OTAGO.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1760, 30 August 1862, Page 3

OTAGO.

(From the Otago Daily Times.) A most ingenious innovator upon modern «us,toms has been bold enough to introduce into. Dunedin the manufacture of wooden ulogs for gentlemen, and pattens for the ladies ; both of which went out of use about the time lhat Jucifer matches, omnibusses, and steel pens first made their appearance. The clogs are made with stout wooden soles about an inch and a half thick, toed and heeled with leather. These are really very serviceable to slip on over the boots, and defy the mud. To gentleman having to pass through the fearful thoroughfares which intervene betweeu their homes and places of business the re^iairo* duction of the old-fashiQned clog must be con*

sidered a great boon They appear clumsy and i rather outre, but the comfort of dry feet and j polished uppers is something more than a set-off i against so inconsiderable a drawback. Whether i the ladies are likely to adopt pattens as generally i as it is probable the rougher sex will do clogs, is uncertain. A sensible letter appears in another column and we cannot too urgently direct attention to itMiners who are travelling without provisions, ■ ! must expect to be subjected to fearful sufferings. 'At this time of the year the stations are almost i destitute of provisions We have seen one Tun ! holder who hai travelled 10 town to try and gel ' some provisions, wiio tells us he has only one ! bag cf flour on his station, and that he met en '• route to his ruu 1000 people. The nature of the ( roads will prevent any quantity of supplies reach- ' ing the diggings for some time to come, and the ' diggers may anticipate a greater scarcity the fuithev they penetrate. Then again numbers may have a difficulty in fiudingthe road unaided, and in short those who have not followed the first ' headlong 1 rush, would do well to pause a few days for further particulars. The locality will be more defined, and there will be less danger to speak ' in plain terms, of starvation. To oiir readers in Victoria, we would say do not be in too much hurry to throw up remunerative occupations for the purpose of rushing hither to tnke part in the profits of the new diggings. There will be plenty of time to reach them quietly and if the extent of the auriferous country is anything like what it is represented, there will !»e room enough for all. But it is surer to woit for more exact information, foj it cannot be too often stated that up to the present time although the excitement is so great here the only thing positively certain is that eightyseven pound weight of gold have been got by two men, by washing the bars of rhe river. It is quite probable that many of those who aie new going up may be sadly disappointed, for it is by no means certain that those who now go up, will be able to work to as great advantage as the prospectors. As the weather gets warmer and the snow melts on the mountains, the river will rise, and there is no knowing but what the richest bars may be covered by the water, and become unworkable. We therefore say again, that caution is advisable. Those whoare already on their way will be quite enough to test the ground, and the result of their labors will very soon become known. We so lately published a full report of the statement of the prospectors, and of the negociatioas for the reward, that it may hardly seem necessary for us in this place to go over all the same ground again, but as it is probable that the present article will fall into the hands of many people in Australia who have not had the opportunity of reading the first account, we will briefly recapitulate the events in their order. The first news received was on the 15th inst. when it transpired that two men had deposited at the Treasury a bag of gold weighing eightyseven pounds. It was not known, for certain, from what quarter this splendid parcel had been obtained, but it was supposed that it was from the neighbourhood of Mount Watkins near Waikouaiti, indeed some people went to the length of saying that they knew it for a fact. Curiosity and excitement was at the highest pitch. Meanwhile the owners preserved their secret, but placed themselves in communication with the Government, and after a brief negociation consented to divulge the secret on certain conditions of reward, viz., that in case the new , field should be found to yield 16,000 oz. of gold within three months, they should be entitled to £2000 reward, which would be the amount of the duty, reckoned at 2s. 6d. per ounce. We learn that the road via the West Taieri is the most difficult between Campbell Thompson's and Valpy's station, a distance of about 35 miles, without any stopping place, and a very desolate country. Persons unacquainted with the track, would, in the event of a snowstorm, run the risk of being lost and perishing on the road. Beyond Valpy's we are told the road is not very difficult. The distance from Dunedin to the new diggings may be estimated at about 110 miles, viz ; — Dunedin to West Taieri 16 miles, West Taieri to Healey's 10 miles, Healey's to Thorapson.s 13 miles, Thompson's to Valpy's 35 miles, Valpy's to Murison's 5 miles — at this point, the drayroad to Manuherikia Valley is struck — following which to Newton's station 14 miles, from Newton's to Lowe's 12 miles, from Lowe's to the Upper Molyneaux River, about 6 miles, above this poiut the diggings commence. The publication of these particulars if possible, caused greater excitement than the previous nncertainty, and numbers ofpeopleatoncesetoff at with what equipment they could get together, determined to be the first on the field. Others were more prudent, waited a day or so to get properly fitted out. Society seemed to bs suddenly disorganised On every sidemen talked o leaving their regular employments, try their luck and very many did so, while others were only induced to stay by a sense of duty to their em ployers, or by the promise of higher wages. The prices of most articles of consumption took a sudden rise ; bread, for instance, from eightpence to a shilling. Horses which a few days before were dull of sale, came suddenly into demand, and fetched high prices. The demand for goods of almost all kinds became brisk, and the competition for cartage became so great that £150, and even £180 a ton was offered for the conveyance of stores. This excitement still continues with but little abatement, although, three days have now elapsed since first the news of the locality was promulgated. Since this discovery was made known, it has transpired that a Government prospecting party at work on the same river, but lower down, have found sufficient to induce them to apply for a claim for themselves, although from fear of causing 1 a premature rush, they abstained from making any report of having found gold. The following is the report of the Dunedin .Hospital for the week ending Friday, August 22nd. Total number of patients in hospital, 116. Received during the week, 0; and discharged during the same period 14. The general state of the hospital is reported satisfactory, there being few severe cases of any kind. The man, Andrew Thomson, who wa3 described as having his leg broken, has only received a bruise of the ankle, and is doing well. No severe case of accident has been admitted during the week. The gold mania is greatly conducing to the recovery of many of the patients. The following was the state of H. M. Gaol, Dunedin, on Friday the 22nd iustant. Await ing trial before Supreme Court, 8 males and one female ; and before the Resident Magistrates Court, 1 male. 43 males ami 7 females were imprisoned with hard labour; and 2 males and 3 females, undergoing a short term of imprisonment; 1 male was imprisoned for default of bail ; 1 1 males were imprisoned for debt ; and 6 males confined as lunatics. Total number in gaol on Friday evening, 93, being 72 males and 11 females. 5 male aud 4 female prisipuer were discharged during the week. The rush to^lhe new diggings has had the .effect of raising. the workmen's wages, in almbst every department of industry. At a meeting of

upwards of seventy carpenters, held last night at the Otago Hotel, it was resolved that the rate of wages after the 23rd instant, should be 20s. per day. An advertisement to that effect appears in our issue of to-day.