COROMANDEL.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVII, Issue 1458, 6 December 1861, Page 3

COROMANDEL.

We copy the following important letter from Saturday's New Zoaland Gazette ■ — Copy of a letter fiom Mr. Braclmbm y, late Gold Commtssioner in Victoria, to Ike Chief Commissioner. Auckland, November 9fch, 1861. Sir, — In compliance with your request, I have the honor to forward yon a repoib of that poition of the Coiomandel gold country supposed to be auriferous, and to append some remarks as to the present condition and future prospects of the gold fields. On my ai rival at G'oromandel, I proceeded to examine the external features of the country, and was much struck with the lesemblance which it beam to some of the most highly auiiferous land in Victoi la aud New South Wales. I first visited a cieek north of and near to Roe's mill, and found a few persons at work theie. Upon enquiry, I ascot fanned that they weie getting gold in very small quantities A specimen was sliowu to me; it was taken fiom the lied of the cieek, and was of a heavy, shotty chai actor, very umilar in its nature aud ojineaiance to the gold found at Creswiek's cieek, and in the bed of the Yaria Yana nvei, at Andersons creek, in Victoi 1a I saw another specimen taken from the alluvial sinkings in the saine diiection. It was of a good colour and fair aveiage weight, and lesembled the gold found on the siuface at Castlernaiue and Ballaaiat. I next looked at some gold ciushed by hand from a few pounds of quartz taken from a leef on the top of the ranges Noi th of Ring's mill. The l eef extends thence to Kopntauaki, and its width vanes fiom 3 to 12 feet. As yet, only a small poition of the cap of the leef has been prospected, the easing of winch has yielded at the rate of C (six) ounces to the ton. 1 was unable to tudge acomately of the quality of the gold, as from the defective nature of the materiel for amalgamating and letortmg, a large proportion of quicksilvei remained with the gold, tt was, howevei, the laigest specimen that I saw, and sufficiently proves that the couutiy is aimfeious Three yeais ago some natives obtained 50 (fifty) ounces of gold at Koputauaki. The site of an old claim above Ring's mill, foimeily worked by Mr Hugh G'oolahan, has not been piospected beyond the places where gold was. found nine yeais ago. The number of mineis at woik on the Goromandel gold fields, as far as I could ascertain, did not exceed forty -five on my amval, and this number was diminished by neaily one half befoie I left Having now given you a detail of facts, I proceed to offer a few lemaiks, which I tiust may piove use ful in enabling intending mineis to form a just opinion with reference to the capabilities of the Coro mandel couutiy as a gold held. The conditions of success m the developement of tlieiesouices of a countiy, aie sufficient and persevering labour These conditions Ooiomaudel has ceitainly not enjoyed, for which many leasons may be assigned, Amongst which the following aie some of the most poweiful. Ist Coromandel is too near the city, aud being easily accessible in little moie than half a day, pios pectors, if not immediately foitunate, can without ■ difficulty leturn. Wheieas, weie the gold fields situated at a greater distance, the expense of getting to them, and the difficulty of letmmng, would deter mineis iiom leaving them until they had given them, as it is teimed, a "fair tnal." 2 With few exceptions hitherto, the class of pel sous who have gone to Coromandel has not been one calculated f.vnly to determine the question as to the leal iiatme of its capabilities as a payable goldproducing counti y. At least eight-tenths of the fhst prospectois have been men utteily ignorant of mining puiMuts and boys unaccustomed to haul woi k, and who, not working, evince a want of the spa it of enteinuse aud peisoveiance without wlnckiiopaituil disco veiy of gold has ever yet been worked to a practical and successful issue. 3. The goveiument hithoito has not given auy assurance to paities wishing to piospect the Coiomandel countiy, that they will be permitted to cany on their opeiations without mtemvption fiom the native ynopnetois of the land* 4 Mineis in Victona and New South Wales have so often been deceived by what aie commonly called " stoiekeepei's rushes," as evidenced by the Poit Cuitis andothei swindles that without some positive guaiantce fiom lesponsible aud lehable authonty that gold does e\ist, they would be veiy cautions m mcuiuug the expense and losing the time necessaiy for a vo>age, whose only piob.ible lesults would be disappointment aud serious loss. In Victona it is the object of the government to encouiage in eveiy legitimate way the seaich for gold, knowing, as they do, that to its discoveiy the prosperity of the countiy is attubutable, and that upon the continuance of the yield its f utnre materially depends. Thus, iv a couutiy aheady known to be as auiiforous as any in thewoild, the goveiument offer veiy heavy lew aids for the disco voiy of new aud payable Gold Fields, besides gi.intuig considerable pirwleges totho piospectois The aigument foi the adoption of a sumlai couise, m a countiy ttputcdto beauufeious, is palpable If gold c discovered in New Zealand in paying quantities, the govei nment will not lose by rewarding the pi ospecting pioneer If gold Ist not found, no lewaid will have to be paid, and consequently no expense inclined by the government. The meichauts aKe, iv Vietona, frequently unite for the purpose ot dof laying the expenses of good stiong piospectmg paities to fields at a gieat distance tiom the nietiopolis In Auckland, howevei, theie seems to be an unaccountable apathy even on such a subject as the existence of a paying gold field at the very dooiy. I am of opinion that eventually gold v ill be found in considerable quantities at Coiom.uidel foi the following leasons • — Ist. The external features of the country are veiy similar to those exhibited by the most aiuifeious parts of Victoria, viz , Ballauit, Bumnggong, Castlemaine, and Bendigo. 2ud The geological foiniationsmdicate the pi esence of gold. 3. The specimens seen by me denote the existence of tlnoe soits of gold, obtained m thiee different modes One from sand at the bottom of cieeks, rouud, and shotty One fiom puiely alluvial sinkings, weighty, led gold And oue fiom quail/, of which theie appeals to be any quantity. What is wanted theiefoie to test the capabilities of the countiy and develope its resources, is — 1. A sufficiency of skilled labour, to prospect thoroughly , men who have worked, foi yeai s at the gold fields, and who have icduced gold mining to a fixed science ■ this to be obtained. 2. By an offer onthepait of the govei ument ot sucli a lewaid for the discoveiy of a paying gold field, as would make it woith the while of skilled laboureis to endeavour to obtain it 3 By the coidial co-opeiation of those most interested in the advancement and colonization of New Zealand — the mci chants of Auckland. 4. By an assurance fiom the government, that I'iospectois of the countiy will not be molested by the natives m then opeiatious, and that sufficient I protection will at all times be affouled them. When these conditions aie fulfilled, I fully believe that Ooiomandel is destined at no distant penod to take its place amongst the large gold fields of the Southern Hennsphero I ha>vc only to add that I shall at all times be most happy to atToid any information in mynonoi, with leference to tiro gold fields and the various methods of working them. — I have, &c, Walter Ciiaklfs Brackenbury. Donald McLean, Esq , Chief Commissioner. — " Southern Cioss," Novembei 26