found shortly after in the sands of a small stream which enters the sea near the township of Hampden, on the Moeraki Beach.

A portion of Mr. Read’s statement found its way into the public press, and numbers of persons of all classes, flocked to the scene of the discovery,—the now world-famed “Gabriel’s Gully.”

But notwithstanding these accumulated proofs of the distribution of gold throughout the Province, no systematic search was prosecuted until 1861, when some men who were engaged on the new road which the Government was forming across the run of Mr. M’Lean to the pastoral districts beyond the Lindis Pass, in the Dunstan Mountains, accidentally struck upon a deposit of the precious metal. This occurred towards the end of March, and a small “rush” immediately set in. Although fair prospects were obtained, the general yield was not very encouraging. The field was therefore pronounced a failure, and the greater part of the miners returned. But even to the present date the neighbourhood of the Lindis Pass continues to be wrought, not altogether unsuccessfully, for gold.

My own impression is, that the Province was then upon the verge of a very valuable discovery, and that a payable gold-field of large extent will yet be discovered in the country north of the Lindis Pass, and between Lake Hawea and the head waters of the Waitaki River.

Scarcely had the brief excitement consequent on the Lindis discoveries subsided, when it was revived by information of a more determinate character. In June, a letter was received by his Honor the Superintendent, from Mr. Gabriel Read, announcing the discovery of what is now the Tuapeka Gold-field. I make the following extract from Mr. Read’s letter:—

“Tokomairiro, 4th June, 1861.

“To Major Richardson, &c.

“Sir—I take the liberty of troubling you with a short report on the result of a gold prospecting tour, which I commenced about a fortnight since, and which occupied me about ten days. During that period I travelled inland about thirty-five miles, and examined the ravines and tributaries of the Waitahuna and Tuapeka Rivers.

“My equipment consisted of a tent, blanket and spade, tin dish, butcher’s knife, and about a week’s supply of provisions. I examined a large area of country, and washed pans of earth in different localities. I found at many places prospects which would hold out a certainty that men with the proper tools would be munificently remunerated; and in one place for ten hours work, with pan and butcher’s knife, I was enabled to collect about seven ounces of gold.”

The contagion spread to the adjacent Provinces, to the Northern Island, and finally to Victoria and the Australian colonies; and the rush to Otago soon assumed enormous proportions. Then commenced one of those startling revolutions which, under the direction of an all-wise Providence, is everywhere wrought out by the discovery of gold. In a few months Otago was elevated from the position of a comparatively unknown settlement to the foremost rank amongst the Provinces of New Zealand. In 1860 only 69 vessels were entered inwards. In the following year 256 vessels, many of them of large tonnage, arrived at the Port. The population computed in December, 1860, at 12,691, had increased by December, 1861, to 30,269 souls. The Revenue advanced from £83,046 2s., the amount received for the financial year ending September, 30, 1861, to £280,037 2s. in 1862, whilst a comparison between the half-year ending 31st March, 1861 (prior to the discovery of the Tuapeka Gold-fields) and the corresponding period of 1862, shows an increase of £128,284 14s., the exact figures being:—

1861 . . . £33,509 6 4
1862 . . . 161,744 0 4

OTHER GULLIES.

Wetherstone’s and Munroe’s Gullies were shortly afterwards opened up by the miners, and in the month of July another rich Gold-field was discovered in the Waitahuna stream, by Mr. Gabriel Read, accompanied by Captain Baldwin and Mr. Cargill. The first dishful of earth, washed by Captain Baldwin, yielded a quarter of an ounce; the next, washed by Gabriel Read, yielded half an ounce. The place was “rushed” by about 500 men, who speedily deserted it, and declared the Waitahuna to be “a duffer.” For some time there were only three parties on the field. On 1st September there were about 200, and on the 30th, 1000 men were at work there and doing well. Since then its prosperity has been continuous.

In the month of September there occurred one of those feverish reactionary movements, which would appear to be necessarily consequent on every new “rush.” The world-famous gold-fields