The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-13 00:00:00

THE GOLDFIELDS.

We are still looking forward to the opening up of
new fields as the result of the very general pros-
pecting of the country in all directions. Reports
of important discoveries there are from time to time,
but none of these has been confirmed as yet by the
only sure test of their value, the work of many
hands. Numbers of people are now proceeding to-
wards that point of the great mountain chain from
which the Goulburn and its tributaries flow, in
search of the diggings lately announced to have
been found there ; but of the little is known as yet
except that a small number of men have been for
some time profitably employed on the new ground,
such having been the case occasionally for years
past on one or other of the creeks flowing Borth-
ward from these ranges. Further to the eastward,
and more towards Omeo, or the now famous Kian-
dra, a new goldfield of great extent is reported to
have been discovered ; but of this nothing authenti•
is yet known, the bearers of the intelligence having
merely heard that the place is within our territory,
that gold is plentiful, but that the auriferous ground
said to cover 20 square miles, is now covered with
snow.

Since the exciting intelligence from Kiandra,
at the close of last summer, disturbed the pub-
lic mind once more with visions of speedy fortunes
to be realised by digging, nothing but the dis-
covery of an entirely new and extensive field,
with room and to spare for thousands,
will satisfy the general desire, so more limited dis
coveries are scarcely deemed worthy of notice. We
have had, however, to chronicle not a few of these,
and some of no little importance in proportion to
the number of miners finding scope for exertion
thereon. Inglewood, the site of the last great
rush, now some months since, has fallen sadly into
disrepute of late; for, although it is an extensive
field, and some of the runs of gold and portions of
reefs within its limits are very rich, besides there
being a very great extent of surfacing ground,
which will be worked to good advantage as soon as
ever enough water is to be had, it was altogether
overcrowded, and is now being deserted as rapidly
as it was peopled at first. But at Lamplough, the
site of the great rush before that again and almost
deserted at one time for Inglewood, numbers are
now doing very well, and one of the best leads
opened of late is now worked within four miles,
and is giving employment to several hundreds of
men, and a competency to a fair proportion of these.
The same thing has happened at Back Creek, a
place once in as great estimation as the two named,
and afterwards almost depopulated for them, where
the course of one of the rich leads, for some time
lost, has been recovered, and these diggings are in
as high favour as ever, but only with a compara-
tively small number, after the experience obtained
there once before of the folly of overcrowding even
the richest spot: On several others of the older
gold-fields fresh leads, or continuations or branches!
of those supposed to have been worked out, or else
good patches have been found, but still insufficient
to absorb the number of miners unsettled, and half
or totally unemployed, and for these we want new
fields. Yet the old ground is far from being worked
out, and in proof of this we need only refer to the
three nuggets found within a few weeks at Yan-
doit, in a spot little tried before; but now that it
has been ascertained to contain such prizes, sure
to be pretty well turned over. The first of these,
weighing 501 b. has been described in a former sum-
mary, and the second 2400 z., was found a few days
after. Since then the third, and last as yet, weigh-
ing 2840 z., was found by another party, at a depth
of 16 feet from the surface. About the time of the
finding of the second, a nugget of 671 b. loz., and
measuring 181 inches in length by 51 inches in
breadth, with an average thickness of - about two
inches, was obtained at X.ingower, within a foot of
the surface. Several smaller nuggets have also
been found within the last few weeks, and among
the number one of 190 z., at the Boggy Creek dig-
gings in Gipps Land, which is mostly very fine, at
least on the lower portions of the rivers where the
workings now are, but not, vc e should imagine,
higher up and nearer to the reefs or other sources
of supply. New reefs have been opened up in dif-
ferent directions through the country, and the reef-
ing interest generally is in a prosperous condition.
The largest cake of amalgamated gold produced
lately was one of 1,1580 z., 10 dwt., the yield of 40
tons of stone, taken out of a claim on the Eastern
Victoria reef in the Bendigo district.

NEW SOUTH WALES.
MONTHLY COMMERCIAL REVIEW.
JULY 20.
During the past month the money market has
continued tight, and we regret to record that several
failures have taken place. The following houses
have called meetings of their creditors :—Messrs. J.
N. Fairhurst and Co., Bensusan and Haes, Bette-
ridge and Haden, W. Jolly and Co.' and Bowden
and Peden. The liabilities of these firms are not
very large, and altogether do not amount to more
than £120,000.
The rates of exchange charged by the banks con-
tinue the same. The buying rate for bills on Lon-
don, at 60 days' sight, being 2 per cent. discount,
and the selling rate 1 per cent. premium. The
rates of discount remain at 7,8, and 9 per cent.
A comparative statement of the consolidated re•
venue of the colony of New South Wales, and of
the special funds paid into the Treasury at Sydney
during the quarters ended June 30, 1859, and June
30, 1860, respectively showing the increase or de-
crease-under each head thereof has been published
in the Gazette. From this statement we find the
total revenue received during the quarter ended the
30th of June, 1860, was £339,654 19s. Bd. For the
corresponding quarter of 1859 the revenue amounted
to £370,188 3s. 2d., or 9 per cent. on the receipts of
the quarter. During the first half-year of the year
1869 the revenue amounted to £721,365 19s. lld ,
and during the half-year ended the 30th of June,.
1860, to £595,912 18s. Bd. The decrease in the
half-year is, therefore, £125,453 ls. 3d., or over 21
per cent. The falling off in the revenue this quar-
tere
r iod revenueo f
last has
year. i
is again in the Customs and land revenue
It must also but
it is satisfactory to find that during the last' two,
improved
and is
fully mont
equal
utahletCoutshtaotmps'
be borne in mind that the sep •
aration of Moreton
Bay makes a difference in our Customs' revenue of

PRICE 4D. STAMPED, sr.

about £3,000 a month, but still the decline on the
half-year is so considerable that there is very little
probability of the year's revenue being equal to that
of 1859, and consequently it will fall short of the
estimated revenue,so that the treasurer, unless some
wonderful change takes place during the present
half-year, will have to meet Purliament next session
with a &licit instead of the surplus he anticipated.
The share market during the past month has
been remarkably quiet, and the transactions that
have taken place have be, n very limited. The
amount of capital offering for investment at pre-
sent is s nail, but as holders are not disposed to ,
submit to any reduction in prices, or anxious I o force
sales, no decline has taken place. The news from Eng-
land by the May mail, although showing a great
fall in the value of our securities in the London mar-
ket, has not in any degree affected the prices ruling
here 'I he half-yearly meetings of the Commercial
Bank, Australian Joint-stock Bank, Australasian
Steam Navigation Company, and Newcastle Coal
and Copper Company will take place at the end of
the month, and should their reports be as favour-
able as they are expected, and their dividends equal
to those declared last half-year, an improvement in
the value of these shares may be looked for.
Government debentures were firm, and termin-
ables due in 1861 have been sold for remittance to
England at 11 per cent. premium and interest.
Those due in 1874 have changed_hands at par and
interest. Interminables are steady, and have been
sold at 981- and interest. City and Sydney deben-
tures have been dealt in at 98.

The following will show the amounts of golddust
received from the Western, Southern, and Northern
goldfields during the first six months of the years
1859 and 1860 :-1859—Western, 60,522 ounces;
Southern, 50,275 ounces ; Northern, 26,344 ounces.
1860—Western, 62,220 ounces; Southern, 95,098
ounces ; Northern, 25,774 ounces. From this state-
ment it will be found that there is an increase of
1,698 ounces, or 22 per cent., on the yield from the
*Western goldfields • but from the Southern, in-
cluding Kiandra, the increase is very large, being
over 44,821 ounces, or 89 per cent. On the return
of the Northern goldfields, however, there is a
slight decrease of 570 ounces, or nearly 2 per cent.
The Customs' revenue collected at the port of
Sydney during the month of June amounted to
£47,154, 17s. 2d. During the corresponding month
of 1859 the receipts were £45,356, 18s. 7d. ; there
is, therefore, an increase on the month of £1,797,
18s. 7d., or nearly 4 per cent. For the half-year
ended the 30th of June, 1859, the Customs' revenue
amounted to £308,030, 10s. 2d. During the same
period of 1860 the duties collected have amounted
to £277,982, 19s. 9d. ; the decrease on the receipts
of the half-year is, therefore, £30,047, 10s. sd. or
10/ per cent. It is gratifying to find that the Cus-
toms revenue is recovering from the decline that
took place during the first five months of the pre-
sent year, and it is to be hoped that before the year
closes the receipts will be fully equal to those of
last year.

- .
THE NATIVE WAR IN NEW ZEALAND.

The correspondent of the Melbourne -Herald
writes :

" About daybreak on Wednesday, June 27, a
force of 200 men in all, from the 40th and Naval
Brigade, set out from the camp with the big guns,
and took up position on the side of the pah next
the camp. These men had with them Major Nel-
son, Capt. Richards, of the 40th ; Capt. Seymour
and First Lieutenant Baddiscombe, of the Pelorus ;
and Lieut. M'Naughten, of the Artillery. Another
party of 150 men was sent round between the pah
and the river, and, leaving a detachment in the
flat, came up in the rear of the pah, on the inland
side. The pah was thus surrounded, so that none
coming out could escape from one force or another.
" The main force in front opened fire with artil-
lery at seven a,m. ; and, after some firing, effected
a small breach. But the ground was known to be
furrowed with old entrenchments, and a gully in-
tervened between the Artillery and left wing and
the pah. The natives came boldly out on the op-
posite side of the gully, sometimes within a 100
yards, and a steady and busy firing went on. On
the right wing, however, which consisted of the
grenadier company of the 40th and part of the
Naval Brigade, and which overlapped the head of
the gully, a distressing fire was maintained from a
broad ditch, and the order was given to fix bayonets
and charge. The natives, lying down with loaded
guns, started up when the line was with a few
yards; their numbers were great, their guns double
barrels, and they fairly shook the advancing
party. They closed, however, 'and a hand to
hand fight followed, in which many fell. One
big fellow of the 40th is said to have bayonetted
six of the enemy, and was then shot down. Some
whiteskinned scoundrel was amonc,. the enemy,
directing them, and I fear escaped hanging by
getting shot. The grenadier company lost 33 men
killed and wounded, chiefly in the struggle.
" Whilst this was going on the Maories came
pouring in from the back country, and outflanked
our men ; and after holding out as long as he
thought fair to the men, no reinforcement arriving,
Major Nelson ordered a retreat. An attempt was
made to do so, followed:by a perfect crowd of natives,
when the artillery, which had been run off dia-
gonally to cover the retreat, threw in a few rounds
of grape, and one discharge made, it is said, A lane
through them,' and they gave up the attempt to
pursue. _ _ _

" The parties in the rear had meanwhile been en-
gaged with the natives on the ridge on which stands
the pah, and had cut off some who were endeavour-
ing to escape on that side; they were part of them
stationed in high fern and tutu, and the crowd from
inland had nearly surprised them. When the bugle
sounded the retreat they were separated from the
main body by swarms of natives, and were obliged
to make the best of their way back by the low ground
over which they had advanced. They had been
taken to their position by the celebrated chief Ihai.
He is still suffering from some scorbutic complaint
contracted in the long siege of the Karaka pah, and
being half lame and knocked up had to crawl back
to the camp, where he arrived at 11 o'clock, covered
with mud, thorns, and thistle seed. He did his duty,
and it is fair to mention him here, as he might be
forgotten, and his whole fierce and energetic mind
is bent on aiding our cause. His absence, however,
left the rear party without a guide. Lieut. Brooke
was killed in a swamp, fighting several natives
with his sword, till a cut on the wrist disabled him,
and he fell by the blows of their tomahawks. The
rearward party left 13 men on the ground. Only
one wounded man escaped, the whole retreat hav-
ing to be hardly fought against great odds. The
whole loss on our side was-
40th Regiment
Naval Brigade
Artillery

Of these 29 were killed and 32 wounded ; one of the
latter has since died. Among the killed was Lieut.
Brooke, and among the wounded was Captain
Seymour, of the Pelorus ; but I am glad to say his
wound is not likely to deprive us long of his in-
valuable services.
"It is worth recording that the natives were
observed to dispense with the ramrod in loading—
their balls going easily down their guns, the butts
of which they struck two or three times on the
ground.
ge From the spectators of this fight, and the few
who joined it of their own choice, we hear butone
tale. Every one fought with steady active courage
h;
fireal alike
et
taiidintheir
i
t
no one skulked ; officers and men
duty under great odds and a
fierceness that astonished veterans of the Indian
of a
service. The natives, it is said, are warriors
f equal
to the Sikhs. I hear the name Ferozeshah,
Sobraon, the Redan, used to describe the sort of
conflict. It was no disgrace, then to be repelled.
We may be proud of the 27th June at Puketa-
kauere. One man there was who could have made
this affair a decisive victory. It was an enlarged
repetion of Waireka,
Succour
was at hand, but it was needed, and it
was withheld. Not only are
the rebels unconquered, but the bodies of our dead
lie unburied, or- are indebted to the enemy for
burial. Here was n
i o divided responsibility, no
orders , to hamper t lay in the power of the com-
mander of the f. orces to co-operate, to succour, or
promptly _ to retrieve. One after another he neg-
lected or declined these opportunities as they
passed. He did not create a diversion ;he delay'de
when he should have hurried to relieve and he
marched his eager men back to quarters 411 n he
should have gone forward to renew the strife.e It
Is true that all was quiet when he left Mahoetalti ;
but for aught he knew it might be the quiet of
death. I know something will be said about the
town ; but the town was not unprotected. Here
is, roughly, the state of the force we had on Wed
nesday, the 27th :

At Waitara
With Colonel Gold . 3OO
At Bell Block 5O
At Omata
At Tataraimaka 2OO
In town

1920
Reducing the number here d i
stated by 100 for n

valids, we—hiire-lrloree--surely able to
itself, and protect the barracks, in whi,
emergency we should secure the helpless.
war yet made us so selfish that any one in,
in the town can look on the brave soldiers at
outposts as strangers, or grudge some risk to our-
selves that succour should be afforded to them in
their need. I see no justification of the course of
Colonel Gold on Wednesday-. I will not try to give
it its proper name, for there is no pleasure in using
harsh words, and mild ones will not express my
opinions. It is fitter for me to be a mere annalist
and easier to leave the facts without further remark
to yourself and the public. In the nature of things
it must surely be that some way exists of removing
a person so unfit as Colonel Gold from a station of
such great trust as he now occupies. I desire no
more. And the emergency is too grave for me to
hesitate about sa; ing that th's is absolutely neecs-
sary." .

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

The officers engaged were—
Naval Brigade—First Lieutenant Bittiscombe,
Midshipman Wadlow. Midshipman Garnett, Lieu-
tenant Mot ris, Royal Marine Artillery.
Royal Engineers—Lieutenant :Mould.
Royal Artillery—Lieutenant M'Naughtcn.
40th Regiment—Major Nelson, Limit. Brooke
(killed), Lieutenants Downian, Jackson, and Rees,
Ensign and Adjutant Whelan.
The following is an authentic list of the killed
and wounded among the 40th Regiment :—Killed
, Dumfrey,
—Lieutenant Brooke, Sergeant O'Callaghan, Cor-
poralsS. M'Burney, J. Ryan; Privates
Doug_la,s
Downes, Byrne, Gore
Abrey Abrey,
DA.lVleanh,
Broderick,ey, ,
Fegan, Fillm
• • ghatn, Harris, Hayes, M Cabe, Mar-
Cliff,
Gill, Webber, Hickey, M'Cann, Marsden,
com, Perry, Scott, G.allagher,D?wn
Channin s
Robin-
son. Wounded Privates Bryan,
Lynch, Lucas, M'Carthy, Maguire
(since dead),
Molton,
Murphy, Newman, Plunkett, Smith,
Burke, O'Brien, Burgess, Tedder, Head, Hogan,
Louge, Smith, Tourney.

(From the Sydney Morning Herald.)

By the Prince Alfred mail steamer we have
papers from New Plymouth (Taranaki), to the 30th
of June.

She brings news of a very painful and disastrous
character. An advance upon the rebels' pah at
Waitara has been made, and, after fighting for
more than four hours with great gallantry against
large numbers of natives, covered by their intrench-
meats, our forces were obliged to retreat, leaving
29 dead and 33 wounded on the field. The die is
cast. It is plain that we have a foe to deal with
who is not to be despised ; it is equally so that he
must be put down at all cost. Major Nelson and
Captain Seymour, with the whole of their men,
appear to have acted with great gallantry, and in
a manner equally removed from over-caution. The
Taranaki _Herald says :
" While last Saturday's sheet was printing guns
were heard at Waitara, and the Tasmanian Maid
on Tuesday brought intelligence that a reconnoit-
ring party of the 40th had been fired on by the
natives from the pah restored at Puketakauere.
This act of aggression loosened the hands of our
military commander, and steps were taken to punish
the insurgents for their growing boldness.
" Wednesday morning was fixed for attacking
the pah. Guns and reinforcements of the 40th
Regiment and of the blue jackets were despatched
from town, and plans of proceeding canvassed by
men with and without authority.
" Weather of the most inclement kind that this
country knows added to the hardships of this pre-
paring for the rough business.
" The reinforcements waded out through a sea of
mud, under south-west squalls and showers.

" The Puketakauere fah consists of two stock-
ades ; one upon the intrenchments of the old
pah of the same name, the other new and appa-
rently without intrenchments. They stand on a
ridge formed by two small gullies. These gullies
meet a little below the pah, and open on a swampy
ground in the Waitara Valley, forming a sort of
long Y, the stalk towards the river, and the stock-
ades in the fork.

" The main body, consisting of the Grenadier and
Light Companies of the 40th Regiment, under Capt.
Richards, and 60 blue jackets, under Ist Lieut.
Battiscombe of the Pelorus, with the Artillery, ap-
proached the pah by the direstcst road from the
camp, and at 6 o'clock a.m. the guns were brought
to bear, and the nten extended on the northwest, or
seaward side of the pah, the smaller gully between
them and it. With this division were Major Nelson,
and Capt. Seymour, of the Pelorus.

" A second division of about 50 men, under Capt.
Messenger, was posted on the flat of the Waitara,
to cut off the retreat on that side; and a third,under
Capt. Bw.vdler, passed along the river banks, and
attempted to take the pah in the rear.
" The natives were aware of the movement, and
were on the alert. The first firing was on the rear-
ward party, and a Maori informant states that,
finding the troops advancing on that side, many of
the natives went out of the stockade, some of them
endeavouring to escape, and some occupying the
iutrenchments of a second old pal), to the rearward
of—that is to say, nearer to the IVaitara than—the
two stockades. It could be seen that the party
under Capt. Messenger was doing great execution
on the stragglers who attempted to escape, and for
a time it appeared as if the attack in the rear would
succeed ; but after a short space a large reinforce-
ment from the inland settlements of Wi Kingi ar-
rived among the high fern, and a fierce battle en-
sued, the natives greatly outnumbering the troops.
" The Grenadier company of the 40th Regiment
and the blue jackets formed the right wing of the
main party in front, and extended beyond the head
of the gully, facing partly round towards the south-
west side of the pah. Large numbers of the enemy
came to the brink of the gully, and the pah was pro-
bably almost empty. The combatants were about
150 yards apart, divided by the gully, firing briskly
and steadily, but not able to close except where the
right wing overlapped the head of the gully, and
here a desperate struggle took place with a party
of natives who had a trench at one of the outworks
of the old fortifications. Here was the hottest fight-
ing and the greatest loss sustained by this division.
" Early in the day a messenger of the rebels vv.ag
seen to start from the rear, and between 9 2.1.1c1_
0
o'clock large reinforcements came from ill_alacrelci
part of which, as we have already said, attacked
the 2d and 3d divisions, and the
out-
flanked the main body in front.
time, without
" Having held this ground for rme
of a diversion
reinforcements arriving, or any signs.
raers to sound the
appearing, Major Nelson gave
° was checked by a
remainder
' retire.' Some attempt to follow
and the main body
serious molestation,
murderousretreatedi
nfi re
orderfrandom thte awithoutrpti."
The other divisions
and arrived in campdainl
their retreat, not having
sert them. We believe it was in
they
ns were killed. They endea-
voured°an t Brooke and the other
had advanced, but
gallant
retreathewerea heavy
y ingtuuhncasht
retire
Li to
eutenant
uurasain s o
divisions
or mistake of the ground
ttoi oisfyertntehh; res
cause .o
f the serious loss on this side.
we fear
way back to the camp.
wassfellowsomepartly
an
They had to fight their
There were men present cool enough to see that
the British honour was not only sustained but exalted
by this fierce struggle. The great numerical superi-
ority of the natives alone made it necessary for our
troops to retire. Officers and men fought with steadi-
ness and energy,
under a fire which an Indian officer
compares to that at Ferozeshah and Sobraen, and
which a soldier of the Crimea states to have been
hotter than that in the Redan. The gallant Captain
Seymour of the Pelorus, received a bullet in the leg.
Lieut. Brooke sold his life dearly, and fell only when
his sword arm was helplessly wounded. Non-com-
missioned officers and privates were recognised in
some cases singly and coolly firing on large bodies of
the enemy, and then as coolly retiring. The enemy,
too, showed unexpected resolution, and have proved
the first body of men able to meet the British bayo-
net.

" It must not be omitted, either, that thought-
ful preparations had been made by the excellent
commander of the 40th for the day's work.
Double rations of food were cooked, carts, bul-
locks, ammunition, everything was punctually at
its place; and the excellent plan of operations and
gallant conduct of the attacks did fresh honour to
the name idolised by Britons.
" This sanguinary fight would have been the
annihilation of the native force at Waitara bad
more troops been present. . -8 a five
" The large army assembled about Kingli ~ch
comment on the policy of our Government, 7,0;
_.
stands trifling with mild addresses and Mtto:.l,6r
'laments, while the men whom it seeksgna, conciliatetogice
gather by the thousand, with tams in
their
senators
that dignity to the deliberations ofw
r.
which belongs to a sense of theirr
inakeas in the rear
further
" The blszing houses of Tataarta,ls
of our retreating column on thausthigdeb,
eatrweeaen every
illustration of the system P
blow in a struggle to make up his mind to continue
made;stheof oveprytiuvrieles
gt
eo
athnedfeoneiabieldh
ascertain if he has
twhiagthtthheamveotsatuttints
the contest.
embel-
lishment of
New Zealand is repeating,
work.
hand makes the bloodiest
ießuatt.tmiscoorrnribs,eß, Aolyida-1
~ The officersl'igC°leeunnir.gelaj_e.re
ship,
in.Neanvawl Brigade
n—First
Artillery.
Royal Engineers—Lieut. Mould.
4, Royal Artillery—Lieut. M‘Naughten.
Marine
~ 40th Regiment—Major Nelson, Lieut. Brooke
(killed), Lieuts. Dowman, Jackson and Rees, En-
sign and Adjutant Whelan." ,