THE WEST COAST GOLD-FIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume III, Issue 637, 27 November 1865, Page 5

THE WEST COAST GOLD-FIELDS.

RUSH TO THE BTJT/LER RIVER. (Fr-m the Colonist) The Kennedy arrived from TTokitika on Paturda' evening with 1271 ounceß of gold. She report* the prevalence nf wet weather, and heavy floods The rush of diggers is spreading northwards from the Orey; and a lot of 500 men had gone on to tho Buller River, to which place the Wallaby haH taken a oxrsro of stores, and was full of The rush to the Buller is consequent on the flatter ing rsport of a party of Maori prospectors. We wait further intelligence from this rush. Tho Hokitika correspondent of the Examiner, of tho 21»t, says:—

The steamer Alhambra brought some authentic information with respect to Bruce Biy, and the result of the labours t>-ere. They are finding gold on the beach in payable quantities! but T have heard nothing as yet of any alluvial ground inland being worked. A sample of the former gold has readied tToki'ika. I hive not seen it, bu*. am told that it is exactly <imilar to that found on the set beach near here—in foot anywhere that a beaoh is to be found on thi» coast and it will probiblv be necen Bary to use the same process that i-< about to b" adopted here, to reap the full benefit of the cnuntlp«* mvriad-" of minute grains of gold with which the S ind-' are impregnated ; and in all probanil'tv '•nmraniea will be formed bv the dozen in a shot-' time to ov rcomo the difficulties of cxpen-en whi'h ranv po't-ihlv p event ordinary «mall parties of miners from profiting bv it to the same extent. When one thinks of the enormous tract of sandy beich here, every y ird of which appeals to be worth working under a minute but. not 1 iborious system, one would almost hazard the assertion that this coast will, in >ime, hear double the number of men that are here ■it present,"at fair wages.

It iR however to be regretted, that-at present the

vow additions that havo been mnde to our mining population of late, havo not been absorbed in the immediate manner an heretofore. The bad weather we hare experienced lately, has doubtless had to do with thii». hut the s'ate of the men's purses on landing has, I think, an almost equal sharp *f a miner lands here with no money, and no pick or shovel, or stores, I can hardly see whv the character of the country as regards its rio:mess in gold, should be libelled merely be ause some implements beyond a man's finger nails, ar* required to obtain that metal, and he has not the to obtain thorn Labour has bi'cnm* much cheaper of late here 'tis truA.but T would guarant** that no g*nuin* di'crger would be founl her* who worked on the roids or ah any ordinary labour for a longer space of time than would enable him to turn his hand to mining, and conscientiously I believe when they are able t« commence in the 'ottery that the blnnks drawn are few in comparison with the prizes. The yield of gold has no been smaller the Inst fortnight thaucunl, hut the abominable weathor has retarde 1 mining operations in every quarter.