Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 3143, 17 March 1873, Page 2

The Rev. A. R. Fitchett has been lecturing in Christchurch on Spiritualism.

The number of emigrants sent out to the Colony since the arrival of Dr Featherston in London is (i,899 ; and they were forwarded to the Colony in thirty-nine ships. The groundwork of an extensive system of sericulture is being formed in Canterbury, Mr Armstrong, the Government gardener, has propagated 400 mulberry plants of the best varieties for sericulture.

We have received a sample of the Bay of Islands coal brought by the Margaret Campbell. From the slight experiment we have been able to make upon its qualities, we should think it superior to anything yet produced in quantity in New Zealand. It burns readily, is bitumens, and forms a cinder. We arc glad to see that pressure has caused so much attention to be given to our coal fields. Miss Urie, who gave a concert at the Queen’s Theatre, on Saturday evening, will be recollected by old Victorians as having sung at concerts on the principal goldfields of that Colony .in their early days. On Saturday she gave selections from Scotch melodies, and was to have been assisted by local “talent," but only one of the gentlemen announced to sipg put in an appearance, so that she had a gpod deal of work to do ; and, aided by Mr Sykes, whose pianoforte solos arc always worth listening to, she managed to give satisfaction to a pretty numerous audience.

The well-known and popular drama of “The Flowers of the Forest" was produced at the Princess Theatre, on Saturday night, with Mrs Walter Hill as Cynthia, Mr Douglas as Lemuel, Mr Musgrave as Captain Loverock, and Mr Collier as Ishraael. The audience, though not large, was enthusiastic, and frequently demonstrated its approval of the performance. The drama of “The Legacy of Vengeance’’ followed, and was well received. This evening the drama of “Green Bushes,” with a new farce, by a local author, entitled, “The Russian Invasion ” will be performed. An extensive robbery was perpetrated at Reefton on the 4th inst. The copper-plates at Anderson’s machine were cut from the tables and abstracted. The quantity of gold estimated to have been on the plates is fairly put at not less than 500z., of a money value of Ll/96 5s ; .but the actual loss to the company is considerably greater, probably little short of LSOO. It appears that it had not been deemed necessary to watch the tables, the only amalgum left on them being what was deemed sufficient to facilitate the arrest of the gold as it finds intermixed with quartz tailings from the batteries, and it could not for one moment be supposed that the robbers would have recourse to such a daring expedient as cutting away the copper-plates from the tables. The construction of the submarine boat is being pushed forward as speedily as possible by the sub-contractors for the hull, Messrs Thomas and Sparrow, Cumberland street, and we are informed by Messrs Villaine and Nuttall, the contractors, that the remaining portions of the work will be sublet this week, in order tpat the various sections may be completed at about'the same time. The first section of the hull or bow of the boat is qlmpst completed, and a good portion of the stern is

ready for fitting together ; most of the material required is on the ground, and, if no unnecessary delay occurs, efforts will be made by Messrs Villaineand Nuttall to have the boat ready for removal up country before the roads are bad.

Dr Bullet’s “History of the Birds of New Zealand ” has now reached partiv., only one number more remaining to complete the work, and this, according to the Home News, was to be issued in April, The parts already published contain altogether 300 pages of letterpress, royal quarto, and 21 beautifii'ly-executed plates of New Zealand birds, comprising all the rarer and more remarkable forms. The book has been well received by all the scientific reviewers, and much praise bestowed on the author ; and, what is rather remarkable for a high-priced scientific work, it has proved a success in a commercial sense also, the whole of the edition of 500 (with the exception of a few copies reserved by the publisher, and not yet colored) having been subscribed for, and the list being closed before the lait part of the book has left the press ! The list itself, headed by her Majesty the Queen, contains the names of all the leading scientific men in the country, such as Owen, Darwin, Hooker, and the Duke of Argyll, &c., as well as several royal names and distinguished savants on the continent.

Our Hokitika telegrams on Friday mentioned that two long-sentenced prisoners, named Chamberlain and Levy, respectively, had escaped from custody, while at work with the hard labor gang. The following particulars are taken from one of the local papers Chamberlain, it will be remembered, was convicted of perjury in evidence given in connection with the proceedings ot the Sullivan gang, and jwas afterwards sentenced to a long term of imprisonment for robbing the Hokitika store of Messrs Cowlishaw and Plaisted. Levy was undergoing sentence for some robbery ou the Christchurch road. Chamberlain is a low-set man, of dark complexion, and, when at liberty, voluble. Levy is less known to the police, but they have, no doubt, been acquainted with his peculiarities. The recent dry weather is favorable to the concealment of the runawa3 r s in a bush country like Westland, and Chamberlain is clever in disguises ; be is not a type of man to be left long at large. The escape of the two prisoners occurred on the Hokitika and Arahura road. The laborgang -was at work on the road, near Lark’s Hotel, wdicn a coach drove past. One of the warders withdrew to one side of the road ; tho prisoners, Chamberlain and Levy, went to the other side, and took advantage of the opportunity to “ bolt.” The warder pursued them, and fired his revolver, but ineffectually. The other prisoners were “taken home,” and the warder continued in pursuit of the two wdio had escaped.

Referring to the quicksilver mines in the Bay of Islands district, the Southern Cross remarks that they are now in a fair way of being turned to some account. Mr John White, of Auckland, formerly long connected with the Native department, has just succeeded in leasing the land upon which the springs arc where the mercury has been found, from the Native owners, for a period of one hundred years. The terms of the lease are favorable to the Natives ; they receive a royalty of twenty-five per cent, upon all the carriage of the mine or mines, after paying working expenses. Liberal provision is also made both for the Native owners and the lessee, in the event of towns springing up on the 4,000 acres so leased. The name of the block is called Te Ngawba Tuhakino. The around has not yet been passed through the Native Land Court, but th ; s is to be done immediately, and we hope that no long time will be allowed to elapse before vigorous efforts are made to develop the mineral wealth of the district. The area of ground leased is large, and the currency of the lease is of ample length to secure a liberal investment of capital, to speedily render the speculation a payable industry in our midst. A large quantity of quicksilver is used in the Province upon our gold fields, and this is likely to be considerably increased in the future, rather than diminished, owing to the future development of the gold fields. Mercury has been found in this district since ISGG, and on the 10th October, IS7O, Captain F. W. Hutton read a paper on the subject before the Auckland Institute. The mercury is found in a series of small valleys, which are connected with each other. It is in these valleys where the springs arise, in and near, which the mercury and cinnabar have been found. A correspondent under the pseudonym of Cornish Jack,” writes to the Wakatip Jfail, from Moonlight, the following interesting particulars of the Moke Creek copper lode. He says “Ifit is not intruding too much uppn your valuable columns, please to publish this for public information, and to whom it may concern, regarding the Moke Creek copper slip, which I have recently visited. 1 have not the slightest doubt that the lode in this locality will ultimately be one of the mainstays of the Wakatip districts, notwithstanding the obstacles that will have to be contended against regarding fuel for smelting purposes, and shipment or land carriage. The cap of the lode is easily traced—or rather the caps of several leaders —for hundreds of feet up the sideling of the range, through the slip, and into the solid country, at an elevation, say, of one hundred and lifty feet above the level of the creek. By tracing these leaders from the cap or surface down to the creek, any person who is hut very little acquainted with copper lodes can easily perceive that they draw together, and become much more defined. Providing a tunnel was driven through the slip and back into the hill, and a shaft sunk on the lode, there is reason to believe that, at no great depth, the whole of the leaders will be found to make into one well defined lode, or else they will cut out just like a wedge ; but, according to indications, the former is more probable. Having been born where boys have to handle the pick and gad almost as soon as they can say “father, I should, from practical experience, claim a little knowledge or mining matters. Even the casing in which aro easily seep, traces of almost pure copper oosiug out from the lode, and which is looked upon as rubbish by a great many, would be a fortune for a party of working men if they had it near a port. I have brought away with me some specimens, and intend to get them forwarded to London, where their worth mi&ht be more attractive. In conclusion, depend upon it, sir, nothing is wanting in this direction but capitalists who are interested in mining, in order to develop the place, and open up a neul El Dorado. ’

Mr Peebles’s letter vUJ appear in our next issue. Mr H. S. Fisb, jun.’s, address to the electors will be found in our advertising columns. The Hev. J. M. Peebles will lecture in the Lower flail of the Athemeum on Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. A farewell soirde will be given to Messrs Peebles and Dunn in the Oddfellows’ Hall on Thursday evening next at 8 o’clock, A special meeting of the committee, and others interested in the Dunedin Canary and Poultry Association, will be held in the Lower Hall of the Athemeum at 7.30 this evening. We have been requested by Mr Fish to state that he finds the'concluding paragraph of his address to the City electors conveys a misapprehension, inasmuch as it leads to the inference that, in the event of his not being returned for the City in the Provincial Council, he will contest the next election for Mayor. Mr Pish wishes it to be understood that in no case will he come forward at the next Mayoral election.