The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1869.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 228, 28 September 1869, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1869.

We are glad to find that the often mooted question of sending out parties to prospect the country lying on the eastern side of Mount Arthur range has at lust assumed a tangible shape, and that we may now reasonably expect that before the summer is over we shall either receive the gratifying intelligence that gold is to be found in payable quantities within an easy distance of the town, or we shall be assured that the hopes that have so long been entertained of the auriferous nature of our hills «md gullies must be kid aside, and that the prosperity of our province will have to depend upon other resources than that of gold mining. A largely attended meeting was held at the Trafalgar Hotel last night, when, it was announced that a sum amounting to nearly £12 per week, for three mouths, had been alteady promised, and the Committee was therefore iustructed to at once make arrangements for sending out the first party. Some gentlemen who had at different times been prospecting in the Maitai district having stated that they had always succeeded in finding the color wherever they tried, it was decided that the No. 1 party should be despatched in that dirt'cMoo. The Committee, we are glad to say, liave been fortunate in securing- the services of a most intelligent ami trustworthy body of practical miners, who have for some years been working in the Upper Buller district, where, we understand, they have been doing very well, but on coming down to pay a visit to Neisou, they were so struck witli the appearance of the country round about the town that they offered to form a prospecting party, on condition that the public would pay them £1 a week per man, in order to cover their expenses. This has been done, and they will start on their errand on Thursday morning, carrying with them the best wishes of our townspeople. It is proposed to despatch one or more parties in other directions, in order to g ; ve the whole country a fair trial^ and as there is still a small amount of money required to meet the necessary expenses, we trust that the public will come forward to assist in a work which, if attended with the success we all so earnestly desire, will be of incalculable benefit to the province, whilst, if it should unfortunately prove that the precious metal is not to be fouud in such quantities as we at present have good reason to hope is the ease, we shall at least know that it is useless to be looking to gold miniug as a source of wealth, and this knowledge will of itself induce us to direct our attention to other local industries, without that hesitation and looking back, which invariably characterises tbe operations of those who enter upon their work with the feeling, that they might be more profitably employed iv some other pursuit. Thus, whatever may be the result of the undertaking, wecauuotbut think that eventually it must be productive of benefit to the community at large.