THE LAKE COUNTRY.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 20, 23 December 1863, Page 2

THE LAKE COUNTRY.

OUB OWIf COSBBSPOSDI9T.) Qceenstown, 17th December., Qaeenstown to-day is all excitement caused by the arrival anddeparcure, for a " new ru»h,»* at the Nevis, of any number of packers and miners fton^the Shotover. The reasons. for I such a rush are not^uite obvious to mey£but numerous rumors of its cause are afloat— one, especially, shrouded great mystery, has more influence with the .miners than all. others. It is to ttaa effect .t-^A Frank ton dairyman being out on the ranges, on his homeward track fell in with some miners working "on the quiet/w ho had facc^njulated! a goodly quantity of gold f rdih "some; gully running oat of the Remarlable; on th« eastern side of the tSLngsfXwWoo^a,'' (the Warden/ report, published in yesterday's Wakatip Mail, is not sufficient t am sure, to i warrant so large a rush .as. that which is i taking place. I saw Mr Rees' stationmaster on his return from Within a few miles" of the supposed rich ground, who said he had met about 150 the other side of the j Kawarau, and they were " crossing in hundreds at the ferry;" but that he knew miners working within a short distance of the rush, and making a little over tucker, who would not take the trouble to walk to the spot. The prime cause of the rush I believe to lie in the fact that the Shotover has again flooded out great numbers of miners, destroying the work .of some Months : these men' caught j readily any rumor that reached them, and off they started. The flood occurred on Friday t the 15th instant, when the fain descended in torrents, equal, for the time it lasted, to. any- j thing of the kind witnessed here by any one during the past winter. The road to the new rush lies by way of Frankton, crossing the ferry at the source of the Kawarau, then, along the bank of that river for a distance of eleven, miles — over a spur of theßemarkables for a distance of ten miles. It is also approachable, it is said, via Kingston. Queenstown is becoming quite habitable for ladies now. Numerous wooden cottages are being erected for letting, and no family need fear any want of accommodation here. The hotels, also, are improving in this, respect. Speaking of hotels, it is strange, but no less true, that, although numbers of them have been improved by ihe erection of \ new wooden fronts of an expensive character, yet the front of Mr Powell's Family Hotel is the only one that can lay any | claim to architectural arrangement, although an architect is in practice here ; but lam happy to say he has had nothing to do with any front but the one mentioned. Business here, aa elsewhere, preceding the Christmas holidays, is slack, but will, no doubt, change for the better after the holiday making is over. Mr Tom Fawcett and his party perform nightly at the Theatre Royal; and Miss Koyal continues to delight the people of Queenstown with her sweet songs, at the same place. By-the-bye, you would be pleased with this young lady should she visit Inyercargill. The principal topic of conversation is on the approachiug sale of the lands of Queenstown ; January the 18th, 1864, is the day fixed on for this purpose. It was originally advertised to come off on the 21st inst. The bad management of this district by the Otago Government is again exemplified in the sudden manner the sale of the laml was proposed. The authorities were evidently unprepared with plans, and the survey was but partially accomplished when the sale was announced. The Surveyor had but just commenced his work, and now that the sale is postponed for nearly a month, I still notice the surveyors at their task. This ia not of much moment, for they may keep surveying up to the day of sale if they please, but the grievance lies in the fact that no person knows what alterations, if any, may be made in our line of streets as at present built upon. The public complain, and justly, that they are not furnished with plans in time to enable them to object to, or alter the arrangement, should the plan be of a character seriously to injure those who have spent their all in building to the present lines. I expect that the Wakatip peti'ion. has had some effect in. thus suddenly rushing the land on the market ; for no sooner do the Executive see a memorial from a large number, sentto Auckland, asking release from their control, when presto, up comes an order to sell the lands right and left. Never mindTaininjr* few enterprising storekeepers ; let them pull their buildings down again, if they like. Such ia still the manner in which this district is cared for; there is no change in the treatment we receive from our Otago rulers, consequently the cry is for a release, or annexation to the Province which attends most to our wants, and with which we are most intimately connected by our commercial relations. The Escort of gold from here to Dunedin has often caused me to wonder why the banks run the risk of a journey of one hundred flnd seventy miles over one of the roughest and most mountainous roads for their treasure, to the lesser risk of a ninety mile journey, over a good and level road, where equal armed protection is offered. Were your merchants to make proper representations to the banks I think this state of things would very soon be altered ; for I cannot think they would risk their gold (o a land carriage of one hundred miles in h ngth more than is necessary ; and I certainly believe that, were the diggers r acquainted with the fact that the Government of Otago undertakes no risk if the escort . should be robbed, they would insist upon, their gold being sent over the shortest -road. I consider all the gold from Queenstown and the Arrow ought to go to Invercargill. Were you to advertise these things in the local papers here, the diggers would soon become aware of this advantage. The discovery of a quartz reef at Skipper's Cteek, about six miles from Maori Point, is a fact worth recording. Different opinions exist as to the size of the re?f, but should the quartz be obtainable in large quantities, it is certain that it will pay well to crush it with machinery. Limestone has also recently been discovered in our immediate neighborhood. It is of great importance, as at once affording a flux for the working of copper ore, to say nothing of its other valuable properties. The copper mine at Moke Creek is now in the hands of a party who have got a lease of it from Government, and are prepared to work it. Of course the outlet for the produce of the mine .will be through Southland, so the sooner you continue your line of railway to Kingston the better. Groat preparations Are making here for Christmas amusements, in the shape of balls, regattas, horse races, cricket matches, &c, &c. The weather is now settled, and on a fine day, nothing can surpass the beauty of the Lake scenery. Captain Baldwin has been appointed.mining minister for the . goldfields, '' and he, together with the Superintendent and other Otago big-wigs will visit the district. in .January. Strenuous endeavors will doubtless be madd to retain the allegiance of the inhabitants^ and large promises' will "be held out on that occasion to attain so desirable an object. I I will close this letter by mentioning an event of some local interest which came off here on Monday last. On that day Mr Warden Broad was duly invested with the authority which make* the title of Resident Magistrate so much coveted. Richmond Betharn, Esq., Resident Magistrate, and Warden of Queenstown, administered the usual oath.