AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 648, 18 October 1851, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

A report was circulated at Auckland, that gold had been discovered at Hokianga, and that the Lieutenant-Governor had received a letter, stating that gold had not only been actually found ; but that a sale to the extent of £5O had been effected. The following account of this story is extracted from the Southern Cross:— “In tracing this report, it appears that a letter from a native had been received by Mr. M nite of this town, and, as far as we understand the story, to this effectA person returned from California had been exhibiting a specimen of California gold. Upon seeing it, a native woman said she knew where she could get plenty like it, and went to a lake at Mawee, from whence she returned with three pieces of metal. According to the statement of the letter, this bad been submitted to the proper test, and pronounced to be gold, of which £5O worth were sold.—According to a subsequent statement, it is affirmed that the metal submitted to the test was pronounced to be mundic: but on endeavouring to elucidate theground for the rumoured sale, we could grasp nothing calculated to explain that mystery. Indeed if the metal be not gold, we believe the natives will be grievously disappointed, as we understand they are not only fully impressed with the reality of the discovery, but have moreover called a meeting of the tribes to determine what is best to be done in the matter. Whether it be gold, or only mundic that has been discovered, will soon be known, as his Excellency tne Lieutenant-Governor, with praiseworthy promptitude, despatched messengers at once to ascertain the truth.”