ARRIVAL OF THE "LORD WORSLEY," WITH NEWS FROM OTAGO TO THE 4th SEPTEMBER. LATEST FROM THE GOLD FIELDS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1616, 10 September 1861, Page 5

ARRIVAL OF THE " LORD WORSLEY, " WITH NEWS FROM OTAGO TO THE 4th SEPTEMBER. LATEST FROM THE GOLD FIELDS.

ARRIVAL OF THE ESCORT WITH 7759 OUNCES.

(From the Otago Witness' Extra, Sept. 4.)

The escort arrived at Dunedin yesterday evening at about 5 o'clock, bringing 7759 ouuees of gold, haviug left Tuapeka on Monday at 6 a.m. The escort on the former occasion brought in 5056 ounces, and since then moie than 1000 ounces have been brought in by private hands. The news received from the diggings continues satisfactory ; all was peaceable and orderly. The weather bad improved. Four thousand persons are now on the field, and many are scattered in different localities, but Gabriel's Gully has still the largest amount of population. Deep sinking on the ranges above has been tried with success.

Wo have various statements regarding the rush to Beaumont River, but we refrain from giviug them publicity until we receive more authentic information of the result.

A rush lo some new locality has been made by a considerable number of dig;. gers, but the precise position of the new field we cannot learn.

The quantity of gold exported during the* month, was as follows : —

. OZS. DWTS. August 3, Lord Ashley, for Sydney 1,269 - J3 '. August 10, Omeo, for Melbourne 780 — August 31, Oscar, for Melbourne 5,827 —

7,876, 13 The official value of the above is 19s. lOd. Duty £981 lis. ; Bd.

Adding to the above the amount brought in by the escort yesterday evening shows a rough total of 15,635 ounces of gold produced, but this, is exclusive of the gold remaining in the banks since the last exportation and that held in private hands.

We take the following extracts from the Otago papers :—

Good reports continue to arrive from the diggings. One party got 5 lbs of gold in one day. The purchases, and what has been taken to the Banks during the week iii town have amounted to about 900 ozs. of gold.

The Osoar, from Melbourne, the Lyttelton, and two or three other small vessels from the provinces have brought altogether upwards of 300 diggers.. Some by the Oscar are experienced hands from Ballaarat, Bendigo, and other Australian gold fields. On the whole the arrivals ore spoken of very favourably, as being a respectable, intelligent, and apparently industrious body of men. We must exipect a rapidiincrease in the number; of arrivals, and probably in a few weeks, instead of counting the uew comers by hundreds, we shall have to count them by thousands, for though the Melbourne papers are doing what they can to prevent their population from coming over here, the confirmed success of the Tuapeka diggings will, as these papers admit, have the effect of inducing many to leave tha gold fields of Viotoria. ;

The roads from Dunedin continue had, but with the advanoe of spring they will rapidly improve, and it is to be hoped that Government will be able to do something towards making the roads passable in future. In tbe mean time, goods for the diggings are being taken by lighters to the of the Wai hoi a Lake, and thus the worst part of the road is avoided, and the transportation of provisions very much expedited. Some fears are entertained tbat there may be a soaroity of food ou the gold field, but tbe greatest danger of siioh.a mischance is now over, as several parties in town and others have established stores on the diggings, and are gradually getting theirjarran gem ents perfected for a regular and sufficient supply. The escort — rather a formidable party' — started from town in good order and condition on Wednesday last, after being examined and instructed by the newlyarrived Inspeotor of Pblioe ; they are expected back next Wednesday. A gentleman just in from the diggings reports that on Monday last, flour 'was selling at Is. 2d. perlb.; sugar, ls. 6d. perlb.; salt, ls. 3d. per lb. ; ship biscuit, Is. 9d. per lb". ; butchers meat, Is. to Is. 2d. per lb. Articles of clothing were seen lying along the road which overburdened diggers had thrown away to lighten their load. Numbers of persons were met with on their way to the gold fields, many of them without the necessary materials for work, and noue or very few of the requirements were for sale on the diggings.

The degree of success seems to be very varied, the average seems to be about £1 per day, some less, some more, a number are altogether unsuooessful.

Atthe present moment there are between three and four thousand persons on the field. The whole of this number cannot obtain olaims in Gabriel's gully — the gully first worked — aud they have of necessity spread over a large spaoe and into adjoining gullies. Hitherto we have heard no complaint of want of success being at all general, but as the population increases, whether the gold fields are as extensive as they are rich, will be speedily tested.

The result of a prospecting party is thus stated by a correspondent : — ,

" We sunk two holes close to where we had camped — not more than 100 yards distant— and at a depth of 18 inches or two feet gold was discernible; 13 in. deeper we reaohed the bottom, oonsisting of blue slate. We washed two tin dishes of this bottom stuff, which pro** duced 9 dwts. some grs. the exact number I cannot now say, but very little short of half an ounce. The" gold was larger and heavier than the generality of that found Gabriel's gully."

Others have been out prospecting, and are satisfied with their sucoess ; but as these persons have claims not yet worked out, and cannot by the working regulations hold claims in reserve, they naturally keep their experience to themselves, until they have an opportunity, or rather are under theneoessity of taking up new claims. If more gold is to be found, and in other places, we may rest assured that, with such considerable numbers of experienced miners in the country as have lately arrived, it will not long remain concealed. The diggers are reported as quiet and orderly — no further disputes arising than such as must exist on a gold field, and especially before any properly constituted authority existed to settle such disputes. It is muoh to tbe credit of the diggers that matters should have progressed so satisfactorily prior to the' arrival of' the commissioner, A. C, Strode, Esq., gold commissioner, .W. Parker, Esq., receiver, and Mr. IVPKay, assistant, were appointed on the 24th July, but arrangements could not be completed to enable them to^take the field before the 21st inst; and even then the difficulties of communication were