NELSON.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 47, 22 May 1862, Page 6 (Supplement)

NELSON.

Xflsox Wi-:st Coast Diggings.— By the following extract Imm tlie kelson Examiner of the •50th April, it will he soon flint- these -1 ;a'- : : ■ are turning out most successful;—“Thearrival ;I K ‘ Oiuxif yesterday from the River Duller w ii’n E 07.-. of gold, shows that- the West Coast. gold fields arc progressing satisfactorily ; and wc hear on pood authority that a considerable quantity of gold remains in the hands of the diggers' particularly the natives, there being no one on the spot in a position to purchase if. The number of diggers on the West Coast scarcely exceeds GO, so that wo have a pretty good proof of the richness of this gold-held. There is a strong disposition on the part of many of the diggers to purchase land and settle in the district.” Bullcr River, April 20, 1862. I have been with a party to prospect the West Wanganui gold-fields. I "must say that on my first landing p was much dissappoi'nted with the general aspect of the country; it seemed to possess no perceptible object to make one judge that it contained a gold deposit. Subsequent experience proved the correctness of my first impression. e got the colour of gold everywheie that we tried on the banks of the Karamea, hut nothing more, and in tlie crocks running into this river we found absolutely not hing. The weather was remarkably line, so we had the opportunity of trying this district well. 11 e were dissappointed and sorry because the more gold-fields are discovered the greater inducement to try them and the greater amount of gold is yielded. We, of course, were not of the class which, having discovered a payable claim, say the country does not yield gold in order to keep away all other gold seekers. The Karamea will, I have no doubt, pay the Maori, but I do not think it will ever become what may be styled a really good gold-yielding district. Prom the Bullcr I am happy to say that the vessel now leaving will take above 720 ounces of gold, so that, much has it was despised, (his district. lias shown that it contains gold in quantity. Several of our lucky diggers are going to Xelson by this boat, and I can assure you they have done well. Their intention is to buy allotments of land in this district, if any be open for sale, . and to return again as speedily as possible. The specimens of gold taken by some of them are really beautiful, and will, I think of themselves sufficiently plainly demonstrate the value of this district as a gold-field. The country contains plenty of gold and requires but opening, in order to become a richly yielding gold-field. We had a fatal accident hero, by which a man named R. Clarke was drowned, lie bad gone out at night for the porpose of catching cels, and, not clearly knowing where he was going, got into a deep hole with an eddy and was drowned. His mates who were close by did not hear him call, and could not see him. The following morning when they went to look for him they' found his dead body close by where tliey had camped. Most of the diggers are now going back to the Bullcr river, for the winter, though the Wainion* garoha has certainly, as yet, yielded remarkably well.