3

At the Waiau (Mataawai) the Gold was not
so plentiful as it had been, owing to the floods
having filled up with drift sand, &c., the pits of
the diggers. The brothers Crauford had, how-
ever, obtained there the largest and best nug-
get yet found on the Gold Field, together with
a fair quantity of dust, and were very confident
of continued success. A general—perhaps a
temporary—feeling of disappointment with re-
spect to the Waiau existed in the minds of the
diggers at that place. It was, however, re-
ported that good dry diggings had been found
near to the source of the stream.

I subjoin a list in the margin* of the various
parties who were working at the date of my
leaving the Gold Fields. Many of these had
been much employed in "prospecting," and all
at the Kapanga had been interrupted by their
diggings being for a time without the Govern-
ment boundary.

I am negotiating with the Natives of the
Manaia for the extension of the Government
district in that direction, and hope, on my re-
turn, to be able to include within the available
Gold Field the spot at that harbour where the
Messrs. Ring found the indications which they
reported as being so promising.

From the very rich surface indications at
Kapanga and the Waiau, and the workings of
the diggers have not yet been to a sufficient
depth to develope aught else, I am confident
that very rich and extensive deposits and veins
of gold-bearing quartz must exist at greater
depths under the surface, and which an increas-
ed number of diggers, properly equipped, and
among whom may be some experienced Port
Phillip and Californian miners, may develop
in the course of the dry season that may now
be expected.

I have, &c.,
(Signed) CHARLES HEAPHY,
Gold Commissioner.

The Honorable the Colonial Secretary.

• At Kapanga.

At Waiau.

Parties who had arrived at the Gold Field,
but had not commenced work | 8
Now on their way | 27
| | 35

THE AUCKLAND GOLD FIELD.

14th December, 1852.

There were several arrivals from Coromandel
in the course of Friday;—many of the parties
bringing gold and golden specimens, in various
quantities, and of various qualities, along with
them. Several of these specimens were sold by
public auction, by Messrs. Connell and Ridings
on Saturday, at very liberal prices. Each
succeeding account from the gold diggings proves
to be not only corroborative and confirmatory of
previous intelligence, but demonstrative of the
fact that gold—and fine gold too—is becoming
more and more apparent.

Mr. Macky, Mr. Davis, and Mr. Stevenson,
have all of them beautiful samples of fine gold,
brought by the last arrivals. Some of these are
in solid pieces about the size of a small kidney
bean—others in gold dust,—and others in richly
auriferous quartz.

The fact of the existence of a gold field can
now, therefore, be no longer a matter of doubt.
The answers to be given to those disposed to jeer
at the hitherto small amount of ore received are
perfectly intelligible:—first, the small number of
competent and persevering hands yet engaged in
digging; the time consumed by those few in
prospecting in different directions;—the great
difficulties experienced by parties not sufficiently
strong to turn the water from the creeks, and
move the large quartz boulders;—the continued
wet weather;—and latterly the removal of the
miners from the creeks to the dry diggings.

With all these difficulties and drawbacks, fine
gold has, however, rewarded the labour of the in-
dustrious. The work has gone on steadily and
surely. Others are hastening to try their luck.
And, from the increasing number of vessels laid
on this week, it is quite clear that the riches of
Coromandel are not likely much longer to escape
the like competition which the mines of Cali-
fornia and Australia have so powerfully excited.

AUCKLAND GOLD FIELDS.

15th December, 1852.

The sale of gold announced in our last took
place on Saturday, and from the novelty and in-
terest of the occasion, attracted a very numerous
assemblage. In another column will be found
Messrs. Connell and Ridings' own report of the
sale, forming our first "Auckland Gold Cir-
cular."

Mr. Heaphy, the Commissioner of the Gold
Field, arrived in Auckland yesterday, and brought
with him some parcels of gold,—chiefly sent by
diggers at the Waiau and Kapanga, to be delivered
to their families and friends in this town. The
quantities (which we have ourselves seen) were
nearly as follows: of nuggets of quartz inter-
mingled with gold, 17 ounces; gold dust and
five nuggets, 8 ounces; and gold dust, 2 ounces.
A considerable portion was obtained by Messrs.
Creighton and Cook, in the first five days of last
week, on a hill side at the Kapanga, the next pit
to Mr. Coolahan's. Mr. Kerr, of the Bank, in-
trusted to Mr. Heaphy some pieces obtained by