MOUNT BENGER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 805, 12 September 1864, Page 5

MOUNT BENGER.

(from our own correspondent.) Teviot Junction, Mount Bengbr, 7th St'ptemba-, 1864. The escort, which left this place on Slst August, took down the following quantity of goli:- --- dwts. Mount 8.-nger 275 0 By private hands to the Dunstan (ascertained beyond doubt) .. 576 0 Total .. .. .'. 851 0 lam led to make the above return iv consequence of the continue! sending away by private hands of the greater portion of the goldobtainei in this district. ' I have ascertained beyond tha shadow ot a doubt that last escort day 576 ozs were conveyed away by private parties, and that this quantity was added either to the Manuherikia or Dunstan escort, thereby increasing theii's at our expense. I need not dwell upon tie great injustice of this proceeding, nor yet up->n the stupidity of those who do it, to their own injury aad to the injury of the district in which they live. I cannot make out how it is that we have no gold buyer here. lam satisfied lhat were an efficient person (whose address and business capacities were anything like up to the mark) sent into the district, he would inimedintsly form a splendid connection, and then our escorts would present a very different appearance. I was inforrae-J last week, by a gentleman residing at Miller's Plat, and who weekly buys several hundred ounces, that for months pa^t he has sent all his gold lo Tuapeka, and that simply becau«e of the absence of any constant buyer in the district. This is a wretched stats of thing's, and I Co hope and trust that one of the banks will immediately take the matter up. It really is a very great pity that our police should be, for such a long period, so sadly inconvenienced for want of a lock-up. i have mentioned this matter before, and trusted that it would have produced some effect in the right quarter. Whenever a person is arrested upon any paltry charge, a constable has to sit up sometimssa couple, and always'one night, in order to watch the prisoner. Surely it would be \iorfch while to supply a hou<e for the purpose, otherwise I would suggest to the sergeant in charge the advisability of having a pair of stocks made, secured by a good lock, in which to let the prisoners sweat. Ido not think he could justly be blamed even if he did adopt such a very questionable course. The river is now exceedingly low, and still declines every night. The weather, which was threatening to break, has again taken up, and last night we had a hard frost, but it is fearfully hot in the middle of the day. in fact the heat is quite oppressive. Some of the claims hereabouts are turning out very rich, while others, I am sorry to say, are by no moans rewarding their possessors for the length of time they have spent in looking at them. Great attention is being turned to the banks, which are not now so despised as they once were. Men are beginning to see that L-4 or L 5 a week is not to be despised. Several new races are being constructed. The population is rather on the increase, and a disposition is manifested to settle down. Nothing worth naming from the Serpentine.