June 1, 1864.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



GOLD DISCOVERIES IN NEW ZEALAND. 519 



Wanganui Rivers drew a considerable number of miners to those places, 

 and the West Coast diggings eclipsed in attraction those of Aorere and 

 Wangapeka. Individual success of a very brilliant nature was common ; 

 but the great difficulties and danger of the country and the unaccount- 

 able apathy of the local Government have, up to the present time, hin- 

 dered the development of auriferous resources, which there is a fair 

 reason to believe are equal to anything that has yet been discovered in 

 New Zealand. What an impetus might have been given to the pro- 

 gress of tbe Nelson Province may be fairly imagined by the extraordinary 

 advancement of Otago. Had the Nelson Government used even oidinary 

 exertion to develop the golden resources of the province, it might by 

 this time have enjoyed a revenue second only to that of Otago. 



In the latter part of 1862 and beginning of 1863, large additions 

 were made to the gold fields of the colony. In the early part of the 

 year, the rich discoveries on the Wakatipu Lake and its tributaries were 

 revealed. Some of these discoveries were made in the most accidental 

 manner. For instance, a party of miners found gold near the Cardrona 

 in the following manner, as related by one of the party, a man named 

 Grogan : — 



" On the 9th November, whilst a band of diggers were camped on the 

 banks of the Cardrona, Mullins and myself took a walk to see how that 

 part of the country looked, and in walking along the side of the river, 

 where what I call a slide had occurred, there had been a track formed 

 by the cattle. I being a little further up the creek, sat down until he 

 came up, and he immediately told me that some persons must have lost 

 some gold, and produced about four pennyweights that he got on 

 the cattle track. We still continued up the creek, until we thought it 

 time to return to our camping ground ; and on our way back he showed 

 me the place, and on searching for more we could get more ; and from 

 the appearance of the black soil, we certainly thought it must have been 

 lost by Fox, or some person. ... On Tuesday, the 11th, after 

 receiving some information as to whereabouts Fox was working, myself 

 and mates were ahead of others ; and on coming to this place, I took 

 my swag and laid it on the bank. ' There,' said I, ' is where the 

 gold was got.' Then I walked to the spot, and on breaking up the sur- 

 face, the first thing I discovered was a bit about three pennyweights, 

 and that afterwards we nuggeted out nine ounces six pennyweights 

 twelve grains, which all hands that were there could see." 



Probably the richest gold-bearing stream in the colony is the Shot- 

 over River, which takes it rise in the lofty and almost inaccessible range 

 of mountains which extend to the north of the Wakatipu Lake. Some 

 of the earlier workers on this and adjacent streams obtained gold lite- 

 rally by the hundredweight, and many of the more fortunate claimholders 

 realised large fortunes. The great drawbacks of this region are the 

 sudden and frequent floods, which almost without warning come rush- 

 ing down, and sweep away the dams, sluices, and other mining contri- 

 vances. In winter, the greater part of the country, from the Wakatipu 



