THE THAMES GOLDFIELD.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 403, 14 November 1868, Page 6

THE THAMES GOLDFIELD.

A "Westportian has a letter from a friend at Shorthand, to this effect: —

" You say that, perchance, you might come to Auckland. Let me tell you that things are very dull on the Thames at the present time. Business on the Thames will be soon over-done —that is to say, in the town of Shortland. I think I told you in some of my previous letters, that the only chance that there is on the Thames, is to take up shares, and to sell out to the Auckland people, but the time has now arrived when you cannot sell. No; you cannot give shares away. Shares for which, three months ago, you could have got a hundred pounds, will not new bring five shillings. The Auckland people have bought shares, and spent their money, and have got no returns as yet, nor have they much

prospect of getting any ; so that, except at a few claims; work is at a standstill.

"As for West Coast men, they had no business to come here without plenty of money, avd then they could • •iily spend it. If you know of any of them coming, tell them to put the price of their -money away, so as to are hundreds here who would bice to return, if they could only get the ' sugar.' " lou ask me if there is no chance of storekeeping. There is no chance at present. The country is not opened yet. Yesterday a steamer left Shortland for an excursion trip up the river Thames. She took two hundred diggers, but the Natives would not allow them to take any tools, for the purpose of prospecting. The country Ohinomuri—is situated sixty miles from Shortland. If tiierc is gold got there, there will be a chance for storekeeping, but not until then. The Auckland people think that there is any amount of gold all over the country, but they really know little about gold or golddiggers. " I hope you will not have to como here, as I do notthink you will like the style of business in this couutiy, where they cut things very line. The upcountry will do for a few months, but if they get no gold, you know the result. Wages are down to £1 10s a week, and hard to get at that."

THE LATE EARTHQUAKE IN TAEANAKI. The late earthquake seems to have been felt much more severely at Tarajiaki than in any other part of the colony, and several persons were heavy losers by the accidents it caused. Messrs Humphries and Hon, chemists, had all their bottles smashed ; and through the different fluids mixing, it was doubt ul, at one time, whether the place would take tire or not. Mr Hood is a great loser ; most of his stock of wines aud spirits, which he had rscently bottled, were smashed to atoms, besides his shop windows,, crockery, &c, being destroyed. Mr Gilmourhas suffered considerably from breakage and goods spoiit. Sir Callaghan has had a large amount of crockery and glassware knocked down and broken, and his oven cracked ; but to enumerate loss would occupy pages ; there was no one who was not a sufferer mure or less. As for chimneys, there is scarcely one that is not down or considerably damaged ; one gentleman's chimney fell in on him and bis wife while in bed ; and another, who is an invalid, had his bed shifted fully six inches by the first shock, and immediately after a large picture fell, which was hanging over his head, anTl but for the movement of the bedstead must have been instantanteous death to him. In Brougham-street a stone house fell in, almost burying the wife and child of a soldier named Regan. They were, however, providentially rescued from the debris.

During the whole of Monday, and Monday night, an almost constant pulsation of the earth was felt, with shocks more or less severe at intervals. From Monday night at 10 o'clock till Tuesday morning at 8, we believe twelve distinct shocks of earthquake were counted ; the earth's surface, in the interim, being convulsed by a continual palpitation, plainly perceptible when lying down. During the whole of Tuesday shocks were felt; and on Wednesday morning at about 7 a.m., a smart one was noticed, bringing down one or two chimneys that had suffered by the heavy shock of Monday morniner.

There have been several landslips in different parts of the province caused by the earthquake, and on Mount M'Cormick, where the observatory stands, the earth has cracked in three or four places. £3OOO, we fear, will not cover the entire loss.