THE ROUNDHILLDIGGINGS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2835, 29 February 1888, Page 3

THE ROUNDHILLDIGGINGS.

The Chinese Diggers.

Are there any European miners at Round Hill? Yes, a few; under 20, perhaps—not doing much; never have; seem to have had a run of ill luck, but they have a water race that is a success as far as it goes; but it is wanted to go further, and it would pay, and that handsomely, to carry it further, but the European miners think the Government should help them. There is a sludge too; here good work will be done in time; think it wants Government help likewise. What a humiliating position we have brought ourselves to, and the barbarian is getting the gold. And now let us turn to a people who know no Government i.e., the Chinese, and see what they are doing. Between Riverton and Orepuki, some thirty and forty miles from Invercargill, is situated the diggings known as the Round Hill. The field is almost, well, one might say wholly, in the hands of the Chinese; tliey number about 350. While some of them are employed at various handicrafts, the greater number are digging, say 300. To say that they are doing well would be sayiug very little.. They wash up every three months, and their last washing took place about ten days ago; on this ocoasion the matter was the more noticeable because of it being the occasion of the Chinese New Year when John indulges _ vory largely, goes the whole hog, in fact. Well the washing up of these Chinese miners on this occasion gave over two thousand (2000) ouueos; this is a matter of certainty; no one has any

doubt about it, and even this does not represent the whole produce of the field for the time mentioned, as many small parcels are sold and find their way to Eiverton, Invercargill, and Dunedin without any question arising as to where they come from, Bound Hill is a regular Chinese camp, •' The only hotel is kept by a Chinaman. These Chinamen work hard, but they are a bad lot, even for Chinamen. For European civilization, Chinese habits and customs on the Hound Hill Diggings have a dark side. Their thieving and gambling is bad enough, but worse remains behind, for on these diggings there are dark shadows flitting about, the very sight of which must make even the dullest mind pause and think, and cease to wonder at the lesson which history has taught us. How possible is it for these barbarian hordes of the East, when once they are permitted to advance and get a foothold, to quickly destroy the most perfect' form of civilisation.-Weekly Press,