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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 222, 18 September 1868, Page 2

Lacey, who was sentry in the redoubt at Turo-Turo Mokai when it was attacked by the Maoris, died last week at Fatea from the wounds which he had received. Colonel Whitmore. lately in command of the Armed Constabulary iu Napier, has been appointed to succeed the late Major Von Tempsky at the Front, and will, it is stated, probably take command in place of Colonel M'Donnell.

The Southern Cross of the 12th instant says: — We were informed last night that alluvial gold has been discovered on the East Coast, and the discoverers are confident that the place at which the gold was found will prove a most productive field. On Thursday three miners, who have been prospecting on the East Coast, came in to Shortland Town bringing with them gold which they had obtaiued by washing. The gold was at once taken to tbe Resident Magistrate and Warden, Major Keddell, and a prospecting claim and protection applied for. The precise locality, the quantity of gold obtained, and other particulars are still kept secret, and, of course, we wOuld desire to speak with, all caution in the .matter, because the prospectors may themselves, though they are experienced miners, have overrated the importance of the discovery. From the East Coast we have no further account of tbe doings of the Maoris who escaped from the Chatham Islands. They are apparently remaining quiet where they are, and it is not quite certain whether they are building a pa or not. The settlers on the Wairoa, however, are uneasy about their position. On September Sth the s.s. Duke of Edinburgh brought up to Auckland two boxes containing about 3_ cwt. of gold, shipped by the Bank of Australasia at Shortland. 500oz. of this had been refined and freed from all silver. The New Zealand Gazette, published on the 25th ult., contains the returns of the exports and imports at the several ports of New Zealand during the quarter ended the 30th day of June, 1868. We make the following abstract: — The value of the imports at Nelson was £84,752; Auckland, £68,861; Wellington, £117,504 ; Hokitika, £105,307 ; Lyttelton, £116,206 ; Dunedin, £309,285 ; Westport, £19,186. The total amount for the quarter was £617,204, against £1,225,727 last year. The exports tor the quarter from Nelson were £16,650 ; Wellington, £37,613 ; Auckland, £75,332; Westport, £149,287; Hokitika, £163,831 ; Lyttelton, £184,056; Dunedin, £376,208. The total for the quarter is £1,281,394, against £1,263,863 for the corresponding quarter of last year. A return is given of the number, tonnage, and crews of vessels entered inw&rds at the several ports of New Zealand, from I foreign ports, duriug the quarter. The following are the figures iu reference to the principal ports:— -Nelson, 20 vessels, 6,507 tons; Auckland, 15 vessels, 3,164 tons; Wellington, 22 vessels, 12,045 tons; Hokitika, 26 vessels, 4,181 tons ; Lyttelton, 19 vessels, 5,398 tons ; Dunedin, 26 vessels, 9,577 tons; Bluff Harbor 20 vessels, 8,994 tons. As a proof of the richness of the Thames goldfields, it ia mentioned that a sample of quartz tested at the Bank of New Zealand from the Marquis of Hastings Claim, Tapu Creek, yielded at the rate of over 102oz. to the ton. This claim has only been taken up six weeks. A crushing at Gibbons, machine from another leader yielded 7oz. to the ton.