THE YUKON GOLDFIELD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2289, 13 January 1898, Page 19

THE YUKON GOLDFIELD.

Victoria fB.O), January 4. Sixty miners who have arrived here from Klondyke report that when they left there was a sufficient supply of food at Dawson City for the 4000 persons who remained there. New Yoek, January 5. -The chief of the Dawson City-police states that the provieions there will last till April, when fresh supplies will be approaching the city. The expedition which left the Pacific Coast for the Yukon under the personal direction of Mr Sefton, the Dominion Minister of the Interior, who is accompanied by Major Walsh, the administrator of the new district, and Mr F. C. Wade, of Winnipeg, the registrar, -is having a hard time of it. Writing from Skaguay on lGth October, Mr Sefton statf s th*t there is ab that town a population of 1500. Of the 6000 who came in this f»ll uot ccore than 200 got to Dawson City by the Bkaguay trail aud 700 by the Ebileoot. The rest, with the exception of the 1500 stopping at Skaguay, returned home to wait until the spring. The stcriea about the dead horses on the White Pass are not exaggerated. There are 3000 dead horses on the trail, and the road i 8 in the most frightful state. It is almost impaes&ble even for oxen, for the road passes through a narrow trough in the rocks, which are at an angls of 35deg. More than half of the mounted police pack hrrses are dead. The condition of affairs at Sknguay waE as bad as can be. Of law and order there is practically none, and the United SUtfls Commissioner, wbo is supposed to administer justice, is himself to be tried for fraud at Sitka. " Before the winter is far advanced many now here will have disappeared. Bub the rush in next spring will be simply indescribable. Those who wait will make fortunes out of the swarma of people who will then be congregated here from all parts of the world." The Canadians seem to expect a large immigration from Australia.

The threatened Native disturbance ab Raefcihi, up the Wanganui-Rive?, has pa«sed over, the Natives seeming amenable to reason after being w&rned by Inspector M 'Govern not to break the law 6