THE LAKES.

Otago Witness, Issue 878, 26 September 1868, Page 3

THE LAKES.

(feom our own correspondent.)

Arrowtown, 17th September.

The new depasturing regulations give a very fair promise of conferring a great boon upon the district, in the settlement of the disputed question as to a boundary line to divide the commonage between sheep and cattle. The Board of Wardens have made an equitable division of the country, and all concerned we satisfied with their decision. The owners of sheep have all been notified to remove their flocks from the flats to the hills ; and from what I can see and learn about the matter, there is room enough and to spare, under good management, for twice the amount of stock now running in the district. On Tuesday last, the Wardens received applications for depasturing no less than 700 head of great cattle. This does not, however, represent anything like the total amount of cattle owned in the district, since the residents between the Arrow and Shotover rivers own amongst them something like 2000 head. In farming operations, there is commendable activity; a considerable breadth of land in excess of last year is now under crop ; and the Lakes district will be able to supply a considerable portion of the produce consumed upon the lower goldfields. The wheat crop promises to be an abundant one, taking that which is already out of the ground as a guide ; and the farmers may congratulate themselves upon their prospects. The Wakatip still continues very low, and the flour mill at Frankton is not workable in consequence. Stocks of flour are getting rather short, and the renewal of operations at the mill is very desirable, as the district is dependent upon this source of supply for its flour, Adelaide having gone quite out of the market.

In mining matters there is but little to record. The sluicers, thanks to the increasing warmth which is fast melting the snow at the lower elevations, have an increased supply of water. An improvement in the Escort returns may therefore be expected. On Saturday last, the Coroner, Richmond Beetham, Esq., R.M., held an inquest at the Twelve-Mile, Macetown, upon the body of a man found dead at the foot of a terrace near the Arrow River. The deceased wa3 one of a party of men formerly known as " the Twelve Apostles ;" this worthy dozen being so designated on account of their intemperate habits, and a sort of community of interest in money matters. It appears that when one of the fraternity got gold, it became the common property of the whole, who quickly dissipated it in drink. Their unfortunate mate, it appears, while labouring under the effects of liquor, had fallen over the terrace, and had perished from the effects of drink and exposure, j