AUCKLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 98, 20 November 1852, Page 8

AUCKLAND.

Considerable excitement seems to prevail at Auckland owiug to tlie discovery of gold. The " Diggings," however, present no very tempting aspect at present, as it appears questionable whether they will repay the trouble and expense of working. As they have been honoured with an official notification in theGovernmentGazette, they have sufficient claim to induce our giving all that has hitherto transpired. The NewZealand*}' says—" The arrival of Mr. Ring from his prospecting tour, and the fact,that he has presented to the Committee specimens of auriferous quartz, and of gold dust said to have been discovered by him in the vicinity of Coromandel Harbour, in the estuary of the river Thames, has raised the particular excitement hitherto prevailing amongst our colonists on this subject to fever heat. His claim Las been duly recorded by the Committee, and his statements have had sufficient weight with that body to induce them to send a deputation of inquiry to the locality indicated, in order that the public anxiety may be, as soon as possible, set at rest upon this momentous subject. The samples produced were small in quantity, which is accounted for by Mr. Ring from the fact of his wanting proper tools for prosecuting a more complete search, and from a natural anxiety to lodge, with the least loss of time, his claim for the promised reward (£500). Mr. Ring is an old colonist, and although the fact of the existence of a gold field in our vicinity rested almost solely upon his testimony, sufficient reliance seems to have been placed* upon his credibility to induce the belief amongst the majority of townsmen that the discovery is un fait accompli." The Native Secretary, Major Nugent, with his chief clerk and interpreter, Mr. Johnson, have been despatched by the Lieutenant-Gover-nor to the scene of operations, and the utmost anxiety is shewn by the Executive to be prepared for a crisis of which it would be impossible to exaggerate the danger and the importance. We have been favoured by the gentleman to whom the letter was addressed with permission to publish the following extract. It was written by his friend, one of a party now at work in the neighbourhood of Coromandel, and bears date October 22:— " I take this first opportunity of sending the news. We arrived here on Tuesday afternoon, and there were a great many reports about people having found gold in quantities; but I can answer for eight or ten of us. We have had two days' hard work, and we can just say we have found gold and that is all. All hands think there will be more found, but I am doubtful : I think it will fail."

From the best information we have been able to collect it would appear that many amongst the seekers have obtained small quantities of the precious metal; and one gentleman is stated to have procured iu a couple of hours from a " hole" which had been abandoned as unproductive, as many fine scales as would cover a shilling, and this, we believe, is the largest amount reported. Mr. Ring is said also to have produced for the committee additional samples from several localities.

The question of the existence of a gold field in our immediate vicinity, may .now, therefore, we think, be considered as decided affirmatively. Of its productiveness and availability, time and further search will satisfy us. It should always be borne in mind that there exist in many parts of the world " diggings" which do not repay the labour of working, and this may turn out to be of that character. The spirit of discovery, however, seems to be now fairly aroused, and there will be no lack of enthusiastic "prospectors" to carry it throughout the land.

The " Undine" has arrived from Coromandel harbour, bringing the Nalive Secretary, Major Nugent, and the sub-committee deputed to inquire into the claim preferred by Mr. C. Ring, to the reward of £500 offered to the first discoverer of an available gold field within certain fixed distances from the capital. A meeting of the general committee was held to receive the report and to inspect the samples of gold and quartz which were procured by the deputation, and it was then resolved to publish for general 'information the following announcement:—

" The Committee appointed by the Subscribers towards the Reward Fund, deeming it to be desirable that the public should have correct information relative to the alleged discovery of gold, take this, the earliest- opportunity, of sla-

ting that the deputation appointed by them to visit the locality of the alleged discovery have returned and that the report is satisfactory in so far as the existence of gold is concerned ; but that the question of its being sufficiently abundant to be profitably worked is yet in abeyance."

This intelligence is confirmatory of the information as to the existence of gold in the district which has been the scene of operations, and that it had as yet been found only in small quantities. It is quite true that the explorations had been hurried and imperfect, the surface soil having been that which was in most cases operated upon, yet from almost every sample which was washed, fine scales of gold have been obtained. The peculiar formation of the bed of the creek, which is filled with very large quartz boulders, renders the operation "of sinking the usual "'holes" one of great difficulty without proper tools and machinery •. but in one instance, from a hole which was sunk to a depth of about 4 feet, a small grain of gold about the size of a barley-corn was taken, \ in presence of the Committee, and from another hole a little higher up the stream, a nugget was obtained as large as a full sized pea. Gold was also reported to the deputation to have been discovered in a creek about ten miles further up the Thames, This, we believe, is the sum of the information which the deputation had been enabled officially to afford. It is abundantly sufficient to give an increased impetus to the spirit of discovery, and we have no doubt that bands of determined seekers will leave no creek or gully unexplored. It is, we believe, the impression of the individual members of the deputation that gold exists in abundance, and will eventually be procured in remunerative quantities as soon as competent labour and the requisite machinery are brought to bear upon it. Meantime it is declared by all those returned, with whom we have conversed upon the matter, as their belief that individuals who proceed to the "diggings," unfurnished with needful tools, and who are not prepared for exceedingly laborious worK, will certainly lose their time, and meet with grievous disappointment. H.M. schooner Pandora, Commander Drury, sailed October 9th for Waiheke, and from thence sails direct for her new field of operations in 'Mercury Bay, the whole of which, together with the Bay of Plenty to the East Cape, it is Captain Drury's intention to survey before returning to Port in December next. Whilst engaged in surveying these portions of the East Coast, a party, in charge of Mr. Oke, assistant master, has been despatched to the West Coast to trace the line of beach from Manukau Heads to New Plymouth, the survey of which it is Captain Drury's intention to commence. We notice in the Nevj Zealander the arrival at Auckland, on the 21 st October, of the schooner Border Maid, Champion, from the New Hebrides, with the Bishop of New Zealand and 24 native youths from various South Sea Islands.