THE NOKOMAI.

Otago Witness, Issue 569, 24 October 1862, Page 8

THE NOKOMAI.

(FROM A COKKEsSPONDENT.) It would require t'le p j u ot your correspondent - h'» of the Dnnstan, I mean — to t 11 of the ro.id to tha Nokomai, of the sc> ne* there alone to bj witnes od of indignant diggers, heavy-swag^ed, wpnry-footud, ami loud sweu'ing. "I say, Bill," I heard onp f^y to his by no me ins amiable mate, " wouldn't I jiH; wish I had sime of them 'ere 'Tovernment chaps with tiiis here swag on, and a stock i vhip in my )i md " Why liis ird was aroused against the Government I am sure I ciimot say, but am certain from his look and strength of arm he would have pitched in the tlioag pretty strongly. Hundred-, of returning digger* were to lie met with along the roil to Duuedin and the older gold nel.ls,, who, when askeu, irave it as their decided opinion that the Nokomai was a duffer, an.l thy father of duff -re. I, your corn spnudunt, however— l scarce dare aspire to " your own" who have often witnessed the return of the disappointed from new mshes, took but little nuti'e of all tin*, awaiting my arrival on the field before forming an opinion thereon. When [ renehed the rauires looking down on Victoria Gully (so cailed), I confess the word-, of Dante, supposed to be inscribed on the gati's of the Infernal Rejnons — " \il ye who enter heie abandon hope "—forcibly suggested itself to my mind. A more dismal, dreary place I never witnessed. Nor. on descending, was there any improvem'-nt. You looked up at towering 1 mountains, snow-clad and many topped. In vain one looked for a way to get out— none such was viable. To return to Ileivui's fair light a^aiii appeared not a work of labour and paii but, an iiu possibility. The Victoria Gully appears to havf; been specially formed for the purpose of playing hide and go seek. It turns and twists into ail coucciv.ibls shapes and forms. Amidst its low scrub tents are pitched in all" directions.

And now as tt the prospects of the place. They are not, I confess, at all flattering jubt nt present. Th? ground is very patchy, and the greater number ot those who have sunk and b )ttmued their claims are by no meaus satisfied with the results. S x of the prospectors got a pound weight for their week's work }

m iking a I.ut il of ci ihi. p.onud veijrht obtained, eluae ft' n(, ..tjniia ;nc hi? w > -ki ig. 'tivy mo".) (ire doiuu. 1 w.'ll, iiut thj pniv.ulm^ op'.-iio i i-^, tint thi-» h not bhe jrold fi-ldj thvt it i> more ii thj .lirrfition ol th ■ W.skntip Lake, whither hunlre.U have alreiuy started. Ciutun BaldvVi, ;\e Uoirmissioner of the Waitahii'ia. ha^. I .i' •■'■cd. lie yesterday had some jumping claims to ovitilo A co'np my, with a capital of £>00, is about IWnc; forme I for the purpose of cu'tinu a tail-race tnroiu;li the Piili • gully. I forw.ir Iy >v cho pr i^pi\ ' 'i j . I Cbtnnite t'!"re are ah nit I,^o') persons on anl aljnlning the traily, but of th *s there are not, 1 «hould -ay, m ire than "vJOO at work, Tne probable amount of aolJ in ihc fiel 1 is 400 >zs ; most of this, ho.vevcr, if not all. i^O'stj Inveivaryill. tied maim re, dc Utbuhi. Not that I write on a tab'e, hut a tin dMi ; as. ho-vever, Ido not know t c Liit'n for the latte., a id, indeed, am doubtful if t ; iosj ot ancient Roaie had such a wonl. the quotation must stand.