LATEST FROM THE WAKAMARINA GOLD-FIELD.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 175, 20 May 1864, Page 3

LATEST FROM THE WAKAMARINA GOLD-FIELD.

The Crest of the If'ave, from Picton, arrived last night. Capt. Buxton has favored us with a copy of the Marlborough Press of May 7th, from which we extract the following:— May 2. From our special correspondent’s letter, under the above date, we learn thatNlr. Bennington, the accountant of the Bank of x\ T ew Zealand, lias been up the river, for the purpose of buying up all the gold he can get. Nlr. Rutland’s claim appears to improve the further it is worked. Simpson’s party which sent lOlbs. weight of gold to Picton recently, are doing as well as ever ; they have sent more gold for lodgment in the Picton Bank. On Monday there was a new “rush” to a creek throe or four miles beyond Wilson’s claim, which is believed to be rich in some parts. A good many diggers had proceeded thither The Crest of the Wave left Picton at 3 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. Captain Buxton reports that the prospects of the diggings still continued favorable, and that large numbers of diggers were daily arriving from the South in sailing ves. sels. The discovery of gold in the Wairau Plain is confirmed, and a rush had set in. —lndependents May 12. (From the Nelson Examiner, May 10). The weekly Escort arrived in town from the Wakamarina last evening bringing with it SoOozs. of gold, Plot) in specie for private persons, and a largo amount of specie for the Bank of New Zealand. We have learned from reliable sources that Roli-and-go (Pearce), Mattbeson, ana 1 party, are doing remarkably well, as also are Messrs. Chis-

liolm, Allen (the boatmen) Hurley, Pipe, Moflltt, and others. A gentleman who knows most; of the' persons working on the river, estimates that the Marlborough k.seort will have taken to Picton, at the least 300ozs. of gold. If this opinion be a correct one, the amount of gold sent from this one river by Kscort, will be 1,1500z5, to wliich must be added a large quantity brought into town by private hands. "We received by the escort a communication from Mr. Boddington, the agent on the diggings for the Nelson branch of the Bank of New Zealand, from which we take the following'items Yesterday I bought from three men (whose names I am not at liberty to mention), ISMozs,, wliich they got in four days, Rutland, (of Wilson’s claim), sold me his gold fortlie week, yesterday, (Saturday), amounting to 81ozs. The men who sold me the Id iozs., told me that some Picton people, who had claims near them, had brought down 240 ozs.. hut which, as 1 have not seen it, I suppose must have gone to Picton. There has been, during the last two or three days, a considerable rush to the Kaituna. though we do not hear of any gold coming in from that quarter. The rush to Cranky Creek, about 7 miles up the Wakamanna, has turned out very well, I have bought several lots from it. I send by the Kscort 800ozs. this time, bought for the Bank of Xew Zeulan I We now want a Commissioner and a strong Police Korce as we have already some rough characters located amongst us. The diggers begin to complain that the Government does not atford them the protection they require. It i ppeavs that rumors were current in [Richmond during the past week, that two men, who were known to have been p"ospeeting in one of the vallies of that village, had brought two or three ounces of gold into Richmond, with which they had purchased provisions, &c. They asserted that this gold had been obtained in a gullv in the neighborhood, supposed to be Aniseed Valley, found a fragment of quartz, from which he broke oif a pieee of gold about the size of a large pea. This valley lias long been suspected to be auriferous, and probably before the end of the present we may be in possession of more decisive intelligence upon the sulject. By (lie -S.S. Airedale we have received late news from the Wakamarina gold-fields, which on the whole is of a favourable character. The last escort arrived Picton with 453 ozs , and that at Nelson on the tlth with 850 ozs. making a total of 1305 ozs, sent from this one river by escort last week, to which must bo added a large quantity brought info town by private hands. The rush from the South still continues, (he following steamships having arrived at Picton during the week full of passengers : — Titania, City of Hobart Phoebe, Hero. Gothenburg, Maid of the Yarra. Scotia , Lady Bird, and the Storm Bird. The number on the diggings is estimated at between 4,000 and 5,000 persons.— Spectator , May 14.