THE DUNSTAN.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 49, 28 April 1863, Page 3

THE DUNSTAN.

(From the Dunstan News, April 14th.) The winter is fast approaching, and, judging from the foretaste of its signs, during the last few days, it is likely to be very severe. The roads between this district and the meiropoTis, from which all our supplies of provisions are obtained, will shortly become almost, if not quite, impassable ; this being the case.it behoves the business men here to make such arrangements as will prevent anything like a dearth of the necessaries of life daring the winter months. The stocks at present on these diggings are very scant. Et is very doubtful whether there is mere than a three or four weeks supply in the hands of the storekeepers, collectively— this, with the inevitable hard weather before us, is a serious matter. The pric.^ of cartage to this place has reached its minimum, and there is every probability of its attaining very soon the almost fabulous rate that was current at the first rush to the Dunstan ; this being the case, we would moat strongly urge upon those most interested in the matter to take advantage of the present time and lay in their winter stocks; by doing so they will anticipate a great public necessity, and in a pecuniary sense will, no doubt, find it also greatly advantageous to themselves. We are informed that a man named James Brodie was robbed on Friday night last, while on his way from the Bannockburn to the Dunstan township. It appears that Brodie was attacked by three men who, after having bandaged his eyes, took from his person, a purse containing the sum of £2 3s. and a miner's right, bearing date 7th March, No. 13089. In the neighborhood of^the Bannockburn there are now, we believe," a population of from three to four hundred people who have no police protection whatever ; and when it is taken into consideration that nearly 400 ozs. of gold is purchased per week amongst the five storekeepers, at Smith's, Adam's, Pipeclay and other gullies, it is very obvious that a great injustice to both licensed miners and storekeepers exists so long as proper protection is withheld from those whom the law compel to pay for it. A man named Calvert was brought on Saturday from the Teviot, suffering from purpura, and he appears to be in a very dangerous condition. His illness has now lasted six weeks, and was brought on by exposure and an insufficient quantity of food. We are happy to state that Dr Jackson, in| whose private hospital the man now is, entertains strong hopes of his re-

oo very. The weekly delivery of mails between Ibis township and the Lake district, near the Cardrona, has been discontinued ; the only n/eans now of communication between the two places through the post, being by way of Dunedin — a process which occupies something over a fortnight. We protest strongly against the miserable economy exhibited by the government on this matter, which saves a few pounds per annum, and inflicts a serious Joss upon our business men— many of whom have branch establishments at the two places— between which speedy communication is of very great importance. Humors are afloat that it is the intention of Geo. Brodie, Esq., late a member of the Legislature in Victoria, to become a candidate at the ensuing election for a seat in the House of Representatives. Should this gentleman be returned, he will, from his large practical experience of mining matters, be a decided aquisition in a house where mining interests aie so poorly represented and so little understood.