ON THE RUSH.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3729, 7 December 1880, Page 3

ON THE RUSH.

What n conglomeration of people you meet on a goldfield like oura! Men of all trades and professions under the sun are drawn together by the grand magnet of human nature—gold. Some with a lot of money, some with a little money, some with none at all. Speaking confidentially, I belong to the latter category, so when I arrived at the crowded landing one day last week, it was a case of turning into, the first tent I came to. For several days I repeated the experiment, and visited my friends at meal times with unfailing regularity. That game is played out now, however, aad for my tucker I have to wield thai instrument wiiich, ia the hand of man, supremely great, is mightier ?hau the sword.

"Come and have a bath ' iu*the springs," said a friend one moroing, and I went. The bath was most enjoyable, but the myriads of mbsqaifos, which had apparently caught the spirit of the times, carried- on vigorous prospecting operations on my back, and made a geological survey of the nape of my back, were exceedingly obnoxious. So what with the mosquitos end sandflies, I very much resemble a plum pudding. What a vast -amount of undeveloped motive power there 13 in the mosquito! I feel sure if Edison was tD turn his attention to it something of value to the scientific world would be discovered. Why, sir, I feel convinced that there is sufficient motive power in the mosquitos within a radius of a couple of hundred yards of O'Halloran'g to drive ell the machinery required ou the field for some time to «ume. .

Au- itinerant minister eomei up here sometimes, pad preaches right amongst the drunken rowdies in.front of O'fialloran's. I do not profess to be exceedingly religious myself, but it appears to me to be hardly the place to hold forth on sacred subjects. A few nights ago a beary individual came up behind the reverened QQ-e~tb.en.iri the midst of a prayer—and struck him on the head with'his open hand, and several Maoris amused themselves fry mimicking the gesticulations of the man of God. ~ Beligiously disposed men must have considered the scene most .shameful.—"Verdant" in the Miner.