THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. FRIDAY,JULY 20,1878.

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 61, 26 July 1878, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. FRIDAY,JULY 20,1878.

Aimcit ft fllumbor of many months, public feeling throughout tho Colonies is boing onco moro fanned into excitement concerning the goldflolda of New Guinea. Though tho opinion, for years past, has provailed that tho island ia rich in gold, it is only of Into that any definite information baa been obtained in verification of tho theory, Tho intelligence received from that quarter, has, of late, however, boen of such a character, that vory little, if indeed any, doubt can now be ontorta'ned as' to tho oxiatenco of gold in payable quantities there. New Guinea has up to vory recent times, and even ia now in nil but a vory restricted aonao a terra incognita. Until within tho laafc year or so nothing was known, concerning either its soil or climate, beyond that of tho aoa coast. Up to a vory Into period tho Native inhabitants were pictured in geographical histories as cannibals, hoatilo and intractable, the climate a« almost beyond human endurance, whilo tho country was represented as consisting of vast marshes for many miles inland, and tho interior a region of mountains and snow. This idea of tho island has now been shown by moro recent exploration to be wholly fabulous. Mr Goldie duf ing his first stay upon the island found tbo Natives to bo almost free from cannabalism,peaco* ably disposed, and though entertaining at first, a natural distrust for tho new comers, ready and oven anxious to join in friendly intercourse. He found them engogod in a rude system of agriculture, many tribes living in friondly al«» lianoo, and practising a community of purpose in all their undertakings. Of the olimato, he found jt to bo almost the reverso of what it had been pio« turod by early navigators and geographers. Tho country along tho coastline he found flat, in many places swampy, but the area so occupied proved to be inconsiderable, being United almost wholly to tho mouths of the different rivers, by far tho largest aroa consist* ing of vast plains and valleys, teaming with luxuriant vogctotion, displaying on all «ide« the most ample proofs of tho wonderful fertility of tho soil. ( The impenetrable interior of early history was found to be accessible by magnificent Btroamfl.navigable to ordinary craft for miles. He found the island to bo rich in tho presence of innumerable products of commerce, and concludes with tho roaaonablo deduction that a coun« try so favored cannot long remain un« colonised. To all thoso natural ad vantocos we havo now the intelligence of the finding of a rich gold field on the Eastern Coast. There cannot, wo think, bo any doubt as the authenticity of the report; Tho information is oonvoyed in a telegram from Cook Town, dated 29th ,Tume, and gives a most glowing picture of the resources of tho field. The explorers, aftor working six weeks, obtained £720 per man, and as nothing ia said in the telegram against tho climnte ov difficulty of reaching the spot it may be presumed that the locality of tho discovery is easily reached, and the climate favorable. We shall look anxiously for some intelligence confirmatory or othorwiso of the report, nothing doubting, howovor. of its oor« redness. As it is well known that several parties of oxpenencod miners aro either now at New Guinea or en route thither, a abort time will suffice to clear up any doubt that may still lingoi' regarding the future of that oxtensive country,