THE ' DUNSTAN DIGGINGS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 223, 6 September 1862, Page 5

THE ' DUNSTAN DIGGINGS.

> (FROM ODE SPECIAL BEPOBTER.) . Manuukuikia, Shennan's Station. August 30,18G2. TniJ lIOAD FHOM TUAPEKA. Tlie road from Tnapcka to these diggings'is like most nf tho roads in Otago, characterized by tlie usual abrupt ascents and descents. For foot passengers, mid even pack-horses, the track is by no means a bad one, and has this advantage, that save in the vicinity of the digging there is plenty of scrub for firewood.aloriu the entire way, After crossing the Tuapeku Itiver, the tack'intersects the Beaumont, passing along v leading ridge until Gardener's station is reached. At Gardener's the liilaburn has to bo crossed, and within a couple of miles the Minyionburn. The next station on the way belongs to Mr. Miller, the track'passimwithm a hundred yards of the shepherd's hut, thin across the Fruidburn onward by the out-station of Musgrave and Anderson to the banks of thrcviot. Tins is a vavy rapid and dangerous river and is quite impassable after a fail of ruin, tnu vellcrs having occasionally to wait on its bank-, for day 3 before it fall* sufficiently to enable them torro*. with safety. Previous to mv crossing it there had -been a fall of ran, and, although the nviTwai not actually flooded, po rapid was the current that it was wkh diniculty the hone could keep on his foot, horse and rider being in imminent danger of Hading a bel in the Molyueux Ine diggers crossed by means of a rope stretched from bank to bank. Holding by this rope, their "wags fixed high up on'their shoulders;a considerable number made the passage in safety. Others, ho.vever, were less' fortunate, losing everything they possessed, glad to get over alive, while by far the .largest number.-after looking at the swollen torrent, made their war higher up the river M »l crossed by leaping from rock to rock Alter passing tlie Tuviot the track winds' through a magmikent il;tt several miles- in extent, on to Captain Baldwin's station. From (his point there is n well defined track over this Knobby llanges to the "junction of the Manuherikin with the. Molynciix. Tiie entire distance is about 7o miles, but i this road is impassable fordray», and in one or two places difllcuit for pack-hor***. There is, I believe, by another route a payable dray track 'to the banks of the. Tcviot, but up to tho pr<v*- n t tsme no dray lm* been a'dc to cross the river, and iri.con.*equenee tlie teams coming from. Tunpcka ! are still camped on its bm;k.<*. j ■-.■-- i THE DrGUIXGS. At the Junction of the. Manuherikia with tne MulyruMix, you meet -with the jir st indication of the advent of the ,2i^ t -r Jo thfJ ! hitherto jeeludelJov,,!^ Tcnf. are J.?uS3l at interval* a i, j4lK the , iatlks o< !|lt . Mo , VII ,. USC wit ,; J here and there a party- of miner* buV> va»hin» I out a " pr^peei" or .liming whether the fc-v ! Msecsof guld that lie in the bottumof tNnrtin I di.sh are indicative of payable ground or the reverse.. Jt is in thh ■ neighWh.K.d that the Of v«rii,,,cnt pro S ,K-cti,i(i pnrty-have marked out »710 "T* . Und JUl|-tn-, "•<"» the dishful I saw wither, I snot.i.l my they haw „„ r^,,, , o grumble at their luck. -Major Cruker 1,;,,, I believe, allowed tliem'an extended claim, and altemhraw.- a large amount of shi^k- „„ the nvt-r s ed«e--an important consideration as I ir ii! allerwanl 9 show, I J IHVe no uoubt it ws!l P iv 1 well Scarcely any work has as yet been done on 1 it, the pro«,H.fiurH being of ojamon that the ("«,>- i yernmeiit slionKl supply them with boards for the- purpose of making Kluice-boxes. When they receive them) I S u { ,,k,s o they will go to work and wash out their claim retrttmiiß I. presiiiMc all the gold which they eai. get onto* it From Manuhurikia, on to C »il 1 unit, a distance of six miles, I passed detached parties of digger washing the sand on the river** etlse mth tin diilies. not one that I coul I »ct« |»e»ng |K>«esa»;d of a cradle. The r« w ! £sJ obtained from thin nu'tho*! of workinjj varied from two or three grains to an occasional du-t. ; but those at work assured- me that if they had a cradle they could easily make, daily, from no*, to £2 a. man At Coal I'omt, and in the -neighborhood of Mr bnennans slnugbtor-yiud, on - the bunks of the Molyneux, about sewn or eight hundred persons were camped. But few of this number had tried an ounce of wtisbdirt, contenting themselves with listening to the gloomy rejwts broti"bt in from time to time by hungry and ha^anl-hwkina unncrs, whose tales were continually "interrupted by anathemas from the bystanders,' against th* prospectors (Messrs. Hartley and Keillv), and the Government,- for bringing them to this infernal place to be starved. What the Government has done to cause this rush I am at a !ohs to determine, but as if evidently <ronso!es the diners to have oo'uc-onc. to blame for their own follies I ■ suppose the Govtrnment may as well be selected ( for eondeninaiion as any other body of men who have nothing to do with it. From ..Coal Point up to its junction with tlu Kawaru, the Molv-m-ux flows between high precipitous dillIn .ionic ■ places. perps?ri<Ju:ulnr wall* of rock hem in the"- course -of- the river, which sweeps past their base with tliD vclwitv of a mill-race. At others, jutting point!) of rock stretch far into the river, while huge masses divide the stream, and produce those eddies which are so favorable to the deposit in the crevices of the rocks, or the shingle on the beach, «>f whatever gold the current may be carrviii" .with it. Wherever the course of the river has in any way been obstructed, you wiil find portions of sand and gravel, and it in to these spot* the diggers resort, and from these also are obtained the tidiest yields. Passing along the banks of the river, you come across parties of miners working in every nook and corner of either side A umber* of cradles arc also at work; the miners who own then expressing themselves well satisfied with the prospects. Several parties of two, working with a cradle, told me they were making from an ounce to two ounces daily I also mot a a number of men from Tunneka who had been working with tin dishes, and they informed me that wherever they could find shingle or B flnd on the edge of the river, they got payable prospects, and with a cradle could easiiy make 30s. per day A member of the Tuapeka Mining Board showed me a parcel of about 3 ozs., washed out with a tin dish by himself and Uh mates in a single day .W hen I met him he was on his way back to Tunpeka, for the purpose of obtaining a cradle, tools and provisions, Others, with whom I converged were equally sanguine as to the payable nature of the g-oiind on the edge of the river, but expressed their disappointment at finding so little of it to work. This complaint is unfortunately only too well founded. The sides of the river are in many piHccfl composed of bare rock, on which there is neither Band; or. gravel,- and even these spots covered by these deposits are very limited in ex.tcnt,'seldom exceeding a dozen feet in breadth Gold is, however, found in every dishful of stuff you can collect, even the fine sand, whirled by violent gusts of wind into crevices of the rock far above the bed of the-.river" contains it in minute particles, as fine as the points of cambric needles. The road along the banks of the river, from Coal Point to the Kawarau, is impassable lor drays, and in many places even dangerous for pack horses. The track-winds .'along the sides of the cliff at an elevation of about a hundred and fifty feet from the tod. of-'the river. Immense masses of rock that have fallen from the cliffs above, lie in confused" heaps across the path, while overhead, poucd in the most singular positions, are *imilar masses, hanging so loosely that they almost seem to iwmg about with every passing breeze. * Pass-

"ng-unuerneath these-, partial^ detached pieces of r .' votl nre «!'* *o s^k yourself— ." When the loose mountain trembles from on gravitation ccaso while you go by ? And, feeling -hat it will not, you hiirrv past with as much spec.l as the roujjh nature of the path win permit. • At intervals along the course of the river, I crossed seven! broad ten-acts composed of drift incse terrors a»e at an elevation of about a hunured ftet above th« present hvel of th« river, and tvppoar tci have formed—so fur as I am able to jiKige—a portion of the o!d bed of the Molyneux. < Judging from the position they occupy on both suics of the-; river, and the finely rolled quartz pebbles of which the drift is formed, I should imagine the former stream Jiad very little fall and found its way into what is now known as the Alnnuhcrika Valley at a very sluggish j}»c. lam confident that these terraces will be round to be auriferous, ami I hope sufficient encouragement will be offered to some party to test the ground. The shaft will require to be timbered, as the ground is very loose and fine. Of the ground already opened, I can only say that although it is very rich, it is limited, and is »ot sufficient in extent to support a population of ■fifteen hundred, for twelve months. For a distance of 14 miles along the course of the Molyneux, in the direction of the Kawaurau, there is no fresh ground that tan be opened save the terraces 1 have referred to. . Taking however the other direction, there is a large extent of country that looks very promising, miles and miles of hills and flats formed from alluvial deposits. if these should turn out to be auriferous, there is plenty of ground for jiftr thousand miners. The whole of the Manuherikia Valley appears to have been an immense lake, receiving the united waters of the ManuLeriKia and the -Molyneux. The latter river enters this level triK't of country by a narrow gorge in the Duiist in mountains ; and after receiving the water* of the Manuherikia, finds its way onward to the sen through another gorge dividing the Knobby gauges from the Umbrella Mountains l litre, again, there arc evidences that the former I ; ix'd of the river must have been at a much higher ; elevation than at present. High up on the rides of the Knobby Itange you find deposits of finely washed quartz pebbles, and occasionally large boulders that must have been rolied from the Dunstan Mountains, as there are no rocks of the same character to. Ims found i« *,!* on the former range;'. I have no doubt that if the Hals and hiUs I have referred to are thoroughly prosjiected, rich auriferous deposits will be discovered. SCKNES OX THE ItOAD AXI> OX THK UKiOINUH. From the hurried manner lit which most of the miners left Tuapck i awl elsewhere, it was amply apparent that unices provisions could be obtained on the road, many of them would be in a j-tnte of *otm*tarvati<wi. ' Impressed with this filing, I Wan prepared to witness a considerable amount of hardship, but the reaHiy far exceeded mv gloomiest foreboding*. 1 hadVcarcely been a day «« the mnd, when I was asked if 1 could not spare " three or four pounds of wV-uit.jui: to help a party of fix on t!it- road." At mos: wf the stations oa'the way the supply of tlouv, Uu, a:ni sugar wan very limit'.*.!,and the first comers rapidly cleared r.nt the i entire stock. Mr. Garhi'-r's station being the first ' reached after leaving Tiwpcka, tha: gentleman! bud t<> bear the bmiit of all flu- huugrv and an »rv deniomls f.ir food which I.c hud i.ot, DoWled j b> hi* tncis—all gone to the digging-;— Mr. Gardoner preserved iliy utraiit tr <oi iiumor, anil cti-deavonn-d to pacify the let*iin;:* of the fiizqer*, h" f he <oiid not a!lay tiicir stiff" ring*. j'Lvf aud ! mutton were obtainable in nay (juinfttv at all t!<cNations on the >va/, l:,l il..'ui\ tea.'nnd Migar, wvrc lint to be h i I f..r love ar luor.cy. It was iiilly piiiabif to stj grt;;t h tnlcd incn ask in iruploring itcccnts f<^r ilit; •• U- =st bit of fj.mr or j bread," adding :»t the Mt.tc rime, that thtv had vxtm nnxUinn but muston f»c four days" At Oaj»t. IJ.iliwin's station, a <iUjMkshion was siiown lo l- rus!i" tht- !:ousc* nn.l tnk.? whatever c ■»!d he fu-uul. IVari >■% this would be the result, Mr" Kiross the m nager, coolly lotk-d a double bar- i relli-d gun, «• • with this in -.uo hand, dealt out tfie remaimn. {lour in pannikins with the other. At Capt. Bslti viti'a station I uitt tome men ori tlu-ir way i ick to Taaj-eka, au.l tlu-v were even mnrv futMimly liun.'ry thttti the others. Mr. Kinross who actompau : int- on to th«j digginp-gj hid uvide iij> a small j^n-tl orhrfa-l and nu-ut for j our u<ie on the road. an«i left it lying on the table. • Tlii^ was at once jwunccd ujwii by a man who dcflarcd hfc had catvn notl.injj but mutton for five days, nnd while this was to be had he would not like to starve. Your corrc-sfwndent, h..vevc-r, informed him that he did not care to U? placed in n similar prtdicimeiit. and after some sligb: remonstrance, the pared was given up. .Many of the stationowners have been platted in the fame |>osition as the raineis. Kvcn thing ia the shape of bread or flour had to Ik; parted with in as pleasant a manner a» the unfortunate victim could command. One gentleman wh,» occasionally honors Dunedin wirh his presence, and lives on the fat ol the land, was reduced to the mcessitv of buying a couple of pounds of flour, which he carefully concealed in hi* saddle bags. Such incidents are but tw> frequent. Mr. j -Shennan'a, station is literally besieged with bun- J circdn of men begging and imploring for flour or bread, all meeting wuh the mine answer. "I mn sorry I have none to give you." Provisions of every kind sdl at enormous prices, the moment tliev arrive. Flour, -2i, 6d. per lb. ; potatt»es, Is. 6d."; timber for cradles, 1 On. a foot. Cradles, as much as £20 has been offered and n fused for one. Several I drays have arrived with flour, but the whole wa« disposed of in about an hour after their arrival. There are absolutely no provisions on this goldtield. The present population nu;nl>ers about three thousand, but as more are constantly arriving, and departing, this is only an approximafe estimate. In a day or two 1 will be in a better position to give a more accurate report.

SOLDKK Pott UftASS ISSTKUMEXT3.- All alloy of 7S;2G t-nrts if brass, 17-11 of zinc, and 4.33 of silver with the addition of a Jitth; chloride of potassium to Ihe borax, N recommended by Mr, Apjielbaum, as Ihe best solder fi>r bnfw tti!*s which have to uiidrrtro tntich hammering ordrawing after \K>riatg.~Scieutific A mericon. Tiik Ou> Hai-larat Lo«i>3—That portion ol the Lamp funi larly known to som? as " The Lo««j " is I now Iwintr rciuotvd to make rwra for a greater extent ol excrci«o ground for the tohthteers. In the course of removal the workmen employ .4 found one or two clasp knives, tobacco lioxes, coins., &c. Ir, one instance a large pieco of timber was found nearly severed in two, evidently done with an intention to escape. The space where " The Logs" once stood is worthy of note, on account of its beinji the prison of the rioters in the Kunka affray.— Tiibune. How a DißArroiNTKi) Lover was Cauoiit.— The Journal d'Avrandtcs mentioas the following curious story:—" A strange emit occurred a few days «nee in a commune near Uoutance (Manche ) A young nmn employcil on a farm hod married hte master s daughter, ami in so doiug Jiati parrie.-l cfTthe prize from several other tm\lon>, and the nuptials were kept with all the rejoicings usual ou such occasions. In tlu; eveiling a lai-gf iuuse dog, chained up m the yard, was hrard harking most violently, and was at length set nt liberty in order to quiet him. The moment the animal v,:is kt loose, it ran into the house and up staira to the door of the room prepared for the married couple, aijainst which he began scratching in a violent manner. On the door beinc opened by the persons who had followed the animal, the dog rushed und* r the bed, nnd immediately a loud cry was in ■and. On looking under, a man, who had f*en just strangled by the dog was found, having in his hands two loaded pibtnls. U o was recognised as one of the defeated suitors of the bride, and doubtlesss locdit'tfd a sanguinary vt,:>geance for his disappointment " Servvntb' Pekquisites axd Fat Moset.— In » London Court this week un action was tried in which the pbintift, a cook, sought to recover'an equivalent for Htchen perquisi J/-s. By her agreement with her mirtn a«, since dead, she was to receive besides her w»jr»i«, 2s. a week for the "fatmonev." This had bfcui |»aid for come time, but latterly had been discout tidied. Defmdnnt. owing to the death of bis wife, could not rebut thf- testimony ofi*-red The judge, in frivinga verdicr for Ui« plaintiff, obsened that the syst-m of allowing perquisites to domesUe servants was both immoral juh! vicious. It led to lervonta robbing their employers, by pilfering first smnll articles, and then articha of value. His addce to eniployirs was-Pay your servants g.^od, honest, ■tttetantiul wages, and fay to them, " Now, mind, no! thing in this hcu«e belongs to yon:» and robberies by domestic servant* would soon be dusontlaued-Sng.