THE COL. ON IST, NELSON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 5,-1859.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 187, 5 August 1859, Page 2

THE COL. ON IST, NELSON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 5,-1859.

The anival of Dr. Hociistetter in (his cify is one of those- events which deserve-reconliug, not only on account of the acknowledged ability of that gentleman, but from the opportunity bis presence amongst us gives of having questions of mineralogy submitted to bin for di-cision. No one who has read the very able lec'ure delivered by the Doctor to the Mechanics' Institute in Auckland, can doubt but that at last we sha 1 have some data to go upon with regard to the formation of new companies fur working minerals in this province. We have had companies formed like mushrooms. The discovery of a piece of co.il or copj.^r, has beeu followed by a meeting of the sanguine, and a new company directly commences; ihoy subscribe to much per head, which -is all spent in securing leases, buying up old interests, and seeking for what curiously enough seems generally far off. —the supposed mass from which tlie specimens have been taken Thus, with the JUuu Mountain Company, some ten thousand pounds have beeu invested, and the products are specimens enough to supply the various museums, perhaps ; hardly that should each district institute desire to record the fact, that there is, or was, copper on ihe Dun Mountain. From none of our talented geologists here do we derive anything like a geological essay upon the probability of copper existing there, —that probability being grounded J upon the terrene.formation.of the district. A kind of haphazard guess is given, that if a piece is found, there must be a great lump somewhere huudy. In like case with our coal formation;! no, sooner is a piece of coal discovered, than the fortunate'finder assembles his friends, and up springs another company. We almost wonder thai: limestone has not had her lovers and advocates —a clever man could make a most inviting'prospectus, on such a subject, and shew clearly enough.on paper that we are allowing a large annual addition to our incomes to be untouched for want of enterprise. Surely there must be something wrong, either in our geological formation, or in our formation of com. panics, for the surest way now- to discourage the development of anything here, is to work it by I a company. Let the Phormiurn. Tenax once get intoii the bands of a Nelson company, and out of pure disgust the^ plant would leave off growing. ...'.,•-- There is, we believe, some truth in the assertion that pur very geological strata,here are arranged in a> way which,' to European ideas, savours of the most" admired disorder," and to that partially may te attributed the successive wants of success" which we have had to notice arid record. No sufficiently f-cientlfie man has yet -landed here tof speak with the same clear and decisive tone yrhich i characterises tie lecture

of Dr. Hochstetter. We -must hope that durioghis stay-—and this, we are told, canuot be extended for more than a month —he will give us- the benefit of his skill upon the much ralked over gold, coal; and copper districts. We shall be aide to get at something like an idea how many square miles of auriferous laud a modest man may reasonably expect; and a visit to the Dun Mountain may find out something which has escaped the observation of our present talent. Wind-trap Gully may lead to something more thau a show of metal, and a fatiguing walk to it. It has been remarked that the face of the country is of that character which is said to prevail in those districts from which quicksilver is obtained. Of this again we shall hear more, and with a report, if we can persuade the Doctor to take such trouble, we may ye t redeem the character of our Cos., and look forward to some results from their working. It will not need a remark from the Press as to the treatment which should be accorded to our visitors. There is, we are aware, a tenacity amoi'gsit gold-diggers, as to giving information upon the>qualities of their ground and workings. la this ;iiistance they neted have no fear that any advantage will be taken of any memoranda they may furnish. They may senojisly benefit themselves and the province generally by rendering every assistance in their power towards a true and correct repoit upon the Nelson gold-fields. If we only find out where the gold ;i, ;S — ilU d wt> have no doubt but that richer deposits than any yet found are in existence—we shall need no advocacy of them to ensure a large and increasing population gathering the riches of our land, and distributing them through the veins of commerce, to the profit of themselves and the general advantage of the Nelsou province. We are glad to be enabled to announce that the great question of leases of gold-fields has at last been decided, her Majesty having beeu graciously pleased to give her assent to "An Act f. r granting a Duty on Gold," and " An Act to make provision for the Management of GoldFields in the Colony of New Zealand." These Acts were passed by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives at Auckland, and are now law. This will, of course, put an end : tit once to the " Mandamus," and other attacks of a like nature, on our Provincial Government. Visit op Dr. Hochstetter. —This gentleman arrived by the Lord Ashley this last trip, and we are glad to inform the public that our Government have placed the Tasmvnian Maid at his service to visit the various mines which are said to exist. He will leave Nelson for the Croixelh'S on Monday morning, then preceed to the copper-mines of D Urvilles Island, and from thence to Pakawau, returning t'iom that point to Nelson. Our fellow-colonists will no doubt look with expectation for the return of the Maid from its scientific trip.