I'm sick 7 p.nd tired' of this tropical climate, and though the place.-is^flourishing,—per- ; haps better than any other'goldfield in ', v the 1 colonies—the discomforts 'are so great thai; I have 4ei't my wife and : family in Melbourne, and I shall, as '• soon as this bore is finished, make an / endeavour to get employment in ; a place where the average heat' is less than, that of Charters : Towers by (a v 10t..'" "At. .the present. time we are almost isolated from the rest of the workl Our rainy season commenced about a fortnight ago and last evening the river Burdekin (about 10 miles from - her!) was flooded to ;, such a ; degree that the-water is 50 feet over the : railway-bridge, and : such a current ; is' driving that the "; boats have ceased: to bring over pro-- duce and heavy 'goods. Potatoes; ,; what few there are. in the .Towers, are : worth los per quartercwt. /Vegetables, ! are the principal things that, are really dear, and as the river'falls even quicker;'> than it rises, I have no doubt,l as the ? weather is breaking, that things will -} : reach their normal condition in. a few;.; ■ clays again. I'll send you a piece of ; v ; the next core raised (below 2000 feet) : : V as a curid. I fancy Sir James Hector ; ; would admit his error if he saw the ;;< reefs here that:; already have; been ■ ;;; proved. to live in granite to over 2000 /; feet, and strong iti bottom still. The ,; New Brilliant Extended cut the Brilv; ■; liaut reef- at 201*5 feet, and ham /; opened out at 2000 and 1900 feet : o with such good results that shares,- ;:;- (200,000) have reached I.oa and flue- ; ; ;• £; nuate between 10s arid 95.. I think '>U this mine'will be another Mills .United -ft —the best claim liere. It paid over v;: £100,000 in dividends last year. Reefs": : here lie pretty flat,.with'adipof about>s| 20 to 25 degrees,; have a good-chariceifrt-grjeaß^dept^|@;

MoKiii ii, mi

(PHE THAMES ADVMSift,



SHIPPING ,r '' , - ,<' _ w \TOETIIERN STEAM- SHIP COMPANY. (UXIIWD), J»*«SiS| tiuktabl£"marim. if Weather and otker ciroumituncei peralttiHff.) , FROM QUEEN STREET WHABF. AUCKLAND. POS RUSSELL, WHANGAEO'A, AND MANGONUI. 