INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume V, Issue 315, 21 January 1868, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

The Mount Ida correspondent of the Waikouaiti Herald sajs, :— " Yesterday (Sunday, Jan. 5), fifteen Chinamen arrived here fro,m Dunstan Creek. I believe they called at the Camp, and requested to know where they might pitch their tents. They were shown a piece, of ground in full view of the Police Camp, and perfectly isolated. There the party erected their six tents, and, no doubt, expected to make themselves comfortable ; such, however, was not to be the case. The rumor soon spread that Celestials had invaded the Hogburn territory, and the barbarians began to accumulate around the walls. Whilst this was taking place, and before I had myself visited the camp of the invaders, I perceived, upon a small eminence at the upper end of the township, a small party about to make a descent from the north. This, however, turned out to be a mistake of my own, as it was merely a sham fight, got up to attract adherents to the noble cause of exterminating the inSdel. This ( by-play was, to a certain extent, successful, and about a hundred men rolled down to visit these poor Mongolians. Whatever their intentions were, their actions were pacific • but they warned the invaders, and told them that they would have to ' clear out' before a given time the next morning. The unfortunate Chinamen had to accede at once to the demand, and promise to clear out by the time appointed, upon which these true modern barbarians retired to their lairs. Mr Sub-Inspector Sincock did everything in his power to protect the weaker party, and succeeded in so far that no disturbance has taken place up to the present time. Should such a thing take place, Providence alone can tell what the upshot would be." The Southland Times, of the 2nd inst., publishes a correspondence between the Colonial Secretary and the Superintendent of Southland, on the subject of the proposed railways in Southland. The Provincial Council recommended a grant of 60,000 acres for the completion of the Invercargill and Oreti line, and of 150,000 acres for the formation of a line between Invercargill aud Mataura. The Superintendent has agreed to let the latter project rest for the present, and Mr Stafford declines to recommend to the Governor a grant of 60,000 acres for the former until it is, seen that the lands opened up by the line will be sufficient to repay its cost in a short time. The Wakatip Mail gives the following account of a recent fatal accident on the Wakatip Lake : — "Captain Kerr, of the Moa, schooner, started at about half-past four with the mails for Invercargill, on board the schooner Victoria. Besides Mr Kerr, there were on board two other men named Ellis and Fitz. Shortly after starting, an alarm was raised that the vessel had capsized in a squall. Four or five boats having been promptly launched and manned, pulled to the scene of the accident, and succeeded in saving Kerr and Fitz, but found no trace of Ellis. Mr Kerr was quite insensible, but we are glad to say at present shows symptoms of recovery, Mr Fitz was enabled, with assistance, to walk home. As we have been forced to stop the press to notice this sad affair, our time and space are necessarily limited, and this must be our excuse for the above meagre details."