THE COUNTRY.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2682, 21 September 1871, Page 3

THE COUNTRY.

SOUTHLAND, On the 14th inst. an inquest was held touching the fire at Branxho me. The witness who first discovered the stacks burning, stated that he did not at once give the alaim thinking it ureleas, and that in all probability some of the farm people M ould soon be up. The enquiry resulted in a verdict of “ wilful tire raising against some person or persons unknown.” The jury recommended that the Government should offer a reward for the detection of the offenders. At the Resident Magistrates Court at Invercargill, on 11th inst, Alex. Sayers, a commission agent, was charged by Mr Harvey with a breach of the Law Practitioners Act, in preparing a bill of sale, whereby he had rendered himself liable to a penalty of fifty pounds. Defendant made several objections which were overruled, and ultimately the case was adjourned for a week, to enable defendant to obtain legal assistance from Dunedin, the whole of the solicitors in Invercargill being in some way or other connected with the case before the court. — There is but little stirring in Invercargill. Farmers are busy all round, that is as busy as the variable state of the weather will allow in getting their seed in ; but with the exception of two days during this Meek, the storms of hail, rain, and M'ind have been such as almost to preclude outdoor operations. In the western district the double-furrow plough has been brought very extensively into operation. The Town Council of Invercargill has got fairly under weigh, and appears to have an eye to strict economy„which is no doubt very judicious at the present; they have no funds on which to operate, and unless it is intended to tax the municipality heavily, the sphere of public improvement must be a contracted one, and the public works necessarily of very slow; growth. Our squatters are now actively circulating petitions to both Houses of Assembly, praying that no blocks of land be opened for sale on their runs. They claim that under the Unisn Act made the disposal of Crown land outside of Hundreds cannot bo altered during the currency of their leases. Another petition of a very different nature is in circulation in favor of the passing of some measure akin to the Permissive Bill. It is being extensively signed. TOKOMAIRIRO. As an encouragement to fiaxdressei’a we jnar mention that we have reliable information that flax fibre prepared in the Molyneux ' district has returned not procseds to the producer L2l per ton.—An influentially signed signed petition has been forwarded to the House of Representatives from the Jaien and Maungatua districts, in favor of a iermissive Bill. It was sign-d by 126 males And 88 females. — Standard. Gold in payable quantities his not yet been struck in the Akatore district, and some of the parties intend shifting to the Kaitangata ranges, a district which asyet has been little prospected ; but one which in our opinion presents features of a favourable character to its proving an auriferous tract.

Good gold is still obtained on the coast beaches and neighbourhood, and the Kaitancrata ranges, many of which are made hills, Ties in a direct line with the Woolshed, Manuka Creek, Waitahnna andTuapeka.— 11 erahl. MACRAES. The Celestials are determined to give the old Higblay diggings another trial, A large party are at work cutting a water race, for the purpose of carrying the water from its original course. When this is accomplished they will proceed with the working of the bed of Higblay Creek for a considerable distance in the direction of Shag River. The Mongolians are causing a little excitement here. Last week a party of this class of miners struck a shaft on a spur near Horse Flat, and struck payable gold on the bottom of the claim. This fact did not long remain a secret, and the following day the spot was rushed ; a considerable number of claims was taken up, with what refills has not been learned. The severity of the late snowstorm has been felt throughout the district. It is rumored that a considerable number of sheep have been found 'smothered on several sheep runs in this neighborhood, and upon inquiry this turns out to be a fact. The following may give some idea of the depth of snow in this part of the district. A man named James Stoad, well known at Waikouaiti, narrowly escaped perishing during the height of the snowstorm. It appears, on the day proceeding the storm, that he started in the direction of Highlay Hill for a load of firewood. The following morning he went up to the top of the range to look for his bullocks (there was a thick fog, and it was snowing very heavy at the time). After rambling about for some time, he sought shelter under a large rock from the severity of the storm, to sec if it would clear. This one act nearly cost him his life. The snow continued to fall; and the result was that Stoad was not able to make the hut or return to the Home Station. There he remained a prisoner from the Tuesday till Thursday without a mouthful of food of any kind On the evening of Thursday it cleared up, and, as he said himself, to stay out another night would cost him his life, an effort must be made to roach the Home Station. He started on his journey almost exhausted, and after considerable suffering reached there that night, where he received every attention that could bo given to relieve the suffering that he was laboring under from exposure and hunger. There -is no doubt had he remained out one night longer he must have perished. Waikouaiti Herald.