(From the Otago Colonist.)

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 415, 15 October 1861, Page 3

(From the Otago Colonist.)

NEW ARRIVALS.

Sir—Being quite a ' new chum 'in this colony, although an old one in Australia, I have considerable hesitation in addressing you, as my ignorance of New Zealand affairs will most probably be immediately detected. However, I have a duty to perform, and I trust you will kindly bear with me and allow me an opportunity of expressing in your columns my sincere opinion as to the New Zealand versus the Australian diggings. Ido not wish to deter desirable immigrants from coming to this province, but I am exceedingly anxious to suppress that species of perfect insanity which is now prevailing throughout the Australian gold-fields during the raging of which, thousands are coming hitherward, with the most sanguine hopes, destined I fear never to be realised I have written to the Australian papers to the best of my ability, warning the diggers to be more cautious, but it seems to have no effect, and I would not have troubled you now, had not I the hope, that veritable letters from the place, might induce my fellow Australians to pause before making the insane rush now so prevalent, amongst as fine a set offellowsasever populated a new country, most of whom, one would suppose, were men capable of taking care of themselves. I cannot however give the majority credit for a perfect state of sanity, when 1 find men in fair remunerative posts, actually giving up comfortable situations and coming out here to they know not what.

As I never saw an Otago paper before I came here, I cannot tell what your editors have been writing of late, but I can say this, that much of the present rush is attributable to the exaggerated reports, said to have been circulated by the Otago Government through the press, with a view of getting more laborers for railways, harvest work, and general improvements. Ido not believe this myself, but if it be so, then I must say a most awful responsibility rests upon the shoulders of those who have excited the fever now raging in Victoria especially. If the Argus, Age, or Herald put up (lie finger of .caution to the diggers, reminding them with fidelity of Port Curtis and the Snowy River, those reckless fellows only laugh at remonstance, being convinced that the papers are bribed, to do all they can to intimidate them from venturing to leave Australia and try their luck elsewhere.

I did not come to Dunedin with any intention of digging, but my acquaintance with many Victorian miners now here and who. have enabled me to form some opinion of the probable permanence of the Otago gold-fields. I can safely say, that nearly every digger from "Victoria with whom I have spoken on the subject, expresses one feeling, and only one, viz , that of disappointment. The very broken nature of the gold district, induces old hands to believe that extensive fields cannot be expected, even if they were now generally productive in moderate paying quantities. How on eartli are the diggers to cook their food or boil their kettles without wood? Instead of chopping down the mighty gum trees, as they are accustomed to do in Australia, they must go searching and fossicking about for any bit of scrub they can meet with, and as to the comforts of a warm fire, it can only be thought of as a thing of the past. Otago, it is true, supplies water most abundantly, and in fact too much so, as its very excess prevents any deep sinking, owing to the great cost of slabbing and tunnelling, timber being Is. 6d. and 2s. per foot iv Gabriel's Gully. If Victoria could exchange some of her superfluous timber for your streams, and thus strike a fair average, it might be well for both colonies; but the absence of firewood here staggers many a sturdy digger from even going up to the diggings at all, hundreds of whom have gone back to their old haunts, by the vessels that brought them out. Another drawback to your diggings is the presence of some mineral in the water, which first chops and then produces inflammationand gatherings upon the hands, whereby many men have to knock off work altogether for a time. Poultice without fires and suitable appliances, are of course, quite unattainable ; but in their absence warm bullock's dung affords some relief. The miners attribute this peculiar complaint to the presence of mica in the water, but I would recommend those persons going up to take supplies of ointment and bandages. It is known here that some lucky fellows have hit upon ' pockets,' and made little fortunes; but there being only half the year available for mining purposes, owing to the heavy snows prevalent in these latitudes, the yield to pay ought to be double that of similar extent of country in Victoria. The weekly escort returns in Victoria of the 26th ult., show— 1860. 1861. OZS. OZB. Castlemaine .. .. 5149 .. 4300 Sandhurst, .. .. 7736 .. 6553 Ballaarat .. .. 6317 .. 8212 19,172 '.'. 19,065 which I merely note for the information of those interested in such figures. I was going to say that, all the gold shipped from Otago during the last five months was not equal to a week's production of three of these Victorian gold-fields, but such comparison would not be just, as the numbers of the miners, and the appliances at hand in Victoria, are of course, quite disproportionate.

The return of passengers per Oscar, and the trifling amount of gold sent by her, may possibly somewhat sooth the Melbourne fever; but I am very apprehensive that should the accumulated stocks of gold go by some favorite steamer, now that its value is ascertained, there will be no restraining the gold-loving lunatics, who will come in such numbers as almost, if not entirely, to overwhelm the limited population of the province. As guardians of the public weal, it then becomes the duty of the press to urge upon your Government to adopt such prompt measures as will tend :o preserve the public safety, protect the peaceful, and suppress the unruly. Little do those unacquainted with gold countries kuow what 'rushes' are, and I much fear they will know something more of it than they would like, if measures be not taken to afford some shelter to those who, coming from a warmer climate, never dreamt of finding themselves in a country so void of wood in the neighborhood of a gold-field. They cannot starve, and must have firewood by fair means or by fouJ, but I trust the authorities here will afford facilities for diggers procuring timber, even off

reserved grounds, when waste lands do not produce it. .

1 was delighted to see placards announcing that new arrivals would be allowed to squat upon waste ground for a fortnight, but think some means might be adopted "for pointing out where fiie ground was, without having to go to the police office, a 'place which diggers always look at with distrust. If there had been placards announcing ' this way to the camping place,' with a hand pointing in its direction, I think it would have saved trouble, but let us be thankful for small mercies. Are there any of these placards on the steam boats or at Port Chalmers ?

The report of a shipload of Chinese being on the way, is, I hear, causing much dissatisfaction amongst the diggers, who, as a body, detest the race most cordially, and some declare publicly, that come what will, if the' Jonnies' venture here, they will be shot down like dogs. Though a free trader myself in every sense of the word, and far from participating in this deadly hatred of the Chinese, I cannot but think it would be conducive to the internal peace of this colony if a heavy poll tax of £25 or .£3O were imposed on the Celestials, at all events for the present, in fact virtually prohibiting their admission, as I am persuaded much bloodshed will ensue, if they be allowed" to come in at all.

The report yesterday of gold discoveries at Taieri, would lead one to hope that Gabriel's Gully is not the only rich field, but some old residents here seem to receive the report with considerable doubt, being apprehensive that it is somewhat of a hoax, got up for the purpose of bringing 'grist to the mill' of some customerless accommodition houses.

I fancy the Dunedin people as well as the Victorians must be mad, when I hear of them asking inconceivable prices for their land and leases in this township. I am aware there are a few Victorian speculators sneeking about, trying to buy up leases, &c, with a view of creating a land and building panic, with hopes of profiting thereby but I trust the Dunedin land-owners will be more wary and dispose of their land to bona fide purchasers, at reasonable rates, thereby doini> good to themselves, the town, and also those new arrivals whose presence would bring wealth into the province. To insure fair dealing let the leases provide for the immediate erection of certain permanent buildings; otherwise these grasping land and lease jobbers will hold out for fabulous prices, laugh in their sleeves at Dunedin simplicity, suppress the ardor of those who are here in a position to put up substantial premises at once, and consequently check that developement of the resources of the place, the opportunity for showing which ia now at hand. A New Chum.

Sra—The distress prevailing amongst many of the new arrivals is, I fear, more likely to increase than diminish, If it be true that the New Zealand diggings 'mania' has extended to New South Wales. Hitherto, to the credit of my brother Victorians be it said, the best order has been maintained, notwithstanding that many are actually starving, some having come without a single penny, and started to the diggings with only a few ships' biscuits, saved out of the provisions served out to them when on their passage thither. Some of the passengers by the Giant's Causeway' informed me only to-day, that on their arrival off' the heads, when the pilot came on. board and announced everything being'first-rate,' 'an escort of 11.000 ounces, and that the Oscar and Wonga Wonp-a had each taken as much as they were allowed % carry, the rush to the steamer when she came alongside was so great, that many fell iuto the water and narrowly escaped drowning. One young man I saw, was seriously hurt, besides having experienced a good ducking. Swags were not haaded over to the steamer's deck, but actually thrown over her into the sea.

Many of these poor fellows are now wandering the streets with downcast countenances, trying to maintain their honesty unscathed, but as one °fine fellow remarked to me to-day, he did know how he was to get on much longer. sWe will not starve,' said one,' and might as well commit some act that will give us gaol food.' 'At ss. a-day we are virtually prisoners, as we cannot save anything to take us back to Victoria, whilst meat is Is. per lb., and the four-pound loaf Is. 2d.' Another remarked that if a bayonet were placed within the door of a baker's or a butcher's shop, it should not prevent him having food. I again urged their acceptance of the ss. per day rather than commit crime, but was met by the remark that even, when they had agreed to work, they were told that it was only 4s. 6d. per day, and that many had been obliged to come away from the appointed work, for the want of barrows, spades and picks. I assured them that if proper and respectful representations were made to his Honor your worthy Superintendent, that all in his power would be done to alienate distress, and diminish the disappointment of as many as possible, but reminded them that the Executive of this Province had not a large exchequer, and could not even raise loans without the authority of the Government at Auckland, scarcely obtainable under a period of a month. In my wisdom I suggested to one crowd of men, their clubbing together for purchase of flour by the bag, but was soon brought to the consciousness of my mistake, when two or three of the bystanders remarked in a melancholy tone Yes, sir, that would do very well if we had only the funds* but too many of us are without a penny.' With beef at Is. per lb., and not at all unlikely to be Is. 6d. before long, I am astonished your Executive do not run all the risks of ple'uropneumonia, and admit cattle from any quarter of the globe. At 40s. to 50a. per cwt. beef Can be profitably imported in any quantity,- then why adopt so restrictive a policy, with fellow-colonists actually starving around us, and only restraining thamselves from the commission of crime by their high sense of honor ? Why not adopt the system carried out in the islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark, where the preservation of their breed of cattle is almost a religion, and allow animal food to be admitted free, provided the fat stock be killed on board, the bare carcass alone being admissable.

Though proud to say that at the Police Court the other day, I was informed that, with one exception (a case of drunkenness), no Victorian had been brought before the bench, yet I must confess that 1 was grieved to hear that oood manners had been forgotten, a lady on horseback having been shouted after by a party of diggers, who, no doubt, in former days had delighted in similar habits of ' joeing well-dressed individuals.

That gold has beeu found in patches there can be no denial, one party of six, whose private memorandum book 1 was allowed to see, having obtained 210 ozs. 6 dwt. in 19 days ; but when we consider the thousands who have come to occupy fields only large enough for hundreds, we ought to sympathise with our Otago friends, so unaccustomed to ' rushes,' and must certainly not blame either the people or the Executive, who have certainly done their best, under all circumstances, to meet the wants of such unexpected crowds as are now coming in streams, quite sufficient to inundate the whole province.

I was sorry to hear that my Victorian brother who had set up the coffee-house, was obliged by the police either to give up his stand or keep his tent open all night, not being allowed to lower down the front screen, as it would thereby becoras a house. This is very true, and such a privilege migM be fearfully abused, causing much evil to the owners of land in Dunedin; but could not there be some latitude allowed to those whose venturous spirit enables them, unaided ly red tape, to diminish the difficulties now overwhelming us?

I addressed you last week under a different name, «new chum,' and may possibly be looked upon as the owner of the coffee tent already referred to; but to disabuse your mind of that fallacy, I subjoin my name and address for your own private guarantee or publicity* if actually requisite. ■.'■...-. ..i.;.v' . . ;y:-. .• ..j..::-.v ■.. Yours, &c«, Provincial Hotel, Oct. lot, 1861.