WAITAHUNA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 204, 28 December 1871, Page 6

WAITAHUNA.

(From our own Correspondent.)

During the latter part of last, and the early part of this, week we were visited by strong gales of wind which have carried destruction in their path, levelling fences, shingles, pailings, and in^s, andoccasional sheets of iron whirling through the air like kites, and stripping "the trees, not only of their fruit, but, in the more exposed situations, ot their branches also. What with the frosts, long drought, and lastly, the late heavy gales, the yield of fruit in this district will be small compared to what it promised to be two months .earlier. Many of our small settlers have for some time past devoted a deal of attention to properly preparing of the ground, and the planting out of trees, and had been looking forward to the fruit season, with the hope of receiving some remuneration for their outlay. These hopes have been dispelled, as their gardens which were, from the number of heavily laden trees they contained, looking well, are now, from the above causes, little better than wastes The ground, is covered with windfalls which have not, in many instances, become sufficiently perfected (particularly the apples) to bo worth gathering.

Many of our miners are off to town to spend their holidays, wl ile many more who would like to go remain behind, for the strongest of all reasons, the want of cash.

Two tons of quartz from the Junction Reef (a trial crushing) were carted over to the Table Hill Quartz Mining Company's machine last w.eek to be crushed ; but as work was suspended there last Thursday and will not be resumed till after the New Tear, and, as- those who understand the working of the machine are likely to be absent during the holidays, it is doubtful whether it has, as yet, been passed through the mill. . With referpnee to Cameron's Gully Reef (as I will call it until I hear that it has received another name from the prospectors) to which I I alluded last week little can be said, further than that one or two claims ! have been marked off on it, in "ad-, ! dition to those mentioned by me previously. The water races, which carry the supplies to Manuka Creek are completely dry, I hear ; while the racea j running into the Waitahuna Qully fare almost; ift tl»e*Bame £&$?; „