The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 514, 7 October 1857, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times.

Wednesday, October 7. We give insertion in another part of to-day's issue to a letter on the subject of the Nelson Gold-fields, written by a gentleman who has. visited those diggings during the past month. The writer has given his name, and is pretty well known among us. We need only say, with reference to the reliance that may be placed, not only upon his statements but on the opinions offered by him, that the fact of his being well acquainted with the Australian gold-fields, with which country he is connected more than with any part of New Zealand, ensures at once impartiality and knowledge of the subject. We call particular attention to this letter, as well for its intrinsic value as from the circumstance that this is the first occasion upon which we have admitted into our columns any statements or opinions about the Nelson gold-fields except such as our contemporaries in the neighbouring provinces are responsible for.

Mr. Lamb's account, it will be seen, is'riot a favourable one. The weather at the time of his visit was most inclement; so much so as to prevent both working and travelling. This very cause brought the diggers together, and gave opportunities of hearing from themselves the narrative of their fortunes at leisure. "Some had drawn prizes ; but many of these had been on the field from the first, had spent their money, and gone heavily into debt, from which the turn of fortune in their favour for the first time .released them. There must have been

many who spent their money, got into debt, and met- no turn of fortune. The tendency to exaggerate, of course, swells the few favourable accounts, while the aggregate of losses which are going on fr°m day to day can never be ascertained. We beg our fellow settlers' serious attention to the statement made by Mr. Lamb, after careful examination, that there is a very great proportion of blanks to a few lai'ge prizes. There is a great deal of gold in the district; all accounts agree so far. But it is the experienced miner, or the patient laborious man who can submit to lengthened toil to gain experience, who only can calculate upon remunerating himself. He who gains a prize entirely disproportioned to his exertions is but one among a thousand of the remainder. Will any man who seriously sets himself to earn his livin 01 venture to run the hazard of wretchedness °for the chance of a prize? How much less should any man with a reasonable prospect of success in the line of life he has already taken np abandon it for such a hazard. Gold digging is much like any other trade, suited to those who understand it, an opening for the enterprizing who have to choose an employment, but not to be lightly taken in exchange for certainty and comfort. In Canterbury we are too busy, too well employed to be led away. Should the diggings come to us we shall be delighted to have that additional field of industry for our increasing population.