THE NELSON GOLD FIELDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 517, 26 October 1861, Page 9

THE NELSON GOLD FIELDS.

At a time when so many thousands of persons are pouring into Otago, attracted by the gold fields recently discovered in that province, and when we hear rumours of gold discoveries in other places, both in this as well as in the North Island, a short inquiry into the 'value of our own gold fields will not be out of place.

The discovery of gold in the Aorcre distinct, Massacre Bay, took place in the early part of 1857, but, for the first few months, little was done to develope the field, and by the 30th of June following about £5000 worth of gold had been offered for sale in Nelson. Prom that date to the 30th of June, 1861, a period of four years, the quantity of gold purchased by the banks in Nelson was something over £1-20,000 in value, and to that may fairly be added ,£30,000 more, purchased by private firms, or can ied away by diggers themselves, so that in four years gold of the value of £150,000 has been obtained here, giving an export of £37,500, or about 10,000 ounces annually. As it is impossible to state, with any degree of accuracy, the number of diggers employed in procuring the above quantity of gold, we cannot estimate the amount of their individual earnings, but, while unable to arrive at any definite knowledge on this point, we believe we rather under than overstate the gains of the diggers in assigning 10s. a day to each. Of course, like other gold fields, ours have partaken in some degree of the character of a lottery, and while some men have done badly at them, others have done remarkably well ; but, from the character of the gold field, want of success has been more frequently the result of an absence of steady application than an absence of gold, as, though in places it is only found in small quantities, the gold is ao generally diffused throughout the soil ; that the "colour "is almost everywheic to be met with in what are properly to be called gold-bearing districts. As a proof that, the calculation We havo given of the average earnings of diggers is verj' near the truth, we may observe that 275 onnces were brought to Nelson in the Supply, from Colliugwood, on Thursday last, which was the fruit of about three weeks' work of the men now actually .engaged on the diggings in that district; and who number exactly ninety. But it must be remembered that the weather, during the time referred to, has been unusually bad ; probably, for the greatej part of the time, two, or at most three days a week -was the utmost amount of work that could be done. One thing- is quite clear, that the quantity of gold obtained at the Aorcre during the past winter hrs been greater than at any previous period, considering the number of hands employed there. One case of success we heard of recently,

where two young men obtained between four and five ounces of gold in three hours. Those who have remained steadily at Avork, and resisted the temptation to run off to new " rushes," have been well repaid for their conduct. — Examiner, October 17.