THE OTAGO DIGGINGS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 65, 25 September 1862, Page 3

THE OTAGO DIGGINGS.

We (Daily Tines of the 27th ult.) had yesterday aa opportunity of inspecting some gold brought down from Waikouati by Mr. Ehrenfried, who, we believe, is a storekeeper in that neighborhood. Mr. Ehrenfried had purchased the gold from some diggers, who informed him that they had obtained it from the new diggings (the Hartley or Dunstau.) Mr. Ehrenfried informed us that there were two parcels of gold brought into Waikouaiti, one of four pounds and another of five pounds. The gold we saw was a portion of a parcel of 33 ounces, which Mr. Ehrenfried had sold to Mr. Myers, of Princes-street. The appearance of tiie gold does not in any way bear out the assertion of the vendors that it was from the new Dunstau diggings on the Glutha river. The gold, instead of being fine and scaly (like that obtained by Hartley and Eeilly, orStebbings), is rough ami nuggety, and but slightly watenvorn. It contains no fine gold at all. The color is dark, much darker than any Otago gold we have yet seem It is certainly not at all like river gold, but rather resembles what might be expected to be found in shallow galley-sinking, or in surfacing. It is guite possible that it may be from the Highlay district, or from some entirely new locality. and that the finders may have led the buyers to suppose that it was from the Dunstun, for the purpose of baffling the curiosity that would naturally he excited if it became known that] the gold was from another new field. The report of this gold occasioned a great deal of excitement yesterday, and gave rise to all kinds of absurd rumors. The Warden’s returns of population show the astonishing exodus that has taken place from the older gold Holds in the direction of the new diggings, On the IGth August Tuapeka was reported to possess a population of 5,550, and Waitahuna 2,700, or altogether 1.250. The report of the following week, the 23n't of August, shows Tuapeka 2,000, Waitahuna 1,050, together 3,050, or a loss of 5,200 —about 05 per cent. Those remaining are nearly all women and children. When it is considered that from every part of the province people are flocking in the same direction it may be imagined how largo a population will shortly be congregated on the spot. How they will manage to exist on the very inadequate supplies tiiat have gone forward we cannot tell. There must inevitably be an immense amount of suffering, and we cannot too strongly caution those who have not yet gone to remain behind a short time till the receipt of further information. (tTr.n the Otago Daily Time-!, August 30). W aitahuna has been proclaimed a raining hoard district. There was very encouraging intelligence the other day from Murphy’s Flat, but it is to be presumed that many will ere tiffs have left there also for the rush. An inquest has been held at Tuapeka, on the bones of a man, which were found embedded in the sand of the river. The bones were quite devoid of flesh, and in the absence of any identification or any marks of violence on the bones, a simple, verdict was returned of found drowned. We understand that a letter has been received by a person in Dunedin from a friend who had gone up to the Dunstau diggings. The writer hud only just arrived when lie wrote, but his account was that there was a large number of people on the ground; that provisions were very scarce, and that persons arriving with stocks were compelled to part with them. The diggers were willing to pay any money for food, but have it they would. We learn from another quarter that the diggers on the road have been slicking up persons travelling with packs of provisions, and have compelled them to part with what they had, for money or otherwise. All sorts of reports are rife, and but little reliance can be placed on them. V. e give these for what they are worth.