MINING INTELLIGENCE. [From the "Bathrust Free Press."]

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 538, 11 June 1851, Page 3

MINING INTELLIGENCE. [From the "Bathrust Free Press."]

1 1' it were possible, that a human being could be ole v-\tc(l to Rome uivcn point in llie atmosphere, from wlnol) he could command a bird's eye view of the Ophir diggings, from all we run learn, they would brnr no inapt resemblance to an mil's nail, to and from whiub by numcroua trucks uml avenues the busy stir ol uivmul lile was mriß'aiitly thronging. Or latlier, tlio d g»ir»4S may be regarded »k a vust reservoir of humiui inriustiy towaids which Ihe sui rouuiliti); country ih daily pouring iia contributions of labour by tributary Rtrenms. Daily ainvuls of all lankn and classes ftom the metropolis arc Inking place. Nothing is talked of, ' thought of, dreamt o', but gold. There aie few ningli! J men left in liaihuist,imd ihegieat Majority or the mar- ; lied olios rcmam behind from Hhcer ncct««t(y lti a few weeUs, perhaps dny», we espect IJiithuiut, like San Francisco at the nutbioak of tin: Culifornia gold-fever, will Ikoo.iic ncoininunity of women. In hhoit we may ! hope everything, feur many things, buL calculule upon nothing with wifely, but cold. I For good or for evil, for weal or for woe, the truth must be told. Notwithstanding the mimbfilens cuuI tions imd warnings, which aie poured upon \m at the corni rs of the streets, not to ruin the district by 'lnllaininK liie»'h minds, we aie consliained to follow i one of two com net —i ithei to ionium mk'iit or write I what wu know. Ah we cannot nfi\nd to adopt j the former course we c'en choose the latter and j leave the <'<)iiH((|uiMicit< to 11 ugliteoua Providence. So fur from doing un iujmy by apeuking of ihingH as they me, we bliul! be cnufeiimg a public benefit by correciinn tho tlioiihiiud-iuul-ouo (ales of absunlry and t'xaggcriiiion which arc everywhere all >at. Fiom the variety and respcctubility of our sources of information, we can vouch foi the conectiiChS, aH nearly us coricctnc'H van be »iriv<'«l .it, vl Uie tullowwi! dutaiJs. Atlhc present lime Uicieurc about 1000 peoplt'Jut ilic nmici, und the nuiribei is daily kicic.iaing. A Iriend of ouih, who lotumetl thence a few days ngo, informed u.s thut he met 72 on the load tiom Kiulmisr, and when U is conuidiTeU thiL Ophii it the cnitic of an immciihc circle liom which many new trodden roads radio-iie in nil diicctious, arid Hint a steady stream ol hum it n benign is daily flowing from en-li, some idea may be formed of the rapid increase of the digging population. About ihico miles ol u frontage aro occupied with this huby throng. Eveiy village of tho surrounding cooutry is emptying itii'll, or gciiding forth its quota to the gre.it ({.llhering. From a Idler leccivcd from Cut com by the last mail, we leiirn thut it is nearly debited. I'lesh faces are to be dully seen in out Hticeis which by the lollowing' duy h.ivo diouj)pcuifd, tlit'D |il.u on been supjilicil l>y otherH; and if our runders aie auxiouH to what has become of thorn, we simply tell them thut they aio off io the digginga. A few days ago, a baud of about u dozen

women Icfl Bathnrst for the- dij^iugg, and since that time seven ul Mimll knotii of fern ill's have starlcil foi flint locrili( y f w lk* re we are lu'ou/icd th<"y drive a piofitable. tnwle by (ho wnshmg-lub. Tents mill giinyns arc i cat in!?; their head 1 ? in ivory qiiaiicr, \t\\t, liundtuds ri'ccivo no oilier pmfctum fium the vi'u.illicr tnun a few boughs thiown lug'thei aflei 1 lie fashion of /i lilnck. fellow's mansion. In fa-l Ihe wliolc wcttli*ment liui the appparrncc of a vast uhm initial camp. Tho precipitous ridges on uichsidc, of the creek .ire studdi-d with lioi sch bv the hundred, which .ifter a few days' naturalization to their new homes, l>'»m to lo k ns rugged and haggard as their mnsleis. The <lig<jfini;K (!omm |l iir(i at the junction of the Summcihill und Lewis' Ponds Creek, and extend downwaidx toward** the Marquiiiic. Several stores have been openod, and it jm said me doing a ioaiin» traiic, taking gold in pnymeut for tlieir goodr. The nei(?hbcnirinfr Hocks simply the miners with inultoii, and we hiar that it 13 in ooniompbilion to erect slock-vurds to slaughter cattle in. Meat rc.ulily fctchen 4d . per H> , and wo have heaid several instances in which enounoii'i piicrs hiive been given f.ir bii,.,id. Kiou> the miscr.iblu shelter and generally inade(|i'atc outfit of scoim, whom the mania lihh allured timber, then 1 cm he little doubt that many aie piivin// their way lo t'l : f;r.\ve. And whilst on this pint or our huhjett, we will lender a hille a'lviee to intending nunem. li lore going to Ophir, yon must leeolleot thai it is .1 nuhrrubly i:i>M place, und thai you require not only ph utv of wuiru bedding, hut u tarp.iuling 01 somn hue h c<'iiv« uirnce loi shelter — that a-i there is abundance ol hard work belorc you, in tho performance ot which you arc 6Uio to get wet, and duiiug a portion of the time must Htand in the wuler, plenty of (ood is an indispensable, requisite. Again, a regular set. of tooln, comprising Hhovels, pi<:lci\cs, a crowbar, tiu-dish.es for ladling 1 th(; wadi, u cradle, &c, m absolutely nce,ensary. It you have means to obtain all these you imiy stand youc chance of finding inmo <a le sot" flic aurifmc-im wealth oiOplnr; if not, Blop at home and wind your ordi* naiy business, if you lute any to mind, mid we will hazard a guesu that in the end you will be us lic'i a* the gold-diggei, with perhaps n much sounder constitution. Even at the pieaem time ihe.'j me much hunger und suffering which do no' meet the eye. On Tuesday lust, ('. 11. Green, list]., Commissioner of Crown Liiiulh for this district, started foi tho diggings, accompanied by the Dmtiiet Inspector of the Police, Miij'r Went worth, and tin; I. hief Constable, with the} otijert of tervmg notices to the rrunen that they weie ticspus^uig. As the.ie appeal d to Ji ik; been no hineero intention of interfering with the men, the real put pose ot the visit most probably wes to i»sseit the, rights of the Ciown in a t'otmnl ninnnei. Whilst . thcu'i Mi-4 Gioen observed two men at, wotk, who in a short epucc ot time took out hevcrnl lumps of gold weighing about a pound. On Thursday, we inspected tun parcels of the precious metii) which hud baen purchased by Mr. Austin fiom as many individunlH, all of whom ajipear to have hyen uiui6Ually succ(>haful. J''or most of llichc sumples Mr, Aubtm paid at the rata of £',! 4s. ptr ounce. Ono was tnniki'd Cliarlos Collirib — ono ol two men who Imd beni absent from home 50 hours, including the, journey to and from the mines. Opposite his name tlia mm of £10 12s. Id. was hum Led as the amount pud foi- the parcel, which consisted of seven or ci^ht lumps all Hat, the largest of them weighing something under 2 ounces. These pieces were found in the eroviei's of rooLs. Another pin eel, consulting pimcipiilly of Boiall piecc-s and dust, had been brought in by a butcher who goc3 by the n.ime of Lunkey. It was, marked M ; ] ounccH, und was the product* of five men's labour for two and a half daya. For this purcel tho respicttthle sum of £<\\> 10d. hnd been paid. Another murlced Kdiv.ud Uiinnan, 7 ozh. 3 dwln. 2 grs. had XJX J 21 mm ked opposite. Whilst in Mr. Austin's store Mr. Noil Stewart, nephew of Major-General Stcwurt, came with the produce of what he informed us was a day's. suvoic toil. It was weighed on the, counter and valued at t'Ji 2u A. mini named Smith is said to have found a piece of. about four ounces in weight. Mr. Thomas Piper, son of Captain Piper, hai a piece, worth about .£'s. Mr. Horan, publican, who hud been at work in company with other* foi about eight hours, leturned to town on Monday last wi'h 5' f ounces, a gu-ur portion of which had been pi ocured ho in the very top ot the ridge, tho hoilb and earth having been conveyed to the ruck m buckets to be w-ishud. Dr. M'Mnttie dug and washed most vigorously for about two hours on Monday last, and brought home 12s. woith, of the precious metal. As Mr. Austin ih at piebeut the only baycr in town to any extent, we nrny h.ifely conclude that the great bulk ot wh.tover gold may have been dug atill remains at 11-o uiincß. Altogether we lmvo not tu-cn more then 5 Ibb. in the town. Having stated a few facts, it is our doty to wniit tho public uipunit leaping at li,uty conclumouH. The sue ccsh of tt» or ft d< zen men ik no to lie undei stood i\h the guige, by which tlie luck of all is to be measured, and although the general impieSMon oi ifwpccl.ihlc people seems to be thut most of the dig jeia uro pioeunng more or Itsi gold in return foi then Inborn, it must be recollected that then* (tic art? huumc-ds of | whose, smcess or laihiro <ac are unable to sp» ak ; that there are many ca-icb of failuie we liave been i epmtedly informpd,and know of instances in which ahcpheids have been hiicd at (he diggings, who had buen ntmvcd and worked mto mteiiHe ditgnsf against gold finding, an I left tho phxc imich pooier than they ru rived at it. Indeed it would almost appear pfobiible time the futme inogresiiof this disliicl is to be pure bused at the expense of tho piospenty ot the, neighbouung diHtncl — -a coiHiimptiou wind: we should dcplom njuully with our neighbourHw One efleet of the disco rcrv is i general i i.ss of wufjen, and in some ensts men aie d'-niduding uitcb v\hioh .iru not only mouilrously iii-iLiibonable, bus, uh.ulutHy iiiiiious to Hie cmplo)ciH. Storckeepe/s aiu m» y carelesn «bout selling i>r nil, but wh< it they do cell the puces are most uunhititntly hi,;h. The l.ihour market In in chaotic <:i>nfuM<>i), and it wngc ui'u lo I,b icßulritod by the supposed prcfrs of gold.di^gun,', tlureis nn end to cvety other puixuit, W« mm<( in such cusc all pack v,> und «i«i t for the land of Ophn. HluclisinuliH, ourjiciiturb, sluiciri.ikers, wiieulwri^hts, and in yome cases slorekeeprro, ar.j left to the uniting •• ment of their own business. From the foiegoiii"; rvLihou of f<icts, Home idea may be formed of Hie btul.- of <.ur town and diKlrict. In solid s-nouhiieks, " tin, lunch are out of jiiinl." The wisest men aru mere cluldien in the iiiuilei , and aie us little aw life how iLw i : I cml. Al the pUH'-nt, urn» many of the pooi people of the toivit urti wIU niu for want of bicad, y<*i t| X acciirfixl ilnr-,1 Un is impelling with headlong inadnuiis. hnndu'iU nwuy f their cumfurt'iblc horns or hired '.ci vice, wien- their bodily wants were sift ly pi ovi«id f\sr. .Mot -Mituiuiv inubl we conclude that wli nevi i <»| <r.>mi ( ,i, )t out . I the dihcovuiy, it belongs to the lutuu . The following loeonie C|>i ,tlu en.i, \ 0 hand yeiitc--diiy fiom a incrid: — •• )>,»«r Sit,--i > f.)plr hit c >n\'w x hereby h-indieds, II noodui milieu Ij.i (Ucov •!<• ' / will kuon be a c.ice with us. All the ;^ ot! t onu! i \ t.tken up, and will soon b« worked out. I'.ven now we are treadni" on each othet'i, tocu. It i-. ,t ('aadlully hard life even for iiu- btron<jo,t. I ,un \ t <i\\ a,yself mid doing well. Youi t> \\ ul y, ."