AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 5, Issue 272, 12 April 1862, Page 4

AUCKLAND.

Our news by the Pole Star is to the 4th inst., and is important. First, we learn from the New Zealander of the 2nd inst. that Mr. Ward has completed his postal arrangements, and that these will be carried into effect without delay. From the article we refer to, which we subjoin, it is quite possible that next English mail may reach this province by one of the steamers under the new arrangement. It will be seen that, according to our contemporary, the Napier mails will come via Auckland, whereas we had reason to believe they would be received by way of Otago. Thanks to the energy and determination of His Excellency's Government and notably to the personal exertions of the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Mr. "Ward, we are at length about to have, as we learn, something like an efficient steam postal communication between this Colony and Australia, as well as between the principal ports of the Provinces in New Zealand. The arrangements, although not definitely concluded, are still, we understand, so far fixed as that we may look to have our next English mail delivered from the steamer at the Queen-street Wharf on or about the 2lst instant. The line now maintained between Melbourne and Otago will be comprehended in thegeneralarrangement, and thus Auckland and Dunedinwill be connected directly with the ports of Sydney and Melbourne. The Inter-Provincial service has also to be arranged, and no difficulty will, we believe, be met with in obtaining the necessary number of steam vessels suited for the coasting trade. It is proposed, that a vessel carrying the English Mail, or that portion of it which is to be sent to ; Otago, shall leave that Port about the 20fch of the month and come on by Cook's Straits and the West .Coastrtothe" .:..•. Manukau, calling at the several ports in her line of route. . About the 24th of each" monfcti-another steamer shall leave the Port of Auckland, andj in continuation of the line from Sydney, take the mails by the EastCoast to Napier. ■ " ' About the 3rd of each month a third steamer will take tho homeward mail, either from Manukau or Auckland as maybe found convenient, to mcct r the' Melbourne"-*" boat which leaves Otago on the 18th. - . •■ . ■; :• ••;'■■:-. '.-A We can give necessarily but an imperfect- outline of -•■: - tho proposed scheme, the merits of which can be judged k' accurately only when the details are filled in, but we - H. think enough has transpired to show that a very great- < improvement is about to be effected in the means of : ; > communication with Australia and respectively between! '■";. the New Zealand ports. It is understood that whatever ■ . portion of the new service, up to the limits of their subsidy, the I. C. B. M. Company are in a condition to tin- "; ;* dertake, they will be permitted to carry on, but that the public shall be no longer at their mercy, as they "have •'■= been for some time past. : There are steamships enough, as we have said, to be found in the other colonies, suitable for the Inter-pro-yincial line, the owners of which ai*e anxious to engage - : in the trade, and oner their services on favourable terms. The White Swan and the Queen, both of them known in ' ' our waters, have just had new boilers and received athorough repair. By means of these vessels, or such as these, we believcChelnter-provincial work can be done, and done well, for a sum much less than that now paid to the Coleman Company. The new prospects which are opening to us here in Auckland make the question of regular and frequent steam communication one of the very greatest importance, and the change about to be effected will, we hope, be found to be as beneficial as it is well timed. Second, we have surprising accounts of the progress made in the search for gold at Coromandel — the latest of which, from the Southern Cross of the 4th, we append.' It will be seen that some pretty large nuggets have been found, and that the : prospects, on the whole, are very encouraging. A great number. of persons were, leaving Otago for Coromandpl — a large ship, the Southern Cross, being one of the numerous vessels laid on foi- the latter. We have reason to believe that the question-" la there a paying gold-field in the province of Auckland ?' has at ; length been solved. The influx of diggers from Otago, led to the North by private intelligence from their friends in Coromandel, has been marked for the past eight, or, ten days. There are now between 200 and 300 men on" the spot, many of whom lauded from the vessels direct, without coming to Auckland, others proceeded thence from this city. , ' ; '. ■• The success of the prospectors is a great fact V, 'We'!-.'"' will merely transcribe extracts from letters we have seen, and report the oral testimony of gentlemen who ' inspected the operations of the diggers in Coromandel, and leave the public to judge of the matter for themselves. .■• Mr. Beeson writes to a mercantile firm in this city on the 81st March : — There was a find of 20 ounces of gold on Priday last at one place, and 7 ounces at' another. : These places are four miles apart, with every prospect of a good field being opened in a week or two. One hug •""■ get weighed 9 ounces 15 dwt." ' In relation to the facts detailed in this letter, we may add that since perusing it we have talked with gentle* men who saw the gold referred to, and they say that the weight of the nugget was 9 ounces 18 dwt.— about 7 ozs. pure gold and the balance quartz. Writing on the 28th March from Coromandel,' a gehtlemaii for whose veracity we will unhesitatingly vouch, , states-.— " The diggers are coining from Otago direct ; 100 have. . landed, and 150 are on their way, while more are to fol- . . . low. These men bring money, but no provisions nor topis. . . /. Gold is being foundiri two places, five miles apart, and , . I believe the whole of the men ate going to work at once, with a good heart. ... - . ;.-..-"\ I have seen the specimens of gold and quartz: lodged !•", ':.'■. with Mr.'Turtori, t&e B-esidetit Magistrate, by. two' paiv ' > - ties who, thus put in their claim for .the reward. v One , / specimen weighs "is lbs., the other 6 punces...v, . .,: . : \ r ,. ;, -;' ."-.,',?- -- f AU'tU^Victpriauidigsorajvaat. is: supplies to lastj&jjee Q %

weeks, and they are satisfied that they will do for the futuref'~Their" experience leads them to this conclusion.".,;; .;.--.'•■■ ' ».:. . : A gentleman who was one of a party recently in Coromande^ stated to us that the party of miners under the leading of Laurence Murphy, consisting in all of six men —Laurence Murphy, Jas. Jones, .Root. Wynn, John Fleming, ¥m. Aloock, and Thomas Nash— have struck upon a promising quartz leader, in a drive in the centre spur at JKapanga, near to the spot where Mr. Coolahan and party made £205 worth of gold in 1854. There are three spurs converging at this point, and Murphy's party have: driven sixty-four yards into the central and largest spur, making provision for drainage. The men are most sanguine or a rich mid from the heavy quartz of the leader. Below, and at some distance from this party, in the gully, another party of men are working— Germans, — and they showed our iuformant and his friend several pounds weight of black auriferous sand, largely intermixed with gold. The richness of this sand can only be appreciated by those who have seen it. These men are in. high spirits, and are daily accumulating the precious earth. Near the residence of Mr. Preece, a party of four men are engaged on the hill side, and have sunk a shaft a considerable depth. They also displayed specimens of quartz of considerable value, and left the impression on the minds of the gentlemen to whom they exhibited a pretty considerable pile, that they had more behind which they did not deem it prudent to exhibit. The diggings are now extending towards Cape Colville, and the nearer they approach this point, the richer the finds become. There are working parties all over the country, except on the prohibited land ; and the diggers appear unwilling t6 satisfy the curiosity of visitors. They also, no doubt, fear to excite the cupidity of the natives. But from what we have recorded above, and from statements equally trustworthy confirming this, which We have heard elsewhere, we believe the time has passed for reticence. The existence of large gold deposits has been established on European land; there are hundreds— perhaps thousands, on their way from Otago to Auckland; and it is for the government to be equal to the emergency. The diggers need want for nothing in Coromaudel. They will find men in Auckland who shall do their utmost to make their early trials as light as possible; and above all they will enjoy a delicious climate, have wood, water, food and clothing in abundance. We should mention that Mr. Heron has sub-let the ground for a store to one of the recent arrivals ; and we aye no doubt but stores will spring up rapidly.