COLONIAL EXTRACTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 41, 28 February 1852, Page 3

COLONIAL EXTRACTS.

The " Iliomana," from Auckland, (says the " S. M. Herald" of Jan. 24) yesterday brought news of the discovery of gold in New Zealand. We have been permitted to make the following extract from a letter received by a mercantile house here, dated January S :—": — " Wonders will never cease ! Cold has been discovered in the island of Waiheki. Sir Everard Home yesterday informed me that the report was perfectly correct, and he has now gone there in the " Calliope," with the " Bramble" as tender, for the purpose of collecting information and specimens. Hi* no doubt will be back in a few days, so that I can write you per " Emma" with full particulars." We may indeed take up the language of this correspondent, and exclaim " Wonders will never cease."' The whole of this side of the Pacific appears to be studded with gold fields ; and it is exceedingly gratifying to find it so generally distributed, as it will not only prevent the necessity of emigrating from one colony to another, but render the entire Australasias a desirable field for British emigration.

On the 27th January no fewer than tw«ihe vessels arrived in Hobson's Bay from the neighbouring colonies, bringing a total of 1044 passengers. Of these, nine vessels, with the aggregate number of 930 passengers, were from Adelaide ; a pretty large slice to be cut off from -jo small a community at one stroke.

All the accounts from Mount Alexander and Ballarat which we can gather from the Sydney and Melbourne papers before us are by no means very flattering. The latter gold field was likely to be closed, and at the former the water had become so unwholesome, being about the thickness of peasoup, and dysentry so prevalent, that in consequence of these and other causes, the doctors weie the only persons who were making fortunes. " Make Ready !" " Present !" The small army which has been ordered from Sydney to settle the dispute between our sapient Governor and the thirty thousand vagabonds at Mount Alexander has arrived. — Argus.

The Illustrated London Neivs of the 13th September contains two engravings, one "the road to the Bathurst Gold Fields;" the other the "Diggings. 5'5 ' All the London papers ai c full of it. We have before us Bell's Weekly Messenger of the same date, containing several articles on the same exciting topic— if. M. Herald.

A very stringent Act compelling parties to eradicate the Scotch thistle from their grounds has been passed by the Legislature of South Australia.

The Melbourne City Council ihave agreed to an Address to the Queen praying for the discontinuance of transportation to any of the Australasian colonies.

The Adelaide Chronicle says, " Gold seems the all-absorbing topic of the day ; money-making is now out of fashion, and the people are thinking of nothing else but gold Jind ing."

The Cornwall Chronicle says :—ln: — In consequence of the great demand for the men on board the Rodney, and the disappointment of many of the settlers in obtaining labour, there are now 1150 applications registered at the Comptroller's office for men per next ship.

Monday, January 12, is said to have been the hottest day ever experienced in Melbourne, the thermometer in the shade standing at 118°.

Bread at Melbourne is selling at la. 4d. the 4 lb< loaf. Melbourne can scarcely house the multitudes that are pouring in from all quarters. The trifling sum of £1 is demanded for a single night's lodging, and everything else is proportionably extravagant. One gentleman states that no language can describe the frightful state of Melbourne. Disorder, intemperance, and debauchery, prevail to an extent hardly conceivable, and hundreds who have become stiddenly rich, arc by their recklessness reduced to utter ruin.

Gold has been discovered in Van Diemen's Land. The Colonial Times of the 19th says : — This morning's mail has brought intelligence that gold has been found between Launceston and Georgetown, and that mining operations had commenced. The Select Committee aappointed by the Legislative Council on the 21st Nov. to consider the subject of steam communication between Great Britain and Tasmania, had unanimously agreed in favour of the Cape line, deprecating further delay, and that £3000 per annum for three years be paid out of the general re\ cnue to the iirst company who may establish a monthly stoam communication with Great Britain and Van Dlcmon's Land by the Cape of Good Hope.