THE DUNSTAN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 318, 26 December 1862, Page 5

THE DUNSTAN.

(PROM THE DAILY TIMES CORRESPONDENT.) Hartley Township, 12 p.m., 22nd December, 1862. For the present", there is little to report regarding the Dunstan gol I field as limited and defined by the Government proclamation. ; The river has certainly fillen several feet, and a small number of miners are working1 its beaches and rocky points. It h now lower than it has been for the last two months ; but before the rich line of deposits can be reached, it must still recede several feet more. Under any other circumstances the ground n nw available for operations woul I be eagerly taken up, but while reports hardly credible of belief we afloat, and authenticated inBtanees of extraordinary success are daily being made known in other parts of the district and the " L^ke country," an apathy on the spot, as far as regards mining matters, is easily accounted for.

Rc'cring more immediately to practical details, -we liave instances of men clearing at Fox's, in about lour weeks horn five hundred to a thousand pounds sterling. If they were exceptional parties, it would do much to stamp the district with a pood name. But these instances of individual success are «o numerous as to defy enumeration. Jt would be difficult to give any full idea of the prosperous circumstances of the miners. Some are unfortutiae, and do not succeed, though it is but lair to state that more than seven-eighths are satisfied. Thisis a very large proportion to put down, and more than would apply to any other gold field. The de paituves will t'stulilish tins. They are almost nil Those who visit thi* township come in for provisions, arid I know of but few* cases in which people express a want of confidence in the country. All ag'ee that pack-horses are almost an absolute necessary, and have if) attribute want of success to other causes than tlr.it of pnucitv of auriferous! ground or poorness of leiuvns. If gold was obtainable at the distance of a mile, and it would entail a cost of five pounds to reach it, ami the sum possessed amounted only to one shiilii:"', the man who made the venture upon so small a .hum must necessarily expect disappointment. ] The sane rule applies here. No matter how easily and speedily the gold i* obtained, it requires a t'er-t-.in-altruist of capital to make the start with. What the amount »'f capital should be it is hard to d. fine, as sorm: will, from practical experience, do with less than others. The difficulties of the journey and the incotsvi niences of the climate are more felt during the tiist £fc-y miles ftoin Duneiiiu than afterwards, but it is useless tj land here without s me capital, fto works of any magnitude are going on, and thnujili >he <ioveri;mf nf. through 'their surveyors, offered seven siiiliings and iix >cnce per day for roadzuiiUing, 1,0 an angrtncrita have been made for employing these who 'might be willing to work, if any. At this n;te, no resource is thus lelt for the truly unfortunate. Though it is a land rolling in wealth and gold, I-1 me >tdd one word of caution, and it is this, that it would be better to gp elsewhere than come ill pro\idfd to these diggings. One« the start is accomplished all is fair sailing, but the difficulty Hi a in making ihi*. Ko g"ld was ever go fiiaily got and with s" little labor; but the nature of the country entails many inconveniences and heavy oepm^es, if nt har'shiis. These remarks are made for the bent fit of new arrivals. . At the same time it is requisite to state tlu.t the difficulties and hnrd.-hips attending the older gokl fields will not be enc< untered in the valleys of the Dunttan, or iv the environs of the Lakts.

It was an error to state, in my memo sent the.other day, that the gold ot Messrs. M'Gregor and Co , was already on its way to Dunedin. It still remains at the Lake awaiting escort, and the amount—instead of one hui.dwti and twenty-eight—should'be one hundred ami forty-seven pounds. This gentleman speaks nu«t hi<;h"y of the place, aud naturally too, after netting ha handsome a return.

A btrse number of packers have again been in to-day, ar.d they confirm previous accounts. Mo^t exciting iustnnces of individual success are by t-Jum made known. Nothing like it has j«t iran&pired. - Seve al are making from fifty to dghty ounces a day, ond the lowest re--porteo i> over an ouncei Mmmg1 tools are 4aid to be very scr.rce j ano three pouiidsfur a sluicing fork, and the san c for a long-handled shovel, ar<s the current prices. Provisions fitill scarce. A severe gale iiaa b««a experien«€d oa I^ke

Waicabipi and the lar/e boifc of twenty-four tons re-c-wlv Lunched by Mr JRee«, is reporter! ft> hive ronisd -ied and br) <cn-up. The luvercdrgill line, aud its 'JeUys, is siirt to be con<'em«.ed ou the spot New n«htt f -thi'ty;VMtejk fttfta the Arrow (Western) arespoken ao-out; tiievhiias avenging fiom twelve to *eve..tei>ii. uaces p<ur jn*u. a day,, TJuLt mice-woi-jk-wgs ou the sfc ep hfifc of the*inw'S4%SS^&^ exes dinglynch, and -pile" claims nurneWslhe ground is, however, all taken up.c-The'tewßshiD" w progressing, aud diggings in the creek that- runs through it bold a population of about five hundred. On the beaches of Lake Wakatip. payable gold ha* been iound, and it is thought that its banks wilb-re* pay throughout! If it was necessary to multiply cases of rich finis and examples of ijreat individual success, ray note book would furnish roe with particulars that would greatly extend the length of thii" communication. They would add no" greater value I to tha general results already stated, They may hereafter be ussful as a reference; to, every one on the spot, or acquainted with the onward course of events thny would prove of little importance Mr St. John Branigan has paid us another visit. andi estaohdujg-aii oscort between this place and tne Likes. This gentleman proceeds early in the morning to the Luke diggings, for the purpose of forming a permanent carap tht re. The opening up of a road via Kawerau to the Cararona, an 1 thence to the Arrow Township is daily assuming more importance. The necessity for a irood road for the escort may lead to more active steps bat m the meantime the greatest anxiety is shown on the spot for some action in the matter. So anxious is the leelmg, that several hundred pounds could, under proper arMngeraent3, be raised on the spot la the absence of any recognised Municipal Institutions or lUiad Boards, people are doubtful how to act. lam given to understand that in a day or two an offer will be made to the Government, condifc:onal upon being allowed to charge a moderate toll, for opening up this road by private enterprise, as far as the Car* drona. Already an offer has been submitted upon simjlar terms by one of our leading storekeepers, to build a wire suspension bridge across the river. It cannot, therefore, be said that the inhabitants ot this township, and the residents of the district are pressing upon the Government to carry out works of public utility and advantage in a selfish spirit. Wi-elv encouraged and properly regulated, tbese efforts to bear a share of the burden in developing the resources ot the country may tend to greater results hereafter Ihe visit of the Superintendent is beginning to be looked tor wiih eagerness. Two subjects will be presented with some force before his Honor, name'y the size of the allotments, quarter-acres for the new township, and the opening up of means of communication with the interior country. By the time the visit takes place, the Government may have recognised a policy applicable to the circumstances of the occasion ; at least it is hoped so by the residents here 1 here is a great deal to say on this subject, but the tact of the expenditure-exceeding the revenue has been the means of directing attention more to private enterprise, than pressing upon au already embarrassed and perplexed government. Any action requested from them will be urged upon principles of general and not local advantage. .Based upon such opinions' the views of the people here will be deserving or some consideration. It will be necessary to return to this subject again when reviewing the reauiremerits of the district.

Two inquests have lately been held, and one a^ain to-day. In each case the jury have added a rider caluig upon the Government to take measures that no boats should be allowed to ply as ferry boats w thout being inspected, and duly certified as fit for the purpose. The great loss of life has arisen from flatbottoinc'd " cockle shells," built on the spot, bein«* used, borne dissatisfaction has been expressed at the length of time the bociie3 have remained unbuvied but the delay has arisen from the cause of death not being certified by a medical man. The Escort closes with 11,359 ozs or 12,359 ounces of gold, which of these amounts is the really correct one, I have been unable to a-jcrrtain. In ** Dunstan" mining matters there is a favorable though not an extensive, change. The gully, for which a prospecting claim was granted about fourteen miles from t\w Gump, and which was represented by the prospectors to greatly resemble Gabriel's uully, has passed through those mutations which attend more or le-s the gold fields of Otago. Rushed, condemned, almost deserted, it i* again partly regaining favor. One party of two have brought in fourteen pounds weight of gold, and so hard up were Ihey at the time that one of the night-watchmen on the township furnished them with tools to work with. In Adams's some continue to realize "piles," and as much as LI,IOO per man ha- been made in six weeks, out of a claim in which three wpre working. Tery good gold is a'so being obtained in the Manuherikia, near the Junction, and also down the river between the Junction and Captain Baldwin's Station. The greatest secrecy regarding finds is observed, and it is only accidentally that information is obtained.