NELSON

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1769, 20 September 1862, Page 5

NELSON

(From the Examiner September 9th.) Business during the past month bus been without animation and the stocks being heavy, with further additions shortly expected, prices have

given way in many articles. Tobacco in first hands is quite exhausted, but stocks in dealers' hands are equal to the decreased demand. The only arrival since our last has been the Postboy, schooner, from Melbourne via Wellington.

The Tasmanian Maid has been sold for £3,000 during the past month, to an Auckland linn, for the passenger traffic betwomi t'lat city and the Coromandel gold-Holds. This jimvince is, therefore, left at present without i sruner for its local traffic, but endeavours ai\; now being made to form a company for the purchase to two or moie boats to take up the trade.

The news from the West Coast Gold-lields is most encouraging, although, from the absence of any endeavours on the .part 'of our local Government to form roads or tracks, many of the diggers are leaving for Otago, where, although they admit their prospects are not more encouraging, the local Government gives every facility, by making roads, and by offering suitable rewards to discoverers of new fields, for the development of the precious mineral existing there as well as here. In tha parcel of 443 ozs., reported as having arrived per Gipsy, on the 4th instant, were several fine nuggets, one of 13 oz. 8 dvvts., another of llfoz , and many of less weight, testifying to the fact that these fields only want labour to be attracted to them, by the Government laying out on roads and us bonus for the discovery of new fields, some portion of the revenue it is receiving from the export duty on gold, to render this a source of great wealth to the province at large. We trust our next Summary will contain information that a step has been taken in this direction ; meantime the communication between this port and the Grey and Buller requires attention, and we trust the projected steam company will shortly place this matter on a satisfactory footing. We feel certain that wheu this is done, we shall no longer be complaining that our imports considerably exceed our exports.

We cannot but look forward to a bright future for New Zealand, considering that anything beneficial to any one proviuce must be so to ail in a greater or less degree ; and, judging by the vast increase in the Customs revenue (this year estimated at nearly half a million sterling), we feel that if the colony receives fair consideration at the hands of the Home Government, the prosperity of these islands will become a solid reality.

The coal-fields of the West Coast are progressing, and we hope, as soon as sceam communication is established, to be no longer forced to import this article.

Fresh discoveries of chrome ore have been made during the past month, ami, if tonnage and a market can be found for it, there will now be no difficulty in raising and shipping 10,000 tons annually.

The Tasmantan Maid. — This steamer iv making her first attempt, about August 20, to ascend the Opawa river to Blenheim, took the ground on a bank at Totara creek, where she remained for somejdays. Aboutf'our iuches more water would have enabled her to get over the shoal and reach Blenheim, Ou her return to Nelson on the Ist September, and before she had been in harbour many hours, she was purchased on behalf of a firm in Auckland, for £3,003.

Accident to the Hebe. — An accident occurred to the brig Hebe on Wednesday morning, August 27, but which, luckily, was not of serious consequence. While the pilot was bringing her iuto harbour it appears that her bottom touched a mussel bank, but, after a short delay, the rising tide floated her off. The tide, which was running strongly, with a head wind, again caught her, and she was forced on to the Boulder B.mk, where she had to remain until the night's tide. On being examined while iv this position, it was found that a few sheets of copper were damaged, and a small portion of her false keel forward had been broken away. When again floated the Hebe was taken alongside the wharf, and was making but very little water.