NELSON.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 253, 17 April 1865, Page 2

NELSON.

i . Thh Executive Council.—From the Colon id p/,,tlie 4th inst. we learn that His Honor tbs Superintendent Las appointed Henry Adams, 'Esq., to be Provincial Solicitor - John Poynter’ Esq., to be Provincial Treasurer ; and Alfred Greenfield, Ksq, to be Provincial Secretary ; that Henry Eedwood, jun.,,Jias been appointed- a mepa ber of the.'Extsmftfre Co uucll of the province. The, Executive Council of the province, it is stated, will mdet for the despatch of business on thefirst and third Tuesday in every month. Latest the-West Coast Goldfields.— The localsteamers, Wallaby and Nelson, arrived from the Okifiki oy Saturday, bringing together 92' passengers,' The Wallaby brought '2BSS~ blthoes of''gold; and the'NelsOn 154, all of which '■was■ entered at the Customs; but .there were sundry smalleV quantities in the possession of the passengers,- of which there wasTro official account. The excitement appears to ' have considerably abated, and the return stream of diggers has begun to set in. The Alhambra left the Okitiki, going‘’ south about” for Otago, and-arrived at Port Chalmers on Friday with a large number of returned diggers an hour or two ? before the departure of the Titania, which arrived here yesterday afternoon from Of age, bound for the Okitiki' with seventy-four diggers on board. The Titania expected a lull compliment of passengers, but the arrival of the Alhambra with so many returned men,' conveying what was deemed discouraging news of worked out ground, and difficult country, deterred many'intending passengers. We learn that great numbers are returning .overland to Canterbury and Otago; and in the town of Okitiki itself there are at present fully 3000 men “ hanging about” and doing nothing, which, gays our informant, “is by ho means a healthy sign.” Numbers of those who have returned report that new arrivals are disappointed, because after travelling about considerable distances they find only large tracks of worked-out ground. This is the shadv side of the picture: but even those who return admit that gold is to be found almost everywhere about, but they will not be content with small gains. Hence the return of many. The yield of gold seems fair, but in consequence of the numbesr who are going to and fro it is difficult to judge of the population, and the con-sequent-gain per man. There is the fact .which should be considered in attempting an approximate computation of this Lind, that several*thousands are remaining in the town, doing nothing, the'difficulties of opening new country appearing to deter these from working. Many are waiting the reports of prospecting parties, and-ihe evil of idle diggers lingering about the township will speedily c.ure itself, for on a gold field, with its high prices, it is far too cosily ah amusement for the majority who have means, ami those who have not will be compelled to make trials, ho.vever grpat the obstacles to be -overcome. Okitiki has. suddenly sprung up into a pretty large, town. It exhibits many large and handsome buildings, with good fronts, and to see it by night, says a correspondent,' “ its long main street brilliant with tee light Of many kernsiue lumps, and busy with the hum of thousands of voices, no one would suppose that literally but yesterday it was an untrodden wilderness.”— Colonist.-.