Untitled

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1696, 24 December 1861, Page 4

»i^»bnwia>>raW < wsniHi^)»f»*virayi*i*f»^iwK.iTip>iij,.,i,^,'^ yTtASmSSS*?. Tho above tables show' a total balance In favo: of Ofcago of 18,944 males. 859 females and 651 •Ohildren is an aggregate increase to the popu. lation 'of 14,454 souls, -which may be thug divided: —

i ';fl • • ' ______ ? - - - WAITAHUNA. 77- [From the Correspondent " Daily Times'."] ; This place is now gradually settling down, $nd : assuming that steady appearance that, all new diggings do after the grand rush has subsided. Now and again there is a little excitement in consequence of reports of rushes to >tbis gully and that gully, most qf which unfortunately turn out " duffers." There is a class of rpen among the miners more like Arabs in. tbeir migratory propensities than Englishmen r-ralways tramping about, seeking for gold, yet never satisfied when tbey have found it ; always actuated by a restless desire to change their camp. They are the worst enemies the miner has, for the simple reason they allure bim from! the payable Gold Field to one that usually: turns put a mere myth, always telling of glorious, finds of gold that have n0 : existence, save in "tbeir diseased imagination. Such .are the men whbh'ave returned from the Blue' Mountain rush, and are now paying the penalty of their rashness; these men were the first to leave their claims on the Waitahuna, because they were not getting gold in bucketsful. Now, although this place is progressing steadily, yet still these Brabs have done the place a deal of harm, | because they not only carried themselves and Wags away, but other and steadier men away With them. However the place is slowly reoeiving^.back some portion of its population and "wb'en 7 that great desideratum— an alteration in tbe present mining laws — is effected, I have no doubt the place will be a flourishing one. A great- deal of work is still going on at the lower end of the flat, and a great deal of gold; is obtained therefrom, more than people imagine, in fact our last week's escort is a sufficient proof tbat tbe miners (now numbering, to the best of my judgment, about 2000) are still doing very well. A great deal of sinking is goiug on on the side's of the flat in the hills, but the great scarcity of timber for driving purposes is very severely. felt. There, is an immense deal of ground that would pay first-rate but for tbis great drawback. There is plenty five or six miles away, but tbe charge for carting a load -would frighten Baring Brothers. I kudw one party, Broadfoot and mates, who rafted some down the river (the Waitahuna), bufthe labor tvaV immense, the river being so shallow in many places as to render it necessary to lift the raft over. '.Through the active" eyertions of several gentlemen, among whom I. must mention Mr. M'Eldon, the secretary, we are about to hare a C tholic Chapel erected, and tenders are out fo.- the same ; and by the way, although of a different religion, I cannot help noticing that the. Catholics always take the initiative. ,. and are the constant and sturdy pioneers of religion in all quarters of the world. However, the money for this one has been gathered by subscripion among the diggers, and I am certain that all sects , and classes have pretty evenly subscribed towards the fund. I believe it is intended to have a sort of lecture and reading room held in the building on week days, Wetherstone> Gully is still maintaining its prestige, and from, a flying visit J paid there the other day I judge that it will be the grand centre of attraction the whole of the summer. Tbere is a vast number of tents, stores and public-bouses, amongst which latter I notice another very large place erected by the spirited proprietors ofthe Golden Age Hotel There are some fabulously rich claims there, and from what I heard £1000 and £1500 a man did not ae'emio be the exception. z There was a meeting held at M'Queen's Miners' Arms, Waitahuna, on Saturday evening, for ihs purpose of forming a Prospecting Association, fnll particulars of which I will give you in my next. '______

' ■ ' : '■ Males Females Children ** Balance against the Colony of Victoria 9226 229 160 Tasmania MO 43 22 New South Wales 095 .14 , 14 Ports in New Zealand 1797 143 31 Great Britain ... - : 6G6 430 ,418 Total 12,944 859 " 051