THE GOLD FIELDS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 668, 27 December 1851, Page 3

THE GOLD FIELDS.

[From the Sydney Morning Herald, Nov. 27.] Our express arrived this morning, bringing letters from our correspondents at the Turon and Ophir. At the latter place the prospects diggers appear' to be improving. The escort baa charge of four chests of gold. Ife TURON. Neale’s Point, November 24.—1 fancy that every Sabbath day as it comes brings with it an improvement in the morality of the diggers,— at any rate as far as can be judged from a walk up the township. Yesterday I noticed the people far more orderly than usual. I saw no gambling or fighting, and a great number attended divine service by the ministers of the various denominations. Occasionally, too, might be seen females of respectable appearance, linked arm-in-arm with their husbands, and followed by two, three, or mo.e little Oues, giving to the scene an appearance of civilized life which has hitherto been almost unknown on the Tiiroii. Our diggings remain much in the same state as when I last wrote, with the addition of the improvement caused by the gradual subsidence of the waters, by which we are gaining upon our good working ground inch by inch. About a week ago there was great talk a’sou.t a tjace called Long Creek, where it is said gold was to be found in great abundance. A gentleman

just arrived from there tells me its productiveness is very much over-rated, and that his own experience lea s him to consider the diggings there will not prove by any means pern?a. Dent, v J* fl enpral3 y considered here that although the diggings at Louisa were at one time pronounced to be a failure, atill they will AUK °i Ut WeThe workin g stuff is very difficult to wash, and has first to be steeped some hours in water ; but it has lately, when properly managed, turned out, in many cases, very rich. At Ration Hill and Thompson's Point, near the junction of Oakey Creek, some of the bank diggings are turning out exceedingly rich, and claims there have changed hands at extraordinary prices. Mr. Campbell has purchased there to the tune of some hundreds. The banks opposite the Upper Vvaiiaby Rocks, where we have lately been sinking some bank boles, are turning out well also ; and I have good grounds for believing »e are in lack’s way ourselves this time. A hundred pounds has been offered and refused for one of the boles. The body of a man named John Burgess, formerly a carrier in the neighbourhood of Maitland was found in the rivpr at Maitland Point on Saturday last. He had been,, from home about five or six weeks, and has left a wife on the Turon, who ever since he was missing bas been making diligent enquiry after him. ? When discovered his bead was fast in the mud, and bis feet just above the water ; he was pulled out with a rope, and upwards of £3O was found in his pockets, also some papers which appeared to bear the signature T. A. Hughes.” His wife fully identified him, and stated the last time she saw him he left Little Oakey Creek to go to the Commissioner s, and it is conjectured that he must have fallen down the rocks into the river. The flies are becoming a most intolerable nuisance on this river. I have found them very bad about Bathurst, which is a notorious place for them, but I ceitainly never yet met any place to equal the Turon. I think it may, in a very great measure, be attributed to the great quantities of offal and meat in various stages of decomposition, with which the river abounds. A beautiful shrub is now blossoming in great luxuriance or. various ranges about here, and would form no despicable ornament in any garden. It is one of the papilionaceous tribe, a pale purple in colour.