NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Saturday, October 2, 1852.
The following" extracts • from private letters by a settler of this place, now at the Melbourne diggings, have been handed to us for publication, and they seem to describe very fairly the state of things at the mines, and the prospects of the gold seekers. From this account it appears that half of those engaged in the search for gold barely keep themselves, one out of every four get nothing. Then on the dark side of the picture must be reckoned the contingency of sickness and other ills, the certainty of the high price of provisions, and hard labour in many cases ending in disappointment, the certainty of an immense European emigration, and of an increased competition reducing the chances of success. Add to these the other drawbacks certainly not to be lost sio-ht of by those who sit down to count the cost before thsy finally determine to engage in the search for gold, the im-
SPECTATOR AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN.
mense numbers of the very worst characters congregated at Melbourne, desperate felons and- convicts like carrion birds attracted by, the carcase, the frequent robberies and insecurity of .property and life. These things should be carefully borne in mind by those (especially if they be country settlers) who, in thriving and prosperous circumstances, intend leaving their wives and families trusting to do better. They will find it the wisest course to be content to do well, and rest on this certainty. There is every prospect during the ensuing seeason of a greater demand for produce of every kind, and sawn timber than New Zealand will be able to supply, and with the certainty of high prices to be obtained without any risk or sacrifice on their part, it will be more prudent both for themselves and their families to stay where they are and rest satisfied with these advantages, than to go farther and fare probably worse.
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New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 778, 2 October 1852, Page 2
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329NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Saturday, October 2, 1852. New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 778, 2 October 1852, Page 2
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