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good gold-saving apparatus, would go about a pennyweight to a ten-acre paddock. Now, why do Government officials make these erroneous statements ? The gold, land, timber, &c, would be a dear bargain at half-a-crown an acre. But I must return to my own affairs. When I arrived at the Bay, I went to work for a few days ; then I went digging—it did not pay. Then I went prospecting this delightful country at my own expense and loss of time, until I had not a red cent left. I then, at the expiration of ten months, returned to the settlement with health and strength impaired through tho hardships and hunger I had undergone, and not the means of living. I applied to the Resident Agent for my tenacre allotment, and work and tucker, explaining at the same time that I would honestly work aud honorably pay for the same, and I was absolutely refused by the Resident Agent, who insinuated that a digger was not a settler, and had no business here whatever, and that I could go back where I came from and dig again. What a nice prospect —to tramp to Hokitika, in a starving state, and not a cent to pay the ferrymen ! Why, they would eat me. After spending nearly £60 sterling, and losing ten months' time. Well, after some discussion, I was allowed a little tucker, 25 lb. of flour being one item, which was all the flour I had from the Government store for nearly seven weeks. I did some odd jobs for the settlers for some tucker, because I was refused Government work for a whole month. I was then bullied because I had not been at work. I then went to heavy navvy-work, living on soda and acid damper, without any meat for some time. I then sent for a stock of tucker, and I was refused. The ganger I worked under can prove, if he speaks the truth, how I did my work, and whether I am a man or a mouse. I can do a fair day's work with any average man in these colonies. After a time I got tucker. I worked about seventeen days. I then left it. Having no book at the time, I thought I had a few shillings to receive, but lam in debt something through the high price of provisions. I have left the work in disgust, and I am trying to get a little gold on the tucker I have earned, and then, in the event of failure, there is an insolvent track. If I had been heavy in debt like many that I hear of here —but I cannot say —I should have had the preference of work and contracts at a good price to clear the debts. There is favouritism here. Half-time is the agreement with the Government. Some men are always at work ; others are not. The settlers that I have come in contact with are men of the right sort. I have no doubt some like tho place, and would stop here with proper management. They one and all behave well to mo, and I wish them every success. I should advise any working-man that comes here in the future never to admit that he is a digger. The only reason that I can assign for this aversion to these animals called diggers is this—that should payable gold be struck here, and a rush take place, that moment those receiving Government salaries here lose their situation and pay, and private individuals will open stores, and other vessels carry the cargo and receive the freights. The way that I have been treated here is out of some motives of private revenge, which I care nothing about, for I am innocent of ever having done him an injury. You will understand the man sells slop clothes and vitriol, otherwise called whisky. He has only received ss. from me. I have heard of a respectable married woman being refused a drop of brandy when she was in a bad state. Now, Mr. Editor, I have spoken the truth, and nothing but the truth. Should a competent person be sent down here to make a searching investigation, the writer of this will be forthcoming, both name and man, for an interview with him, for I do not swallow my own words. I have, &c, The Editor of the Evening Star, Hokitika. A Digger. Sir,— ' Jackson's Bay, 9th March, 1876. Permit me through the medium of your valuable columns to refer to the conditions under which we became settlers of Jackson's Bay. The pamphlet published by authority of the Government stated that provisions would be supplied to us at cost price. Now, our interpretation of the words " cost price " was, that provisions would be sold at the actual cost price, with freight added. When we arrived at the Bay the price of colonial flour, in Adelaide bags, was £21 per ton ; while real Adelaide flour could be bought at Hokitika, retail, at 17s. per 1001b. This, being the chief item of food, will give an idea of the price of articles iv general. No one would have attempted to come to settle and work at Jackson's Bay for one shilling an hour had they known that all their earnings would be required to keep them in the rough necessaries of life. Had we been allowed to continue to work on the road till the fifty-acre sections' were open for selection, we should have been in a position to make improvements on these large blocks of laud which would benefit us and the country in general. But, instead of this, we were compelled by the Resident Agent to build huts and cultivate the ten-acre sections. Now, the result of this unlawful act of the Resident Agent in compelling us to clear and cultivate part of the ten acres is, that we have wasted twelve months' labour ou useless land, and have been driven into debt to the amount of from £20 to £60 each, and are now deprived of the means of taking possession of the fifty-acre sections. .It seems to have been so arranged that we should not receive any money for work done, but be compelled to remain iv debt, so that we should not be able to get cheap provisions from the s.s. " Maori " which calls at this place monthly. It is well known, that Hokitika goods have been palmed off on the settlement at a higher price than could be realized in any gold-fields market throughout the colony. Those that dared to insinuate that provisions and clothes were sold at an extortionate price were not allowed to earn much money ; while, on the other hand, those that said the least about the Yankeegrab business were allowed to earn a large sum of money in a short time, by contract work, without being tendered for, to clear the debt. Any settlers that intended to look for gold iv the vicinity of the Bay were told that they could not be recognized as bond fide settlers, and were accordingly kept in a state of oppression by the Resident Agent and all others in authority in this place. The only way we can account for such conduct is that a discovery of a gold field near Jackson's Bay would introduce other storekeepers, and affect the present trade. I have, &c, The Editor of the Evening Star, Hokitika. Another Settler from Jackson's Bat. Sir,— Jackson's Bay, Bth April, 1876. In looking over the columns of the West Coast Times, I and a good many more were greatly astonished at tho Resident Agent's report on the price of provisions here. There must be some gross mistake somewhere, as the prices given by the Resident Agent do not at all agree with the prices given