Being altogether a raining commu nity, and hemmed in our out of the way nook, by snow clad mountains, we are perforce mostly all idle but with light hearts, although also (I am sorry to say) with pockets lighter still. We look forward to the coming summer as an outlet from all our difficulties. “ Hope springs eternal in the human breast,” and in none more so than in that of the gold miner. We therefore hope that, with the advent of spring a new era of prosperity will begin, and make us in a manner, forget the past few years of poverty. Oardrona, has been in existence as a gold field for the last 30 years, and yet it is strange that any passer-by will see only a little patch of old workings in the immediate vicinity of the township. Yet this is a diggings thut has produced as much gold, for the area worked, as any field in Otago. At this season of the year one is apt, while looking back on the past, and thinking what may he in store for uo in the future, to ask. why is this thus. There roust be some reason for this state of things. In cogitating on the matter those long winter nights, I have come to the con clusion that there arc two things which we have to contend with, more so than most other goldfields. One is the difficulty met in prospecting the sur rounding country, and the other is the position in which we are placed, viz , a cleft in a rock, cut oif almost from the outsido world. Now to deal with the first - of these reasons and its remedy, most miners, when speaking of the troubles they have to contend with, will either growl at the scarcity of water, or using strong language, state the country is all under water, accord ing to situation and mode of working their claims. Well both these evils are intensified here, more so than in most districts. We have no branch creeks of any consequence, running from a high level into the main stream, there fore the available water for ground sluicing our higher country, hy draulic lifting or pumping our wet ground, is very limited. 