PORTOBELLO.

Otago Witness, Issue 1880, 2 December 1887, Page 17

PORTOBELLO.

November 28.— " Full many a ilower is born to blush unseen and waste its fragrance ou the desert air." Quite so ; the poet was right. And so it is with many pleasant spots on this part of the earth's surface, which continue to " blush unseen," probably, from the absence of some trifler, like myself, j;iven to " chronicling small beer." Anything worth knowing or seeing surely deserves appreciation. If that is granted, and I by my humble lucubration can turn the public eye to the beauties and future possibilities of the Peninsula, of which this place is in some sort the nucleus, I shall not consider it to be wasted time. The Weather.— A short residence at this place entitles me to regard its meteorological conditions as certainly pitiful and cipricious. For several weeks rain, sunshine, and wind have alternated with suri-rising regularity. People with a more extended experience tell mo that it is unusual. I hopo so ; and from present appearances both weathers maybe looked for shortly. Notwithstanding all the moisture that has "(alien, the ground is remarkably dry; but this, 1 suppose, is owing to the conformation of this narrow strip of New Zealand, which is particularly hilly, and the steep watercourses booh } drain the circumscribed watershed. Industries.— These are principally of the bucolic type. Tlie bjilcndid grass produces excellent beef, and nearly all the settlers follow dairy fanning. Whether it pays or not. I am not quite in a position to determine ; but ;vt present I cannot help hearing universal grumbling at the low prices of products Splendid butter is sent from hero to town and brings trom 4|d per lb upwards. When I think of the extraordinary prices chaiged up country there seems to be a screw loose somewhere ; so that the middlemen make a nice little profit by fleecing at both ends. Bacon, potatoes, oats, &c, which are usually looked tor in an agricultural district, are, I am informed, mostly imported from Dune-din. If this is true, wholly or in p.nrt, I may be excused for wondering what the Peninsula farmers are about. There is nothing in tbe soil or climate inimical to the growth of cereals or vegetables. Why they are not more extensively cultivated, I suppose, can only be excused on the score of difficulty. The country is, to put it mildly, rough and timbered. A very large area is cleared, however, and I think the local demand for the above might be made by a local supply. The early settlers have evidently done an immense amount of hard work. The rising generation have only to step in and reap the benefits thereof, and I trust when the time arrives they will duly appreciate their lucky position in having been born after their predecessors. Scenery.— An Irishman was once reproved for turning his horse out to graze on the top of a bare and barren hill. He replied, " Begorra, it the baste has nothing to ate, he has a splindid view." If matters are not quite so bright here as might be wished, the inhabitants have an infinitude ot views of very charming scenery. I know of no place in Otago more likely to please the eye of the long sojourner in the traceless interior, or for that matter, the residents of smoky Duuedin. lam sure if the place was better known many thousands would resort here yearly for healthful change and pleasant, harmless recreation. Hepairs Wanted.— l may here mention the dilapidation of the jetty at this place. It is absolutely unsafe for pedestrians. Private enterprise has for some time past saved it from utter collapse by occasional patching, but it is really time the Harbour Board, or whatever body its existence ia vested in, looked to the matter; an accident may occur at any moment, and the victim — if " the subsequent proceedings interested him no more "—will have an undoubted claim for substantial damages. Gold.— Perhaps your readers may be surprised to learn that we have an incipient goldfteld on the Peninsula, and a very short time will now suffice to determine its value. Professor Ulrich in his report on the Otago goldficlcls 1875, spoke ot the '"so-called Peninsula quartz reef at Portobello," and now an extensive and crucial trial is to be afforded the " socalled " reef. Messrs Shelmerdine, Bazan, and Co., of Port Chalmers, have erected a crushing battery of 10 heads on the ground, opposite Hooper's Inlet; the work of reduction has been commenced, and shortly the correctness of former trials will be accurately determined. Several parcels, from 2cwt to five tons, have been tested at Ballarat, Sandhurst, Melbourne, and Dunedin during the past few years, and the yields were from 4dwt to 22dwt per ton. If only the average of these yields— probably Gdwt— can be obtained, there is a bright future before the company and the Peninsula. The stone is unlike anything seen in any quartz mining district in Otago, is practically unlimited in quality, and is evidently of volcanic origin. The formation extends over scores of acres in the vicinity of the present mine, and if proved payable, neighbouring landholders will have cause to rejoice. I will keep your readers posted up in the development of this important addition to the industries of the Peninsula, for which the enterprising company abovenamed are to be highly commended. Siich prospects ujveountry would not have met with a second glance from tho very knowing speculators who "run" quartz mining in certain localities in Otago. However, we shall see what we shall see; and in conclusion, I wish success to the Harbour Cone Gold Mining Company.