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Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1941, 26 July 1869, Page 2

The Budget.—The Colonial Treasurer is expected to make bis financial statement to-m rrow.

Princess Theatre.—The drama of “ The Wr-ck Ashore, r which wa- produced on Saturday evening, was very indifferently played. The first act was thoroughly spoiled by some supernumeraries, who appeared to think that their occupation was to wander about the st go. The successful burlesque of “ The King of the Peacocks ” concluded thy performances.

Acclimatisation.—We are glad to learn that the Eev. A. P. O’Callaghan and Mr Wood, of Kyreton. have recently imported five brace of partridges, which they have turned out at Eyrcton. on Messrs Hillyard and Wood’s farm. We hope to bear that this spirited enterprise has succeed'd, and trust that the residents in the district will do ali they can to assist in the preservation and propagation of the birds. 1 he efforts of the Acclimatisation .Society seem to have met with undoubted success with regard to our old fri'-nd, the sparrow. Yesterday morning there were several seni iu a hedge in Gloucester street, chirruping and flying about as if in their native land. V\ o h<>p • that they will prove useful. —Lyttelton Times.

The Nevis.—“ An Old Resident and an Experienced Miner,” writing - the lDu»xtan Times, gives the following account of the district: —“With respect to our climate, though severe frosts an experienced from the middle of May to the end of August, they are not of such severity as to entirely suspend mining operations, only one class of miners being unable to continue work—namely, those whose races take their vise from high sources, and our mining is by no means confined to sluicing. In this respect the Nevis has undergone a considerable improvement of late. Some very go d ground has reccntl been opened in the terrace formation on the west side of the town-hip. Two slia-ts have been sunk, and pa', able £old ob ained a a depth of from twenty to twenty-five feet within die List month. Two others are in course of descent, and. judging from the close re-emblance of the stutt hitherto turned up to that in which gold in good payable quantities has already been found, there is every likelihood of their turning out well. Indeed, it is rather singular that this method of testing tlm auriferous deposits of the terrace formation has not been adopted before now. Digger * have been under the impression that heavy water would be met with, and as we have no timber for slabbing purposes, it has not been resorted to until lately. However, it turns out th it almost every one has b en mistaken as very little water is found beyond a certain shingly gutter which runs <ui the edge of the terrace and parallel with it, by avo ding which and sinking in the main terrace beyond, a comparatively dry bottom is found. As a sample of the deposits which are met with occasionally in this terrace I may mention that, in the claim of Reding, O’Neil, and party, a piece of ground equal to ab -ut forty feet square turned out about two hundred ounces of gold. This party deserve great credit for their perseverance under difficult!- s, and there is no do bt but they will reap a golden harvest. They have at len th abandoned sluicing in favor of tunnelling At the Upper Nevis the sluicm- operations are principally suspended for the winter. He e also new discover!-a have been made in the nature of the depo sits. In the claim of Bailey and paity a new lead has been struck at a lower level, which bids fair to pay its spirited proprietors handsomely. At the lower crossing-place the population consists for the most part of Chinese, and they appear well satisfied with their earnings. lam somewhat jealous of my dark hiother o the long tail, and cannot subscribe to all the opinions that are held with respect to Ins honesty and truthfulness, or his fitness for citizens ip with his Christian brother ; yet I must own that, in many respects, he is well worthy of imitation, and in none more so than in his steady perseverance and steady, systematic, and methodical way of working the Nevis LIT —as the term is, ‘taking a 1 before him.’ By this means he finds many a patch that mullochy workers would miss.”