WEST COAST GOLD-FIELDS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 313, 9 October 1865, Page 2

WEST COAST GOLD-FIELDS.

ARRIVAL OF THE WALLABY WITH 7400 OUNCES. MORE GOLD FOB SHIPMENT AT THE GREY AND HOKITIKA. GOLD FINDING AT JACKSON’S BAY. , NEW BUSH TO BRUCE BAY. ALLEGED GREAT RICHNESS OF TEE FIELD. [From tne Nelson Colonist. September-29J The s.s. Wallaby arrived at Nelson from HoMtika early on Sunday morning, after a good passage. She brings 7400 ounces of gold for , the Bank of South 'Wales and the Bank of New Zealand. The

manager of the Union Bank of Australia did not send his, but it is understood that he had about 4000 ounces for shipment. We are informed that there are somewhere •bout '9OOO ounces in the hands of the bankers at at the Grey river.

The steamer Alhambra, in going “ south about,” from Hokitika to Dunedin, had to seek shelter in Jackson’s Bay, on the 17th instant, and while lying there in comparatively smooth water, Capt. M’Lean. landed with a small party, and on reaching the shore he found four diggers at work on ,the beach. They were by no means coramunica;tive as to their success, and indeed wonldgive little or no'information, but there is no doubt whatever, in the minds of the party from the ship, that the men were getting gold. Further evidence of this was to be found in the fact that the diggers had despatched a small vessel to bring them provisions, which showed that there was something to Be found worth their staying for in the district Captain M’Lean supplied the men with sufficient stores to keep them until their own arrived.

The stay of the Alhambra’s party was but short, but there was sufficient time for some of them to try a few dishes of the washdirt, and the result, though roughly enough arrived at, was a few grains to each dish. There is thus ocular evidence of a gold-field in this district, which may attract many thousands to it during the coming summer.

The nyer, which empties itself into the bay, is described by the diggers as being “ a good-sized stream, capable of admitting vessels of ordinary draught of water.” This means, probably, that it is quite sufficient for steamers such as those which now cross the bars of the Hokitika and the Grey.