THE DUNSTAN DIGGINGS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 219, 2 September 1862, Page 5

THE DUNSTAN DIGGINGS.

We had yesterday an opportunity of learn ing from Mr. Hartley, the prospector, some thing of Jus impressions of the new divine from which he had just returned. 00 II accounts agree in the main with what w have already published from other soured lie says that there is a good deal of dk appointment among those who went up wit extravagant expectat oris and unprepared, an among those who had not clearly understoo what the country was like. He thinks ther are quite sufficient miners on the "round t give the place a thorough trial. There ar more than .sufficient to take up the rich spot on the-river itself; but the flats■ or terrace will, he beheres, nflbrJ einoloyment for th< remainder. lie says that he was, when wit! Mr. Keddell, pestered with questions by th< diggers, who wanted him to " lay them" on ' to the rich spots, while others were Ipud h their complaints, and some owned to bavin, obtained good prospects without proper tools According to his account, the great maioritv of the men on the ground had not propc'i tools ior working, there being hardly a cradU to be seen, and consequently most of the men were doing little beyon-f shepherding thy claim.-! they had managed to secure. life i m . pression was that most of those on the "round had hurried up rather with the idea of "ettiugood claims, by being first in the field? than at once setting to work, and thnt therefore they had preferred to travel without the encumberance of heavy tools, and that theintended to wait, either until their mate's should tome up with the requi-ite implements or until stores should arrive on the -round Ue also attribute* the little work duin" to the want of nectaries. The river, he"informs us, rose lately about two feet, in consequence he believes ot rain, but it has since sunk considerably, although, still rattier higher than when he and Heilly wen.- at work. With regard to the future prospects of the di-M,,,^ v is his opinion that it will be found that the terraces, or flats on the bank of the river will pay for working. This can either be done by working into the bank or by sinking It appears that many parties who have been unable to secure river claims have already lit-pi, to. prospect the terrace-like bank? or lhts but none had yet bottomed. One party, working far up the river, had obtained a good prospect by they stream,- and had been induced to sink in the high flat, or bank, at some distance they had got some thirty-two feet without striking tue bed-rock ; but, from the character of the stuft" through which they were sinking they were led to c.vp.-ct a g.,od result. With ; regard to the conflicting accounts as to the - supply of firewood, Mr. Hartley furnished us j witn a very simple explanation of how they ! inyht all be right, ile pointed out -that the I diggings extend for several miles, and tint j although m some parts there is no fuel, in others the manuka grows abundantly. All kinds of exaggerated reports hive b-en current during the last twenty-four hours i home representing the digging as a failure, I and others describing the most ex- { travagant success. As an example of the more moderate and authentic of the latter class, we ■ may mention that a respectable and well known inhabitant of this city called yesterday at our office ami exhibited a I letter that he had received from a p<irtv of i friends who had gone up to the Dun/tan. Ibe letter was to the effect that the party five in number, had made sixty ounces the first day they arrived on the ground. They had nothing to cat, and were therefore obliged to pick up their swags, and start to walk" back about fifteen miles. Meeting a dray they stopped it, and took what food they required paying handsomely for it. They estimated trie number of miners at 6000, but did not trunk there were more than 100 at work, as there was nothing- to eat, and men could'not work without food. We should mention that the person to whom the letter was addressed, was by no means anxious to give publicity to its contents; still it is advisable to receive'the statement as to. the quantity of gold obtained with caution, and we should hardly have published it except as an example to show that while s»o innny are taking gloomy views, there are others who arc disposed to run into the opposite extreme. It is probable, that an usual, the truth will lie somewhere between the two.