THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1866.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 143, 11 December 1866, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1866.

According t> present appearances the recently discovered diggings between the Grey and the Buller arc likely to become as important as any on the West Coast. The opening up of the country about the Pakihi and Fox's river affords a strikvMg proof of the accuracy of the opinion so often expressed—that it is impossible to form any conclusion concerning the auriferous resources of a district until it has been prospected by a large population. The localities where so many hundreds of men are being now profitably cm ployed, and in many cases reaping large foi-fcunerf, were tested and deserted by experienced prospectors nearly twelve months ago ; and probably had not the late rush set in. they would have re_ mained comparatively neglected for an indefinite period. It is one of the advantages of a large and sudden rush of population that it compels a great proportion to prospect the. adjoining country, and it generally follows that if gold is to be found there it is not long allowed to remain unknown. The present diggings, at Pox's lliver and the Pakihi are examples of this. At first, the rush to the Pakihi threatened to culminate in disastrous consequences to the greater number of the men who had been Jed away by the excitement. For weeks, more than two-thirds of the population were idle : there did' not appear to be room for them on such diggings as had been opened, and there did not ;:cem to be any good prospect pf their finding, einploympiit elsewhere.

So they waited until with most of them their funds were exhausted, and then set vigorously to work to discover what the resources of the district really were. The result has been that the diggings at the Pakihi which were so much decried have extended in every direction, and that other ri;h ground Las been* opened in neighboring localities. The circumstances under which the gold deposits are found at Fox's River and further south are highly indicative of the nature of the coast terraces generally, and we have every confidence that the lead will be found to extend with little interruption as far as the terraces on the- north Lank of the Grey. jßhould this anticipation be realised, and there appears tp be every probability that ifc will, this portion of the coast will afford employment to many thousands of men. Npj, 1 is it unreasonable to expect that the gold Avill be traced back iuland as far as the ranges, Bearing in mind the fact that the interior of both the Bullemiud Grey districts has been proved to be richly auriferous, it is fair to presume that the country lying between those two rivers should be similarly gold bearing. It is evident that only popu. lation is needed to develope the auriferous' resources of the country, and that almost eveiy where on this portion of the coast diligent prospecting will be rewarded. Under these circumstances it is a fortunate thing perhaps that miners as a body ore so readily induced to rush about after new gold fields, for invariably they leave behind them at every place they alternately visit and desert, a small propprtipn of settled, workers ; and occasionally establish very important and extensive diggings. We have often said that the Grey district — by which we mean the whole of the country from the Teremakau to the Buller — has never been half prospected, and we repeat it now, and say further that until' a Jarge population is attracted here and induced and encouraged to try the district, mining affairs wiH continue in a humdrum slow-going state. That the Nelson authorities will use every exertion to establish a large and settled population on its western territory we may be quite ceitain ; and the very praiseworthy efforts they are now making to keep pace with the demands of the large and increasing population a fiord a proof of tips. Aud we have no fear but that the intentions which prompt the. Nelson Government will be realised, and the w-hcije pf its South Western Gold Fields be extensively developed. It is also not improbable that the anxious desire of the Nelson Government to make the Buller the trading port for the diggings on the Nelson coast will be fulfilled. At any rate we may bo quite certain that everything that can be done will be done to divert all the trade of the Nelson diggings to Westport, We already hear o several steps being taken in tliatdirection. A good wharf is being rapidly, pushed on at the Buller ; a road is in. course of construction to the Pakihi and Fox's river, and there is .some talk of a weekly mounted escort being established from the last mentioned places to the Buller township. These steps, coupled with the general attention of the Government to the necessities of the population cannot but result in proportionate advantages. Whether or not Westport is to outdo Greyraouth in the trade with the newly opened diggings it is impossible to predict with any degree .pf certainty, but seeing the great superiority of the Buller as a port, it is not unlikely that in time it will become the depot of at least much of the coast. It is as well that Greymouth merchants and Greymouth people generally should take into consideration the possibility we have referred tp, and turn their attention more strongly towards the development of their own district. Here we haye a vast area of inland country over which gold is largely and generally distributed. Population anfl capital alone are needed tp establish certain and continuous prosperity, but population and capital will not flow in uuless encouraged. Notably the Grey inland diggings have suffered most from the neglect of the Government, but they have also languished through the want of the encouragement which might have been afforded by the merchants and traders. Every one having a stake in the district ought to unite infusing strenuous efforts to bring population to the district. There has not been sufficient pressure brought to bear on the Government for bringing about desired measures or " removing existing griev^ ances. Let us wait patiently the result of the- present session pf the Council, and if it turn out that the good fruit it has been expected tobear is not forthcoming, then we must endeavor to bring about a union with pui! neighbors on the other side the' river.