COLLINGWOOD.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 106, 26 October 1858, Page 2

COLLINGWOOD.

[from our correspondent.] 21st October, 1858. The long looked for comet has brought us 'favorable weather, and the old Maoris tell us "we are to have a fine dry summer*."" They seem to anticipate a war with. the pakehas, as a comet made its appearance .previous to' the massacre at the Wairau; but *! am a good mind not to send you any news, as I have already seiit two letters which have, never appeared. Perhaps it is because they were sent by private handy it is such frightful hard work to get to the post office." The Superintendent, by the advice no doubt of :the Executive Council, has paid lis another visit; he has been to the Trunk Lineyto Rocky River-road, and to the diggings there, and his own natural good sense has compelled him to acknowledge tiie'.existence of good j payable gold-fie'ds hore.y He visited the Rocky River Diggings,, in company with the representatives of the Press, the Inspector of Roads, and !".a member of your Chamber of Commerce. - By the by, I hope from what the last named gentleman saw, that the Chamber vyill recognise the existence of a gold-field here. ' This willperhaps, induce the Gold Bonus Committee to do the same. The Superintendent has promised to give, on the part of the Government, any amount equal to that raised..byr public subscription, for making the road from Miles' to''tho Custom House, and from Miles' up the! hili towards Appoo's Flat. It seems, although they are both trunk lines, the Executive have some scruples about making a road through privare property for the public, benefit, and therefore they only contribute one half, so that in case they are impeached by the 'Provincial Couucil, they may siy they are only half as bud as the public. What I am going to relate—if yon were the Wellington Independent you, would publish at the bottom of your leader in tremendous large type,—-.v/e'have had pipes of tobacco lately lighted amongst us by bank notes, and enjoyed champagne fu* dinner-r—the same as you do...when you give dinners .to people who are taking all the cash they, can get out of the country. A digger from Golden Gully told me his party had cleared about seven pounds weight per man by sluicing old ground there. Light, band's and Appoo's Gullies are 'looking, up, aud .there is every prospect of the diggings being better every year than they are now. On Dit. You are dullin Nelson,—trade, theatre, and even the Executive. Some, people say this last is nothing new, that it was always the case, that there is.one that can work, but is too lazy; two that won't work/ and therefore must not be' expected; whilst the poor Superintendent is wearing out shoe leather doing what a C -mmissioner of Public Works (hurrah for Dobson) ought to do. Oh, how I hate'grumbling. I write tlie fi-st thing that comes to hand; because I may be losing -a nugget or two whilst" this is iv progress ;.and it. don;t pay to think, too much. However, y the trunk line "'ol road is still going on, and so it should.;, fur though our. land system is on a rotten foundation (I mean trying to raise; a revenue from w^ste lands)', still, as it is the law, we must 4bide>by" aj.t'and .keep all we can for the province. -If the credit system had been in force, vve should have had tlie valley half peopled by this time./ Butyyou Nelson p?op!e believe in evei'yihiii'g, except what: concerns yourselves. I see..one of your enter-, prising merchants lays on a vessel for the Fitzroy Diggings (returns thence 100 ounces for 300 men per week.) She had better come over here, and we will load her with cold water; | this article being worth one shilling per bucket, amongst 300 men, wou.d leave an ample margin for a larger number. She might biing back a six and twenty Toot crocodile, on-sale or return, unless they want these useful " critturs" to work at the windlass. Many a right,man is destined •apparently.'-to leave his bones-in that country. Peoii'e say our country is inaccessible, subject to floods, and so on ;.then.the more need, say T, of the fostering care of the Government As regards yoqtselves, if you conc.utrate your energies for the promotion of any one object",1 whether gold, copper, or coal,..in any one locality, if.it. exist there, you must succeed. As you have the former here, let your Wangapeka's and other pelcas "wait till this is thoroughly established . The .second needs more capital thau your Croixelles Company affords to develop it; and past expe.iei)C,e in Nelson proves that neither' £200 or £2000 will do much in coal mining. .Or '■-