CALEDONIAN.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 268, 10 June 1868, Page 2

CALEDONIAN.

(FROM OUR OWJf CORBESPOKDEIfT) 9th June, |IS6B.

I visited the Caledonian yesterday, and find the news of the rush not true, the only way in which the report could have been circulated is this. Several parties have been prospecting about thejCalodonian for the past five or six weeks, one of those parties, Evans and Co., applied for protection for a water-race which had been abandoned some time since, and stated that they had got an indication of gold. The ground where those men are is about one mile and a-half from German terrace at the other side of the Orawaite, and in a line with Deadman's Creek. Further than this nothing has occurred to corroborate the report of a new terrace being found out. At G-erman terrace several men went out to this ground, but came back saying it was of no consequence. Messrs Langrishe and party are putting up some small stampers for crushing their tailings on German terrace. Messrs Bastard and party of the deep shaft are making a tunnel eleven hundred feet long for the purpose of working out their claim. It will take them about two months and a-half to complete this tunnel. Grerman terrace is now producing gold over twelve months, and the population around it is about one hundred and fifty men who are all, I may say, making wages. The track to the Caledonian at present malting does not come nearer to G-erman terrace than abovit one mile and the inhabitants very naturally wish that they should participate in the same advantage as their friends on the Caledonian, and are crying out for a branch track to be brought from Loug's acco-modation-house, which would place them in easy distance of town, and be in a direct line towards "Westport. They say that it would bo preferable to them if the track came from Long's

than if the track, now making, was extended from tho Caledonian over to German terrace. They also think after tho amount of gold the ground lias produced, tho least they could have would bo a branch of the present track brought to them, and state that if the track was extended from tho Caledonian, it would be much out of their way . when going to the Buller. On the other hand the Calodonian men do not wish the track to be made from Long's to German terrace, they want the present track oxtended to German terrace, which will enable their friends to come into the township easily, and proceed from there to the Buller, they also say the packers would much prefer it. Certainly I must admit the nearest point for the track to reach the German terrace would be the Caledonian township, and I hope to see the German terrace men have the advantage of a track, one way or another. The Caledonians have acted on Mr Brennan's suggestion, and have let the making of the streets to a contractor at £5 per chain. This act stamps them at once as a go-a-head, independent class of people, who can help themselves if nobody else will. They have made up the funds for this work amongst the different traders in the township, and it shows that when they got the benefit of a track from the Commissioner they were not long in making it still further useful to themselves, and the general public. A meeting will be held on Thursday evening, at the Nelson Hotel, Mr Steel's, for the purpose of soliciting pecuniary aid for the Westport Hospital. The inhabitants appear to have taken the matter fully in hand, and I am sure the Caledonian will not be the least in coming forward to the support of an institution which, I may say, is the duty of every man in the district to maintain. Hospitals at home and in the colonies are dependent more or less on the voluntary contributions of a generous public, and when we see the energy our Charleston friends display in collecting funds for their institution, by means of balls, raffles, &c, it ought to be a strong incentive to us in this neighborhood to aid the committee in their praiseworthy and charitable efforts to sustain with comfort to the patients, the Westport Hospital. Mining operations on Ballarat Terrace continue the same, work going on vigorously. On Poverty Terrace there are, I regret to say, some few complaining, that have only recently come on a bottom, but in all diggings this will occur. Certainly, working for a few mouths and getting no return is pretty hard, and I may say aggravating, when the next claim is making a handsome thing of it.

I observe the Messrs Brennan and Byrne have made an addition to their hotel in the shape of a sitting-room and additional bed-rooms. Anyone visiting the Caledonian -will find the Australasian an exceedingly comfortable place to put up at. It was after four o'clock, or I should say near five o'clock, when I left the Caledonian last evening and by the time I reached Long's, very near dark, however I did not ask for a candle but went on hoping the night would be clear. I returned the way I came and got out on the pakihi to the right, thus avoiding the bush for some distance. On my again going into the bush I found I had not the right track, and also that it was very dark. I made a half circle as well as I could to come on the muddy track, and had succeeded as I thought, when going on for some time I heard a cooey which I most promptly answered, and at no great distance found three diggers returning from Westport to the Caledonian, they heard me floundering in the mud and thought perhaps I was going wrong, as they had been sitting down for some time waiting for a mate that was coming on. They informed me I was on the wrong track, and very kindly gave me half a candle they had and some matches ; one of them remarking that a friend was at times better than money, in which in this instance I fully concurred. Several people have been out all night through going on wrong track just at this point. I thanked the men who were so kind, as I told them, I may have been out all night which they also thought, and directed me to stick to the mud and I would go on all right, cer tainly not very clean advice, but the best under the circumstances. I hope the track will soon be finished, as its wants are every day becoming more apparent.