OUR GOLDFIELDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 538, 22 March 1862, Page 7

OUR GOLDFIELDS.

(Prom the Dd'di) Timee O'jrie&iicmdent.) Tuapeko, March 17th. I am ghil at last t.) be able t > report mat lie material for the 110-,plt'ii is on the ground, and its eiPCiirm ib bc'ug pioccedcd with in a. vigor, m-, and etiyttivii maaner. The bite chosen is not particularly favorable in a s.,uiit«>r> puint of \iew, but as it is fis.) oi appio.ieh ?nd otherwise unobjej' ioii'ible, it is to be hop^d that the lov. and somew hal damp position will not materially aifees ihe health of the p.itieuts. lam "> >i ry to .-ay tli.it a kind of ague or low fever h is been yen pre\aUnlo:i the j, >ldfi«;Ute, i>poeully at WatherKlonef. Unfurtun itely tlio site of (lie township of "WctheiM.iue's. is little better than a swamp, and Ihe tilth which imi't necessarily accumulate frum the collection of r-uch a lirge number of men, is refciine I on the spot. As a necessary consequence noxious gases are evolved, and to such extent as may possibly produce rnalaiia. TJie number of deaths from low fever ha\e been numerous, acid in many instances when the disease ha 5*5 * not b<;oii fatal, the Miilei-ers have been coinpelied to leave the district, and if poor, bike refuge iv the Dnnedin hospital. This, wich the erection of the hospital at Tuapaka, will to a certain extent be obviated, and thti.-c who are &o unfortunate as to meet with an accident will hj saved a frightful journey, and consequent suffering. On Saturday last, Daniel I tiull'ivan. oiie of the i;ang latolj capti'red, was a^ain hiviu«;ht up, bnt ao there wai no evidence to sliow that he had been connected in any way with the late outrages, he was div;harg>;d. As however, he was known to be a bad character, and an associate of v Hill" and " Spratly," he was charged under the Va^ivi'it Act with having no lawt'ul medus of support, and sentenced to three months imprisonment svicii hard labor. The buildings for the police have come up, and are about beny erected at the Junction. This change will be a great improvement, as it will command the entiro district, and the inhabitants of Gabriel's, Monroe's, and Wethevstone's will be enabled to reach the camp without climbing over hills several hundred feet high. We ha\e had the road surveyor, Sir. Pitcairn, up here, and he has laid out the Hue of road between the Junction and Wether^tone's, but, as the sum voted for its construction is miserably small and insufficient, I am at a lo^s to understand of what use this will be. It would want five times 500 to make this pieoo of roa d passable. Mr. lleid, the contractor for the raising of lignite at the Junction, was here during Lite end ot' lass week, but, as the U-ovornment have not came to any understanuing with the discoverers of the lead, he'vas. imable to pioccecl to work. N o place could be pointed out to him where he was> to get the lignite, hence this useful and profitable work lemains unperformed. The proprietors have a large quantity on the grass, and the seam is looking bettor than it has hit nemo done. A very littlo management would have enabled the Government to come to some satisfactory arrangement with the. party who mado the discovery, as it is they have placed themselves in this position, that they can neither dispossess the per&ons in possession, nor enable the conductor to fulul his contract. Tne sons of Rrin have been celebrating St. Patrick's Day with .creafc rejoicings. Headed by a brass band, they paraded tho divings, aud at various points made the welkin rim,' v ith cheers. In the evening a dinner is to be given at Welch's Hotel. Junction, in honor of the clay, at which it is anticipated there will be a large attendance. (xold has been offering during the week in fair quantities, and I anticipate the amount sent down by escort will be up to the average.