MELBOURNE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 14, 3 October 1861, Page 5 (Supplement)

MELBOURNE.

By the Arabia, and s. s. Lady Bird, wc (Otago Witness ) have been put in possession of Melbourne papers to the 3rd inst. The news-from .our gold fields appears to have created quite a ferment in the gold-producing colony of Victoria ; and in order to show what the people on the other side think of our new discoveries we have cut from the papers the following paragraphs .- “ THE NEW ZEALAND GOLD FIELDS.

“ The public excitement which was created by the late general election has been prolonged by the news which hai been received during the past month of a payable gold field existing in the neighboring colony of New Zealand. The experience of Kockhampton and the Snowy River—to so many of our miners most bitter, and never to be forgotten —has not deterred others from being blinded by the accounts of this latest Dorado. Already numerous vessels are daily receiving ll.e’.r living freight. Men who have been resident on our gold fields for years—who have formed small homesteads, and have become acclimatised either to Ballaarat, Bendigo, or more recently found gold fields, have been induced by the glowing accounts brought by the ‘latest arrivals’ from Otago to try what a change of colony might do for them, and every train from Geelong or Woodend adds its quota to what has now become a gold fields rush. Despite the distance, the migratory propensities of the digger prevail. The Oscar steamer —the latest departure from this colony, took away 250 men only a few days ago. The Omeo, almost immediately upon arrival, was filled up on her return voyage to Otago ; and sai.ing vessels of every class and tonnage are laid on by their owners, and appointed to sail I’jith all despatch to this auriferous field. Goods of every description are being shipped by those to whom an outlet for their heavy stocks is now-a-days a godsend ; and even a theatrical company is advertised for by some enterprising and enthusiastic individual. The miners who are leaving this colony belong to a superior class, and many go merely to hare a look at the diggings, instead of trusting to report, before determining upon a final removal, nudging from the accounts which reach us—from the official report made by Mr. J. T. Thompson, the chief surveyor for Otago and from private information—gold has been found largely deposited at Tuapeka, which is situated on a rivulet, a tributary of that stream, distant from Dunedin via Tokomairiro fully 70 miles or 2 day sJourney on horseback. The site of the field now worked is in * narrow valley, vary in <' from 100 to 300 feet in breadth, and three or four miles long. The population at Otago being about 12,000 no small proportion of which have already gone to the rush, the field is not sufficiently extensive to promise employment to a large influx of population from this and other colonies. As the .communication between the various settlements in New Zealand is.regularly kept up by steamers the residents in them would have the first intelligence, and, if favorable, would not in all probability, be slow to avail themselves of it before it could reach Melbourne. But diggers are so proverbially birds of passage that, no matter how distant the field, or how contradictory the reports concerning it, no great persuasive force need be used to induce immediate emigration. It is difficult to arrive at the exact amount of gold which lias yet been obtained from the new gold field, as a large amount is conveyed privately or retained in the hands of the finders. The Lord Ashley took over 3,0C0 ozs. [1,26il ozs j to Sydney, and by the Or.iao, which arrived in Melbourne a few days ago, 7 "J ozs. were received. All accounts, as usual on eicii occasions are exaggerated, and within only a few hours after the arrival of a vessel, tens are multiplied until they become thousands. The general opinion in New Zealand, however, is that the gold fields promise well, and that the ground

! already opened is a portion of a large auriferous 1 district. The diggings, according to the Otago Witness, have been the excuse for raising the price of everything, no mutter whether justified by demand. Provisions, flour especially, have attained that eminence in the prices current which was so familiar to the diggers in this colony in 1852-58, and wages, even those of the police, have been increased in proportion to the famine prices. The great fear is, that the extent of payable ground is not equal to the demand. Rich deposits may be found, but, as at Port Curtis, or its successor, Snowy River, a great amount of misery may be ex- , perieneed by men who leave this colony with little or no capital, before they are fortunate enough to fall in with good allotments in their pictured Doardo."—Argus. “ The New Zealand Rush. —To see the long and gloomy countenances of our townsmen a stranwould be led to imagine that nothing short of an invasion of Victoria by some hostile and warlike horde was shortly expected, and although no such disaster threatens us there is an absolute certainly that, should the next mail from New Zealand bring equally or more favorable accounts, we shall lose one-half of our present population. A sort of latent fever seems to be inherent among our miners and business people, periodically compelling them—like the wandering tr.bes—to shift from one place to another ; the greater the distance of a new gold field the greater}lie anxiety to proceed there. One or two private letters, addressed to parties here from .New Zealand have confirmed, to a great extent, the reports of the newspapers. To give you an idea of the astonishing effect such, accounts have had here, every description of mining property lias fallen 50 "}> cent, within the last fortnight. Shares in some of our most promising reefs, and which at that time fetched as much as £SO and £IOO, are now offering for £lO and £2O 1 am informed that the road between this and Ballaarat has, for the last few days been crowded with wayfarers on their way to Dunedin. The coaches leaving this and Redbank are each day crowded with those who can afford to go to that expense. Ot course the bulk of those who have already started are the men of means, but those who are left behind will leave no stone unturned to follow in their footsteps. Any man possessed of a little capital would now do well here in buying mining shares. Nothing else appears worth talking of; the question is now reduced to —When are yon .off?— Moonambel Correspondent of the M. and D. Advertiser, August 28. “ The rush to the new gold fields of Dunedin continues—somewhat too briskly we fear. In addition to the steamers Oscar and Omeo , the schooner Bella Vista, and the ship Arabia —all of which have sailed within a few days with large numbers' of passengers—The Black Ball and Eagle clipper ship Ocean Chief, Captain Brown, sailed at an early hour this morning, with some 320 passengers the embarkation of whom at the Queen’s Wharf yesterday, to be towed to (lie ship lying at anchor in the bay, created quite a scene. At the moment the Ocean, Chief was receiving her passengers from the tugs and lighters, the well known Blackwall liner Roxburgh Castle was towed to sea from the Sandridge Railway pier, on hervoyage to London with a full complement of passengers on board, wlrile the pier itself was crowded with friends of the passengers, and with diggers en route for New Zealand, satisfying themselves by personal examination of the ships now op the berth as to which they should prefer for the voyage. Our advertising columns show that numerous ships, some small and some very large, are about to sail for Otago ; and we may add that the list includes almost every ship now in the bay. Whether the rush is ill o'r well advised, the fever seems to have spread extensively over the diggings. The local journals describe and regret its effects, and the streets of Melbourne—presenting at they do a faint approach to scenes of former days, seldom contain at one time so many well-to-do diggers as at present.”—Argus.

“The Pirate, so long looked for, has arrived at last. She has neither been detained by the desertion of her seamen nor the gold she had to bring, but simply by stress of weather. She brings no gold, nor lias there been any shipped beyond what was previously reported, namely. 1,300* ozs. by the Lord Ashley to Sydney, and 780 ozs. by the Omeo to Melbourne. Nor do there seem to be any authentic accounts of any considerable quantities in the hands of the diggers. The good folks of Dunedin complain that the diggers pass it on the gold fields, and do not send it in. But there may be a very good reason for that. It would bo hard for them to send what they have not got. But we shall not anticipate the decision of our readers on the news. Wc give it to thou just as we find it.”— Jlerald.

A Discreditable Hoax —On Saturday night some persons desirous of making something at the expense of those persons who are smitten with the New Zealand mania, were shouting out “an extra ordinary from Otago, *!> telegram from Sydney,” which set forth that the mail steamer had brought no less than 70,000 ounces of geld from the new gold fiield. Many persons were foolidi enough to believe this canard, which formed (he subject of conversation through town during the day. On' Sunday several spring carts, heavily laden with diggers and their ‘swags’ passed town eu route for Otago. In the event of the next mail steamer bringing favorable intelligence, it is anticipated that a considerable rush will take place.—Jiallaarat Star, September 2. A party of six are reported to have cleared £BOO ■in a fortnight from a creek claim at the Jamieson gold fields, Goulburn, lately described in this journal by Mr. P. G. Sm ith former inspecting superintendent of police, and others are said to be doing nearly as w.dl. Is this a place for our diggers to turn their backs upon New Zetland, of whose diggings they as yet know so little, and what little they do know is now so decidedly- unfavorable ? N esterday’s Geelong Advertiser says : —“ Within the last few days six of the police force in <J eelong have volunteered for service in New Zealand and it is said that others arc likely to follow their example.” .1 he Pirate's news will perhaps cool them down, it should do so at nil events. A correspondent of the Geelong Advertiser reminds those now going to New Zealand, that the Victoria is not at home now to fetch them back, as it was when the went on a like fool’s errand to Port Curtis,