THE SHOTOVER.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 12, 10 June 1863, Page 3

THE SHOTOVER.

(fbom a correspondent.) Maori Point, June 4. The diggers are again in great hopes of doing a stroke this winter, and things are bright ning up as the river goes down. Hard frost set in again, and the poor fellows who had the river turned before the flood, are again all right. Sullivan's company, and the United Company are progressing, and in fact the whole river seems in a bustle, and nothing but the din of picks and hammers heard from morning till night; some blasting rocks, whilst others are up to their arm pits in the icy water of the river. A meeting was held here last night by Messrs. Gash, Bergen, Christopher Bracken, Wilson. Thistle, and about 500 miners about the forming of a bridle track from Queenstown to Skipper's Gully, and a large petition was most numerously signed by all the diggers, and which is to be sent at once to the Government. The diggers are all calling for police protection up at Skipper's and other parts of the river. We have had a visit from two well-known friends up here—namely, Mr.H. W. Bracken and Mr. D. Powell, of Queenstown. On arriving at Maori Point, about 10 o'clock a.m.,

there were about four hundred miners, who had all congregated at the United Gold Mining Company's ground, to help them to turn the river. Upon the arrival of the gallant Major and his friend Mr. Powell, who were accompanied by a whol<> host of miners from Wilson's Beach and the different beaches down the river ; they were loudly cheered by the men at Maori Point, and they all expressed their sorrow that Major Bracken ever left the constabulary force. A fire in the bush took place a few days ago, and was very near doing great harm to some of the miners. It is supposed that it originated by some of the miners who were cutting timber, lighting a fire to boil their billy, and the bush being so dry, it took fire.

A bridge has been thrown across the Shotover by Mr. Real and party, below Maori Point, and they have over 500 bags filled with sand to turn the river. Another, Win. Dunne and party, have also cut a race below Real's ; these men had the river turned until the late flood destroyed it again. Bracken and party washed out in one day and a half four pounds weight, when the flood came on them. John Wilson and David Wilson's claims also suffered by the flood. The flood diverted the proper bed of the river, and has done great service to Picket's party on the opposite side of the beach.

A Commissioner or an assistant ought to he here, as Maori Point is the most central place on the Shotover. The hardship of miners going to Mr. Wood, at Frankton, to settle their disputes, is great: taking into account the state of the roads and the dis-

tance, and it is too much for Mr. Wood to come out to attend to every dispute that arises.

I am credibly informed by parties who are working in Stony Creek and Skipper's Gully that the miners there are doing first rate; but the weather is as yet too fine, every day is beautiful and warm until sundown, when it commences a severe white frost. The nights are very cold, and the days the contrary, but the miners have no dependence on the white frost; they are frightened of another flood should rain fall again. There are parties of men working in several small gullies along the river, tho only difficulty being the water, because all the smaller creeks arc frozen. On several of the smaller terraces which overhang the river between Maori Point and Wilson's Beach you can see several parties working, and some of them doing well. Some of these parties have river claims and are waiting the fall of the river. The river is fast going down, and several parties are putting down wing-dams. The Government ought to put up bridges on the Shotover. They have done so on the Molyneux and Kawarau ; I think that at Arthur's Point and Maori Point there to be a bridge ; this river is at least as deserving of as much attention from the Government as the others that I have mentioned.

There is not a day passes by but some of the miners do not run the risk of losing their lives, crossing and recrossing to and from their woik at Maori Point. The way in which they go is by means of a bullock hide rope extended from side to side, and fastened to a rock. Next come two logs, hollowed out, tied together with the same material; in this is an old man who acts as ferryman and pulls along by means of the rope, for which he charges one shilling a-head for the transit He is able to take two passengers at a time (standing up), and should any of the diggers be gomg to or returning from Stony Creek, the old man has to get into the water and pull his log-boat up to the other crossingplace, where there is another hide rope across the river. After ferrying his passenger, he gets into the middle of the stream, and away goes the man and his boat down to the lower rope, which he seizes as the boat is passing underneath. Such is the Maori Point ferry. Something also ought to be done for the miners here, concerning beef and mutton. On this river meat is of the poorest and worst kind, and the most exorbitant prices are paid for it. It is very seldom a bit of beef can be had—always lean mutton at Is. 6d. a lb. Mr. Rees ought to send up some cattle and open a slaughter-yard ; it would be conferring a benefit to all on the Shotover. A post-office is much wanted about Maori Point, where there is a population of about 2000 persons, including those above Skipper's Gully, Stony Creek, and about Maori Point. A small office could well be established at or about here, the distance being about seventeen miles. There are parties working several miles above Skipper's, who are about twelve miles above Maori Point. They have to go to the Queenstown Post Office for their letters, which, with the return, makes a journey of fifty eight miles, over as rough a country as ever a white man passed. The revenue derived by the Government out of the Shotover ought to entitle the diggers to those slight conveniences which are so much wanting.