THE ZEEHUN SILVERFIELD.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXIV, Issue 6968, 14 July 1891, Page 1

THE ZEEHUN SILVERFIELD.

The Wellington Post lias beeu favoured with a copy of the following letter, receirfldby a weMnown resident in that city from his brother, who recontly left for tho Zeohan fields' Zeohau, 14th June, 1891. Dear ——, 1 left Hobart lust Tuesday by tho tug-boHt Banks Pemnsak; I left'Hobar{ at 12 30 p,m., and arrived in-Slrahan at 8.30 igu.Whfu quo lands in Hrahan ho is in tbo-Bogs of old Irox land, Tho harbourJb.a,very.good- .one, not much depth of. water crossing the bar, which is greatly agniuat larafe Bteain» ■ era coming to Stralmn. Strahau is goinij ahead very fast—ono hotel with 63 bedrooms, I paid Is ,6d for .menls and Is 6d for bed. Heft Strahan by train' at 6,30 n,m., payiug 4a for a trip 21 miles in open trucha and iu the rain, Wo arrived at 9 o'clock, and 1 paid 2s for a breakfast at a boardiughouso, I had a tramp of seven miles to Zeehan from whero 1 left the train, carrying a heavy swag over tho worst road out of , I saw no laud fit for farming from the timo I left Strahau till 1 arrived at Zeelinn, a tramp of three hyurs and three* quarters, from the time of leaving tho train. The couutry about hero is nothing but a swamp, 1 I would- rather have one aero in Now Zealand for farm*

ing.than ni ihousaud lidie,;. Zcehuu •is one long street, mid n scivof mud at present. -The'town is nmile long'/oiid atill extond'ing, but much scattered, It ( will bo a large towiy lot the Held go abend or not. If .thojf coujdionljr got the timber buildings:' would' bo going, up in all directions. The miners here have their doubts about this field turning out good. Anyhow, tlura may. be oneJn every hundreil., One .thing is certn'jn, the field' is bouud to go ahead for two or, throo years, as thijre is Ko much; money io be spent in it they me bound to keep it. up for a time. It i? not the field it is represented to\l)o>in : tho New '• Zealand papers. By what I hear from the ininf-rs, there will be some few: giJdd-minefl.- It is hard to'say bow it | •will turn out. Everyone is living in hopes. Anyhow, tho pubs and store;! keepers nro,-doiiig: well. ,One hotel Bomo time, ngo .eold, JB3OOO worth of grog in o week.' '1 here are no less than 40 moms in each hotel, Tbonnmber of hotels is seven, nnd as many more are gi.injj up. I could get ono'section on the nnin street for .6200-not much money when you say it quickly ?. Tho, sum of £20 a foot has been refused ju places, 1 urn.one of the putty cleariug tho atrfot of Zeohan. Most .of the work is Governmcui- eight houis a day.for 9s, In the mines' wages pro lOs'a day, .a ( nd tho o working in water get lla a day for six hours' work. 1 would not advise anyone to come hero to better himself by working for wngesi Eyft.ry othor m:m hero is from New. Zealand, anil most of them want to get back.' Still, they may all make a pile here. ,'Some have made a few thousand pounds, and eome have lost money.' ,1 came 100 soon and I came too late,, Men driving,teams from Trial Harbour to getting from £4 10s to Xo a week;, wagee. It is£s a ton-from Trial'Harbour,'and they are going to rise it £2 10s a ton, which will make it £7 10s a ton,,' Oats are 22a.6d a bag, chaff 14b a bag.j Am paying 22s' Cd a week'for" tucker," and giving a Storekeeper Is 6d for bed, nnd that in a calico house; one cannot get a bed in a hotel, .One living in .his own hut can "tucker , 'himself for 153 a week, I may be driving, a horse and cart for' n, man next week, for which I will get £1 10a' a week' and found. I may not be at that long, aa I will-, try to get into the mines. The Silver Queen is' a good mine, There is a solid reef, Bft.thick,'and scrip is quoted at £7 10a, ■ .which will go up when more machinery is put" on the ground, It is not what you call rain here j it is like Scotch mist, but a little worse, what I have seen of it. The last seven' days have been fine. Tell —-to etay in the police. Here the police get 5s a day. No country like .New Zealand,"