LAKE WAKATIP.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 62, 12 June 1863, Page 2

LAKE WAKATIP.

Denizens of far off Melbourne, Miners on Victorian goldfields, Squaring swell* in Canterbury, Dwell-rs too in Wellington — Thirsting all for information Touching goldfields in Otago — Come with me < I mean m fancy), Let us start off from Dunedin, To the Distant golden regions Of Lake Wakatip, where thousands, Settled down on the Shotovet And the famous Arrow River, Ply their toilsome avocation. Let us see them afc the workings, Peep into th ir habitations, View their various joys and sorrows, And from them learn perseverance. Now we start, we leave Dunedin, Pass through Cavarsham, avillage, Through Green Island, a misnomer, For that place is not an island ; Round the hill yclept the Saddle, When that eminence is mounted, What a sight bursts on the vision ! There the peaks of Mougatui Tower aloft in glooming splendour, At our feet the plain of Taie i, Dotted o'er with neat farm houses, And enclosed with paddock fences. Looking home-like with its corn fields, We descend and pass among them, Now we cross the Taieri River, For a nobbier pause at Dyer's ; Then pass through Tokomaii ire, Come we to the Molyneux, then Such a wide and dangerous river, With a very fearful current ; Soon we leave it far behind us, Pass through creeks and over bridges, And we ford some minor rivers ; Come we then to the Mataura — Pleasant stream in pleasant country — Onward, onward, we recross it, Pass the well known habitation Of the femous Bill of Sydney, Then we come unto the "Elbow," And we're shut in by high mountains, Cross some creeks, both steep and muddy, Till with joy, in the far distance, We behold a sheet of water. 'Tis Lake Wakatip, and shos tly, discern a place called Kingstown, Where the drays discharge their loading ; 'Tis a little town of canvas, Some few stores and several shanties. Carters now produce their way-bills Clamoring for speedy payment. Boats we see upon the shore there — Lately brought up from Port Chalmers. Should you pitch upon a vessel To convey you up to Queenstown, Boatmen that you have rejected Come and teil you in a whisper, " That there boat is sure to founder, Just look at the way sht's' built, sirs,

And her ti iibers all are open, Thereby she is very- leaky, All the way you must keep baling And your loading will be damaged By her letting in the water, If you want a boat for safety, Just you take a look at this one, Which was plying at Port-Chalmers, Won the prize in the Regatta, And the Hurbor-master stated She could go outside the « Heads' there, If a regular gale was blowing." In tuis way they try to frighten Each unfortunate new-comer, And succeed in really putting Him in dreadful trepidation. Having fixed upon a vessel, We proceed to pay the carter The amount that's on his way-bill ; And he drives down with the loading, Which in quick time he deposits Near the water on the shingle. And the watermen soon stow it In the bottom of the vessel. Now we start, a fair wind blowing, For Queenstown, our destination, 'Midst the chaff of rival boatmen, Who give us some solemn warnings Of our great impending danger In the boat we have selected ; And they cheer us with a promise That we'll all go to the bottom. 'Tis a fair breeze, and our vessel Cuts her passage through the water ; And a rocky bluff is shown us, Which is called the " Devil's Staircase, ' Distant some nine miles from Kingstown. Now the breeze is very fitful, (Often does the sail keep flapping), Till it dies off altogetber, And the watermen are pulling, But how slowly on they urge us S On the lake there's not a ripple. Suddenly from out the gullies Comes a wind with such a roaring. Now the squall is on the vessel, And the watermen are bustling ; For just like the angry ocean. Is that Lake which, but so lately, Was so very calm and placid. Up and down the vessel tosses, And full many a wave we're shipping. Dusky night comes on apace, and We unfortunate new-comers Are in fearful tribulation. Madly on the vessel dashes, Till with joy we see before us Lights, through canvas buildings shining, Which the boatmen say is Queenstown. Soon we are in stiller water, And we pass the dangerous reef there. Now we land upon a jetty Opposite a longish building, Where a noted ex-policeman Nobblers to the crowd dispenses^ At the small charge of a shilling. Luckily a bed securing At this well-known habitation, We retire, and soundly slumber Till late on the following morning. Then we take a look at Queenstown. What a crowd of stores and shanties, And mean, jumped-up public houses, Where they lure the thrifty digger, Whom they poison with vile brandy. At the stores we see in numbe s Miserable, half-starved horses Patiently their loads receiving, Ere they start for the Shotover. On an empty porter barrel There's an auctioneer, who's selling Stores and sundries, and 'tis whispered That he has'nt got a license. But a short way fio:n the water, Is a neat thatched habitation, The abode of Rees, the squatter, Who made such a deal of money Soiling flour unto the diggers When they first rushed the Shotover. He is king of nil the district, Squatter is he and shipowner, Publican eke, and boat-builder, Wharfinger as we'l, storekeeper, And a Government contractor, Slauglnerman too, and lay reader, What besides, I quite forget now, But I know that it is stated That this jolly agti c squatter Has a dozen occupations By which he is making money. There's the Government Camp close handy, Five or six tents, all of canvas : And the Court's a little shanty, Five by fifteen it's dimensions ; And the safe, that's full of treasure, In a tiny tent is standing, Although 'tis securely guarded. For the prisoners there's no lock-up, But they're kept there under canvas ; To a log the peelers chain them. And this is a faithful picture Of what's called the C;imp in Queenstown. Now we hear such a shrill whistle, And we rind the noise proceeding From a tiny little steamer Called the Nugget, winch is starting In a short time unto Kingstown. Evening's on us, let us roam now Through the crowded streets of Queenstown, Take a peep at billiard tables And the frail hotels and shanties. Here we find a crowd assembled And there is a glorious shindy. Two inebriated diggers One another are mauling, And the contest they continue Till an active Quoenstown sergeant, Aid°d by a Bobby, pounces On the riotous delinquents, Who unto the Camp are taken. Oo we then unto the Royal And list for a while to Thatcher, Who a crowded house amuses With his various comic locals. It grows late now, for the watchman Through the township is patroiing, And quite tired and bewildered Home we go to bed at Bracken's.

Now next morning we are starting For the neighboring Shotover ; Through a gorge our way we're threading, Mounting hills, descending gullies, Till at last, there in the distance, We descry the canvas tents pitched Close unto the famous river. Arthur's Point we now arrive at, Where the turbid river rushes Onward with a fearful cur ent. There we see a host of diggers Busily the river turning Through an artificial channel, That the bed they may be working, For 'tis there the gold is lying. On we go ; we climb steep ranges, Come again upon the river, See the snug log habitations Thatched so neatly by the diggers, To enable them to weather Rigours of the coming winter, For 'tis then the tr butaries Are all ice-bound an 1 the river Gets quite low, and thus enables Them to work the golden spots now Totally submerged by the water. But 'twould really fill a volume Were I now to tell of tunnels, Terraces, sluice-heads, and races, Californian pumps, etcetera, — Tell you of the jolly bungle In the mining regulations, And how the Shotover diggers Curves daily are invoking On the heads of those who framed them. I might tell you, how the Warden Has a most unpleasant billet, Trying lo settle the vexed question Of wnat's high and what's low water ; But I really must defer it Till a future time, and. you must Put up with this slight description Of -take Wakatip the Golden. Aloe. Queenstown, April 1863. What trade would you recommend to a short man I Grocer (grow, sir).