WEST COAST. THE BULLER GOLD DISTRICT.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 392, 26 July 1861, Page 2

WEST COAST. THE BULLER GOLD DISTRICT.

The return of the ketch Jane from the West Coast gives us important additions to information previously obtained regarding the auriferous nature of the Buller district.

It will be remembered that this vessel left Nelson on the 12th ultimo; and having in our memory no very pleasant antecedents in connection with the passage of small craft to the West Coast, our best wishes have been uppermost for her upon the several occasions that the bad weather we have lately experienced : brought her to our remembrance. It was therefore with some satisfaction that we observed her coming down the bay on Wednesday morning, having had to weather out on the previous evening as strong a gale of wind and torrent of rain as we remember for some time past. A correspondent thus writes :—

' Two days after tli3 Jane left Nelson we reached Collingwood, where we remained till the following Wednesday evening,, wThen we set out for the Buller. The whale-boat which left Nelson on a similar errand had called at Collingwtod and left again before we reached there. After starting from Collingwood about midnight an incident occurred which startled all oe board, the vessel having grounded on the Farewell Spit. ' There were fifteen of us on board and mostly very sickly, but on hearing the thump, thump, we sprang from our quarters and were instantly on deck, all scrambling to get first. One said, * throw the cargo overboard,' others suggested differently, and one Maori that was with us began a piteous lamentation as though all was over. On using our united efforts ;after about a quarter of an hour she came safely off into deep water, much to the satisfaction of all on board. On the following Saturday evening we entered the mouth of the Buller; the whale-boats' company which had reached there safely coming out to pilot us in.'

The arrival of the charterers of the Jane with a stock of provisions was « welcome occurence, and two ponds weight of gold, less three dwts, was purchased from a decrepit old Maori, who stated that he procured it a considerable way up the river, at the rate of about 5 ozs. per week, the means adopted to obtain it are said to have been of the most primitive description. - This Maori has advanced money to others to enable them to procure.necessaries to proceed up the river, which looks like great confidence in their ability to procure gold to repay him what they have borrowed. The gold is of splendid quality, in thick scales, inclining to nuggety, and several nodules of platinum are observable amongst it. Our correspondent goes on to say :— , " The Maoris are out prospecting (and I believe successfully) some four or five miles from the river; this will be a very convenient distance, and a store could be taken on the ground without much labor being expended in making a road. I like the appearance of the country very much, and there is some good land here for agricultural purposes. It is a noble river with a good entrance. This place will go a-head finely if properly managed. We want a road or track cut to the upper part of the river. This would bring the richest part of the diggings within easy access instead of having to go in canoes by way of the river twice the distance and taking three or four days to accomplish it. I hope that the Government will not let the resources of this promising country remain unknown through inattention, and truly, * delays are dangerous.' The place referred to by our correspondent as being five miles from the mouth of the river is coastwise, and not up the Buller where the two pounds of gold came from. It is a small river called the Waimangaru a short distance north of the Buller, and a prospect yielding two pennyweights induced further test about the time of the departure of the Jane; and while under sail a signal that had been agreed upon was given informing them that the place had been further tried and found to be payable, but for more precise particulars of this new locality we await next advices. Our correspondent concludes as follows.—

' We] have been here for upwards of a fortnight unable tb proceed up the river for want of a canoe, and because of the heavy rains which have fallen since we reached here." The- Maories are busy constructing them. We are very eager to reach,the gold regions, but the weather, and dilatoriness of the Maori will enforce patience^ although it will not check our ardor. The Maories in the meantime, are looking forward for provisions by the next arrival, though they have little money to pay for goods, and many of them are engaged fishing for eels. They bought nearly all the flour brought by the Jane at £2 per 100 lbs. The whale boat party of five men have gone np the river, and have ascended about seventeen miles during the past 12 days. Another party going up about the same time had to return, from shortness of provisions : they accomplished their return hpiue in a few hdurs. The Maoris who sold the gold said that in fine weather he could reach the spot in lees than two days.' The Jane left the Buller on the 12th, having experienced head winds the whole of the way back, and during the exceedingly rough night of Tuesday she behaved admirably, proving herself perfectly equal to the buffeting that masters in iv this trade must expect to meet with. She sails again this week with provisions, and we await with much interest the next return, feeling con-, fident that a country producing gold of the quality shown us, obtained in the simple way before indicated by a sexagenarian _ Maori, only requires the steady industry of the digger to produce astonish ing lesulte. And such we fully expect to be th" ca f when the main obstacle of the passage up* 5 i ue Buller to the auriferous locality is removed b^ the accession of fine weather through the rapidly advancing season, or, if possible, bullock tracks and roads.