THE WEST TAIERI.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 12, 4 December 1863, Page 3

THE WEST TAIERI.

(From the Correspondent of the Telegraph.) Hindon Township, Nov. 29th. Since Tuesday last we have had remarkably fine weather, and under the genial influence of "Sol" the streets, which for the last three weeks have been a terror to pedestrian^ are now sufficiently solidified to enable r£rj>-* s to traverse them, without fear of being either bedaubed with mud, or from an accidental slip suffocated in a river of mud porridge ; but notwithstanding this favorable change in the weather, the commercial atmosphere is more cloudy and gloomy than over, and I am sure I am correct in stating, that yesterday was the dullest day experienced by business men since the outbreak of this gold field. Many of them are regularly •• down on their luck/ others who have jnst got material on the ground with a view ef enlarging their original buildings, are completely staggered, and know noi. ■ whether to pulldown or eiect. Still there | are some who appear to have confidence in ' the "place, and continue to erect larger and more substantial buildings than have hitherto been erected ; but upon the whole, the place has more the appea- ance of a population of storekeepers living upon each other by an exchang • of commodities than a healthy thriving golclrield township. And -if the continues as it has done this last ~week, Ilindon with all its hidden treasures will be left to the storekeepers, the wandering tribe of Israel, and that very numerous and interesting family which Captain ; Cook with great wisdom and forethought placed upon the island, no doubt thinking they were the fittest inhabitants for the place, —of course I mean the wild pigs. In my last I stated there was a report of a large nugget having been found at Lee's Stream. Since then I have visited the locality, but was not fortunate enough either to find the man who found the nugget, or any person that had seen one or the other, therefore. I am compelled to place it down as one q( those " canards " for which this place is getting deservedly famous. "We have had two rushes this week, one about three miles from here, on the dray track towards Dunedin, and the other about fifteen miles distant, and situate upon M'Gregor's run. tl have (hem both. The firstmentioned was of very short duration, not existing more than twenty four hours, at the end of which period an unaniinous'verdict pronounced it an unmitigated " duffer." The more distant one met with almost asuntimely an end, but as there are several other gullies In the neighborhood, all of which I visited, I will now describe as accurate!vas I can tlie information I detained concerning them during my journey, and may commence b}' stating that after a travel of about four miles from ilindon, in a north-easterly direction, over a country not particularly felicitous for the level nature of its land, I found myself at acrossing-plttce cf the Taieri, where two boatmen were plying their avoca--tion in right down good earnest. 1 learned that about 300 miners had crossed the day previous, together with about fifteen pnekhorses ; and that about a hundred more had gone on some hours before my arrival. This information determined your correspondent to ■haveoecular demonstration- of what was doing at the rush : he therefore regaled the inward man with a little stimulant, crossed over to the Three o' Clock Creek, and ascended a very steep and precipitous mountain, being in danger at almost every step of breaking his iegs, or perchance his neck. About two miles from the summit of 'the rise, I came upon what is called Tucker Gully ; a great Clumber tff holes 'had been sunk here, but with little or no success, anfi'thc diggers had moved further on, with the exception of some six op s^even. who intended taking their de--2«is ' ' .t forthwith. Soine two miles further on.TfVas pointed out Duffer Gully ; a great amount of labor had been expended in this place, but, as its name denotes, -without the sHg))tesfc recompense. After another travel of abiut throe miles, Pennyweight Gully opens upon you in all its glory. This is certainly a very likely looking spot, but some fifty or sixty holes had been sunk, and strange to say, only one pennyweight was obtained from the whole. This gully is now deserted, and I 'fear there is not much djvliance of its being again tried. Another [mile and I was at " JBlind man's Gully," a .'few parties were at work here, but doing '■ nothing o£ any consequence. A large fire ; ; ; «-as raging near this place, the scrub having \ \l been fired either accidentally or intentionally' t by some of the many disappointed miners. ■? After a stretch of about three miles, 1 found f myself at the end of my journey, upon what |is known as the Fifteen Mile Rush. It is I? situated in a Gully about three miles in \. length, and about six mies from the BlueT skin road, by whiHi route provisions could . easily fee brought to the place. There would '/be a fine scope tor a large body o£ miners at :tliis place 1 , if there was anything encouraging . "found; but I regn tto state that such un- ; ; fortunately is not the case. The prospectors i obtained a few pennyweights, but after that ; could not g^t the color, and they have since I abandoned the claim. A great number of ;? holes has been bottomed, all with the same (result ; and the miners are again on the ■aiove, scarcely knowing which direction to h steer, but very few TCtußh to "Hindon. They r ire scattering out in adl directions; but from ;>lnit I can learn, the majority are making awards Moeraki, ?o that a decided rusli is jjjkely to set in 'lor that place, where, it is to VDe hoped, some of them will meet with S mccess; for anyone climbing tliese ranges ky after day in quest of the precious metal, s certainly deserving of something handsome. : S I have since visited Blackmail's Sailor's, pichol's, Fraser's, and Mullocky Gullies, and |": md that the population in the whole of them | sas materially diminished.; and the few that I emain do not appear to work with that i nergy that was displayed on my former visit. i believe that one party has applied for proection for a race in Blackman's Gully, and hat they intend carrying on extensive operaiions during the next few months. I was I Iso told that Moses Lee and party had obained a 'very good prospect from a paddock ; 1 unk on one of the spurs of this gully. The ■' | epth of sinking is twenty two feet, through I r hat they censider a false bottom. This is I ucouraging, and .may yet be the means of '■ aiproviug the prospects of the storekeepers. ! In the chape of amusements, the Buckingam family are drawing good houses at the 'rince of Wales, and the proprietor continues ) improve and enlarge this theatre, which is o\v 80ft x 40 ft. of corrugated iron ; and if >Ir Davies meets with the encouragement he i deserving of, it is his intention to secure or this place some of the best talent that is n be obtained in Dunedin. f Mr Josephs, late auctioneer in Jetty-street, 'mmenced business yesterday by selling off ta entire stock of two storekeepers, who are bout to leave the place. lam under the IVressioa that unless matters take a decided lange for the better, this Knight of the 'ammer will have more sales than puilasers. The storekeepers and hotelkeepers do not ■D§ I- K(!Cllp interest I expected in the testing 'v" ►• spurs, and the quaitz reefs of the iace. I have spoken to a great many upon fe subject, but they all appear disheartened, r fancy they have already spent too much oney. However, the proprietors of the 'ovincial Hotel told me they would on Mon- ! J" canvass the whole township for subscripts, with a view of testing the feelings of * community upon the matter. It is to be 'ped their eSorts may be crowned with 'tcess.