OTAGO.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 8, 25 November 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

OTAGO.

(UOXOa,OWN CORBBSrOKpU-T.) j ■** } Dunsdin, 18th Not, ' The Escort from the West Taieri diggings \ tiM arrive* here, -bringing down^ fourteen !;<S^dred ounces of gol£ , Thwwa?Wreßu|t4)f \ifmi day«i at the e3opr(,did/nptVJ«»ye,on. .the" *, 'Tuesday «#wM$ 1 ? t * rr »Pg e -d** -For five thou-t^-wnd diggers, (the number estimated be dn ■*" 'the ground), the return is most unsatisfactory. The diggers are coming back in droves, ahd the new field is announced Mall but-worked, out. I hare spoken with some do_en <or more -of experienced miners who 'have returneliito Dunedin during the .present week, andune and all agree in saying that the best ofthe ground 44 already ; -turned up, and that hundreds are not Obtaining* •even as much as the color ofihelmetal. There! is a larger amount of rowdyism and /ruffianism' •on tbis field than on all our" others reckoned ; together. Diggers are stuck up in broad day- { light and robbed of everything they possess . » down to their boots, and up 'to their hats.^ Storekeepers' tents are ripped open, and money, f gold, and goods carried, off/with the utmost --daring, although within a very few yards of where the police are'' stationed." '-"' Both diggers ■and storekeepers have in several instances been most brutally maltreated by those scoundrels, ■and for some hours. during the, early part of this week no man felt himself safe ! lo 'be out after dusk, and many . who were about leaving for Dunedin, feared making the v attempt until a -strong party could be got together-for mutual protection. „ \ * Considerable excitment has prevailed owing to the discovery of a rich quartz reef 'at the Nevis. I quote the following from a recent number of ; thei DuiKtan News :-—" One ofthe most valuable discoveries Ythat* has' been made upon oiir goldfields took place at the Nevis a few days ago. • We' were favored on., Monday , dast," with a'lobkat ailargenuntber of -specimens 'from a quartz reef at the Newish The discoverers were pnlthe Dufutan to makelapplication for a , prospecting claim,. Jbut this day -being one uf pleasure, 'the Warden cm^ The • specimens Were the richest we ; "have seen for. a long period, and the-reef must prove <tf lasting benefitifd.-^'he'_Jevi*i-*'^-Tlie ; veib » 'Close upon two. feet in width, and seems to widen at every ;: tfooi driven into it -At the' depth of -seven 'feet loose rock exists near the reef, and yields about ," -a pennyweight' to the s tin'distfi** ; Tl/e samejparty have discovered 1 coals of the best quality. This •>. latter discovery is a welcome one, as the cold- ; •ness of the NevisYdi^triet during the winter -season may", for .the future be no. drawback to Hhe. miners. These items of intelligence are 'fraught with pleasantness, and we hope that the i* ;prosp'ectors will realise a fortune,' arid v'icores of •others upon the same rich discovery." Business in Dunedin is at a dead lock.. We 'diavfe had 'is bad weather as one could well ex'perien'e'e. *■ Nothing but a long continual sue*" 'cession of heavy rains, bleak winds, and cold - days. .In spite ofasphalte pavements, metalled iroads, and all of the many improvements made to Dunedin, its streets and roads, are a sea of mud, slush, and puddle. "From What I can hear and'learn 'there will be a larger exodus from -Otago at the close of the 'present summer than has been the case on any occasion.- Even at the present time, fby a reference to the Customs' returns, it will •be seen th»t over a thousand people have left *Otagb : wifliiri a. period of thirtyf-five days. /ft is .. gerieral t belidf wiilTthose'Cßpable of forming •^ah opinion ibased upon experience end observation, -ihat 'the r Wak«itip aistriet-.is'the'only'fieiaY HcnWn at (present, which-is likely to be pennan;-. is ho doubt- that you wiU -reapl benefit to be derived 'from it, why, the mews isjnpt, received by us ia ; the fame spirit as with;ybu ,"Sduthlande'rs. From the ©imstan no -news of any conse- ; •quence is at hand," The yield of gold is steadily ' <declihing|an'l i theiiumberof diggers on the old ground is every-fiay^becorairig'sinaH by degrees ••■ an'd'-'efcuHfuliyjless.^: have l^ftforthe ahd failing here have footed ; '■: •forithe'Hqgbu'rriy- ■>-' '■' {UA- { Of tbe"H6gbiirn I have the followingsprecise cand most definite' information to", offer you. One . of our daily papers informs its readers, that the - ' Hogb'urn'is : qui^eYdeserted.YY'The other says, *' 'diggers" in great humbeVs. are making for this ifield. That .those already on it are doing remarkably 'welir»hd' that allafge return is expected'by ;tHe next escort. Your readers must '.form their ownjjudgment,, for >it is quite out of tnj power to assist fhehr. *''"' >' 'Horseflesh iv'rising«iu*price with "us, really '•" jgodd'horsea being ' Very difficult to purchase. /"Tslm 1 informed f 'number of. bad. characters findinjg;the 'place too; Tiot td hold 'thfein 'here, have made their way, ' -Miown to ■'InVeroargill;'- I send you Ya warning' mote, for, -some A •pi. these . gentry are theveryj •scumYof ' ourY^aoi-'birds, 'and' it is well they -should' be lodked to. I hope you have sonic*. 'detectives wi'h -are able to hunt such' * •charactewy'^'.v^ Y'Y SAAAAA'AA-. !'■*'- V : j: 'y' : "'':y * -^Tuesday, 19th Nov: . .■Since my last we have had fearful weather. ( - IPr(mi^dayligh"t''t6 Ydark andjfrqm' 'dark to !say-... '•; lligtitnOthiS^'Botiheiyyii^m tonl j .bec*si-nnally"'by -'at hailstorm' accompanied '*• "with lHytider and^lightningY ;';'^l*YY^Y ThejrushYhas once nlbre^ set in, -and riiiany hundreds o r f.ineri,** women,' 1 and children 'have landed -on our shores -within, the last few days, for what purpp.sesqr 4 whart'!to<dor-Heaven onlyjcnows. iit ds Admitted ; bn Allfsides that we;hOT as 'large a; iminingipibpuiation as the -Province can absorb,, •and it is also well known that thousands are eking but the barest ' subsistence, and would '-re.ttirM 5 Ywhence they-ycame(}4id r -lhey enly j possess the means. ' Ther e'is something, to tny • .thinking, so' terrible in thif untruthful or highly •colored statements made 1 by:~a:*sedtion. of ; the| •daily ,press here^with rjespect; to our' golBlields ; - in order to bring to;the. Proyineeja larger pop- j fpulation than it already^possesses, that I do not ' '<■ inowJn.what/terms-to' characterise it. Sure I i •am that such statements 'will call up a day of: fearful retribution^or I imst^lce the meaning pf ? thelopks'and^qrdsdf'the .knots df-.idle meir and luckless diggers hanging about the corners^ -ofthe streets and thoroughfares in Dunedin ' at this time. _ A . The West Taieri diggings have disappointed the -expectations of all interested ;in„ 'their she- 1 «ess, andl hope thatvthe; diggers " !! dri your side' bav*e^ Kad'sufticlentYwarningYtb refrain frbm_ noticing the'Wtiltemeh'fe Which lhaye been published of this field. . V ,f . - 1 ; Trade here is literally dead.- Of course much; ■maybe aet. down ,W the fearful weather we have lii'd, but storekeepers of means fear to purchase! in the present unsettled state of mining- affairs, «nd those of no mark, fnerchjiats very wisely . refuse to iereiiit. ' •■■-.".;—■■ ' :*'Y t - ; --r,.., \ I '*'" * Tte Daily .Telegraph: ; says:—^*'We were, shown a number ■ of rich^ spedmens t^m, from j j thereef'atYtheCWM last-week. These were obtained from a sinking about a chain distant -from the place where the . specimens which are iii the hands erf -the Goldfields Secretary . wire ' found. ; 'TheYsinking in :j this place was about S ieet.--^The?.party4n-pos-; ! 'session' of v the,; ■f^^^^^S-i^'^ i '^y^y'^ i^:i .VjinAi^ imping another .triihdlej further up the Ihill"! . md h«l:yfcst£iday; morning sti^ck the/reef j 12 feet from the surfiwse-* From the .-loose dirt : obtained from the interstices of t\ie reef a very. fair washing of gold was obtained;- and one; informant, whpl«/»ne.of the owners, of the claim, j m considered that 'this would be able to make » a good thing from the wash dirt obtainable on; the » claim, whilst the 7goid-bear--9 ing quartz ready for ? crushing when machinery ■ waa obtainable^'forY'theYpu'i-j^ 9. reef; in questioh,^whicb isa spur Yof ;th^Y*nain fl reef, six,otber» have now been opened. ; These 9 are also aU'tpurs,. tbe "main reef ibei^-iisi yet; 9 ■■■ iihattempt-ed.' [yA Ay '■ y£?,y ATSSAyASTz'Iy ... 9 I mentioned to ■ yota in my^last/'that^itiwa*. H stated vi a : ' quartz-reef : Yhid^bißeh^ discovered 9 at tbe Nevis. Since then no 'ihtelligehce con-

firmatbry,of.tbe.report.has,CQnie,to-hand, and whefhei l h~be.payably'-iurirerous had not been •-a^!^Je^tft^uedr* , -^•^^^*7- ,^: **r" - ~? " There h*asbeen a longVstrottg and warm con. troversy, touching .the *\ goings- On v> at our Vattxhal) Oardens.'^Tt Sai Seen stated through tha -newspapers that" ladles of easy virtae, and gentlemen without dc^rties'tie' ties, 'do "assemble 1 af tbis pliiee \)f im teve'ning, and carry on inja I manner 'Jijghly indecbrous.,and jLmmoi&l.~~J|n 1 fine, vauxhall Gardens has been an 'al fresco resort for Jhe worst characters of both i sexes. M^Farley tne proprietor ha^ repudiated j the charge, and I think successfallyt j that our Vau*hall is not wor*e t thani;the*Viuxhall of my. youth. - I^hopeXit is not so bad. il„ cannot see how an enterprising -capitalist who, lays out at an immense -expense-several-acres, of ground ori garden jfralks and 'parterres — and , ( who illuminates it on ■" I gala'*tnighls with/lamps and pyrotechnic displays, eaU be made answerable, for the conduct of hii 'male andj female visitors. But us Dunedinites are very strict in these, matters, that is what makes me wonder and ask myself why there is more prostitution in our' city' than (for its population) there . is in any city_ or r town in the_ neighboring, colonies. ""■•<. 7' * ,/"".'