NOTES BY A MINING REPORTER.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1692, 17 January 1862, Page 5

NOTES BY A MINING REPORTER.

(From the Otago Daily Times.) Tokomairiro, New Year's Eve, 186 J. The old year is in the last stage of dissolution, but it differs in many respects from its progenitors, so far as the Province of Otago is concerned. The Eve of the departed year beheld a sparsely populated colony whose intercourse with the world of progress and civilization, was very limited. A. few of the hardy sons of " Caledonia, stern and wild," have founded homes for themselves in a couutry whose physical aspect resembles the contour of their own rugged and antienl territory. The sparkling stream leaped down the mountain-side, as brightly flashing in its rapid course as though it furrowed the rocky bastions of their own eternal hills, While, gleamed

with as pure a lustre the immaculate head dress of the " Southern Alps," as ever draped "Ben Nevis or Ben Lomond." They brought with them primitive customs, and recked not how, for they were left behind on the onward march of time, and doubtlessly, like " Rip Van Winkle," they would still have dozed on, dreainiug of the immutability of the outside world, had not the Gold, Eureka, aroused them from their dormancy. j

Behold now on what a new and totally changed condition of things the early hour of 1862 awaken. " Dunedin growing as necromantically under the influence of " mammon" as the palatial structure of the famed " Alladin" of oriental celebrity, — its port crowded with argocies, - — its wharves teeming with the varied products of all lands, — its streets thronged with busy thousands, and in all places every indication of thriving industry. What a glorious change from the Old Year to the New ! Steam hourly utilitizing the resources of the colony, and lessening the distance between it and the civilization of the surrounding Australias. Gold, in hundreds of thousands of pounds sterling circulating and accumulating amongst its merchants and industrial population. Who, it may be asked, initiated and sustain this grand and beneficial alteration ? I answer, the energetic miners of Victoria. Shall no encouragement then Be held out to these persevering men who have elevated Otago into the position of a Colony, of no insignificant dimensions, and who are daily adding to its wealth and developing its resources ? Could not some better and more equitable system of mining laws than those now in force : some Land law which would enable the digger to look forward to a comfortable homestead, the possession of which would give permanency to his occupancy, by inducing him to combine agricultural with mining pursuits, be devised ? I think so, and unless the Government is prepared with measures such as would be calculated to make him take up his abode in this place, the year 1863 may, possibly, dawn, upon no brighter prospects for the Province than were seen in the first mutual gleam ol the departing year. However let us hope for better things, and let the wish of a. Happy New Yeur to you and your numerous readers, be verified by the material prosperity which should be auxiliary to wise and progressive legislation. There is very little news in the way of mining matters to" report; the inclement nature of the weather and Christmas festivals hare in a great measure prevented work along the river. Numerous arrivals are setting to work daily. The adjacent gullies are being vigorously prospected, and though I am not in a position to state exact yielfls, owing to the reticence of parties, still f. can venture to affirm that in nointance have unfavourable prospects been obtained, that is to the extent of a certain wage of £4 per week aud upwards. One party on the river, a week or two ago washed 46 ounces out of a paddock about 10 feet square. This is not so bad for Tokomairiro, and when the various efforts made for permament settlement in this neighbourhood are taken into consideration, its prospects appear to be of a not very uninviting nature. Some thirty men are now engaged cutting a race about 2 miles in length to bring water for sluicing purposes from a high source ; these facts speak for themselves. A man working in the river bank bad a very narrow escape from being buried alive yesterday. The bank— -a perpendicular one, under which be was working — slipped, and although he made smart haste to save himself, he nevertheless was covered up tohia middle with the falling ground ; fortunately he escaped with a slight bruise, but it behoves men to be very cautious whilst working among such treacherous soil as is here ; it might with ordinary care be worked with safety, but more accidents result from recklessness of disposition than from even the perilous sand bank, and it is written, " that those who love the danger shall perish therein." The roads, I regret to say, are in a fearful condition, and I dread very much that uuless they are put into better case before the winter we shall have to pay famine prices for articles of necessary consumption, food, &d.

I have heard it rumoured that his Honor the Superintendent and the Provincial Secretary are about visiting this neighbourhood en route to the gold fields. I hope they intend making some enquiry into our wants j they are numerous, and unless they will concede something to the urgency of our case we shall be in a bad fix; Post Office, good roads, mote liberal mining legislation, and a legion of other things we need instanler.

I hear a brewery is about being established on one of the wooded glens leading into the vale of "Glen Ora." I opine if j such be the case that it will be found a lucrative spec, as nearly all the people round about seem to like their beer; and, by the way, the name oi' " Glen Ora " reminds me that the cognomen of the " Woolshed " is by no means in accordanc© with decent nomenclature. Maori or some appropriate names should be given to places, and we ought not to adopt the ridiculous and unmeaning style of appellation that disgraces the mining typography of Victoria ; such as " The Pot,,' " Dead Horse," " Laughing Jack--098," and other stupid cognomens.