TOKOMAIRIRO GOLD FIELDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XVI, Issue 905, 13 July 1861, Page 3

TOKOMAIRIRO GOLD FIELDS.

By the favour of Captain Walker, of the livque Dunedin, we have received papers f m Otag'o to the 6th instant. They contain the news" from the "Diggings." Captain talker states that the crews of the vessels lying in P<>rt Chalmers had all left. The following is taken from the Otago < Colonist,' July s:— As mHit have been expected, the pubhca- . o f these particulars, so authenticated, fpated an iminetise/ww. Preparations for start for the El Dorado became universal. Picks shovels, and watertights rose to a high nremim, and the stores have been swept of these indispensable adjuncts to gold-digging; hile we are informed that a horse is not to be obtained for love or money. The exodus" f both equestrians and pedestrians, and of i s laden with stores of all kinds has been eh as to give Dunedin quite a deserted aonearance, the fine weather which has prevailed during the last few days having no "doubt exercised a filliping influence upon some w ho would otherwise have been inclined to shrink from the enterprise at mid-winter. The valley where operations have been carried on, has been named < Gabriel's Gully,' in compliment to Mr. Head, and is stated to be three miles in length, and about a quarter of a mile in breadth. Gold has also been found on the banks of the Waitahuna River. There is a plentiful supply of water, a dray road could be made for some £60, and firewood is in tolerable abundance at no great distance from the gold fields.

His Honor the Superintendent has deputed the Chief Surveyor to make a report on these o-old fields, whose return is expected within a day or two. On Friday, the subject was brought before the Council, and a resolution for immediately sending an inspector of police from Melbourne to aid in the preservation of order in the event of an influx of population from the Australian colonies, was adopted. The Council also agreed to a resolution investing the Superintendent with discretionary powers for the preservation of order, confident that they would be properly exercised by him.

The ' Witness' published an ' Extra' on the following day, which contains the following:—

In the excitement consequent upon the discovery of gold fields, numberless reports are circulated, which lose nothing by repetition from mouth to mouth. We have therefore taiien the earliest opportunity of publishing an '■ Extra,' containing the official report of J. T. Thomson, Esq., the Chief Surveyor, who was despatched by the Local Government to collect reliable information. The report will no doubt be read with interest. We take this opportunity of stating that, in our notice of the gold field in this day's issue, we have been led into a slight exaggeration, there appearing to be no truth in the statement that the church in, the Tokomairiro was deserted on Sunday.