THE DUNSTAN DIGGINGS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 238, 24 September 1862, Page 5

THE DUNSTAN DIGGINGS.

The following report has b&m placed'in our hands for publication :— Police Depnrtsneut, Tuapekß. r September 16,1802. Siß.~llmvetho honor to inform you, that oa the 10th instant, in accordance with your instructions I departed from Tuapcka in order to proceed to the Duustnn diggings. ■ ■..,■.. ■ I selected the following vonte, concerning which I beg to point out a few 'improvements, which are urgently requited. Opposite this cauip, I ascended a spur of iho range winch diviJe> Uabrid'ii Gully from .Uutiron's, and 1 praceeded along the summit-of-"that1 ridge until 1 arrived at a slaughter yard, where I turned to the left, and tMo-xed a dray track down a gradually sloping spur, which terminated at thu Tuapeka. After evosiine; tho river, the track runs near Bowier's hut, aud up.avery high Irll, the ascent" of Wiiich is a inatrcT oi very great (iiiFieuJty even for a bullock teatu. From tlie summit of this hill, the road Jtes along a leading ridge of a gravelly nature, atrd which extends along aliout seven miles, where it unites with a ridge, -the surface of tt Inch is com posed of a peat-like tarth, covered with spear "rasa and cotton plant This rWirci extends t > t!io Beaumont, the appronch to wineli is down a sti-ep lull," but if a cuttiag were made m the i-aiae, the descent would l>e n tuatt-r of no difficulty. The ford is compvs&l of a level rock, but in cunsequeiu-e of the banks being high and of a baggy nature, it is rather difficult to cro*s it, but if tl.ey were cut down, and the buggy parts covered with some of the stones which are lying mar thoplace, the crowing would then be oaMiy performed. The load from the river alluded ti h good until i r. aches a small stream, which it intersect*, and ccrea. which a bridge is uigently required, as the bed of the week is soft, mid as The approaches to this stream are railu-r swimpy, and in order to facilitate the crossing of tno snine, it would be necessary to put on t!io track wnne of the s>toae* which are lying on the adjacent hill. "

I-rom this stream tJic track passes alonj; a leadi ig ra: ge, until the Talla Burn at Gardiner's station h reached, which river it infenee?s, the ford h g-m\, but v would Ikj rcquisi^o to make a cuitin<' iv each ot the banks.

After crossing the river, the road runs up a i-pur (where « cuttii;« is required) and it'oaa; a leading nd»e uuiil the Frind Burn in reached, the ford of which U good. After cnwrfm.r the liver, it continues ira couiso up a spur to a leadiag rangt-, wliich runs to twlthin a few miles of the Meuagun* Hunt, where it turns to the rkht, (awiiy from the track followed by the jiiiiicrs)ruiinii!^«v!on^araJi;:t'iUi(ldowßa»lupi!i^j,{)urof the fiainc, which teriuhiuU-4 at tho liver thu for>l of which is level and rtony, in the eastern basik n cutting would lie reunited, nud also gome gtoaeu placed in a marshy Kjioi which extends abut twelve yards oa the Wi'f-torn bank to a spur, up which the track pa>se«, until it reaches the top. of a leading rni^e running in a notth-easterly direction, and nlou" theHummitof w'mVh it continues its course until tho Teyiol i* r&iHjed, which it intersects neir a plain ; fho lord is good, hat about fifteen yards a' t-aeb Imuii ia bwampy and alraost iiiij.as«able,"an-I in o rdt-r to remove (Lat difficulty, it Wuclil be necessary to' place on the truck, sowa of tho stones which are lying near. After crowing the Teviot, the roml runs up cue of llic spurs ou the eastern side of tU'5 Knobby Hange, (tho ascent of which is eaxv) and continue ha ornate in a northerly direction, along a leading ridge, the iiuifncv of which i-s, in some par!*, bo«r,y, but about a foot beneath there is a ruck bottom, tli« truck iutcrsccu two narrow stream, an J tas>*s to the east of the Cairn Hi I about three milts, and through a rooky and undulating cuuutry, until it re-tclie^the summit of a very ro«ky hi!!, the decent of which h for a t<-anj. a matter cf cow^MerabJe dirticuity. in inecijnence of the rocky nature of the country'in that neighborhood. Tins track for about tiiree miles, takt-s a north ca*iU;r!y course, crowing the Alann«rr Utina the approach to which is down a bill of almost pr- cpendicuhu- declivity, in which a wit'.injj ia required in ordur to f:.ciiitiite t»ie cic-*c«:U r*f came.

On the r.ortheru side of the river the track runs up a short and i-Uvp hill, the a*eem of winch is difficult in consequence of there Imnx no room iur drays to turn ou the Hide of it.

Ailar having ascended this lull the track runs along a few leading ridges, until it descends at Mr. Lowe's st' tiou, oa tlie Manuhf-rilda, thence across that Htreani, awl tho Molyutux Plain to the Police Camp, on the latter river.

I further beg to iisfonn you that » short cutting m required sn the f pur opposite the Tuaptka Camp a budge over Jlunroes (Jully, (the timber for which cau he obtainud near the plnce) and n cutting in one of tho bpurs there, so thrtt the steep hill opposite Bowlers, hut could be avoided.

With the exception of «he difficult places alluded to, and Uiefccanity of firewood, this is a gor»l and level route, but 1 am of« -pinion that in the winter, parts of it will be covered with snow, at.d thereby rendered impassible for some tin»c, at pruwent the track fn a great many places, is indistinct aniidifHsult to find.

Tlie length of the route isaboutsuxty-five mites, and a carter, with two lor-tea and a tlray, "brought sixteen hundred weight of flour, «c, to tlie dicing* ; but I Ijclicve he rccfiyiiti asslsUnce from another carter. The route via Captain Baldwin's is better for foot travellers, an on that road they can obtain provisions and tirewcod.

Mr. Gardiner informed mo that a good road could Ixs made by uroauiu* the Meuzion JJurn, near iv junction with the Molyneux, and proceeding along the eastern bank of that river as far us the mouth of the Teviot, ut whiuh place miners arc now working, and where payable gold ha* been fouud. 1 have the honour to be, sir, Your most obedient servant, (Signed)' VV. N. MORTON, _' » Siitj-Inajicctor of Police. To St. John Branigaii, E-ifj.. Cornmixsiimrr of Police, Dunedin.