352 TiMEHRI. 



First and most important of all, is the difficulty and 

 tediousness of the existing state of communication 

 between the settled parts of the Colony and the diggings. 

 To this is due in a great measure another cause, the 

 general ignorance that prevails, from amongst the highest 

 to the lowest classes, but chiefly amongst the former, of 

 the conditions of, and the circumstances attendant on^ a 

 life in the bush. In consequence of this ignorance, the 

 general idea is that the bush is a dreadful region, full of 

 alarms of fever, and the haunt of Death in many and 

 varied forms. A further cause, due to inadequate means 

 of communication, is the high price of labour at the 

 fields, for it is, or used to be regarded as mildly heroic 

 to venture on a life at the diggings ; to face the falls 

 in the various rivers and the death-dealing (?) climate of 

 the forest-clad country, where, up to the present 

 the gold has been found. The same may be said 

 as regards the employment of the horde of rascals who 

 have from time to time been deputed to manage the 

 affairs of those too timid to face the forest life, and who 

 have been content to continue to labour at a small wage 

 in the civilised distridls, whereas by a bush life they might 

 have had the condu6l of their own affairs at a much 

 higher rate of remuneration, receiving at the same time 

 the satisfa6lion of eye-witnesses that their affairs were 

 carried on in such a manner as they themselves could 

 approve. 



The extremely unsatisfa6lory condition of the labour 

 market is one of the chief disabilities under which the 

 Industry at present suffers. It is due in a great 

 measure, to the natural disposition of the labourers 

 themselves, who, though as a rule possessed of great 



