DUNSTAN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2006, 4 June 1868, Page 5

DUNSTAN.

(FROM OUR OWN" OORKKSFO.VnENT.)

Clydk, June 1

Tho weather still continues unfavorable for tho visual winter beach workings, and there ia a yeneml impression, consideringthat Iho winter has so far advanced, that for this year at least tlioy will bo a decided failure. 'Flic Chinese population, who had assembled in largo mnnbcrß, on the hank!! of tho jUolyneux, having coma mostly from the neighborhood of Tiiapekra, a;>pe;ir to bo very much disappointed ar their prospects, and after every ri;;e in tho river they may be seen moving away in scores. The workings at thu Frenchman 1.1; Beach, Alexandra, will, in all probability, not bo reopened, unlcsn ii very favourable change in tho weal her should take place. The working of tho claims at thin extraordinarily rich spot, i.s attended with An immense expense, both for la' or and machinery ; so that any intc-r'iption, when onco everything is set in motion, is most disastrous. Therefore, when once those extensive workn aro set in operation, it i.'i essential to Hticew;s that they shall continue so. The Ovens and Alexandra CtiitipanicH have been enabled to prosecute opirationu, bvit not with that amount of success which should have been, tho case; tho continued risingH of the JFolynoux causing a great deal of ox(■eiißi) and loss of time in tho shifting o£ appliances ; beside.l! those Companies canonly operate upon a mere section of the auriferous strata, instead of—an should: bo the cose—everything laying between the bed-rock and the surface.

Tho necessity for opening-tip tins land* for settlement has been activoly taken up at Alexandra, and the result of a public meeting, presided over by the Mayor, hasbeen a numerously signed petition to tlio Provincial Council, sent down to Me Shepherd for presentation. Every wellwisher to tho Province is fast becoming ali%'e to the fact that, unless tho lands aro speedily inado available for settlement, tho mining population must soon seriously decrease in numbers. It is plainly U> bo seen, by every day occurrences, that, after a good claim hiis been worked out, tho shareholders —that is, thoso who aro seeking a home, nnd desire to settle themselves down to some siejwly employ-ment-—avo leaving via, and tailing the proceeds of their earnings with them. Thi», of course, has a very baneful effect upoiL. tho;ie that remain ; they boo at once that, by tho los!! of population, their mean* of living aro becoming more precarious while what properties they own, provided they do so, are generally depreciating in. value, for without population, it is impossible to do anything. Tin's, I think, more especially is tho caso with a Goldfield when thcro wo numbers, or in. mining ixirlancn, a crowd. Everything goef. a-head, but where there is but a. sparse population, even if the natural resources be ever ho groat, nothing seems to prosper. It has always been my impression that tho contact of men and ideas aro tho two things necessary for tho development uf gold mimn:,'; everything else? follows in due course. Were the lands available for settlement, tho aim of theminer would be to acquire (sufficient moans to build himself a home, get married, anil live comfortably. Tho proportion of nnmarried miners is very large in Otago, far larger than in Victoria ; and from this course nJone, there is lacking that steady application and desire to advance, which, is ths case there.

Next to the opening up of tlie lands, iathe want of tho means of communicationIn fact, one cannot well get on without the of her; as ie in very little use producing unless there is a market. Tho means of communication between tho various gold-producing districts in tho northern portion of ilia Province nxo most inndcnu;ite. The material necensary to tho eflicicnt development of the mines, as well as for the comfort of (ho minor*, is to Iw. had, and, besides, hi indigenous to the soil; but there in the difficulty of carrying it io where ife is wanted, and till this is in some shape removed, fltero cannot be ntucli progrca* tnndc. To the v imt of adei[iiato moans of I c^mmnnic.-ttioii must I c mainly attributed i tho excessive costs of tho necessaries of life. The means of preserving an existence is fur too great for much prospecting to 1)0 dono by Iho miners, withnnfc outside help, and ihe (levclopmcnt of our Ooldgelds is, thereforp, much rctirdod. What* is i^Xjwndtid in numbera cf instannex for Fuel nlono in this I'rovince w.uildktscp uutrnor in "tucker" in Australia, at the ' moat moderate c*»!cuUtiou. Tho ability i t<i pronpeefc ground hero on tlio part of • mdividiiftln is «oi mom *lv«» o»&,fourth. ( of wliat it wonld be wore" tho cost* of I livinc nearly on a par with tho price o£ ' prciTiHtona Ihcre* 1 It is no use disgnwinf* th© fact, that tha • state of the Ouldficld»-'i3 by- no means iw- ■ jjrovjivt ', »uppo»in?» R» aou*o p^aj^l* "*y» thfti tb Jnsß BfO atalionftijv .