THE COLLINGWOOD GOLDFIELD RUSH.

Colonist, Volume XII, Issue 1170, 11 December 1868, Page 3

THE COLLINGWOOD GOLDFIELD RUSH.

We have gathered from a conversation with Mr. G. W. LiiiJitbanH, lute Warden, on the Nelson Southwest Goldfields, some useful in'ormation respecting th'i new rush to Collingwood. The main fitcts may be briefly stated thus :—The new rush i* situated about fifty miles from the port of Collingwood, foU lowing up the river Aorere. The country is principally forest land, but there are no great difficulties in the way of road-making. There are extensive tracts of' level forest land, inirrsec'ed with steep roc'<y promontories, which oIF.m1 considerable olvt'icles to the traveller. An expenditure of about £50 would form a good walkinsr trick. The Aorere runs about north and south. The lnnd on the eastern side may be termed auriferous. On the western side it is poor land, with little or no gold, scarcely even the color being obtainable in numerous pi'ospeots.

The prospectors' cluims at the new rush are situated up the left-hand branch of the Aorere, winch seems to contain the main volume of water, and bears S.E. This has been named tho Burgoo Creek, and the claims are about three miles from its junction with the right-hand branch of the stream a3 you ascend. Yankee Dave and party nre tho prospectors: and a trial produced half a pennyweight to the dish. Jansen's claim, situated on the same bar in the river, had the same result on a trial. The samples nre nice gold, heavy and bright, but apparently drift gold, brought from the upper main ranges by the river, and at present confined to the bars, which tire extremely limited in extent; and nothing has, as yet, been found on the terraces. The country is precipitous, and there is great difficulty in getting over it, the heavy creek having to be crossed several times. There has, too, been a continuance of bad weather, which swelled the river, covering the bars and preventing working, and disgusting the men by delay, and the difficulty of going for and returning with provisions. The prevailing impression of the miners is, that, the country up the fforge may be found to contain good gold, but it is difficult of access.

The road by the lakes, (of which there are sevnralabout a mile in extent each way) is extremely rugged, and dangerous to travel. In some places n false step would precipitate the traveller to a depth of two thousand feet. The road by the river Aorere is much more accessible and easy. An outlay of about £200 would prnvirle a good bridle track from the port about 50 miles up, and would enable nn easier conveyance of stores; but this expenditure Mr. Lightband does not think would be warrantable, until the country is better prospected, and its capabilitifls more fully ascertained. He is, however, of opinion that Government ought to go to the extent of spending £50 in making a walking-track which would suffice for immediate and pressing necessities.

After following Burgoo Creek upwards, about 10 to 15 miles, Mr. Lightband was informed the traveller reaches a saddle, which leads into a new and open country, called Gouland's Dawns. This country is similar to the open country at Collingwood, and is balieved to be gold-bearing. Several men are now out prospecting it, and many are camped lower down waiting for the return of the prospecting parties. About twenty men have returned, dissatisfied with the place, chiefly West Coast people, and at present, Mf. Lightband would not advise anyone to go over until fuller and better accounts aro obtained.

Nelson College.—Distkibutiox of Prizrs.— We are informed that his Honor Mr. Justice Eichmond has kindly consented to distribute the prizes at the College, on Tuesday next, which is the " breaking up dny."

Nelson Town Schools.—The Annual Examination of the various Town Schools take place next week, as advertised. The Local Committee have, we believe, requested the Rev. P. Calder, Mr. Mitckay, of th« College, and Mr. Lee, of tho Bishop's School, to act as nxaminers on the occasion.

Fatat- Accident at the Port.—A. sad and fatal accident, happened at the Port, on Tuesday evening last, when the carpenter of the barque John Banyan (which has just arrired from Lonrljn) lost his life; Deceased, Thomas Lake by name, along with sotno shipmates, was returning to the vessel between ten and eleven o'clock at night, and on trying to get on board, he fell off the gangway into the water, and it is believed, that during his fall he camo violently into contact with a chain, for one arm and his jaw were broken. At the inquest which was held on Wednesday, the chief mate of the vessel stated that on the evening in question, he was called by one of the ship's boys, who said the carpenter had fallen overboard. He went on deck, and sung out for the carpenter, but received ' no answer. He at once procured a light, and by it he saw Lake floating on the water, when a lifebuoy was thrown to him. Witness and the second mate went down by a rope, and succeeded in getting hold of deceased, whom witness held whilst the second mate passed a bowline round his body. Just at the moment the bowline was fixed, some person came down the rope, knocked witness under the water, and thereby caused him to lose his hold of the body, which was not recovered until the following morning, when it was found near tho G-overnmont wharf. Witness said that at the time the accident occurred it wa3 very dark, and that thoro was no light either on the wharf or the vessel. One of the apprentices said that Lake was not sober at the time he fell. The Coroner's jury returned a verdict of accidental death. We are sorry to hear that tho unfortunate man was married, and leaves a family to mouru his untimely end. Neison Hospital—Monthly Report.—The number of patients remaining under treatment on tho 31st of October, were 11.; there were admitted during the month of November, 3; making a total of 14. Of these there were: — ; Discharged, cured 2 ■ „ relieved 1 ; Died 2 ) Remaining on November 30 ... ... 9 • The total number under treatment during the corresponding moDths of last year was 28. Thirty-one-out-patients have boen under treatment during the month of November. Incidents of the Fight at Oktttuktt.—We learn from a Wanganui contemporary that a man, named Kennedy, who did not return to the Camp on the evening of the engagement atOkutuku, was found on Friday, Nov. 13, by one of the men of Wairoa, wandering in the bush, in a famished condition and almost insensible. He was only able to answer "Yos," to everything that was said to him. He has, however, considerably recovered, and says that himself and four men went to bring away Sergeant Kirwan, who was wounded. The Maoris noticed them and rushed upon them, when they fled in different directions. The other men have not turned up, and. he does not know what has become of them. Kennedy had lived from the 7th November to the 13th, on fern roots.—ln the late fight one of the peculiar phases of Maori tactics presented itself. The Hauhaus had actually at Motnroa a large gun, which boomed about erery five minutes. A spent ball from

tins piece of ordinance, which was probably a gun from some wreck, struck one of the men, knocking him down, but doing no further injury than frightening him out of his wits. The Maori bush strategy is easily explained. A volloy would come rolling out of n cluster of bushes, and then bang would go fifty or sixty shots right into the place from which the enemy had fired. In a few seconds d. volley would come out of another part of the bush, when the attention of our men would be drawn to that place. It was quite evident that when the enemy fired from a part of the bush they immediately retreated from that part to some other. But most of the killed and wounded were those who attacked the pa under Major Hunter. The Mojor, it appears, had some presentiment that he would never come out of the fight. He gave his watch and purse to the doctor, and said he was going to avenge his brother's death. The last words he spoke were, " Are we beating them ?"