THE WEST COAST.

Evening Post, Issue 46, 1 April 1865, Page 2

THE WEST COAST.

The steamships Alhambra and City of Dunedin returned on Saturday morning from the Okitiki or Brunner River, which is supposed to have been their actual destination with the passengers they conveyed to the West Coast diggings. Captain Maclean, of the Alhambra, having taken observations, and found that his ship, when anchored to discharge, was off the Brunner River, the Okitiki being understood to be a smaller stream some distance to the southward. The Alhambra left Port Chalmers on Saturday week, and, notwithstanding the unpromising weather, Capt. Maclean proceeded to the southward, going through Foveaux Straits, and arriving at the Brunner River at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. After passing through the Straits, the weather improved, and the sail along the western coast of the Middle Island proved to be one of the greatest pleasures in the way of sight seeing that any excursionists in search of the picturesque could desire. The scenery along the whole line of coast was magnificent, and near Milford Sound it becomes exceptionably grand. Beyond the River Wanganui the country near the coast line assumes more the form of a plateau, which is backed by an undulating ¦ or hilly country as far as the foot of the snow-clad Southern Alps, nearly the whole district being closely covered with large timber. Captain Maclean describes the whole coast line north of the Wanganui as being a most likely tract of country for ' settlement, apart from any mineral re« ! sources which it may possess. On arrival, ! the Alhambra anchored at a safe offing from the shore, nearly opposite the mouth lof the river, from which the soundings ! deepen gradually and regularly from one Ito thirteen fathoms. During the night the steamers City of Dunedin and Bruce came to the anchorage, the Bruce having previously discharged her passengers, which she had brought from Otago, and

returned from Nelson with a second freight of sixty passengers at £6 per head. At daybreak she commenced to land her own passengers and those by the City of Dunedin ; proceeding each time in safety over the bar. Subsequently she conveyed to the shore the Alhambra's passengers, the entire number from both vessels, amounting to about 900, being landed for £1 a-head, at the cost of the ship. The Bruce also landed a considerable quantity of cargo from the Alhambra ; but a small portion of the heavier part of the freight had to be brought back. The landing of passengers had to be effected with boats from the one steamer to the other, a considerable ground-swell prevailing, but for the goods the Bruce went alongside the Alhambra. The weather during the 36 hours of the Alhambra's stay, was remarkably fine, though, at the same time, both in Cook's and Foveaux Straits, the weather was broken and severe. Previous to the Bruce leaving Nelson, the steamer Favorite, from Otago, had arrived all well. At the Okitiki, or Brunner River, whichever it may be, the steamer Storm Bird remained on shore, with little probability of getting off unless a heavy fresh occurred, to remove the soft and shifting sandbanks which are the feature of the surroundings of the bar. The schooner Sylph had been carried out from the position on which she first went on shore, and was on the beach ontside the bar, in a somewhat critical position. The bar, though easily taken by the steamers at the proper time of tide, is not always a safe one, as was experienced by a waterman who, in returning ashore, contrary to orders, had his boat capsized, nearly drowning himself and some of the hands of the Alhambra, by whom he was accompanied. On the return trip from the port, the Alhambra spoke the cutter Trader, from lnvcrcargill, off Jackson's Bay, all well. The City of Dunedin brought no return passengers, a contrast to the condition in which she sailed from Port Chalmers, when she was crowded to an extent which made the passage one of little comfort to the passengers, and of no small trouble and responsibility to Captain Boyd. In the Alhambra seven steerage passengers returned, and their report is that there are many more on the spot anxious to ship. One statement is that there are already hundreds waiting to be conveyed back a\ a small rate, such as their means can allow^ and that in a few days their numbers will be snpplemented until a return rush of considerable dimensions will ensue. Those returning in the meantime are only those who are able or willing to pay a fare much above what is likely to charge in a very few weeks ; indeed, the statement is that there are hundreds on shore who are anxious to return to this province, but who are destitute of the means, and that, before the expiring of the winter season, there will be experienced on these diggings an amount of privation and want not yet felt on any of the New Zealand gold fields. The country is described as being covered with very heavy timber,and the closest description of undergrowth among which it is necessary for the diggers to search for gold ; and it is stated that only a few have earned amounts which may be considered small "piles, 1 ' while the whole country has been prospected for months, if not years, past, and ascertained to afford only very ordinary "tucker ground." — Otago Daily Times, March 27. The Nelson Colonist of the 24th ult. issued the following " extraordinary ": — " We learn that three steamers — Nelson, Wallaby, and Maid of the Yarra, have jii^t arrived from the West Coast, The Nelson brings hardly any passengers, but the decks of the Maid of the Yarra were crowded; there was also a large number on board the Wallaby. Ihe Wallaby brings 2850 ounces of gold, considerably less than was expected. There are now, it is believed, from 8000 to 10,000 diggers on the Okitiki ground. The small steamer Bruce landed from the Otago steamers—Alhambra and City of Dunedin — 900 men the day the Wallaby left, and many more were expected. The opinion expressed by some Nelson men, who have returned on

business, is very favorable to the diggings, although the gold brought up is in quantity so much below expectations. The Nelson called in at the Grey to coal, but brings no news."