LATEST FROM THE WEST COAST.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 302, 31 August 1865, Page 2

LATEST FROM THE WEST COAST.

NELSON GOLD-FIELDS. ARRIVAL OP 5,200 OUNCES AT NELSON. GEEAT ADVANCE of the GEEY DIGGINGS. FORMATION op the TOWN OF “COBDEN" ON THE NELSON SIDE. 200 POUNDS WEIGHT op GOLD BROUGHT DOWN THE EIVEE. [Tram the Nelson Colonist, August 22. J The s.s. Eleanor arrived at Nelson on Saturday, 19th August, from the Grey, bringing 1050 ounces from the diggings on that river. A large quantity Of gold, in addition to this, is held in hand there, and much has also gone down to Hokitika. The William Miskin arrived from Hokitika yesterday morning, with 4150 ounces. J The news from the Grey is of great importance, and is given in full detail in the special letters which we publish below. Captain M’Lean, of the Eleanor, which left on Wednesday, reports that there had been heavy north-east weather at the Grey, with snow, which continued for three days. He also reports that the City of Nelson, Flying Squirrel, Cymraes, and Jane Ann had gone into the Grey, and were there when he left. We learn from the same authority that on Wednesday morning Batty’s canoe came down the river Grey, having on board 200 Pounds Weight op Gold ! From the information contained in the annexed letters it will be seen that his Honor the Superintendent, the Gold Warden, the Surveyor, and the staff of other officials of the province, are wdrking with assiduous earnestness to establish order, and forward, as much as possible, the public works which are required. * There are at present in Nelson from 150 to 200 diggers, from Sydney, Otago, &c., many of whom purpose going overland to the Grey. ' From a private letter, dated 13th instant, wo make the following extracts: — Cobden, Grey River, August 13,1865. The appearance cf the Grey river is surprising and cheering, compared with my former experience of it. On the south bank several stores and houses erected, or being erected, giving the appearance of arising township, commonly called Waite Town, but to be altered to “ Greyniouih ” by the Canterbury Government. On the Lagoon is Blake Town, where a small street of stores is formed fronting the landing-place, and where ’ swarms of boats and canoes ply for hire. There are lota of ferry bouts on the Grey licensed by the Canterbury Government at £5 a-year! Charge at ferry, 25., and across a neck of the lagoon between Greymouth and Blaketown is another ferry Is. Here, however, a rough bridge is being built by some speculators for foot passengers. The superintendent and other members of the Nelson Government party have settled themselves down on the north bank : the Government houses lately put up being their head-quarters. Mr Brunner, the chief surveyor, has laid off a great portion of township, and is still going on with it. They hare sold upwards of thirty business licences for this town.

The clearing of certain portions of the streets has been let by contract, in order to give a frontage to the allotments and to form a road, for it is all dense bush on our side of the province, and I understand the Government are preparing other contracts of the same kind. ° Mr Blackett, the Provincial Engineer and Gold Warden, measured off the ground for an extension of the present wharf, and I hear is preparing plans and specifications for it. We have no good natural landing-place on our side, but can get a good deep water frontage to a wharf, which everyone expects shall soon command traffic and busineßS - . J - f - liere is an evident disposition to come to this side on the part of many, and of course the wish is to foster and encourage this, by improving the place as rapidly as possible. 6 The Grey has great capabilities, both in the way of coal and land, and timber and gold, and I believe that once set steadily going it will go ahead and prosper. There are numbers of sawyers in the bush, and boat building is going on to a large extent; the principal use of them is to take goods and passengers to the Twelve-mile township—the landingplace for going to the diggings. At the Twelve-mile, which his honor the Superintendent, the Gold Warden, and also Messrs Barnicoat and Baigent, have personally visited, there are about fifty or sixty stores raged along a narrow winding crooked street, not more than eighteen or twenty feet wide, and placed in all sorts of positions. From this place the diggings in Maori Gully are distant about eight miles, and beyond that is Red Jack’s Gully, another good diggings. It is very difficult to get at the number of men on the diggings, but you may judge it to be great by the number of stores required, and the number of horses packing, and boats plying on the river. At Maori Gully are three townships, contain* ing, I am told, as many stores, or more, than the Twelve-mile. Business licences have been largely taken up there, and things are progressing very satisfactorily. The Government, too, is acting with vigor, and steps are being taken to set the wharf and roads at Cobden agoing, and horse bridges on the track up the Grey are also to be erected without delay as the Superintendent finds that these are much required. A deputation of storekepeers at the Twehe-mile waited on his honor the Superintendent on his arrival at Cobden, and expressed their pleasure and satisfaction at Ins appearance amongst them, aud at the promptitude with which he had come to ascertain the requirements and wants of the community.

I have learned that Mr Brunner starts with a small staff of surveyors, &c., to the Twelve-mile to-morrow, and Mr Blackett will follow in a few •days. "While Mr Blackett was first at the drey a number of diggers at the Warden’s tent, making ■enquiries regarding the new regulations. It appears that the men first on the ground marked off their claims seventy-two feet, according to the Collingwood rules; and thus excluded many who might have got a share had fifty feet been the size, as is fixed by the new regulations, complaints were numerous and loud in consequence, on the agression and about other things, giving to the spectator a vivid impression that a Warden’s life is not .a very enviable one amongst so many contending -elements. The Warden has arranged that no men should be disturbed in their claims till after Monday, 21st August, thus giving them all time to obtain miners’ rights and adjust their claims according to the new regulations. Since I arrived here the Lyttelton steamer, and brig came in one day, and three days after five vessels, viz., the Eleanor steamer, and four sailing vessels, all getting in safely; which could hardly have been the case at Hokitika, where they wreck ■three out of five in an ordinary way. There is a new rush reported south of the Hokitika, and men are now leaving here to go there. I expect, however, that new diggings will also be found on the Grey, and that there will be a reflux in the spring. We had fine weather here for a week, but the last few days we have had wet and wind, with heavy south-west squalls, mud is therefore in the ascendant, and it is a picture to see men return from working in the bush —mud up to the knees, and generally muddy all over. X hear that his honor the Superintendent is going back up the river shortly, with the intention of seeing a little more of the country before he •returns.