NELSON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 590, 30 June 1858, Page 4

NELSON.

Oar exchanges from Nelson are to the 12th Inst., but devoid of much interest. The CollingwQod correspondent of the ' Nelson Examiner,' of the 9th inst., writes as follows, in reference to the gold fields: —

It is some time since I have written anything about the diggings; I thought it better to let the excitement caused by the new rushes and discoveries subside a little, so that I might find out something authentic about them before doing so. The gold obtained from the lower right-hand "branch of the Slate fiver, commonly called the New Rush, is very heavy and of good quality.-; in some places ;it is obtained by fossicking in rthe cracks and fissures of the slate rock, and in others in the ordinary washing stuff. ' A party of four men got nine ounces in two days.

The other rush, called Snow's, is in the righthand branch of the upper forks-; here the gold •Is heavy, and appears to have travelled but & very short distance from the spot where it was originally melted, as it is not at all water worn; the pieces vary iv weight from an ounce down"wards.

Some splendid specimens of gold imbedded in sandstone were brought in by a party of men from Bedstead Gulley, and they seem confident <«f failing on something good in that neighborhood.

The Quartz Ranges are deserted, with the exception of about a dozen .men, who have stuck to them from the first, and who seemed inclined ?to do so; they say the wet -weather we have had lately.is just the thing for them.

There is a considerable number of diggers— natives—at the Para Para. The yield of gold there is perhaps not so great as In many other places, but the contiguity to Collingwood allows the 'diggers to get their -provisions, at a much cheaper rate than a,t Slate "Kiver. A party of natives "is reported to have made sis ounces before dinner the other day, -and I believeit is correct, as I had it from very good authority. Mr. How's party have expended labor to the amount of £72 in bringing water "to their claim. ..When parties go to such ex.pense, they ought to have protection^ but in the present state of affairs any other man could deprive them of their water. It is high time that *Tve had the Australian Diggers' -Regulations in ■force here.

Lightiand is out somewhere between: the Para Para arid Appoo's Plat; report says he has found a.quartz reef. Gold has been discovered in small .quantities in many places on the range of low hills running from Collingwood and dividing the Para Para and Appoo's Flat, so it is -probable some fine morning we may wake up and have a gold-field within half a mile of the port. . :

. 3sW-Port ob Extry.—We understand that -the town of Beaver, at the head of the navigation of the Ospawa river in the Wairau district, is about to be declared a port of entry. 'The -Collector of Customs at Nelson has receutlv rbeen down to the Beaver and made the necessary arrangements, which now only wait the sanction -of the Governor to be carried into effect. A -port of entry in the Wairau district has been . long wanted, and we may congratulate the inhabitants of this province upon the immediate of Its establishment, and upon the increase in the provincial revenue which -will ■-take place in consequence; as it is notorious that the great majority of British and foreign -goods consumed in the Wairau have hitherto paid duty in Wellington, the revenue of which province has^ consequently been benefited at our -expense.— Nehoii E.tttmiver, June 12.

Fatal Accident.—An occurrence took place -at the Pelorus, on Monday last, which resulted in the death of two men, named Thomas Anderson and Richard Gill. It appears that on the "25th ultimo, these two unfortunate men, in company with Patrick M'Mahon, left Nelson for the Telorus river, in the .Gazelle, a small boat of -three tons. They landed some goods at a place ■called Opai, on Sunday, the 30th-, and on the following day they tried to make the Pelorus Tiver, but as it came on to rain and blow, and as both wind and tide were against them, they stood .-across the bay, whilst doing which, Gill came ■on deck, and slipping his foot, he fell overboard Anderson immediately jumped into the water •"with the intention of rescuing his comrade, but 'they both disappeared, and were never seen •again. M'Mahon threw over an oar and some ropes, in order to assist the unfortunate men if they should rise to the surface-, but his efforts: were unavailing, ana it only remained for him to •convey the melancholy intelligenceto the authorities _at Nelson. The two unfortunate men were m the prime of life..-, they were both xm«named, and are believed to have left no relations in the colony.— Hid.