Correspondence.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 356, 22 March 1861, Page 2

Correspondence.

To the Editor of the Colonist.

~ Sm—l beg to inform you that I returned this morning from the gold-diggings on the Rolling River, brandling out of the Waugapeka ; and, as I find a desire to obtain correct infonriation respecting the same is being urgent on the part of the public, 1 now send you a few particulars which may be relied upon as correct, although necessarily brief from shortness of time.

First, then;, as to the existence of gold,—this 19 beyond dispiite—it not only exists, bnt is to be' obtained in large quantities..with great facility. The Rolling River diggings, or rather washings,' are situated about seventy miles from Nelson, the road or.track being very bad in many parts. I fully believe that from the junction of the Wangap«ka and Boiling Rivers, throughout the entiro length of that river and its tributaries, and also the Blue River, branching out of the Rolling River, with all its forks and tributaries, are equally rich in gold; and I estimate the entire length of these united water-courses to amount to at least fifty miles.. The volume of water is amply sufficient for all purposes of obtaining the gold, and never troublesome except in heavy rain. The fall of water is also very uniformly the same —say one foot in forty. Up to this time the approach to the gold region is very bad, and consequently very expensive ; and what is still worse, when the rivers are swollen it is utterly impossible to convey provisions to the 1 diggings, or for the diggers to make their escape j but all this I find is about to be obviated forthwith, and that contracts are entered into to amend the road very materially, so as to bind almost all; the river crossings. ..../ . ' I will only now add that my firm belief is, that the Rolling River valley is only a tythe of the gold-bearing region in that vicinity* Then, again, I was. perfectly astonished to see such a vast amount of good and available land in a district always represented as a mass of intricate mountain ranges, added to which is the great facility of access which may be obtained. I estimate the quautity of land easy of access at tens of thousands of acres, much of it, it is true is timbered land, most abundantly supplied with water and magnificent timber. j I would rather have postponed making this communication until a later period^ inasmuch as I hope to return to the Wangapeka district ml a very short time, to work out problems which have ! presented themselves to myj niind relative to the extent, value, and capabilities .of the district. I have left two men, with ample provisions, to explore the Wangapeka River during my absence, which appears to me to extend a long distance towards the Buller, crossing the Karamea River. At a future day I hope to be able to make a more detailed report, both as to the extent of country and other lninutise. ' • .1 I am, &c, W.L.WREY, Mineral Surveyor.