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of persons , who despite storm and rain , in the middle of winter, 
along almost impassable roads, flocked towards the Eldorado si- 
tuated about 80 miles West of Dunedin on the Tuapeka river, 1 
established by the produce of their labour in a few months, the 
1 The following lelters received from diggers nt Tuapeka are taken from the 
Nelson Examiner: 
Tuapeka Goldfields, Aug. 1801. 
Dear Friend — I now write you a few lines about Tuapeka gold-fields, so 
that you will be able to inform your friends there from Dunedin. The roads are in 
an awful state. It takes 20 bullocks to pull one dray with a 12 cwt. load. The 
diggings lie in a gully between two ranges of hills, and a small creek runs through, 
where the diggers have their tents pitched close alongside. The gully is very nar- 
row in some places, and not over 200 yards in the widest} all the best claims are 
taken up. Any man, however, who can stand up to his knees all day in water 
can get 25 s. a day and his grub. The average findings on these diggings are about 
£2 a man per day; but there are plenty not making more than their grub, and 
there are some working for 10s. a day and their grub. There are a lew lucky 
ones making £40 per day, but that is only one party consisting of six. My ad- 
vice is for people to stay where they are for two months} this gully will then be 
worked out, and Mr. Reid says when it is he will show them another. I would 
also advise parties of six to form themselves at home, and provide themselves with 
a California pump, sluice, picks, shovels, tent, blankets, etc., and whatever they 
need in the wav of provisions can be obtained in Dunedin. I have had a cold ever 
since 1 came} at, present I would not go and dig for any man under £0 per day. 
It is killing work, and every man deserves to do well. F. B. T. 
Dunedin, Aug. 1861. 
Surprise, I expect, will be stamped on your countenance when you sec my 
letter headed “Dunedin”, but such is the case, and here I am. The day we wrote 
to you we all started for the diggings, and have been out ever since on the snowy 
ranges, lost our way, got short of food, and had to find our way back as best we 
could, nearly famished. I never went through so much fatigue and hardship in my 
life. I thought we were done for. Three days and as many nights we were forced 
to clear among the snow, which was three to four feet deep, and lie down with 
our blankets thrown over us. There was not a whole biscuit among us for the last 
two days we were out. Every man in the party (and there were 35 altogether) 
was completely knocked up, and all are either in town here or at the accommo- 
dation house, bringing themselves round again. My shoulders are cut to the hone 
carrying my swag, and all my teeth are loose with the intense frost} but my spirits 
are not a. bit broken. I feel quite sanguine, and intend going to work here at once 
for some time till the roads become practicable. The weather is very severe at the 
diggings at present, and, as I have no pump or tent, it will be just as well to wait 
two or three weeks till the weather gets fine .... The- news from the gold-fields 
is very good, but the weather severe. 1 will write to you every mail if you write 
to me} when you do so, direct your letters to the post-office, to he left till called 
for. By the next mail I will write you more fully, but 1 am now in a great hurry, 
as I am going out to see after some work. N. J. 
