The Dunstan Times FRIDAY, 21st June, 1867.

Dunstan Times, Issue 269, 21 June 1867, Page 2

The Dunstan Times

FRIDAY, 21st June, 1867.

Beneath the rule of men uviikkly just, tit pkn is MioHTiEK than the swokb!"

Notwithstasdi \G the protracted drought the amount of gold token down by the Escort on Monday last, is highly satisfactory wild uninistakeably exemplilies the pleasing fact, that the auriferous re.sourc< s of the district are so varied, that notwithstanding there may be a fulling off in one place, there is a corresponding increase in another. Since the first rush to the Dunstan, the river beach workings were never more prosperous, and when taking the small population into account, the yield of gold at the present time, must be far more in proportion per head, to the number of men employed in its extraction, than was the case in the palmiest days, or what is designated as such. The amount of gold now being obtained from the Molyncux and Kawarau Rivers cannot be computed at less than one thousand ounces per week, and this, among not more lhan one thousand miners, shows the average of earnings of the Otago gold seeker to be very high, and far above what is obtainable in any other gold producing country in the world : this fact is amply borne out by the rates of wages being paid by claimholders, who are often-times put to great inconvenience am? loss, for want of workmen, and who frequently cannot hire n man for love or mo' ey, notwithstanding he ma} - offW" the orthodox four pount's per wc'eV, to very indifcrcnt -labourers. Machinery is of course coming largely into use, and the plant of a sluicing claim in numbers of instances, is valued :it, hundreds of pounds ) 'and the mosi sati f.ictcry results can, by the improved means in use be obtained from ground, which, two years ago, wou'd have been'deemed scarf c ly sufficient to he remunerative for Chira men ; nothing can be move elaborate than the appliances used by the hirgo sluicing companies on the Mohncux in the neigh kmrhood of Alexandra, the various aids to manual labor sire of the most ingenious description, everywhere applicable, water is used as a motive power, and the busi

ness of the miner, instead of being -as for. merly on« of severe bodily toil, is merely that of a directing agent The season for river beach workings, could not be niore favorable, the Molyneux being as low as it was ever known to be and judging from appearances, is likely to be still lower.; no better opportunity than the present, ever presented itself to the miner of large or small means, he cap, with an almost certainty ©f profit, invest either his capital, or its equivalent, labor, in the banks of the modern Pactolus.