SWITZERS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 178, 6 July 1871, Page 6

SWITZERS.

'- (F.rom. our own Correspondent.)

'"We have hepn. £avxiure<2 with unusually fine weather for this season of the . year* but now and then we have been \ reminded that it was the mincer season by & fall-of snow, that was immediately succeeded by a fall of rain, rapidly " clearing the hills and' causing a rush of •water to our' creeks and rivers, and with it disaster /to all efforts at bridge building. The present week the weather has feeen rather changeable, although frost has somewhat predominated: The week commenced with frost'; On morning we had a J fall"of' snow, after which frost came, ." keeping it to the hills perforce, but the ' solar' rays have been too powerful for it in the low country. So far, the ' rivev workers are inspired 'with hdpe.' Persons who have bedn in th 6' province . since the gold era affect to see a resemblah.ee 4 in -the present wintei to that of "'62, when Hartley and Riley were foHunate for themselves and" also for the country in directing the people to a Vast ,'fp\yrcf> of wealth. Let us hope "that^fc^jl continue like that winter, for t^h^"benetit of all who have constantly watched the fttrful waters of the Molyueux. Our dismay hajs been in some raea-/ sure removed by the information your piper confc-tini of the result of the reviaioa- court held at Roxburgh. We did 'expect that the powerful influence of Missr.s. Bradshaw' anl Brown would have 'obtained for Us a revision court at Bwitzet-a';. f tiling to 'do so, "we were anticipAjiing the worst results, as no one

was appointed to represent this part of "the country, aW the distance was too great for electors to go to prove, their claims— hence,, in our minds,," the .feelings of surprise and. pleasure- quickly succeeded each other when the news .came that but few; objections were allowed. This annual tampering with the electoral rolls will be the means of causing an earnest agitation' in favour of electoral reform. Manhood suffrage, with ' registration, after residing in a district for three months, ought to be sufficient qualification. As it is at present, the property gives the franchise — the man is nowhere, except in name. The few miners residing at the Whitecombe and the surrounding neighbourhood, I am informed, are doing fairly, for these moderate times. Sufficient gold is obtained to induce them to remain .in that high region during the most inclement weather. Very few of the workings are of an extensive character, being generally what may be termed fossicking about the points and sidelings of spurs and the small gullies. Those persons who have been residing there for sdme time and are acquainted with the different localities are doing very well. Strangers, as a rule, do very little. Two men who are working together, little more than a weeek ago, had two nuggets, one weighing loz. 2dwts., the other 7dwts., and 24dwts. fine • gold for a week's work. The prospector at the rush halfway between Switzers and the Whitecombe, to which I referred in my last letter, is still doing very well. He sold a shai'e to some fortunate person for the sum of £35, who has already realised, I am informed, the price of his share, besides wages, for the time he has been at work. They are tunnelling their claim, . Collie and party and Blackburn and party have taken up claims adjoining, aud have amalgamated to cut a water race to their claims, which they expect to have finished in a month,' when the intend to commence sluicing operations. There is another, party a few miles further up the Waikaia working in the river bed, who have a good- claim, and if the weather continues favourable for that kind of work, expect to do very well. In the summer season the people of the Whitecombe district wish to be connected with the Teviot ; in the winter season, when the OJd Man is covered with snow, and their commercial relations with the above place are cut off, they have naturally a strong feeling of attachment to Switzers. Some time ago, when the district was likely to have a permanent, connection with Switzers, some person or persons, fearful of the result, got up a petition to prevent it. There is now a petition going round for signature in favour of an alliance wich Switzers.- I hope they will at length please themselves.