NELSON.

Press, Volume I, Issue 21, 12 October 1861, Page 4

NELSON.

From a Correspondent of tlve Nelson Colonic. Butter Kiver, Sept. 2, 1861. Thinking some information as to the real state of the Bulier and Waimangaroa diggings might be interesting to some of your readers, I send you the following:— The present diggings in the Bulier commences about nineteen miles from its mouth, and as far as I could determine by four weeks prospecting, seemed to be confined to a narrow strip crossing the river of about a quarter of a mile broad. There are two or three streams, containing about half a sluice head of water, running from the hills : these are all the diggers have to wash with. There are three parties of white men and two of Maories working there; they are making about £1 a clay, with the exception of one party who are making a little more. We are about 26 miles up the Bulier, prospecting all the way from where we saw the diggers first at work; we could raise the color in some places but coidd meet with nothing payable; though the Maories say, had we gone some seven or eight miles higher up, until we entered the gorge, we should have found plenty of gold. There are three canoes of Maories to start this week for that place. The difficulty of taking provisions up the river, in canoes or boats is so great, that very few white people will undertake it; the dangers of upsetting, and striking upon a rock or snag, as well as being up to the middle in dragging canoes or boats over the falls, will cause-tho Bulier to be a Maori diggings, without our government should cut a track up the river. The AVaimaugaroa is a river about the size of the Maitai, and lies about eight miles north of the Bulier, with good fine beach travelling at low water, to its mouth. From its mouth to the present diggings is about three miles of shingle bed travelling and crossing the river a good many times. The Maoris have got some very good claims there; one party of four sunk a hole on one of the bars, and got out with the tin dish 21 ounces; that is one of the best claims ; some of them are doing very little, the parties of whites have scarcely got fixed; they are principally running about fossicking, making about from 2 dv.ts. to \ ounce per day per man There is not much extent of ground in this river and where the gold is found payable, the sides of the banks and the small bars are 'thickly covered with ;

immense pieces of granite of from fi ve t tons -weight; and to work any part of it ° with the exception of two bars Maoris, would require a good outW. X n to be every indication along the coast fr o Collingwood; and if the government ar P % anxious to see this part of the country 0 will send out two or three prospecting nart-;? 11^ « tracks and look for gold; the expense trifling. m be I certainly should caution people ■ here as yet, until a larger gold field is the diggers that are here at present, occubv »if'u ground, found to be anything like payable. f