WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2087, 22 February 1894, Page 12

WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

A WARNING TO NEW ZEALANDERS. Perth, February 1.

At the present time many hundreds, if not thousands, allured by the bright side of the picture always presented by the West Australian press, are said to be preparing to travel westward, only, I am afraid, to meet with sad disappointment. Good things have been, and probably will again be, found over here, but they are nob as plentiful as represented. Cablegrams to the eastern colonies are almost invariably exaggerated. Late accounts in intercolonial papers would lead anyone to believe

that finds nearly if not quite equal to Bayley's are of everjday occurrence. Those who have been over the ground and have done the work are the best judges of what things really are over here, and few such men will speak highly of the West Australian goldfields. The West Australian press seem to agree upon one point, and that is that within the next year or two the colony must "boom or die." In this opinion they are well supported by the representatives of syndicates, who pay flying excursions to the fields, see only the best of everything whether genuine or not, and depart for the eastern colonies to add one more exaggerated report to the many already published.

It is not to my profit to condemn the fields, holding as I do an interest in some of them, but I strongly object to men being enticed over here upon false representations, and aw writing

thus solely for the purpose of warning your many readers. Many of the properties lately taken up on the Coolgardie field will prove bitter pills for those induced to invest in them, although I must admit that there are many others which may turn out well. To New Zealanders especially one of the greatest hardships is the scarcity of water. Such a thing as a permanent hole of freßh water does not exist in the neighbourhood of the fields, and men are forced to rely upon small pools (which quickly fail if rushed), brackish wells, or condensers. The last-named have lately come into use, but can only produce a small supply, quite inadequate for the requirements of a party of horsemen.

I am not going to repeat here any of the many Btories told in the eastern press of the hardships endured by the prospectors of some of the last discovered finds to the eastward of Coolgardie (and unless you are amongst the first dozen at a new rush your chance of success is very small on account of the limited extent of payable ground), but this I may say, that the worst, even if told here, is seldom allowed to find its way into the local press. My advice to such of your readers as may be turning longing eyes this way is, if they have a few hundreds to spend, let them come and take their chance, but if at all short of cash let them shun West Australia as they would the Crozets, for their chances of getting away from either of these places with money earned therein are about equal. I had intended going fully into details as to probable prospects for the coming year, but am unable to do so owing to want of time. Miroa.