THE NELSON GOLDFIELDS.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume II, Issue 72, 6 January 1864, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE NELSON GOLDFIELDS.

The Nelson Colonist publishes an account of an exploration to the River Grey by Messrs. Hunter and McGregor, from which we make the following extracts : With respect to the diggings where we have been, I may observe that in the Matakitaki, so far as quartz and slate indicate, there is more appearance of gold in this river than in any river I have yet seen in this province. In our travels we came on many deserted camps, and frequently in gullies we found footprints in the moss, of men who had been prospecting. At one place we came on a small tent with some tools in it; a note suspended from the ridge-pole informed us that these were the property of some diggers who had gone in for " tucker." On our way back we observed that this party had two sluiceboxes at wo»*k, and were busy stripping a piece of ground. This party (Moonlight's) were the only persons we saw at work, though we were informed that one or two other parties were working ou some of the tributaries of the Matakitaki. The great complaint of diggers was, that owing to the wet they could not get to work if they found anything ; and that though there might be no rich finds, there was plenty of wages-paying ground We carried a pick and shovel with us, but prospected very little, and that in the vicinity of our camps. Our best prospect was obtained near an old camp by the junction of the main branch of the Matakitaki. The branch river itself was running deep among conglomerate boulders; but in sand and moss, in crevices, in shale rock, and above water- ' mark, we got a very good prospect of scaly gold. The gold had evidently been carried down the river, for the rock was not auriferous, and digging there, unless the river could be turned out of its channel, must be confined altogether to "fossicking." It was curious to sec specks of gold on coal rock. The conglomerate rock at no great distance told of a time when other streams ran down the hillsides from the primary rocks, carrying their golden sands with them, when the fern we now see in the shaly rock was unfolding its fronds in the sunlight of an epoch widely different from the present, or waving its graceful foliage in the wind by some placid stream of the period; and not only is " the quiet running brook now dry," but its bed forms the hard conglomerate ridge through which the river can scarcely force its way, whilst the waving fern has left its imprint in the rock for man to study and marvel at.

MOUNT BENGKR AND THE SERPENTINE VALLEY DIGGINGS. The population of the Serpentine has greatly increased, and for two days before I left, a great many were getting to work who for some time previously had done nothing but spend what money they had. On the 16th the Pony Express of Messrs Dobson and Co. arrived, and immediately set the inhabitants in a ferment by reporting a new rush in the neighborhood of the Hogburn. The man visited the store of Mr Payne, and gave him a written handbill about the rush, charging him at the same time on no account to make it public; and upon Mr Payne statinc that he should post it outside, he manifested great anxiety to have the bill returned, but did not succeed in obtaining it. The handbill stated that five hundred people were on the ground, without stores. The Hogburn deserted. Prospect, three dwts. to the bucket. Plenty of available ground, and the sinking shallow As soon as Dobson's man left the store, Mr Payne put the bill up, and about half an hour after, the man returning, saw it, and immediately tore it down and destroyed it. He did not, however, attempt to make any secret of the rush, so far as viva voce communication was concerned, and stated that he had been up all night writing the bills, which he now refused to exhibit. The following morning numbers started for the rush, but returned at the end of the week with the report:—They had proceeded to the spot indicated by Dobson's man, but were unable to find any diggings, or any place where prospecting had been done. Enraged at this they took their informant into custody with every intention, I firmly believe, of illusing him, but he managed to give them the slip, and to get away by a very clever ruse. Stating his willingness to submit to any punishment they might adjudge him, he requested to be allowed to speak privately with one of their number. This being granted, one of the men went a short distance from the crowd and turned to speak, when the extraordinary delinquent took the opportunity of putting spurs to his horse and making off. That he will ever show his face upon the Serpentine again I very much doubt. For some reason or other the Bank of New Zealand has reduced the price of Serpentine gold to £3 10s. 9d.! I need hardly say that this is giving great dissatisfaction. The miners are naturally holding back their gold in hopes of getting a better price for it, so

that the amount bought is of course greatly diminished. For all this, lam satisfied that the soil is yielding better and better every day. I visited some of the more distant portions of the district, but did not see or hear anything worthy of note. In all the neighboring gullies large numbers are at work, and nearly all are doing well. If the climate were only one-half as good as at the Teviot, the Serpentine would be a splendid place. People would settle down to work with zeal and satisfaction. It is, however, such an uncomfortable, out-of-the-world sort of place, that everybody's aim is to be out of it as quickly as possible. I saw seven ounces of gold the other day, the smallest piece of which was larger than a duckshot, while some of the large pieces weighed nearly an ounce. This was not by any means a picked sample, but appeared just as it was washed from the creek.

Upon arriving at the Teviot from the Serpentine, one feels as if he were entering another world—the weather always beautifully fine and warm, instead of the fog and perpetual rain left bchiud. The long race from the Teviot, which was commenced some two months ago, is progressing rapidly towards completion. It is a work of great difficulty, on account of the exceedingly rocky nature of the ground, and the great elevation and steepness of the hill upon which the men have to work The Pomahawka and Campbell's still carry a considerable population. Many are doing well there. —Correspondent of the Daily Times, December 29.