NEW ZEALAND.

Colonist, Issue 6, 10 November 1857, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND.

Yesterday and to-day the weather has 'been fair and "drying, and if' the present promise of a few days' sunshine holds good it will exercise a sensible and most beneficial influence on the farmers' prospects. In some places, especially on the rich alluvial low lands, the ground is said to be completely saturated, and water-sodden; so much so, that some apprehension has been expressed with respect, to the early potato crop. ■ I would fain hope that such apprehensions are confined to a very few places, and that, even in them, they have been exaggerated through the fear of falling short during a season of so much promise as the incoming one is likely to be, in consequence of the steady influx to the Nelson Gold Fields. ' The. auriferous character of the Aorere and its neighbourhood continues to, gain strength the more thoroughly it is tested. At the date of last advices there were about 2000.hands at work, and all doing well.- From the Southern settlements the migration has been .continuous' and considerable. Our quondam steamei*, the Wonga Wonga, now the property of a .Wellington company, is reaping a rich harvest in the conveyance of goldseekers across Cook's Strait. Hitherto, the exodus from Auckland' has been singularly limited; but, as the fine weather sets in, we "shall, no dtiubt, lose our share of a population we can ill afford to spare. The temporary injury, however, will be eventually much more than" repaid its. Our colonists and our natives have not been asleep, and means have been, and still are being, taken to provide abundantly for supply ing flour, potato, and other consumers at the gold-fields. No place can be better situated than Auckland for that purpose.: From Manukau to Aorere the passage is a short one ; and. we- have a fleet of splendid mosquito coasters, every way qualified to connect the two places by an-endless chain. •. Nelson has been more fortunate in the .development of her golden resources than Auckland; hut that is by no means surprising: she has had no native interference to' embarrass her, and no untimely restrictions to impede the" diggers in their early and adventurous career. At Coromandel,- it was* far otherwise; there, the native chief Paul, fearful that the tribes might be swept away by an European rush, has inflexibly resisted the sale or lease of his lands. And, as if to stifle inquiry; in the very infancy of the coveted disco very, a license-fee was unwisely and ruinously exacted. Whilst, therefore, Coromandel has been but scratched1 here and there by a score or two of persons, the Aorere has been satisfactorily explored and richly prospected- by hundreds, - now swelling to thou-; sands. For Coromandel ■ the hour has not yet come; and our present Responsible Government appear to be either utterly indifferent, or to lack the practical energy to expedite its advent.'. Come nevertheless, it \yill—sample after sample, of rich ■ auriferous quartz, cannot be continually dropping in upon us without some day creating a stir, and ' when that day does arrive it will not add much to the reputation of the Stafford. Ministry that they could suffer so large a tract of country, and of such rich auriferous reputation, to remain untested and unemploj^ed.— Extract from Correspondents' letter to the Sydney' Herald- October 19.