THE LAKES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 385, 3 September 1869, Page 2

THE LAKES.

(from our owx correspondent.) Queenstown, August 31. The close of last week brought us two rather remarkable events, which set everybody a talking. The first was your leading article on the subject of the Mayor’s remarks, respecting the Clyde and Cromwell controversy,anent the Supreme Court and gaol business. Rightly or wrongly, a little sarcasm always goes down with a relish, and as people always love small talk, and what is more, to talk about their neighbors, also to hear what other people have to say upon the same topic, I may tell you with some truth that everybody read the Danstan Times Oh Friday and Saturday last. The secoirl piece of excitement was Captain G. C. Budd’s lecture on Saturday evening, at the Town Hall, alio lecture was si s >rt of uarative of his (Captain Budd’s) adventures among the Maoris, during his involuntary residence among a tribe of these dark-skinned worthies, also his miraculous escape from captivity, followed by some affecting incidents connected with the late wreck of the General Grant. Captain Budd, it appears, was for some time a resident here during the early days of the diggings, and gained considerable notoriety as an eccentric individual, and his lecture on Saturday last fully bore out that opinion. However, it was highly interesting, and besides, created considerable amusement The old sea Captain—for a real live Captain he is—spun some capital ! yarns, some of course were probable, and some improbable, but not having been held in cap iffty by the Maoris Ic, not dr iw the line. My opinion is—ami a number of persons quite coincide with me—that this most ancient of mariners ought to consid- r himself , a lucky individual, in that the Maoris did not make him the subject of a grand public banquet, at which the most renowned chiefs of the Cannibal islands had been invited. Should the worthy Captain pay you a visit to Clyde, you can take my word for it, you will be highly amused. I have often thought of giving a 'ecturo myself. In my capacity of a newspaper correspondent I have met with numerous adventures, and I think that people will just as well believe me as any old sea captain, and why should they not, neither of us are given to telling Jibs, notwithstanding that We are both said to delight iu drawing upon our imaginations. A large number of Chinamen have set to work the bed of the Arrow river. Fifty Celestials »rrivcd during Friday and Saturday last. It appears that very little has been done on this river 1 since the “ Old Man ” flood in 1803, ■ and nothing since the Hokitika Rush. ■ It is said that gold lays embedded here in fabulous quantities, and there seems no reason to disbelieve it, so if John manages to bottom upon the lead, I shall have to substitute “ Canton ” for Arrowtown