KIMBERLEY.

Te Aroha News, Issue 166, 21 August 1886, Page 3 (Supplement)

KI MBERL E Y.

Letter from* -sin* Aucltlander. i*i u- > r . 'i >„t; ,'j. ";; :'tt> ,\ j »-i • • Captain D. H. MoKenzie has received from s Mr^RosB}<.s,upe.rcai:go^jof ithe-, brigantine Linda Weber-, -the following information concerning the trip from' this port to Cambtf idge >JI Gulf, '^-an'd the condition of tirade, 1 ' ■ etc, r at.i^imberley. 'Mr JRoes writes ! fr6m Wyndham, under date July 23rd,'> r -"-'-' - i-:-. " « , • . o

-; ' r> , The Voyage. , , .Describing the voyage from Auckland, he says : — " Bramble Cove was sighted oh July 7cb, 20 Says out; We laid off till morning, and anchored at Campbell Island on the Bth. On the evening of the 9th anchored at Double Island. Goode Island, the -signal station, and the lighthouse ajb the end of the straits, were passed at 8' a.m. on the 10th, the actual time under ' sail' from Bramble Cove being 19 hours.' After passing through the Gbode Islands, experienced strong winds, which brought us ' inside Melville Island, 120 miles from Lacrosse Island, mouth of Cambridge Quit, on the 26th day out from Auckland, The wind then deserted us, apd we were four days contending against light baffling winds before we were in the Gulf proper. Thus the voyage was extended to some extent, and we. anchored on July 22nd, 30 days out from Auckland.'

The State of Trade. 1 Mr Ross adds : — " Wyndham is a very peculiar place. The surveyed township is over a mile distant from the Government offices and places of business, which are situated on a narrow strip of land much less than half-a-milo in extent, the frontage from high hills, almost perpendicular, being aoout 100 yards from tidal mark, Here the Government have reserved several large squares for there own use. Speculators have been here ahead of us, and there is not one lot; except in obscure corners, of any use for business sites not actually taken up at the uppet price ot £20 per allotment of 66 feet x 132 feet. Seventeen vessels have arrived here within the last two months with passengers and cargo, and the place is glutted with goods of every description. There are eight Btores here, the principal one being a branch of Ponder and Co.,' Sydney, two hotels, and several small tents selling goods. We offered our cargo to several firms, but were unable to do business, as they had no money. Paper is of no use here. As yet there is not a bank. Labour is expensive— last yreek 2s 6d an hour was the wage; this week it is down to Is 6d ; two-horse dray, £2 a day , Carpenters are paid £1 for eight hours' work, Today the thermometer registered 102 in the shade, the heat being so great that men can only woik early and late. The place is healthy ; there is no sickness. Anyone coming here should bring horses and money, and probably a few stores, but everything can be got here at a reasonable rate. One drawback to the place is the want of water. This precious liquid has to be brought three miles, and is sold at 6d a bucket. The harbour is good and steamers of any size can come right up to the township. The rates of dutie3 are as follows :— Butter, 2d per lb ; hams, and bacon, 3d ; chee c e, 3d ; candles, Id ; kerosene, 6d; flour, £1 per ton ; galvanised iron, £2 per ton ; hay, 12s 6d per ton ; oatmeal, 303 ; rice, 23 per cwt. ; sugar, 4s per cwt., tobacco, 38; rope, preserved meats, canvas, tools, tar, &c, 10 per cent. ad. ; everything else, 12J per cent. ad. Juat as the mail i& closing Mr floss adds : — "Reports are just in that gold has been found exactly opposite Wyndham, 70 miles from here; business feeling much stronger on account of additional news from the fields, and believe that the success of the field is assured." He concludes by saying : "We have come to a sort of arrangement for land in the meantime, and will haul on the mud to-night. Labourers have struck. 2s 6d an hour is the figure now. The Orpheus is here,not employed; was 30 days not 27, to this port as, reported not correct."