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Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 199, 23 April 1867, Page 2

The official declaration of the poll taken at the recent election will be maele at noon today, at the Court-house. Another of those fatal boat accidents, for which this part of the Coast is acquiring so melancholy a notoriety, occurred about 3. o'clock on Sunday afternoon by the swamping of the large surf-boat recently built by Messrs^ Leslie anel Sweetman. She was manned by five men, whose, names we have been unable to ascertain, and was attempting to make her way from Canoe Creek to Fox's, when she experienced a very heavy northwesterly gale, and she -was obliged to put back to the mouth of the Grey for shelter. In crossing the bar, she shipped a heavy .sea that washeel one man overboad, and rendered the boat vnmanageable. The state of matters was observed from the signal-station, ami signals were made for the Persevere, which happened at the time- to be acting as tender to the Albion. Notwithstanding that the bar was very bad at the. time, and even so dangerous that Captain . Robertson would not have ventured to take .■ it for aW : mere? pe.cuiiiai)y eonsidej-atjon,. as soon. .as. thtl

signal was unelerstoocl, anel the elistressing situation of the poor fellows who remained in the boat clearly ascertained, the head of the Persevere was turned towards the mouth of the river. She was driven into the midst eif the suif which was rolling over the bar, anel with a good deal of difficulty the thre-3 men in the boat and one adrift on a steeringoar about 500 yarels distance, were rescueel from what must have appeared to them a few moments before, their inevitable fate. When taken on board they were almost naked, having stripped off their clothing with the view of attempting to swim to shore — a . feat it is almost impossible they coulel have accomplisheel in the face of the gale that was blowing at the time. The boely of the drowned man (James Nairn) has not, at the time Are Avrite, been recovered, although portions of the boa-b have been cast ashore at the Ballarat Hotel, on the South Beach. The greatest praise is due to Captain Robertson, by whoso humane exertions these four men's lives have been preserved, at the imminent risk of the loss of his vessel. The Westland Observer (Okarita) in its last issue gives a few items of mining news. The miners on what is known as the Five-mile Beach are saiel to be well employed, and it is stateel that the thirel bottom is being worked to ael vantage. A gooel many miners are surfacing nil the Three-mile Beach. Only two parties are working on the North Beach, but are making good wages. An extended cla;m has been applieel for at Abut Head, and a few parties have set in again at Gillcspie's Beach. Surfacing at Hunt's Beach is paying well, and good prospects have been obtained at the Bluff. At Bruce Bay the second bottom lately discovered is saiel to be very rich. Fresh prospecting parties have gone up the Waiho, and several large parcels of gold have arrived from there We aie glad to learn that arrangements are being maele by Acting District Surveyor Bain, anel his staff of assistants, for commencing cutting the tracks through the bush, according to the plan proposed by his Honor the Superintendent. Mr Bain was at Diamonel Gully the other day making preparations for the work, which, we need hardly say, is anxiously regarded by the miners in the district. The public of Brighton are now being supplied with coals at a cheap rate from a scam recently opened at the upper end e>f the town. Messrs Thompson anel Co, who have been working the seam for some time past, announce that they are prepared to supply the coal at 25s per ton delivered. Its quality is saiel to be excellent, anel a superiority is even claimed for it to that of the Grey and Buller. A further announcement informs the Brighton public that they can purchase prime beef anel mutton at from Is to Is 3d per lb, so that with the two great necessaries of fire and fooel thus cheaply provideel for, diggers cannot plead the common excuse of the "dearness of tucker" for not thoroughly prospecting the neighborhboel of Fox's. Our town readers will notice with satisfaction that the work e>f piling the river bank is to be commenced as quickly as possible. Tenders are inviteel in our advertising columns to-day, and intending tenderers can sec the drawing and specification at the Warden's Clerk's office, Greymouth, anel at the District Engineer's e)Hice, Hokitika. Tenders are to be sent in on or before Saturday, .the 4th May. Tenders are also invited for forming and metalling a bridle-track from the Arnolel Township to Maori Gully. MrAitkcu, the Government Surveyor, will be on the ground, and point out the line, and give all necessary information, on anel after Wednesday, the 2-i-th inst. We learn from the Wed Coast Time* that his Honor the Superintendent adelresscil a numerously attend eel meeting at the Prince of Wales Opera House on Saturday afternoon. His Worship the Mayor w;is in the chairMr Moorhousc, who appeared specially as the representative of the District of Westlanel in the General Assembly, delivered a* most interesting speech which was very cor- 1 dially received by his constituents. The following items are contained in the latest telegrams from Wellington in the Chriatclmrch papers :— " Mr Williamson L*a=! issued his address as a candidate for the Auckland Superintcnelency. Nothing new happen eel at Taurauga. Colonel Haultain is at Poverty Bay, and is still very ill. The Wellington printing offices have been asked to tender for printing the Assembly debates in a pamphlet, to be issued weekly. The formation of a Government reporting stafF is. entrusted to Mr Desbois, of Syelney. A deputation waited on the directors of the N.Z.S.N. Company to suggest their resignation en masse at a meeting next Thursday, anel so fall in with an attempt which will be made to reduce the number of directors from twelve to three or five. The directors refused anel intenel to recommend a wind-up, which tho shareholders will resist. The St. Kilela has arrived from the Chathams. All well. Mr Newman (Auckland) has resigneel his scat in the General Assembly." A later telegram from Wellington, received at Nelson on Wednesday last, states that a fight has taken place between the Arawa Native Contingent, under Major M'Doimell, and the Hau-haus, resulting in the elefeat of the latter with heavy loss. Nine bodies of the enemy were recognised as those of the Waikato natives. There was no loss 011 our siele. From the Thames elistrict unsatisfactory intelligence hael been received from Commissioner Mackay. Colonel Haultain, Minister for Defence, is suffering severelj r from rheumatism and dysentery at Tauranga. The liabilities of the Bank of Auckland have been paid by the other banks. The great annual festival of Easter Monday was not observed yesterday in Greymouth with any, exuberant demonstrations of rejoicing, the chief difference .observable between it and any ordinary day being the presence of the shutters on several of the shops, and the absence of the inevitable belbjian from the street. A slight "spurt " of excitement was, however, got up in connection with two boat races, which haesbeeu arranged between the crews of thof "Jessie" and the " Aie-T^Pi' fov HO, a side. The first of vrsM&i^^' : *" : '*' v/ * ■ ■•■■ ■•■■■•■•-•'■ '

these was a contest with two rowers anel a coxswain to each boat, the "Jessie " being manned by Messrs Olivier and Gundry, and steered by Mr Murphy, jun., anel the "Amateur," manned by Messrs Cohen and Wright, auel steered by Mr Nancarrow. The "Amateur" is a new boat, built in Syelney expressly to order, anel her performance fully elemonstrated that her builders had honestly carrieeLout the elesire to possess a firstrate eraftjJpßoth boats got a splendid start, the "Amateur" leaeling round . the first boat, j but in pulling up the river she was over- ! hauled by the " Jessie, " which won easily by fifty seconds. In the second race the " Je3sib" haelMessi s Gundry, Olivier, Barnes, and Sayle for a crew, with Mr Murphy, jun. , as steersman ; and the "Amateur" had Messrs Cohen (2), Wright, and Captain Dearc, with Mr Nancarrow steering. A remarkably even start was effected, but the "Amateurs" soon drew ahead, anel kept their advantage to the finish, when they were twenty boats' lengths in advance. The course was over three and a quarter miles, aud the race was pluckily worked for by the crews of both boats. The recent fall of rain has been gladly welcomed by the claimholders in the Saltwater elistrict, as it has enabled a gooil deal of washing-up to be done. But it has not an unmixed advantage, as several claims were flooded, and a gooel deal of wash dirt has been Washed away. A dam, known ias Rafferty's, situated at the heael of Diamond Gully, burst, and flooded the low-lying iground in the neighborhood, causing serious }loss, in many instances, to claimholders. We learn from the Wellington papers that 5 the champion- medal, which fell to the lot } of Corporal Chisholm, of Otago, is of soliel golel from the West Coast of New Zealand, anel is of excellent design, showing crossed rifles on star, surmounted with the crown, and inscription. The second one, which is presented to the " representative" man who won the prize, ip a silver octagon star with gold centre, sxirmountcel with crosseel rifles aud crown. The thirel is also a silver medal bearing the figure of a rifleman in the attituele of firing, anel 13 surmounted in a simiiar manner. This latter one is for presentation to the best shot in each volunteer elistrict in the colony. The elesigus were all maele by Mr Stevens, of the elefence department) anel elo infinite credit to that gentleman's taste. On Sunday evening a messenger arrivcel in town for medic.il assistance to a man named Scanlan, a butcher residing at Rutherglen, who was reporteel to have been severely stabbed by a man naraetl Murphy, also a butcher, residing at the Cement Lead, situated a mile or two to the eastward of Rutherglen. Dr Jackson at once set out, and up to cur going to press had not returned. Reports were rife during yesterday that the man Scanlan had died of his wounds, but no reliable information was to hanel last night. It is saiel that Scanlan went over to see Murphy to arrange some business matters; that a quarrel ensued ; and that Murphy stabbed Scanlan in the abdomen, causing his intestines to protrude. It is stated that the assailant was apprehended yesterday, anel conveyed to the lock-up at Lagoon Township, anel it is since reporteel that the man Scanlan is -dead. But as there appears to bo a good elcal of doubt concerning the affair, we refrain from publishing all we have heard until definite information is to hand. Brighton has at length been officially de--clarcd a Port of Entry, although fclio Gazclli: containing the aunoimce;nent had not been received at the latest elates from there. Mr H. W. Brewer has been oppointcel principal officer, and his arrival at Brighton on Saturday week left no room for doubt that the announcement of such a determination on the part of the Government had been made. This appointment lias given general satisfaction, as he is known to be a gentleman, of '. considerable ability and experience, and one ' who lias proved himself to be a most efficient servant of the Customs at other parts of the colony. The p.s. Tasmauian Maid brings the report of another fatal boat accident at Woodpecker Bay, by the swamping of the surf-boat engaged in taking off passengers to the p s. Southland. There Avere fourteen persons in the boat at the time, anel all were precipitated into the water, anel one man named Isaacs was drowned. The rest wore many of them much injured, but fortunately escaped with nothing more than severe injuries sustained by forcible contact with the rocks Mr Sheppard, the driver of the Christchurch coach, reports that three men— two of them brothers— left Christchurch on foot for Eokitika, and readied Alexanders, where they remained a clay or so,, and it is believed drank freely in the meantime. On Thursday • last, one of the brothers proceeelcel on his way alone, anel on the following day, Mr •Tom Harris, of Hpkitika, who was travelling on horseback, picked up a swag sodden with water on the bank of the river Tcremakau. He conveyed it to the Rangiriri station, where the brother and mate arrived the same clay, and recogniseel it as belonging to their companion, 'the worst was of course, anticipated, aud, aided by Sergeant Wilson, they couimenccel an active search for the body, but up to Saturday morning without success. _^