THE GOLD FIELDS,

Otago Witness, Issue 529, 18 January 1862, Page 5

THE GOLD FIELDS,

(From our special Correspondent.)

My first view of the interior was obtained under an aspect by no means favourable to the formation of coireet impressions as to its adaptability for settlement or ciillivalion. A lowering sky mid a cutting wimi accompanied by driving showed of rain and hail, are by no means favourable medifi tlnoiigh which to vi 'W an already sombre landscape. The hills, whose skies w e skirted, or Roman like, climbed their hiuhest rid>:e, looked dark and angry, umvlieved by "the bright patches of green that told the tale of hum m indus'ry and perseverance. After a ride of about 1 > miles, ihe road descends vapidly into what, I presume, is term" 1 the Ttiicri Valley, whose dumps of tries and m-eeii rields were an agreeable relief to the dark brown hill-, we had left. This valley, and the hii's l>y which' it >• hemmed in, reminded me iincibly of ;!■ •' tun-iv mtween the Heads and Duneilin, and if ymi read i will only imagine an entire ab^nce of wntc-. m.d t > presence of grass an 1 evidences of eiilm.rion ihe\ will lm\v its exact far ,v///,7«. Tin- load v/ i U aloii}. its edge i:i)iil you reach the Taieri Feny, where 1 obc 'j'Vdd, that although increased accommodation had been provided, still the new Punt was insufficient for the immense traffic, many dray, havinu to wait foi- a eoi.-,i,lci,i I j!e time before being 'a!)l<' to cios,. r t j, (■„ he hoped that the Goverutm nt will place the oH pui,in position so as to prevent tlie cinhe sto| page of i lie Ira'fie, should any accident buf.i! the w>w one, a.i-! fin her piovide tor the emergencies which are conti s-ially arising. After ero jing Ilie Ytvvy, the i\ud tiik.'s it* course along the edge" of tin- Wa'.lio'a Lai;.and through scenery of remarkable beaut y a-nl graudeur. The Vwiho'a Lake left in Ihc distance, you p.'-s tbiMug-h the Tokoniairiio plains, which are c'ompa tlive'y level, and apparently very fertil". Vro-n xh.i cdv. > of the plains the difficulties of the journey bo"-in, and th.-y do not end until you reach G.ibrie.'s Gi'iiiy, a distance of 28 miles. The first difficulty to he yot over is th" Tokomaiiiro creek, and although I pa-, c 1 it when the water waa low, still it vequh-eti very caietul driving to prevent a cap-ize. Wiiy tiie fjoveinm.'.it liaic not erected a bvuiire over it, is to nu ,i in itter of wonder and siirpwe. " The creek is narro« , not over So feet in width, and as there are no phy^'ii! obstacles to be overcome, it cannot he nrred th.it they ha\e not Mifficient money to erect it, the sum achia l'y re([iuied being trifling. * 1 trust this will he do.ie bi>tore the winter sets in, or otherwise tlie Governnunt v,v.\ have to bear the brunt of the charge that they have induced, by their inattention, high rates of carna^e, and consequently dear food on the gold fields. Thi- creek sr.fely crossed, you ascend a series of mountain'; which baffle description. Tho-,e of your readers who have been in a storm on the Atlantic, can scarcely forget the appearance of the Inure waves, whieli e\ery moment seemed to threaten the vessel with destruction. Such an ajipearauce is pivseu'.e.l by the country around the goklfields. The earth seems to have been tempest to^ed, and as fay as the eye can reach it is range after rancfo of'L'ttantic billows. Th» absence of timber and the u-rey hue of the herbage reiulere the scene wild and inipressiv. On the top of one of those ranges I observed immeu^e ma ses of quartz, which, ntim'the position of the sun as t eroded there, I judged to be trending nearly uonh and south. In the ' milly which must have re'cei\ed the detritus from theso hills, I noticed some half do/, 'ii tents, evidently helonj>inn to minei's wlio appeared to be pro-pectine-, lmt with wliat success I could not learn. The surrounding country has every in Huation of beiim- aurif-rou^, and should be prospecieij, but as I am unacquainted with the name of the »pot, I may mention that it is in the neiffhbou'rhooil of the first refreshment tent, after you pass the Tokomairiro creek. How these ranges are to be cro' scd during the winter iL is impossibly for me to say, but one thing i.s certain, that unless the worst poriions are at once made it wiil be both difficult and diimicrous. Even now, while the weather is comparatively dry, it is no child's play to drive a coach and four over a track— for it is not a mad—where tiie slightest mistake would precipitate you to the bottom of a nully one or two hundred feet deep. Let any one try it down the side of a i aihv.iy embankment, or the roof of a house, and he will have some idea of the skill and intrepidity of Cobb's drivers. After a «cries of descents more or less precipitous Gabriel's Gully is at length reached, and the coach wends its way along its side, now dodging holes, and apain rushing through streams of sludge that flow from the cradles and toms of the busy miners. About midway up the Gully is situated the principal collection of stores and refreshment tents. Above this spot are perched — this is the only word capable of describing the situation— the Court House and Government buildings. Both positions are badly chosen, owing chiefly to the difficulty of approach and the contracted space upon which buildings can be erected. lam told that ita drunken man has to be conveyed on a wet day to the lock-up, it takes the united force of 6 or 7 policemen to take him there, and that during the process it would be hard to say whether the drunk or the sober can keep their feet best. If it is the intention of the Government to lay out a township, they will have certainly to choose some more favorable spot than the present site of the camp. Of the Diggings I may mention that from what I have seen I am convinced of their permanent character, and will in my communication of to-morrow give you detailed information regarding them. Amount of a-old sent by escort, 88670z5. sdwts. from Gabriel's Gully.