LATER NEWS FROM TUAPEKA AND DUNSTAN.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 13, 23 December 1862, Page 2

LATER NEWS FROM TUAPEKA AND DUNSTAN.

Tuesday, December 16 [■FKOJI OTTR OWN COKIiESPO'WENT.]

The excitement of new rushes to Fox's and neighborhood, keep the mining populaton on the move. Some 2000 have left this and the Manuherekia for the above places. The Teviot and Beaumont populations are leaving by the Moa Flat. Several very heavy parcels have come into the Dunstan from the Shotover and Arrow Rivers — one party brought in 34 pounds weight. The news of a rush to the west side of the Wakatip was exciting enquiries, and no doubt, by this time > the intelligence will have been corroborated. The township now extends for a mi le and a half, and provisions, mining tools, and grog are in abundance. Flour selling at 7d. and Bd. per lb,. tea 35., sugar is. 2d., and other things in proportion. Cartage has come down considerable ; from Dunedin the prices for horseteams are LSO, bullock teams L4O.

The Tuapeka goldfields are at present nearly deserted. Although, considering the number of miners, the escort returns show a better average than the far famed Duustan. At Waitahuna deep sinking is being pushed by the government, and prospects from the 140 feet shaft is being stated by old Ballaiat mineis, to show well, in fact all the grouud around the prospectors is being marked off, and the work is going on night and day.

The Otago government have subsidised one of the Murray river steamers for two years, to run from the mouth of the Clutha to the Tuapeka and Moa Flat. The opening up of this fine natural highway, to all the goldfields east and west, is looked forward to by all persons as an epoch in the history of the Middle Island, so that your Southland friends must be up and doing, as they will have a powerful rival in this route. The Government have already a strong survey party marking out a line of road from the Moa Flat into the hcaitof the diggings, as also a road from the Hartly township to the junction of the Kawara, from thence to the foot of the Ciowu Range — up to which an easy and practicable road can be made. The whole of the escort will then be brought to the Moa Flat, and thence via the Tuancka to Dune-din. Your correspondent has spoken with numbers of miners who all speak very highly of the new country just opened, nnd as a rule, success is general — the more fortunate getting a " pile " fast, and as they say in miners' phrase, " you can chuck a stone and hit gold." The road from the foot of the lake rrr the Mataura, is in fair travelling condition — a little sloppy, caused by the late rains — but will answer for a summer road. It remains for the powers that be to prepare a good winter one, othnvise the merchants and others will suffer through a