NOKOMAI.

Dunstan Times, Issue 496, 20 October 1871, Page 2

NOKOMAI.

d (ZROU A CORRESrOXDENT.) s > I suppose you seldom hear of the Nokomia, 8 and wo are so out-of-the-way situate we do y not hear much of you ; but as I am told d several of our old residents are now in your 1 ‘ district, I send you a few short particulars d which may interest them, hj To commence then, we arc over-run with Chinese. Go where you will to any place, e terrace, gully, spur, or heap of tailings in • the district, you will find them. Some do well, but most are wages men “on tucker” till "gold’is struck, when they get If. a week B in addition for a certain time, and then 8 more. They "are remarkably well treated i by the storekeepers, who give them a great 8 deal of credit, although it must bo owned ’ that, as a ru'c, they have proved themselves i very good paymasters. They are now workI ing for a distance of twelve miles up the ! creek, while Bullock Head, Victoria, and 1 other Gullies are full of them, and even r the Nevis and Dome Creek boast their pre- ■ sence and perseverance. But although 1 every thing is quiet with them here, their I presence is not regarded_with partiality by E the European miner, as they take up all ! ground where there is no expense in work- > ing beyond the common order, and thus deter poor men who come to seek for ground ’ from getting any, or from coming back to ■ any they may have left for a time, as they would be sure to find it had been taken up by the Chinese. Nor, with the exception i of rice and mutton, are they at all consumers, buying tea from their own stores, and very seldom expending anything in clothing. We had hoped for a week or so that the summer had set in, and several started for the Nevis and othet up diggings; but while T write a heavy rain is on, which has been preceded by snow for the last two days, so that the tracks over the ranges are impassible once more. The men already at the Nevis took provisions to last some time, but will suffer from the cold and wet, fuel being very scarce. The spurs opposite the township are still being worked. Coulam’s party expect to wash up their paddock by Christmas. They have not done so for the past nine months, but, from the gold taken out of the boxes, expect to be well paid. Lower down on the terrace, the left - hand aide, near the Mataura, one m’n only has been working lately, but he has done remarkably well since Juno last. Paddy’s Alley keeps up its reputation of paying the few parties still working there admirably, and if water could be got on to it I do not believe there is much better ground iu Otago. An attempt will, I think, once more be made to open the flat. Had you this magnificent prosiect on the Dunstan your men would not let it lie idle for a week ; but it is very hard to get them to stir themselves here, as some of your residents (formerly , our’s) I dare say recollect. I also hear we | are going to have a now road opened, in- : stead of the present Paddy’s Alley one, which is very dangerous and steep, j The Nevis and Dome Creek have not yet 1 received their quota of miners from here, although several have gone, and the present storm must stop any exodus for a time. The population at the latter place is about fifty i Chinese and twenty English. ] We have no resident Warden and no police ! stationed here. The latter the Government will, I presume, soon place if the Chinkies , continue to come in such force. The Warden visits us about once a month, or as near as ; he is enabled to do so by his duty, his district being a very extensive one, and many 1 miles apart, over a very bad country. , Population : Europeans, about one hundred and ten; Chinese, three hundred. , Gold, iff. Ifis. (