WINTWORTH Diggings. [From the "Bathiust Free Press.")

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 567, 20 September 1851, Page 3

WINTWORTH Diggings. [From the "Bathiust Free Press.")

The (ligirintjs iccenrlv opened on Mr. Wentworth's land at TtediicU's Villey, me now occupying consideiable attention, and peihnps the moie so as the public arc excluded from them. Accounts now and again reach town of (lit 1 ex laoulinary doings of the p.n tics at present employed theic, but they scive no otliei purpose than that ol exciting feelings of curiosity icspcciing a foibidden good- "Witli a stionj!; disposition to tiav el westward in seaich of golden wealth, many betake themselves to tlic soxvh, wheic. the payment of a 30s. license fre phces every man within the possibility of a1» ilhnnt reward. Thei c ai e now about filly of Mi . Wcntwoith's tenantry employed at these diggings, who pay him monthly a license of 30s. As yet the Government Commissioneish we not visited the place, although cognizant of the pioeeedings at Fredrick's^ Valley. It is .said that they arc delicate about inteifering with the diggets, on account of some uncertainty as to their power to enforce her Majesty*!, light upon private property. The two licenses of 3()s. each would not press vciy severely upon men whose earnings are go enormous as theirs arc lcporied to be, but in less productive localities their cnfoi cement would be tantamount to prohibition. Mr. Wentworth owns about GOOO acres of land in this locality, all of which is supposed to be annferous, and much of it veiy highly so. The adjoining country is exceedingly fertile, being one of the best wheat growing distiicts, titid as it is well wateicd is capable of supporting a dense population. Except on the Ophir side, and when approaching the Canoblas, it isgcncially flat, slightly undulating in places, and where not black alluvial bottoms, consists piincipally of led clay, intermixed with quaitz. Basaltic rock is also abundant in the neighbourhood. Mr, "Wentworth, we believe, placed very little value on this portion of his possessions some time ago, and it is said would have disposed of them on very easy teims. The land was principally occupied with small settlers, whose condition with few exceptions was one of great poverty. The revenue extracted from them was, theiefore, both small in amount and precarious; but under the altered circumstances of the place, the leturns are likely to become almost princely. The present number of fifty realise a yearly income of j£ J 9OO to the proprietor, which, from, present appearances, by throwing the land open to the public could he augmented to untold thousands. Amongst the miners now at woik is a party of Israelites, who netted (JO ounces last week, which they sold at £5 4s. <Jd. per ounce. "William Agland and his mate realised j£lso worth ofgoldintwo days, and a man whose name did not transpire, piocured gold to the value of £100 a day. Many otheis have been exceedingly fortunate, and we arc informed upon good authority that all are doing well. Mr. Ilargravcs returned from the "Wcntwortli Diggings on Sunday morning, and brought with him a specimen of auriferous ore, consisting of ferruginous rock, beautifully dotted with globules of gold. Judging by its appearance we should suppose its weight to be . six or seven pounds, and when assayed will no doubt yield a considerable per ccntage of metal. But what will be our readers' surprise when we inform them that this specimen was found amongst a quantity of" eaith" with which the Wellington Road, near Carioll's, at Sumerhill, had been repaiied, and that plenty more of a similar chaiacter had been found. Indeed, we hear that a poilion of the load has been torn up by the neighbours, who appear to think it a reckless waste of wealth to pave their roads with gold I But the most inteieslinjr circumstance connected with the discovciy of gold amongst ferruginous rock, is the fact that iionstonc iv all its shapes is found in very great abundance in the country stretching from the Canoblas, but to what extent it may prove to be auriferous remains to lie proved. The Wellington Digoinos. — The following par* ticulars have been communicated to us by an individual who is well acquainted with the rise, pi ogress, and probable decline of the Wellington diggings :— '< The locale, which has hitherto been kept a strict secret, is a diy creek known as Mookerwa, whose waters, when it has any, empty themselves into the Macquarie. Owing to the late rains, the creek has been running," and there has been sufficient water for washing purposes, but it is fast disappearing, and without a fuilher supply must soon become diy, so that it would be necessary to cart the earth a distance of two miles. The schist urns in. veins on the upper part ot the creek to its level, but in the lower portion it becomes a specie* of conglomerate. Mr. Alexander Ferguson, of Blnckrock, has had a party nt wotk, who have procured forty to fifty ounces of beautiful gold, consisting of small p.irlicles.