LAKE WAKATIP DIGGING

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 19, 13 January 1863, Page 2

LAKE WAKATIP DIGGING

(FROM OUR OWN COKnESPONtiENt,I| 3l January 7th, ld| I am glad to be able <o state that! re digging^ still maintain their characJ '* richness — richness almost unpafallel| c , the annals of gold-mining. Since nt^ed I have done little else than travel \ \^j$ l wished, and the opinion I have || v' enabled to form is most favorable. ifiTl are, without taking into con»ideralioi!|? vi ground already partly worked, nwmi|||ie gullies and streams, each one of whiMie; certainly auriferous, and many offH^' will as certainly be rich. I believ^^ s population of the district has been gwjjiiic underrated ; miles away from the M&r diggings, in spots where you would fMfi x a white man had never before beenjpree: the snow-white canvass of some ad\^£ n1 rous party may be seen, and the SMJe ( broken by the rock of the cradle, pat 1 shrewd fellows,some of these diogers-s| e hide appears to have a particular (j^ for them. I will, in the course of tlSlth suing fortnight, send you down a i^ cVI have in preparation, showing the ap|||^ line that these goldfields are spreaditjliine and general course of the principal tH^d I do not pretend to say that all thes(j^ ' merous prospectors are getting mucttfiat, certainly many of them are. I wisjJp" 0 by several parties in these out-of-thfM^ places, very many ounces of coarse|]|all and in one instance as much as^aki weight got by one man in a day and lug™ So much for my own observation many which I will send you a succinct a{near in my next ; but I can tell you oi3K? pc stance which will go far to prove Is]^" raense extent of countiy which jsdec eventually fall into the hands cftS." 1 . 1 "' diggers. Three days ago a man cali^g^ Ree's, in a wild state of mind, to slilate Commissioner. His complaint wa^*--* ar just as he had discovered some pf-rf qj ground (having been only one hfeljelie work, during which time he washftj 1^ 15 ozs.), he was jumped by a pai j^ n wild Irishmen, who took forcible pos^t^poi of his claim, which is situated tM't]^ 1^ beyond Moki Lake, in a norih-w^ij^®] direction ! He brought his 15 ozvtaine him, Commissioner Worthing ton ,tP oun and told the man as a matter of f>^ rt j that it was completely out of his pother think of undertaking the journey, fiJPT 0111 present. There are many similar I <**sj£^g' this Doubtless it is hard lines fcquiet men, but to be kept scrambling or^jany \ mountains to such distant places llifSknow missioner should either be provide that < wings or steam legs. The Ditneuin^heir left Ree's three days .ago. taking witf e J'. e !"o 8,000 ozs. Mr. St. John Bvannigs^™ 1 two troopers were the sole pro;'** n . of this small lot. It a PP ea: 'Wavin me to be rather a ri^ky niett w ] dealing with such a valuable cargo,! Coffer holding out a premium for bushr^ •> ( fiel Talking of bushranging, and wict'agivc generally, there is- plenty of work cibeen tor the police force at Trees' now,i,*»tive 1 beries are of frequent occurrence a'"* nno 3 the gold field. The other day sevel -?. nd S dies were stolen from the tent of ;j» ome Julius and Co., who- had just arrive^??, P c fat cattle. Fuom the nature of I^s* hery, it mi^ht he advisable for tho?;g^ s b( are the lucky possessors of horsefi§-tbwn keep a sharp eve to their property^ as t € man wha wouldsteal a saddle wouldg§trear never be such a fool as to buy a&we ar By the Dutiedin escort one lucky |«thei has sent dawn thirteen hundred §yra\ei ounces, aad by his own account fW;?y e ars fident of bavmg another v lob" of lB?f° vi mensions when the Dext one leaved 1 " 1 . discovery has been made on the NpS 61 "^' River, which may prove of R reat '-nothii tance, silver has been found, at lvj| aYe my informant says, and he is a mai?j[ n( j s( whose word I place some depeevwas tl The piece was of considerable size, ; Super as a goose e<y;g, and appeared to befjaresolu purity. The largest nugget (gol'l issued has been obtained en the Lake DD& l i ts (that is, within my own knowle c »fP rme one weighing seven ounces, roun 9$ a , re smooth as a marble, and now th 5° em Arrow in particular is rapidly falli r l>ed will soon be welt worked, ami ; less a few more of the same- sort v . putting in an appearance. 'ihere [ '~ great want of commnnicatron V '.'. 0 the lower end of the Lake and Rfr^ear j tvven'y-five horse pmvey steamer (f 'opened undei) is much required to supf the let enormous and daily increasing den^P^^ 0 flour especially, and other stores. • j^pe^, is at present £10 per ton to Rees'.;g r e no and thefew who are fortunate cWEli'Kin possess boats on the Lake are nia^ichieve capital thing of it. They dese? <k sert they get for their pluck, if yourh:~reek, land Government would only show! i, e \j ag as much life and energy, Invercar«j northei chants would be gainers to ihe^plantec many thousands. lam supposec^to the j supplying you with informaiion, feJ"* ste I haps I shall not be considered ou Mji^kjVi^ if I a*k you a question, which I %gathert obliged by your answering. Is it^greates a friend of mine- tells ms, thatS«the rol Bayly threatened to prosecute tlif* 1111011 ? of the Southland escort for trespsN The; Otago, and that in consequence jjpS 11 all r ' perintendent has yelinquUhed tne i';fcj" u ° giving any further protection totbfe)f wish to transmit gold to Inveiear||fbe si continue abontthe boats, an ironjphe m o sent np here in pieces would be a fp ri * v el. culation for a few men with a h'tti|^b nt . cash. If this was done at once, a f| ome - able charge for freight would pftight a and enable the digging populatioflj^ceeced \ considerably under what it at presfjfcen t them. Mr. Worthinglon has gon? } vd c of lower end of the Lake to inspect tt^earlyi whicli has been removed, accordir^tjjg k efl instructions, from the Nokornai. Iflgining stand that it is to be sent up tefw«ie Vk somewhere in a central position! y**st, ai diggings. A great deal more P°|^i en ,^ tection is required than we havfj Carpenj sent. Mr. Wonhinstotj's opiiiiogle was field is very good. He has lots of';N*Wch i do, being surrounded by hundred i ell J° gei-s anxious to test the efficacy i^^ c missioner law. I hope the repc nurae'roi your escort is not true, for really' followed if properly carried out, and wiih :&vored lar depot at liees', or on the Atj-.^M P«i well patronised by the miners. lAj^jJ'- 11 *, a list of prices at Rees'.they may, Astern be considered as going up :— : . jrater-h< Flour, 2s. camping Tea, 7s6d. ' Thua ft Sugar, 3s. «rength Biscuit, 3s. jjaveme Bacon, 3s 6d. S™ outw Tobacco, 15s. Spirits (some of it very bad) Jpthest bottle. pj* n^ wh< There are two blacksmiths' fofiEe™^ on the gold field. No amusement^jjg j t catching eels, in Victoria th^Jgbundan ha,ve been two theatres, and a f^cceede chapel by this time. . -^ c - Jt