Colonial.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 521, 31 October 1857, Page 4

Colonial.

THE NELSON" GOLD FIELDS

(Prom the Examiner, Oct. 17.)

Aokeee Diggings.—There is little doing, we find, at. the diggings in the Aorere at present, owing tothe quantity of rain which has fallen lately, and the swollen state of the rivers. Notwithstanding, this, the diggers are in excellent spirits; and those who have claims appear quite content to wait for the falling of the

waters, assured that, with fine weather, they will be fully recompensed for their present loss of time. These remarks apply to the Slate and Boulder rivers, and to another large tributary of the Aorere still higher up the stream, where good indications of gold are said to exist. Wakapuaka.—Gold has been found during the last few days in a gully at the back of the hills above Dodson's gully. Several parties are at work there, and five ounces of gold had been obtained.

Takaka Diggings.—The following letter from Mr. Taylor to a friend has been handed to us for publication :—

" Takaka Valley, Oct. 9, 1857. " I embrace the earliest opportunity to inform you of the progress of the Anatoki Diggings since my last letter. We have had several parties from the Slate River that have rich claims in that locality, but which, like those of the Anatoki, are under water, and at this unfavourable season of the year are not workable. Every individual found gold in his prospecting peregrinations, but owing to the vast quantity of snow oh either side of the gorge, which is melted and brought down by the least rain imaginable, fills the bed of the river, causing it to rise, and thereby stops the progress of the diggers. In such cases they have to wade up nearly to their chins in some parts in snow water, so as to evade their being "jammed." probably for a week, without a "tucker." Under these circumstances, there has literally been no digging, but any amount of "fossicking," (». c., seeking the precious metal with a pocket knife); however, every one that I have spoken to, is of opinion that gold exists in large quantities in the bed of the river, could they only get at it; but of course it would be futile to attempt banking or damming at this precarious season of the year; however, there is this to be said, that a veritable gold river has been found in the Takaka valley, -which may be the precursor of others in the same locality, and such will ere long be fully developed, so soon as the' freshets or floods subside. Kopeei, Romaeka, and Richmond, natives, are "knocked up" with the cold and wet, but others are shepherding their claims until the dry weather sets in, for the natives seem to have great confidence in the future prosperity of the Anatoki and Takaka diggings. We have now two stores upon the Long Plain, namely, Messrs. Skeet and Handcock's and Messrs. Gwillim and Millington's, which will suffice for the present wants of the diggers until the river be more practicable for working. It seems that my letters in Nelson savour of dubiousness; if so,>*l must refer to Messrs. Drew, Lockhart, Hooper, and Smith, (master^ of the Ann,) all of whom have seen samples of the gold in the possession of the natives and others, stated to have been found in this district. For my own part, lam not the man to raise doubts and fears in the face of realities—" gui scrupulos injicere solet." .; I am, &c, I George Taylor. \