IMPORTANT FROM MARLBOROUGH. THE NEW GOLD FIELDS, EIGHT POUNDS WEIGHT OF GOLD IN TEN DAYS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume XIX, Issue 1954, 23 April 1864, Page 4

IMPORTANT FROM MARLBOROUGH. THE NEW GOLD FIELDS, EIGHT POUNDS WEIGHT OF GOLD IN TEN DAYS.

“ Spectator ” Office, , . , : Wednesday, 4 ]>.m. By the arrival of the “ Mosquito,” which has just come in. from Picton, we have received exciting news respecting the newly discovered Gold Fields at the Pelorus. A rush from Picton, Blenheim, and Nel Son has commenced, and it is said that there are upwards of 300 diggers already on the ground. .. The following most exciting items are contained in an extra, to the “Marlborough Press,” dated Sunday last, 2 p.m.:— By the arrival of Messrs. Mears and Austen about noon this (Sunday’) morninz, at Bienheim, from the diggings direct, which they left on Saturday at noon, we have received the following reliable intelligence from the Whakamarina :— ■ . - j Messrs. Wilson’s party have obtained eight pounds weight of gold in ten days. Newport’s party had obtained in the space of four liours ten ounces, whilst a party of four got five ounces in six hours. Gold was being obtained in almost all parts of the river bed. There were fully three hundred persons on the diggings, among whom were a ntirnber of Nelson people. The above news had been despatched to Nelson. ■, Mr. Mears had been more than thirteen miles up the river, and gold was being found there and the ground was mostly taken up to that distance. v A small portion of gold was this morning brought into Blenheim, amongst which was a small nugget, weighing about 4 dwt's., obtained by a boy with a knife. Messrs. Mears and Austin return to the diggings on Tuesday next. Some parties were leaving to get provisions. As our reporier was met with by the parties above named between Havelock and Wilson’s we may shortly expect to receive further intelligence, which will be published forthwith. ANOTHER APPLICATION FQB THE BONUS. Since the publication of the foregoing, on Thursday last, we have, through the courtesy of the Superintendent, been put in possession of the appended correspondence from Mr. Wilson’s party, to the claim they have lodged for the reward offered by the Government of this province, for the discovery of a payable gold field. His Honor informs us that he was in the Pelorus on the 4th instant, on which occasion Mr. Wilson told him that he and a party were about to start on a prospecting expedition, either on that or the succeeding day. We believe that it is the intention of the Superintendent to proceed to the Wakamarinathis morning, in order to mate temporary arrangements, until such time as he may have had an opportunity of communicating with the General Government, relative to obtaining the necessary authority to enable him to proclaim the Wakamarina a gold-field, should he deem it advisable; —

“ Pelorus Valley, , . --■• “ April 10th, 1864. Sip.—We, the undersigned, claim- the discovery of a workable gold-field within the Province of Marlborough. The said gold field, is situated on the Wakamarina river, in the Pelorus District; and, though we have not had time to prospect it thoroughly, we are induced to forward this application from having found gold in several parts of the .said river, and having found a quantity in one place, such as must cause a rush if it were generally known. We cannot state exactly the amount of gold procured by us, but estimate that we have got fr >m sixteen to eighteen ounces, as the result of two days’ work. We have forwarded the gold to Nelson, to be sold at the Union Bank of Australia, and will enclose a certificate of the weight at the same time that this application is despatched. We intend proceeding up the river again to-morrow, and hope to be able to give more definite information at the .end of the week, if the weather should continue favorable. , .

“ The bar on vjhich we have worked for the last two days is situated about five or six miles from the junction pf the Wakamarina and Pelorus rivers, and there is no difficulty to contend with jn the formation of _a track, the land along the bank of the river onAim eastern and southern sides being chiefly stony table land, cohered with rimu tawa, and very little underwiol. We would also- beg to be,.informed what; the regulations as to claims might be, and to how much ground we are entitled, as the prospectors ofa new field. “We have the honor to lie, Sir, . ; “ Your obedient, servants,' VGeorge Rutland, ‘.‘Joshua Rutland, : , .“Hiram William Harris', , . v . . .-■ “John Wilson. “ To Thomas Carter, Esq., , “Superintendent of the -■. ’ ■ “Province of Marlborough.” ; The following is the certificate alluded

tO: r _ . “Union Bank of Australia, : i .“Nelson, 12th April, 1864, Dear Sir.—l beg .to acknowledge receipt of parcel of gold from, you,'which I have weighed,, and find to contain 18ozs. lAdwts. lOgrs., say eighteen ounces, fourteen pennyweights, ten grains. ... ! „ ... ■, ■ '•■. ..“.I consider it a most beautiful sample, being, apparently perfectly clean, and free from iron sand. .. ; . ■ . “ I am, dear, Sir*. ■ >. • “lours faithfully, “R.W. M. Antill, , ~ ... .. ... .. “Manager. “ H. W. Harris, Esq.”

His Honor the Superintendent, we are informed, . has .replied to the above, , and stated that the claim has been duly registered. Up ta.the timo of going t .to press, this (Friday) evening, we have heard no other .authentic jntelligenoe from,the,,Wakamarina, , although a report was in circulation to-day, emanating front some parties wlm, arrived from Mabakigawo, that just before leaving two men had arrived tnerc,\o,D,9 of .whoni was stated to have in.his possession twelve ounces of gold, obtained at the Wakamarina, and which he was going to take into Picton.

A party of four started from .Picton on [Thursday last, by boat to the Grove, and thence overland: three others also left, taking the partly formed bridle-track,from Picton to Mahakipawa. Ye-ter my several more left, and there are ,o hers who will in all probability leave to-day.

The Gold Fever in Blenheim.—No sooner, was the news received in Blenheim of the discovery of gold—not this time in the gizzard of a. duck—at the Pelorus,; than great, excitement prevailed, and our office was besieged on,the afternoon of Wednesday with persons .anxious to obtain a copy of the Marlborough Press, which was certain to contain the latest .and authentic news, from the diggings. Owing to the favourable news then and previously- received, a large number, of persons have started, chiefly on horseback, with a view of acquiring ocular demonstration of the quantity and quality of the gold in the .above locality, More are projecting an .immediate departure, and. there appears a very great chance of Blenheim being almost deserted. About 60 persons may safely be estimated to have left Blenheim since,the news arrived, many, of whom, intend to try.their luck, and let us hope they will not be disappointed. Small knots of persons may daily be seen in various parte of the .town —in which there, now appears to be some life—eagerly discussing the all-important subject .of newly found diggings, whilst some of the implements of gold digging are. conspicuously displayed outside some of the shops. 12 ozs. were taken to Picton yesterday. . We cannot too strongly impress upon the minds of tlie inhabitants generally of this province, the very great importance of this dis covery; the indicated locality possessing as it does every reasonable. facility of approach from all portions.of the province. , Ff-om Picton the easiest and most accessible rpute foy parties visiting-the Wakamarina would be first by boat to the Grove, a distance of about eight miles, thence overland along for the greater portion of the distance a good bridletrack, to Havelock, about. eleven miles, and from Havelock, to the crossing place in the Wakamarina river, the distance would be about seven and a-hnlf miles further, whilst six miles further up tlie river would .be about the spot where Wilson’s party was working. From Blenheim there is a good sound bridle track the whole distance to the Wakamarina River, following the overland route through the Kaituna valley to Nelson. The distance by this route would be about 42 miles. . -