OFF TO THE DIGGINGS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1608, 13 August 1861, Page 5

OFF TO THE DIGGINGS.

■ Dame Partington might just as well expect to find her endeavours to sweep I tne v ocean from her door successful, as for* editors to suppose that any efforts of the Press will be able to stem the current that has set southward. For our own part we believe that any such- attempt would be as unwise as it would certainly be ineffectual. But while we believe it to be unwise to discourage our settlers from seeking to participate in the search for gold, we think it would 1 bc'c^iniinal to encourage indiscriminately", or to fail to place before particular classes such warnings as may from time to tike reach us. ;

It must he evident that, under the most favourable circumstances, the .departure from their wives and children of large numbers of heads of families, will he productive of much distress; The promised remittances will, in not a few cases, fail to arrive ; and it may be regarded as certain that appeals to the charitable will he of frequent occurence. If this is sure to be the case under the most favourable circumstances, how much more so will it be if all considerations pf prudence are disregarded, and those, whose health and strength, totally unfit them to endure the hardships which must necessarily be encountered for the present, should against all advice proceed before the winter. is over. The Otago Witness of the 27th July has an article, for which we ask a candid reading. It holds out hopeful prospects to the hardy and strong ; but it gives truthful words of warning to all others. Many of those who, by rushing into the rigours of an Otago winter will woo sickness, may, if they do but wait till spring arrives, become successful diggers. There are some men who are suspicious •of all such advice ; who will probably go at all hazards, let the winter be ever so trying. These we do not expect to convince; but others, who are open to reason, we feel sure will think carefully before determining to act. Let those who can rough it,' as the diggers have now to rough it; go, and may good luck accompany them ; but let those who are unfitted for roughing it as th© diggers have now to rough it, quietly wait till the winter is over and gone, and then we may reasonably hope that their prudence will turn to their advantage — that they will be able to work throughout the many months of spring, summer, and autumn.

[From the "Otago Witness," July 27.]

The chief topic of conversation with us is still our Gold Fields. The fate of the Stafford Ministry — the probable success of Mr. Pox in the formation of ft Ministry — the Maori War — the news from Europe and Amerioft — are all matters of comparative insignificance to the public of Otago. The latest news from tho Diggings is what is enquired for, and indeed it is not at all surprising that it should be so, for should the yield of Gold continue in proportion to that which has been already obtained, the effect upon the rapid development of the resources of the Province will be 6uch as the most sanguine, nay the most visionary of our early settlers, never dreamed. As we anticipated, a few I stragglers have returned disappointed, having failed lii" 'securing the share of the precious metal they hoped to obtain. Yet from one and all, disapS anted or. successful, the tale is tho same: "The iggings are a great fact." We learn from one whose judgment we can rely upon, that stating the fact roughly, one-third of the diggers are making a fortune, another third are eaining good wages, and that the balance nredoingno good. This 'arises from a variety of causes, the chief one being that a number of persons have gone to the Diggings without tools, shelter, or capital to maintain themselves for the necessary length of time to really try their fortune, so that if not successful •at theoutset tbey mußt retire. And even if successful, they cannot obtain upon the field tools and accommodation. There are several good stores, •find provisions can be obtained at a considerable .advance in price. We are assured by persons of in such matters that it requires a capi'{al of about .£36 per man to start digging with a fair prospect of succesß. This sum will provide tools, shelter, and- provisions for Bis weeks or two months. Those who start with less will, if not

immediately fortunate, find themselves under the necessity of working for wages, which tve understand are at the rate of £1 per diem. The searching for Gold, especially in our winter, ia a hard, life. Provisions are highland expenses of all kinds reduce what appears very high wages, to an ex. tent which leaves but little margin for profit, so that labouring for wages on a Gold Field has by no means the attraction which a permanent situation at much lower rates presents. The whole charm of digging is the hope of a fortune — gambling we may call it — and we should think it must be almost with a feeling of disgust that a man working for another sees his labour extremely successful. So eager are some who have gone to Tuapeka to secure the Gold, that they over- work themselves, are heedless of comfort and careless of necessary precautions to preserve health, many have fallen eiclc, nnd have defeated their objects by their own greed. Others again are, from previous habits or weak ness of constitution, totally unfit to encounter the hardships or sustain the labours inseparable from that kind of employment : they might have succeeded at a more advanced season of the year, but so eager does everyone appear that one would suppose the whole of the Gold would be gone in a week. This, no doubt, to some extent aroso from the extraordinary facility with which the Gold was obtained, — the first parties having come upon the glittering dust at three feet below the surface; even now, with back claims taken up, J 2 feet is ' considered deep sinking, and we have not heard of any going deeper. However, whether the haste tojjbe on the field was wise or not we can only say that, to neglect the necessary precautions to maintain health, is the extreme of folly. Sicknessto a labouring man in gold digging times and with digging prices, is little short of ruin, both of prosent means and future prospects. ■ . .