LATEST INTELLIGENCE FROM THE GOLD FIELDS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIV, Issue 1030, 12 May 1857, Page 2

LATEST INTELLIGENCE FROM THE GOLD FIELDS.

The arrival of the Zingari brings us dates from Nelson to | the 6th inst. They are confirmatory of the fact thai » profitable gold-field exists in the Nelson Province. The port of Collingwood, as it has been termed, hai suddenly sprung into importance, and the arrivals and departures — many of the former from Wellington with numbers of pas■engers — have become quite formidable in number. Amongst the passengers by the Zingari are the Chief Justice and the Bishop of Christchurch. The latest intelligence is the following paragraph from the ' Examiner' of the 6th inst, which, however, has been said to be a somewhat exaggerated statement : — "The Gold Fields.— The intelligence from the Goldfields continues cheering, there being now no less than five - gullies in which the diggings are successfully prosecuted, besides other parties, said to be the most successful of all, working in the ranges. We have taken some trouble* within the last few days, to ascertain the number of persons now upon the diggings, and we believe they cannot be estimated below 1300, of whom 1000 are actual diggers. On the same authority we are assured that the average earnings of all the diggers who actually work is not less than from £1 to £1 7s. a day. Of course there are many whose earnings over several days amount to very little, but subsequent success compensates them. We are glad to hear that all persons at present at the diggings evince & peaceable spirit." From an excellent circular issued by Messrs. Nicholson and Ridings, we extract the following, upon which every reliance may be placed : — " The number of persons employed on the gold-fields is steadily increasing, and must now exceed 1000 men. Many of our own settlers, deterred by the cold and weather which has set in, reminding us that winter is at hand, and having the inducement of comfortable homes not far off, preferring to reap indirect rather thai direct gain from the gold-fields, have returned to their farms and other avocations. Many ethers return disappointed, their want of success being, however, in most cases, traceable either to their unfitness to bear the hard work which gold digging involves, to laziness, or to drunkenness, which, we regret to say, exists to a fearful extent. But we have met very few able and industrious men, who do not express themselves in general terms satisfied with their earnings, and determined to continue to employ their labour in the same occupation, even in the face of the cold winter weather which is approaching, though we have met very few who will state precisely what , their earnings have been. The first gully in which gold was found here, has this peculiarity, remarked upon in one of our former circulars, that while none . employed in _it met with prizes, all obtained some gold, and nearly all in ■ quantity equal to good wages. The greatest success which we have heard of as met with by the diggers in that gully, was the obtaining of 100 ozs. by a party of three men in seven weeks. But in the gully which now employs the majority of the diggers, the results hare been quite different. There the gold has been found much more " nuggety," and success has been much less evenly distributed. Many who have worked here have not paid their expenses, whilst large profits have fallen to the lot of others. We have seen to-day two beautiful lots of this ' nuggety gold,, one of fifty, the other of forty ounces, and more encouraging i.itnples we certainly never saw any where. The particles vary from the size of a large pin's head lo nuggets weigh - ing half an ounce. The largest piece yet found weighs 2 ozs. 0 dwt 11 grs. We learn that severalj>f the earlier formed parties have pushed on into the country intervening between the gullies now worked and the great quartz ranges, and that over a hundred people are now engaged in the back gullies, and from the arrangements most of them are making to winter on the hills, ana* the unwillingness they exhibit to make the localities in which they are working known, they are evidently doing well. The quantity of gold entered inwards «t the Customs from the 24th of March to date is 531 ounces, but this gives little idea of the quantity actually brought into Nelson, as the gold reported is only that brought on freight, whilst of that brought by passengers no report is obtained. We are quite certain that the quantity brought in the latter way far exceeds that reported. The opinion of those best able to form an estimate of the present weekly yield, is, that it exceeds 500 ounces. A storekeeper on the spot who, being well known to the majority of the people, is in the habit of weighing their weekly findings for many of them, that they may be divided amongst the party, tells us that the week before last he weighed on the Saturday and Sunday in this way over 400 ounces. Though a reliable assay has been obtained from the Sydney Mint, yet the people cannot be induced to sell, an impression being general amongst them that the highest price paid in Australia, ought to be offered. Buyers here offer 745., and, at that price, the diggers will sell merely sufficient to provide for present wants. This state of things must, however, soon corns to an end, and when the people are satisfied that the value is offered, we believe that at least 2000 ouuees will come into the market.