OTAGO PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.

PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY.

All Public Notifications which appear in this Gazette, with any Official Signature thereunto annexed are to be considered as Official Communications made to those Persons to whom they may relate, and are to be obeyed accordingly.

JOHN L. C. RICHARDSON, Superintendent.

VOL. IV.] THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1861. [No 145.

THE LINDIS GOLD FIELD.

MR. SHORT'S REPORT TO HIS HONOR THE SUPERINTENDENT.

“Waste Land Board Office,
“Dunedin, May 16, 1861,

“In compliance with your Honor's instructions of date the 20th ultimo, respecting the Lindis Gold Diggings, I have now the honour to report, that on the 26th ult., I started from Oamaru to visit the field, which I reached on the evening of the 27th, and am of opinion that it is a payable gold field. This opinion is founded on the statements of parties who had no interest to mislead, and also on personal observation. It has been found by prospecting parties, that in the gullies on the west side of the Dunstan Ranges there was almost invariably gold obtained; and as during my visit in that quarter heavy freshets were in the creeks, which prevented digging near the Lindis, more parties were engaged prospecting than there would have been otherwise. I was enabled to arrive at more accurate conclusions by having many sources of information.

“With regard to the exact quantity of gold obtained, I could not get such intelligence as was desirable, chiefly, I believe, from some idea that they would be charged for what gold they had obtained; but I learned from one quarter that a party of three had washed 2 1/2 ounces per day for three successive days, and was informed in another that a party of two had averaged 1 ounce per day for two months. It appeared to me that those who understood the work were making wages, but many were there who evidently did not know how to begin, though much difficulty was found in getting to the rock from the flooded state of the river. The gold is found chiefly on the banks of the Lindis, but good indications are found on the flats on either side, which can be easily wrought, but pumps are required to keep the water under.

“With regard to the extent of the field, I am much at a loss, for as far as the head of the Hawea Lake the same formation is prevalent. My impression is that gold will be found in more or less quantities in all the back ranges of the Province, and I would recommend the Government to send out a prospecting party to ascertain more accurately the best locality.

“The amount of population at the diggings may be estimated at from 300 to 400 adults. It is very fluctuating, as many as 20 leaving at a time, and I met parties consisting of from 14 to 50 individuals going forward.

“There was one store on the field, but by this time I expect there will be three; their supplies are got from Oamaru chiefly, but I have been informed that goods were expected from Timaru, from which place many of the diggers had arrived.

“There was a scarcity of animal food, though a neighbouring runholder offered to supply it at 1s. per pound, which many of the diggers demurred to pay. The price of Flour in the store was £6 per 100 lbs.

“The only road at present to the diggings is by the Lindis Pass, which by the incessant traffic is very much in want of repair.

“The snow begins to fall on the higher grounds in the neighbourhood in the month of April, and continues more or less till the month of October. The frost during the winter is said to be very intense, the Lindis having been frozen over last winter, and capable