862, Page 5

PROSPECTING. Dunedin, 16th April, 1862. To The Editor of the OTAGO DAILY TIMES.

Silt, —Have we not, in a great measure, nlloweilL the time to pass that ought to have been devoted to ( prospecting and developing the resources of this our adopted country ? To a great extent I think we have, \ —in proof of which it is only necessary to view the, number of stalwart mid experienced miners that arej daily rushing from our shores, quite careless as to whither they go so long as they get clear of Otago. j But to what or to whom is this exodus att:-ibulal>!e?i, .Some will say that the scarcity of fuel and the se-j, verity of the climate on the gold-fields during the winter months is the cause. Such, to a certain extent, may be correct, but if those men that have left us had had payable claims 1 do not hesitate to s;:y they would have stopped, notwithstanding the iuclemcncv of the winter und the scarcity of fuel. Then I apprehend there must be some other cause, and I would ask have the "powers that be" done all they might have done to have kept the mining population here 1 Echo answers unquestionably they have not, and with them will rest the responsibility of the stagnation of trade and depreciation of property that will take place during the dreary months of the ensuing winter. It is all very weii for'us to buoy ourselves up with the idea that there will be a great rush back to this ptowi in the spring; doubtless there will be, if anything is discovered between this end then, but I maintain .had the Government taken the necessary steps, there would Irsve been no need for us now, scarcely on the threshold of winter, to be anxiously looking' forward to the spring for a revival of business. Had they encouraged prospecting in its fullest extent, by organising and sending out well equipped parties in different directions during the months of fine weather that have almost passed away, new gold fields would have been opened our escorts, instead of diminishing would have increased, business would have expanded, and instead of seeing hundreds of miners daily leave our shores, we should have had a constant stream of immigration pouring in upon us. It is a well ascertained fact that we have hundreds of miles of the same description of ground, bearing all the auriferous indications that are characteristic oi Waitahuna and Gabriel's Gruliy, and of which the Government are fully aware ; yet with a degree of apathy that appears truly unaccountable, they have done little or nothing towards opening' up this ground to the miner, while at the same time neighboring governments are offering large rewards and fitting out prospecting parties for the discovery of gold within their respective boundaries. I now ask is it right that this state of affairs should be allowed to exist"t Are the citizens of Dunedin blind to their own interests 'l Are they not aware that the falling off of the escorts, and the departure oi the miners from amongst us, is (if permitted to continue) a sure indication that Dunedin, ere long, will sink into its priniature insignificancy, and ail our dreams of future greatness disappear amidst the snow and rain of our coming winter. But still it is not too late even now to improve our present position, and 1 think it behoves every resident of the province to urge upon the authorities the necessity of at once sending out prospecting parties, under the direction of proper persons, to ail the known auriferous localities, and 1 have no doubt the result will be crowned with success. Doubtless, the fitting out of these parties would cost money, but I think out of the revenue already derived from the goldfields a sufficient arnouut could, with all fairness and justice, be claimed for the carrying out this undertaking, particularly as there is every chance of its baing reproductive. And I would again impress upon every resident, either in town or country, the necessity of something being done to remedy this flagrant evil. And as the Provincial Council are now assembled, a more fitting opportunity could not be afforded for bringing the matter \tnder their notice. Fearing that I have already trespassed too far upon your valuable space. I am, Sir, Vox Populi.