THE TECHNOLOGIST. [June 1, 1864. 



518 HISTORY OF THE 



type that eighty-seven pounds weight of gold had been brought in from, 

 somewhere near "Waikouaiti. The Government obtained the necessary 

 information from the lucky discoverers on certain conditions of reward. 

 As soon as the locality of the discovery was made public a tremendous 

 "rush" took place thither, and in a few weeks the banks of the Moly- 

 neux were lined for miles on either side with thousands of busy miners. 

 The gold field was named the Dunstan, by which it is still known. Soon 

 afterwards gold was found on the Nokomai River, and in numerous 

 streams and gullies branching from the Molyneux. 



In the early part of 1862, the Coromandel diggings again attracted 

 attention. Some fresh discoveries were made, which established the 

 auriferous character of the district, and considerable excitement in 

 Auckland was the result. As soon as publicity was given to the new 

 discovery, a number of miners at once flocked to the spot. But the 

 natives, with whom at this time the relations of the Government were 

 not of the most satisfactory kind, warned the prospectors off the land, 

 and refused to allow gold-digging to be carried on in their territory. 

 Public meetings were held at Auckland, and the Government was urged 

 to make arrangements with the native owners for the working of the 

 ground. An attempt was made by one of the then Ministry to come to 

 terms with the Maoris, but they demanded so exorbitant a sum for the 

 privilege of working on the ground, that it was feared the negotiations 

 would have fallen through. His Excellency Sir George Grey, however, 

 was more successful, and for an equitable consideration the natives con- 

 sented to allow the miners to work. A large number of persons soon 

 assembled at Coromandel, and numerous shafts were sunk into the 

 quartz reefs with which the district abounds. The peculiar nature of 

 the deposit of gold, however, interposed great difficulties in the way of 

 individual effort, and it was necessary to the proper development of the 

 undoubted auriferous resources of the district that the work should be 

 dune by means of co-operation. Several companies were formed, and the 

 results of their exertions, if not positively remunerative, were satis- 

 factory, in so far as proving the existence of deposits of gold in sufficient 

 quantity to pay, if worked economically and on intelligent systems. It 

 is a fact, however, that the machinery brought to bear was of a coarse 

 and imperfect character, and the various companies were not strong 

 enough, nor had the shareholders that firm conviction in the auriferous 

 wealth of the district, to ensure success. The disturbed state of the 

 country, and the counter attractions of the alluvial diggings of Otago, 

 caused most of the miners to leave Coromandel. There can, however, 

 be no doubt that the whole of the Coromandel district and other localities 

 in the Auckland Province are richly auriferous. No opportunity has 

 yet been afforded of testing the alluvial plains of the Thames and 

 Waikato rivers ; but there is every reason to hope that they will yet 

 form the sites of valuable gold fields. 



The Nelson diggings also shared the attention of gold-seekers in 

 1862. The discoveries of gold reported by the Maoris at the Buller and 



