THE WEST COAST OF THE MIDDLE ISLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 136, 21 August 1863, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE WEST COAST OF THE MIDDLE ISLAND.

[Trom the Canterbury Press, sth August]. Fob many Weeks past reports have been stealing into the place respecting the gold on the West Coast, and the prospect of a rfish thither in the spring from other parts in New Zealand and from Australia. It is very difficult to come at the origin or at the truth of such rumors. Specimens of the gold have been brought to us, but we have no means of knowing how far such specimens indicate an abundance of the precious metal; but it is certain that several persons were on the West Coast in the course of last summer, who were prospecting for parties in Victoria and elsewhere, and who were said to have formed such favorable opinions of the prospect of the country that great numbers of diggers may be expected to resort to it in the Spring. We regard it, therefore, as highly probable that there will be a considerable rush to the whole of the West Coast, from the Nelson Province to Otago as soon as the breaking up of winter shall render the country habitable. This is a matter of great importance to Canterbury. It is not indeed likely that we shall reap much benefit in the way of trade with the West Coast. No one of course would think of sending all round the island for stores, When they can be procured so much nearer from Wellington or Nelson, and probably even more reasonably, from Melbourne; but indirectly the population of the West Coast must make a great difference to us, because in ' a gold-producing country, at least one where there is anything like the supplies of gold which Victoria and Otago have produced, the wealth created is considerably greater than is required to pay for the imports. There is in fact a considerable amount of capital saved and realized beyond the cost of producing the gold. All this capital seeks for investment, and there can be no doubt that a very large part of it will find investment in Canterbury, especially in land, should a ready means be supplied by which it will flow into the settled country this side of the mountains. No one would advocate a dray road, which could only be constructed at an enormous cost; but we do hope the Council will insist on a bridle road being carried on with the utmost expedition, so that the gold may find a free channel into the Christchurch banks. We shall never, indeed, see the same state of things which existed in Adelaide on the first breaking out of the gold-fields of Victoria, but it will make a very wide difference to this Province whether the gold is sent over by escort hither, or sent entirely to Melbourne by sea. The whole fortunes of Adelaide were changed by the establishlishment of a gold escort overland from the Melbourne diggings; and the same effects would be felt here, though in a far less degree.