THE TEMORA DIGGINGS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2380, 2 November 1880, Page 4

THE TEMORA DIGGINGS.

The following letter from Mr Robert Dutton has been placed at the disposal of the ‘lnangahua Herald.’ Mr Dutton who has been some seventeen years on the West Coast, writes—“ There are 8,000 to 0,000 people here —many doing nothing. The lead is about four miles long; the gold being very coarse, but patchy ; and little or no water. A company arrived here from Adelaide two days ago to bore for water. There are no creeks available for this diggings. A good deal of gold is being got by breaking it out of the dry dirt, while waiting for rain. Seven or eight dams are built, and more are going up. Puddling machines are also going up. I do not think much of the place. Miners can come and look for themselves, but I would not advise any to do so ; but if there was a good supply of water it would be a good diggings. Provisions are very cheap. In the best hotel you dine at a shilling. Beef is 2d to 3d per pound, the 21b loaf Gd, and everything in proportion. Pub-lic-housc-keepers are making a pile at sixpenny drinks. It docs not cost much to get here. The steerage passage from Wellington to Sydney, £G lbs ; from there you travel 2GO miles by train for 35s to Cootamundra ; and from there to Temora is thirty-live miles, which you travel for Bs. Water is 2d per bucket. If we get a diy summer, people will suffer much. I bottomed a shaft last night at 113 ft, but no good. I have a fourth share in a reef near the lower township, with a very good show of gold. We have eight acres of ground from the original selector on cheap terms. We are now down 20ft on the reef.