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Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 198, 20 April 1867, Page 2

We see by the Hokitika papers that W. S. Moorhouse, Esq., M H.R., has invited the electors of Westlaud to a meeting at Hokitika this evening. Mouday next, being Easter Monday, will be observed as - a holiday by the various Banks in Greymouth. We have to remind our sporting readers that the second Hokitika races commence on Monday next. The Opening Tea Meeting, to celebrate the inauguration of the Miners' Reading Room at the Nelson Coal Company's Mine, has. been postponed uutil Monday next, the 22nd instant. We regret to learn that the late flood in the neighborhood of Hokitika, caused by the heavy rain, has resulted in a man being drowned in the Totara River. Tlie WestCoast Times states that the unfortunate man was drowned whilst attempting to ford the Totara on foot, just where it joins with Donnelly's Creek. Several persons saw him washed away, bub were unable, to render the : slighest assistance, aiid the. poor fellow perished. The Greymouth A mateur Dramatic Society will give thfir next performance during" Easter week, the pieces selected being '•'Macbeth," and the "Bouts at the Swan." They will be assisted by Miss Rosa C< oper and Mr Lionel Harding. Further particulars will appear in our next. On Easter Monday several interesting boat races, will come off.on the river between j various parties of amateurs. A four-oared, two-oared, and several sculling matches will I constitute the programme. j We are indebted to the courtesy of Mr Commissioner Kynnersley for some authentic information respecting the rush to the Buller. When Mr Kynnersley left Westport, the rush had practically ceased, and the number of those retracing their steps was about equal to the new arrivals. Fully one thousand persons are estimated to have 'arrived at Westport since the news of the discover}' on the Orawaite was promulgated, but up to the present time nothing has occurred in the waj of gold discoveries to retain them. The prospectors' claim on the Orawaite is undoubtedly a rich one, and ghuu-d $]j O .

numerous shafts being sunk on the terrace behind strike the same lead of washdirt, a capital gold field will have been ..opened, as there is plenty ,of sinijlar ground in the neighborhood. According to the position of the seam of washdirt in the prospectors' claim, which is worked, from, the face, the shafts on the terrace wjU have to be sunk about 120 ft. to 14Git. Tip tq the time p£ the .Commissioner's departure, -however, none of them had bottomed, and of course all were clouded in dpubt as £p the actual result. It was expected, they wpjjld .be ■ bottomed in about ten days. The .quartz reef at Wai : mangara was exciting great interest, and it is confidently expected it will prove exeeedingl}' rich, as the further it is penetrated the thicker it gets and njjor.c rich in gold. Tlip width of the reef at the entrance of the drive is 25in., and it widens, to 27in. at the point already readied The shareholders are confident of success, and they have sent j to pp.llingwo.Qd for a set pi stampers, which are lying jdle there, and it is expected the .company will be able to thoroughly test the reef in a short time. It is a singular eircnm-^ stance that immediately contiguous to the j - quartz reef there is a 9 ft, seam of. excellent j coal, which will be of grea£ advantage should ; steam power be used in working' the reef. The c.gal seam, however, is nqt likely to be otherwise valuable, as it is only a "slip,'' and in all probability full of faults that will prevent it being profitably worked as a commercial undertaking. It appears that the discovery at the Orawaite is due in the first instance to Dr Hector, wh_o, having previously visited the locality during his geological examination of the country, and formed a favorable opinion of its auriferous character, advised the prospectors' .when he met with them on the beach to try it. At the Pakihi, the population has increased very considerably, and the workings seem to keep pace with the population: The claims in the shallow ground are soon worked out, but the miners easily find fresh claims. The town of Charleston is described as presenting a scene of great bustle and activity, the streets being crowded with men, and buildings going up in every direction. A saw mill has been commenced near the town, and the timber is consumed as fast as it can be snpplied. At Pox's, nothing of importance in the way of new discoveries has taken place, but the miners generally seem well and profitably employed. The town of Brighton is extending its limits with extraordinary rapidity, and becoming quite a considerable town.Here also there is great activity in building, good substantial stores and hotels rapidly replacing the calico tenements at first erected. On the whole, the condition of both Pox's and the Pakihi gold fields seems to be flourishing, but it is doubtful if the anticipations regarding the Buller will be realised. The Auckland Herald of a late date says : — "We are glad to announce that one of the Waikato swamps, 17,000 acres in extent, has been taken up by a gentleman from New South Wales, with the view, we trust, of rendering it cultivable." We perceive that the high festival of Easter Monday is not to be allowed to pass unhouored by the brisk lads of the Saltwater Township, who have put forth a most attractive progiamme of sports, to be then and there held, consisting of boat races and sail ing matches on the water, and matches for quoits, leaning, running and wrestling on the land, the whole winding up with that amusing exemplification of the " ups and downs'' of life, n sack race. A free ball will be given in the evening at Davidson's Paroa Hotel. The last fortnightly escort from the Waimea took to Hokitika 3000<.'Z. of gold. The Taranaki Herald of the 30th ultimo says : — ' ' Opuuake is, it is said, to be abandoned by the military in the course of a fortnight. William King, Matakatca, and Arama Karaka's people, are, we hear, to be armed and made responsible for holding the post. The troops arc about to. be withdrawn from Warea, and it is even -said from the province altogether. These arrangements for withdrawing the troops have, we pro sumc, been made by General Chute without consulting the Governor, in accordance with Lord Carnarvon's recent despatch, but it remains to be seen whether Sir George Grey will not still have a potential voice in the matter." The nomination of candidates for the representation of the Grey; District in the Province of Nelson in the Provincial Council took place at Cobden on Thursday, before T. A. S. Kynnersley, Esq., Returning Officer. There were not many persons present. The following candidates were pro. posed and seconded — Messrs Dreyer, Wilkie, and Donne, the two latter of whom addressed those present,,' and explained .their political opinions. The show of hands being called •for, resulted in 5 for Mr Dreyer, and- 3 each t»r Messrs Wilkie and Donne. The Returning Officer having given his casting vote for Mr Wilkie, Mr Donne demanded a poll. Prior to the show of hands, an elector objected to Mr Donne, on the ground that he was not duly qualified. The Returning Officer, however, declined to interfere, stating that he should return the candidate who I had the largest number of votes, and if there was any irregularity in that person's qualification, he could be unseated by petition. The poll takes, place at Brighton, Charleston, Cobden, Akaura, and Twelve-Mile, on the 26th inst. We extract the following intelligence of mining in Otago from the Wakatip Mail:— In mining, things arc very dull at present, owing to the scarcity of water. Soutkberg and Co. are crushing with four heads only at present, although they have plenty of stone ready for the mill. Rain is much wanted both for crushing and sluicing purposes. The creeks were never known to be so low as they have been the present summer. Such weather, however, is very favorable for creek and river workings. One of the new stamp boxes for the Scandinavian Company arrived last Saturday* aj(ul as soon as it is possible to get it properly iixed, a battery of five heads is to be started.' This company have struck a very rich bloillc of stone, thickly impregnated with gold. l ■T.her,ccf is about seven feet L ' ■:. J

thick, the gold plainly seen all through the stone. As soon as the other two boxes arrive and ea# be fixed in their respective beds, no /doubt some large cakes of gold will be turned out by "this company before the winter sets in, that is, provided water becomes plentiful enough. In sluicing, Watkin^ and party, and also the Mountain and Ayhner Race Companies, are doing well, although making the usual complaint about scarcity of water. The Deep Lead at the Cardrona is turning out splendidly. The gold is very heavy; 10C ounces brought into the Arrow on Saturday consisted entirely of pieces fiom half an ounce to one ounce and a half nuggets. Eight extended claims have been granted during the last week on the supposed run of the lead. 1 understand tha£ the Barraeouta Company chiefly consists of Dunedinites who arc willing to dispose of their claim at a moderate figure, and haye communicated with a local agent to that effect. I should rather think so ! .Great scarcity of water is reported at the Twelve-mile, Arrow, and a change of weather is earnestly looked for. A case of robbery, or, to say the least, illegal borrowing, has taken place at the Religious Institution Rooms, that shows & shameful insensibility to the rights of pro. perty pn the part of the culprit, whoever he may be. It appears that a large family bible, rather handsomely bound, was kindly lent to the Rooms for the use of the clergy r man by. Mr Jones, liviug next door, and that during his recent illness it has been stolen, or, as seems more probable, borrowed without authorisation by sonic unscrupulous persgn, We are willing Jo entertain the more indulgent supposition, pn the ground that it is not easy to see what opportunity any one could have found to dispose of so bulky a volume, especially as it was a present to Mr Jones, -and iuscribed accordingly on the title-page. . The Corpmaudel correspondent of the Dally Southern Cross mentions that another very promising loader has been struck in the ICapauga Company's claim, and sanguine hopes are entertained of its proving goldbearing. We regret to state that Mr Commissioner Sale met with a rather serious accident on Thursday evening. He was returning to Hokitika on horseback, and whilst riding on the beach his horse suddenly sank in one of the treacherous quicksands, and Mr Sale was pitched off, his head coming in contact with a boulder, which caused a severe cut on the forehead. Mr Sale was compelled to return to Greymouth, but he had so far recovered from his injuries as to be able to leave again yesterday morning. The A T ew Zealand Advertiser says : — " The public ■will be glad to hear that Sir G. A. Arney, the. Chief Justice of New Zealand, is enjoying good health in England. Writing to a friend, he says : — ' The weather here has been very severe. I found the cold ail the better for me ; I grew daily stronger ; after a few hours' skating I was able to cut my outer edge, in figure of S, almost as neatly as twenty years ago.' Sir George may be expected to return to Auckland in June, 1568.' A few days ago, at Dunedin, a valuable horse, known as Black Tommy, belonging to Messrs Hoyt, Chaplin, and Co., broke away from the ostler, who was washing him in the yard, and started off down Stafford, street. Some of the bystanders, in trying to stop the horse, caused him to swerve on to the footpath, and he came violently against the lamp-post at the Provincial corner, and was killed on the spot. There wore a number of persons in the street at the tim«, but there was no further accident. • We understand that the Nelson Coal Mining Company will shortly commence the construction of the proposed line of railway from the Coal mines to Coal Creek, A special meeting of the shareholders was lately held at Ballarat, when it was decided to ;arry on the undertaking without delay. The plans and specifications have been completed, by Mr Dewar, the company's surveyor and engineer, and it is expected that tenders, forth various works in connection with the line will be called for shortly. Yesterday, being Good Friday, was kept throughout the whole: town as a strict holiday, and w^th remarkable propriety, notwithstanding that it was not distinguished by any particular religious observance. The shops were almost- universally closely shut, as well as the banks, post-office, and customhouse, but the dull and uncertain. weather probably prevented the population thus set at liberty from making the same use of it as they otherwise would have done. With the exception of a game of quoits on the sand, and a few pleasure parties up the river, there seemed to be little inclination for outdoor enjoyment. The tailor, M 'Davitt, who was apprehended on Wednesday for a violent assault upon his ■wife, was brought up. on Thursday, ou. that charge, before Mr Revell, R.M. The woman herself appeared in Court, although very severely injured, and evidently suffering much from the effects of several contusions about the head and neck. Dr Jackson, who had- been called in to attend the case,'detailed the nature of the injuries, which were such as to have placed, the prisoner in danger of a heavy punishment, but also stating- that the victim was exceedingly drunk when he first came to her, ■which was confirmed by the evidence, and the wife herself pleading for the husband, the Magistrate merely bound him over to keep the peace, in two sureties, besides his own recognizances. Prom the Thnant, Herald of the lOth^e learn that a man, named Rowley, formerly of Christchurch, committed suicide by cutting his throat, with a razor, on Monday last, at the Commercial Hotel, Timaru. The unfortunate man had, it seemed, been drinking for some days previous, and in a fit of delirium iremens committed the rash act. The following letter respecting the coal found Vat Pakawau appears in the Nelson Eo> avdner :— Sir, — A few weeks ago you announced the discovery of a seven foot seam of coal at Pakawau, and as the working of the Golden Bay mines is such an important subject, a few lines about Pakawau may perhaps be interesting to your readers. The week before last a party of gentlemen went

over in the Woodpecker to examine the reported seam, and the feasibility of workiug it ; but, unfortunately,, it did not at all realise the reports, for, on examing the several faces opened . by Mr Wiesenhavern, nothing but very small seams of coal -were to be found. Pakawau abounds in small mixed coal spams and black carbonaceous shales ; but although numerous drives . have been made, and outcrops laid bare during, the last ten years, not a single seam pi pijre coal of .a workable thickness has as yet been found. Whether workable seams are to be obtained by sinking is yat to be proved. But as car.bonaceons shales exist £n very large quantities it -would be much to the advantage of the Pakawau G.oinpaivy to ..thoroughly test their yalue before venturing any more money in boring and sinking on the probability of eventually finding a payable .seam of poaLr-r-I remain, &c., A. Dcjdley Dobson. It would appear from the subjoined extract from the A T ew Zealand Herald that satisfacr tory commercial relations, are likely to be established between Auckland and New Caledonia: — "'We are glad tp learn ith^t through the energy of our enterprisipg fellow citizens, Messrs Cruicks.hank and Smart, a regular trade between vthis place and New Caledonia is likely to* spring jnto activity. This would be for the benefit of both the English and French colony, and will doubtless prove satisfactory to the enterprise of the above firm. New Caledonia produces very many of the products which from luxuries have become necessaries of life. Coffee, sugar, cpfcton, rice,- .tropical fruits, and a variety of other productions, form her staple articles of growth, and the range of her productions will no doubt be from time to time extended as h,er lands are brought into cultivation, and strangers arrive from yarious countries skilled in the growth of the products of the countries they haye left. By the Kenilworth Messrs Cruickshank and Smart received a fair sample* of unthreshed rice, as cut in the field, which may be seen at their place of business. We are indebted to a Mr Higginson, for eight years a resident in New Caledonia, and who arrived inf' Auckland by the Keuilworth, for the pur-' pose of perfecting certain business-arrange-ments with the above firm, for some interesting particulars of the colony — itß climate, productions, and capabilities, as • a*field for immigration.* T':e winter, he informs us, is somewhat equal in character to our summer, only 'with more frequent rains, while the summer weather, though much hotter, is not, as might be supposed, oppressively so. The cause of this is that'the island being a long, and narrow one, there is constantly a sea breeze playing over it, which tempers the heat, and that extreme drought is unknown ; that as many as three crops of rice are taken from the same ground in the same year, the first crop only being sown, the second and third springing from the stems of the preceding one Of maize, too, we are informed the cultivator may take two crops in the year off the same field, or five crops in two years, though for this crop of course the land must be cultivated and planted each time. The land, we are told, is very rich, and, what is of great advantage, is easily procurable from the Government. The price is fcsigbt shillings per acre, but the Governor, willing to encourage settlement, will allow emigrants to take-up land on live years' credit, paying meanwhile a rent at the rate of (5 per cent, per annum on the coat. As the Liml produces at once, and the cultivation of it is easy, men ns.cd to. labor, and with only.a small capital sufficient to furnish provisions for the first, eight or ten months, cannot, says our informant, fail of success. Much of the land, which is for the most part open or untitnbercd, is covered with a rich grass and i ready, at once for pasturage. At the time the Keuilworth left Np.w Caledonia, .the coffee plant was. in full berry, and so. heavy, we are told, was the crops that shrubs were literally bowed down to the ground, unable to. sustain the fruit. With regard to the climate, it is said to be 'extremely healthy; the natives, if, at times, troublesome, are dealt with as natives, and in French fashion. These is no interference of a Parisian Aborigines' Protection Society. Englishmen, and all foreigners, indeed, are placed on the same footing. as French residents— with tLis exception, Ihat they arj ineligible to hold government appointments.'"