LATEST PROM THE TOKOMAIRIRO GOLD FIELDS.

' The two following letters, addressed to his Honor the Superintendent, have been handed to us, -to publish for general information : — Tupeka, 24th June, 1861. To his Honor the Superintendent. Sir— lw have tn e_ honour .to acknowledge the receipt of your letter in reply to my first, and regret that no opportunity has presented itself earlier of replying to your Honor, and acknowledging your prompt and courteous communication. In narrating the facts connected with my first exploration, I was prepared, in the event of your feeling yourself justified in giving them publication, to be met with incredulity and derision. I thank you for- the confidence which the use of ray. letter implies, and am happy to inform you that thß result of the operations of our party will fully .justify the confidence which you have reposed in a person almost unknown to you. ■Several" parties have visited the field of our operations during the last week — Messrs. Smith, Murray, Gardiner, runholders among the rest ; and although some of. these gentlemen might have had a disposition to decide before they left, they had : «een enough to convince them that I had in.no way been guilty of exaggeration. Perhaps yon may have an opportunity of conversing with.' some of those gentlemen hefore you hear further, from me. .Should any person be deputed by the Government, I shall feel great pleasure in communicating all the information in my power, and be happy also to devote a day to prospecting the places adjacent. • _ A fetr months will prove the importance of my discovery, and before long the Waitahuna and TUpeka Gold Fields wffl astonish the Province. Should my Buccess have earned me any consideration from the public it will be very acceptable ; should my reward be only such as is earned by my own pick and shovel in common with others, J .^J rest contented : it will be enhanced by the opjjßCipusness that it has been the will of ProviMPPS that, enabled to do some good for my adopted colony. " ' ° thanking your Honor for the token of yoar-^onfldence, I can only say in return, although I am no candidate for public employment (should you think that I am qualified to do any further service. for the Province, when the wear ther .becomes more propitious, I am at your command..; »!,; shall jfepl^f pleasure in devoting a month gratuitously to., the extension of the expiration^,; , \x[ -„ , „*.,. v- - /' ' - > * I,* 10 * fat & c -> '"'„' '"" ' '•' * ' Thos. Gabriel Read. „"' ' Birersdaie; Tokomairiro, 26th June, 1861. To his, Honor the. Superintendent, j.,QBAaS,Si|t-T-I,haYje.jußt returned from a. trip to tjNef^u^kiir^^ilie^artieulars of the journey to and from, the bearer Will informvjou of, and be

will also inform you more particularly of tne prospects. I was very heartily received by Mr. Read, who not only afforded every information, but also placed in my hands, as well as in the hands of the rest of the party, the product of their seven days' work — the weight of gold I should guess to be about five pounds. I can assure you that in all my digging experience of three and a-half years in Victoria, I never saw a richer prospect, but the particulars Mr. M'lndoe will give you, as my time is limited. I take out all my men on Friday. My principal purpose in writing you is twofold—that you may see my name in corroboration of Mr. Read's statements, as doubts have been cast upon them, and to urge respectfully the advisability of a person being despatched by the Government to report ; so that immediate steps may be taken to remove one or two obstacles on the otherwise first-rate horse cart road. With my horses I intend to try 15 cwt. in its present state. In another week I believe Tokomairiro will be deserted. lam perfectly satisfied that within a month, if an escort were sent out, 1000 oz3. will be forthcoming, and were I aware how the Government would arrange as to this matter of an escort, I have no doubt, from the fact of so many Tokomairiro people being on the field, it could be easily ascertained when the above quantity would be forthcoming. In conclusion I beg to state (being fully acquainted with the circumstances which led Mr. Read to prospect) that the credit of this discovery is entirely due to Mr. Read and to no other, as rumour has it. I have the honour to be, &c, J. L. Gillies. The following Message (No. 11), from his Honor the Superintendent relative to the Tokomairiro Gold Fields, was received and read in the Provincial Council yesterday : — The Superintendent reports for the information of the Council that the accounts received late last evening from the Tupeka and Waitahuna Districts indicate, in those neighbourhoods the existence of gold in large quantities and easily obtainable. These reports bear all the evidence of truth, and necessitate the adoption of immediate and active measures for the preservation of order, and the protection and safe conveyauce to Dunedin of the gold accumulated and rapidly accumulating. Under these circumstances, and with the pros~ pect of more extensive discoveries and the pro bably resulting influx of population from beyond the seas, the Superintendent asks the Council to invest him with such powers as the urgency of the case may, from time to time, demand him to exercise in order to protect property and to open out the communication, which latter, from the peculiarly favourable character of the country can be done at a comparatively trifling expense It is his intention to depute the Chief Surveyor immediately to visit the neighbourhood, and, after examination, to report for his information which report will, at a future day, be submitted to the Council. In the meantime, it may be desirable for the Council to decide whether it would not be expedient to secure the services of an Inspector of Police from Melbourne, and that advantage be taken of the next vessel to carry out this object.