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Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 622, 13 January 1870, Page 2

Our own correspondent at the Ah aura iv. forma us that it oommencod to rain on Monday at midday, and continued without intermission until Tuesday evening, The creeks and rivers were swollen to a frightful height. An accident occurred yesterday, which fortunately did riot terminate seriously. Two travellers Mere trying to reach the Twelvejnile from Camptown, and when attempting to cross a culvert over a small creek, about a mile from Camptown, when the horse of one of them got his off forefoot into a hole in the culvert, stumbled, and threw his rider over the bridge into the creok, the creek being much swollen at the time. After the first plunge his companion caught the man who was in the water and dragged him ashore, otherwise he. would have been swept into the Grey River, which was running bank high a few yards lower down. This culvert has been in this state for the last two months. We suppose wheu somebody does get killed or drowned crossing it, it will be repaired. The three miles walking match for LlO a side, between Jemmy the Ranger and Owen Bnden, came oif yesterday afternoon ou the Camp Reserve, and attracted a large crowd of spectators. Previous to starting Bod en was slightly the favorite, as it was well known he would do his best to win. Upon tossing for choice of place, Boden took the inside, and exactly at 4,54£ p. in. Mr Strike started them. The distance required to bp. traversed was 23 laps, and for the first 12 of these Boden kept a slight lead. During each one the Ranger made a determined spurt to head Boden, but up to 1J miles the latter walked gamely and strong, and would not allow his opponent the vantage ground. During the 13 th round it was seen that Boden was beginning to fag, and here the Ranger, after a determined spurt, succeeded in passing him, autl was never again headed. In the 19th round he was fully half a lap ahead, and about three-fourths on the termination of the 23rd. After winning the match the Ranger walked another lap to overtake his opponent, and was not more than 20 yards behind him when Bowen came in on his 23rd. Time : Ist mile, Smiu. 45sec ; 2nd do, Bmin. 55sec; 3rd do, 12min. 20sec. ; total, SOinin. The Empire Hotel. Hokitika, was disposed of on Tuesday, to Mr J. Churches, for the sum of £980. The directors of the New Zealand Steam Navigation Company have discovered that the whole of the proceedings at the late meeting are informal. A new meeting has been called for February 8. We believe that a shooting match has been arranged between Messrs. Maclean and .Nichol for L 25, to be shot within the next fortnight. We hear from Cobden that Mounted Constable Dorris has, for some reason or other, been transferred to Camptown. The residents at the latter place ought to be thankful in having secured the services of one of the most efficient members of the Nelson Police Force, whose name is well known and respected throughout the Nelson South-west Gold Fields. In addition to the Native intelligence published in our last, news has been received at Auckland a week ago that the King party was reported to have sent for Te Kooti, and have promised him protection. This is contradicted by a later letter received by Topia from the Kinj;, approving of his expedition against Te Kooti. Much uneasiness was felt, however, at Auckland, a report having reached there from the Bay of Plenty of a general native rising. The rivers have fallen, and convoy communication is again open with Taupo. The half-yearly meeting of the Court Concord, A.0.F., took place on Thursday evening. The election of officers was proceeded with, and the following were iustalled : - C. R. M'Gregor, S. C. R. Simmons, S. W. Gefford, J. W. Ancher, S. B. Byland, J. P. Norris. After a discussion, it was resolved to celebrate the anniversary of the Court by a picnic and banquet in the evening, instead of a ball an.l supper. The balance-sheet showed the assets to be —Balance in hand, LIOO 15s scl ; invested funds at interest, 1 LIOO ; stock in Lourt, L676d ; banner, &c, L 37. Total, L 305 2s lid. The following [ report was read from Messrs Hogg and i Sewell, auditors :—" We, your amlitors, , have to report that we have examined th« . Secretary's books and found them correct. , In handing to you the balance-sheet for th< I last half-year we have to congratulate you or the very flourishing condition the Court is ir , at the present time, notwithstanding tin large amount that has been paid for sicl members— L2s 16s, being considerably mor< then previous six months. The balance a 1 bank at the end of the previous half-yea: > was L4l 14s 9«l ; at the end of the last half "• yejvr the balance at bank, after the Secre J tary's salary is deducted, will be L9O 15s 5d 1 being au increase of nearly fifty pounds. Wi J have also to congratulate you on the larg I iiuniber of new members that have beei i made, there being more than twice the num.

I ber of new members than in the previous ialf-yoar, and also, on the members having been so attentive in paying up their contributions. We are. glad to inform you that there has been only two of the members gone out of compliance during the last halfyear. Wishing the Court and the Order in, general every success, we are &0. , John Hogg, John Sewoll." A vote of thanks for their services was passed to the auditors. A committee was appointed, consisting of Messrs. M'Gregor, Wiokes, Sewell, Gia-it, Taylor, Whitmoro, Windsor, Anaher.Gefford, Heron, Hogg, and Simmons, to make the necessary arrangements for the proper carrying out of the picnic and banquet. The Wangwiui Times, of the 30th ultimo, says: — "On Monday afternoon, between two and three o'olook, while Mr Mitchell and his party were surveying a portion of the Rangitikei side of the Manawatn block, a party of Maoris, mustering about tiffcy, came on the party, bringing with them a dray, for the purpose of removing the surveyor's tents, aud demanded the removal of the tents, opposing the continuation of the survey. The natives were very violent, and threatened the party, who in consequence were compelled to take up their tents and abandon the work." A shooting match between representative tens of the Greymouth and Hokitika Rifle Volunteers was firjd yesterday at the ranges of the qorps. W^appencl the Greymouth score, and it will be seen that the average would have been considerably higher had not some of the members, who usually shoot well, failed at the long range. For Volunteer Hardy, it must be said that at the 500 yards range his rifle could not be adjusted, and this was shown by the fact that the last shot, a bull's-eye, was made with another rifle :— 300 yards. W. S. Smith 3 4 4 4 3—lß G. W. Moss 4 4 3 4 4—19 J. Smith 2 3 3 4 4-16 W. H. llevell 4 4 2 3 3—16 G. Taylor 4 3 4 3 3—17 C. A. C. Hardy ... 3 4 4 4 3-18 G. Simmons 0 3 3 3 2—ll — Paine 4 2 0 4 2—12 J. G. Roche 4 3 3 3 4- 17 J.G.Thomas 3 0 0 3 4—lo 400 YARDS W. S. Smith 4 4 4 3 2-17 G. W. Moss 3 4 3 3 4—17 J. Smith 3 3 2 3 4—15 W. H. Revell 0 4 4 3 3-14 Q. Taylor 3 2 4 3 3—15 C. A. C. Hardy ... 3 4 3 3 3—16 G.Simmons 2 2 3 0 4—ll — Paine 0 2 0 3 2— 7 J. G. Roche ... ... 0 0 3 0 3—6 J. G. Thomas 0 3 2 0 2- 7 500 YARDS. G. S. Smith 3 4 2 0 3—12 G. W. Moss 2 2 4 2 o—lo J. Smith 2 2 3 4 3—14 W. H. Revell 4 3 2 2 2—13 G". Taylor 2 2 2 3 o—9 C. A. C. Hardy ... 0 0 0 0 4—4 G. Simmons . ... 4 2 3 3 3-15 — Paine 0 2 2 4 o—B J. G. Roche ... ... 0 0 0 0 o—o J. G. Thomas 0 0 2 0 o—2 Totalf. W. S. Smith 47 G. W. Moss 4(3 J. Smith ... 45 W. H. Revell * 43 G. Taylor ... 41 C. A. C. Hardy 3S G Simmons 37 — Paine 27 J. G. Roche 23 J.G.Thomas 19 Total score 366 Average, 36 6-10ths. A correspondent of an Auckland paper writes as follows :— I am surpiised that no traveller or tourist through Waipu to Mangapai, by Morrison's way, has attempted to draw public attention, or excite desire to visit what Bishop Selwyn designated ' ' The wonder of New Zealand"— the Waipu Cave. The north branch of the Waipu river, well up towards its source, enters a low opening in the side of a hill formed .of hard limestone, and strangely meanders as far as it can be v followed, about nine or ten chains, till it bursts out a noble spring among displaced blocks of rock, after running a career of over half-a-mile under ground. To any lover of the grand and beautiful in nature, a visit to this immense and magnificent grotto is well repaid, even coming from the utmost bounds of the Colony. It would be futile to attempt a description of it, as it is a succession of beautiful and awful views, which can be but partially shown by the best artificial lights that have yet been tried there. In one part, where daylight glimmers through the roof, Mr Morrison, the hospitable proprietor, has , dropped a line and plummet, and found it 120 f t; this is the highest gallery that has yet been explored. Stalactites of great size and beauty, white as alabaster, are in hun- , dreds pendent from the roof in the different compartments ;. glowworms may be seen in myriads attached to the roof, in the conti-. nued moisture, and dripping through the limestone, and their blue sulphuric light , greatly enhances the beauty and variety of the scene. But the crowning view of all is about midway iv the splendid gallery called the "theatre" Here are huge rounded pillars formed, where stalactites and stalag mites meet, and thousands of marble needles, r from ten inches to as many feet, like a crop [ of snow-white icicles, with, in some instances, ; a tinge of red and orange, reversing the general order of things, and growing downwards. The Committee of the Grey River Hospital , met last night at Gilxner's Hotel. Present : I Messrs Maclean (in the chair), Moss, Winter, L Smith, Middleton, Amott, Gilmer, Kennedy, , and Strike. The minutes of the previous j meeting were read and. confirmed. The , Treasurer acknowledged the receipt of £9 10s 3 from the sale of vegetables. The accounts i for the month, amounting to £273 15s 2d i were laid on the table and passed. The 3 Visiting Committee reported that there were t at the end of November, 31 patients in the s Hospital ; since then 1 2 had been admitted, t 12 discharged, and 2 died, leaving 29 at r present. They also stated that the late - Steward, had furnished an inventory of the i- Hospital napery, &c, which was considered , highly satisfactory ; and that the system of c management under the new Superintendent c was working very well. Plans of the pron posed alterations of buildings were laid on „• : tb,o table, with the estimate of. cost, amount-

ing to £100, anil it was agreed that tenders be called for the work. Messrs Maclean, Perkins, and Smith were appointed Visitiug Committee for the month. Mr Bonar, of Hokitika, appeared on behalf of the Hokitika hospital Committee, to see if an amic* able arrangement coald be dome to between the two committees with regard, to the patients from each distriot. It was agreed that a sub-committee from both districts should meet and settle the matter. The Treasurer stated that lie hail received the subsidy for the month of September from the County Chairman, leaving the August subsidy still unpaid, and the Seoretary was instructed to telegraph at once on the subject. The visit of the Flying Squadron to Melbourne appears likely to be attended with permanent benefit to a rising branch of industry in that city. The Argu* remarks that it is satisfactory to learn that Admiral Hornby found time amidst all the festivities which marked the visit of the Squadron to consider the merits of the Australian preserved meat, and to order considerable stores for the use of the fleet of the meat as prepared by the Victoria Meat-preserving Company. A telegram wag also received from Commodore Lambert, on his return to Sydney, ordering stores of the same sort of meat for her Majesty's ship Challenger. Too much importance can hardly be attached to such facts, as they will in all probability be the forerunners of large orders forH.M.'s navy, thus displacing the American beef now iv use. „ Our townsmen, Messrs Duncan M'Lean and W. Jones, hail a very narrow escape on Sunday last, while proceeding to Hokitika on horseback to attend the sittings of the Supreme Court. At that dangerous spot the Kapitea Creek, Mr M'Lean entered first, and instead of finding a few inches of water suddenly dropped into a depth of a few feet, with a quicksand bottom, in which the horse sank, aud rolled over on the top of its rider. Thanks to patent stirrup-irons, Mr M'Lean got his feet free, but then Mr Jones and his horse, who had entered the creek at the same time, rolled over and nearly suftocated him, but by good luck he managed to keep his head clear and above water, and after a violent struggle both gentlemen got ashore, but how it is almost impossible to tell; The horses also got out and came ashore, and their riders proceeded on to Hokitika. When will the County Council bridge this creek for horse and dray traffic ? It is one of the most treacherous on the West Coast, and ought to be attended to by the Council during the present session, and before any more lives are lost iv it. The return match for £10 a-side between Private Smith, of the Greymouth Volunteers, and Sergeant Forsyth, of the Hokitika Corps, took place yesterdaj' afternoon at the range here. The distances were 200, 400 aud 500 yards, seven shots each, and the following scores were made : — 200 YARDS. Private Smith ... 3 3 3 3 3 3 3—21 Sergt. Forsyth... 2 3 3 3 2 2 3—lß 400 yards. Private Smith... 4 4 2 4 4 2 4—24 Sergt. Forsyth... 3 3 3 2 4 3 4—22 500 YARDS. Private Smith... 4 3 3 3 2 3 4—22 Sergt. Forsyth... 0 2 0 2 2 3 3—12 Smith, total 67 Forsyth, total 52 The targets used were, at 200 yards, 8-inch bull's-eyes and 2-feet centres ; and at 400 and 500 ya:ds the usual regulation ones. This finishes the challenge match, which was first brought on by Mr Smith challenging Mr Forsyth, who, on losing, again challenged his conqueror, without, however, being able to reverse the tables. The criminal sittings of the Circuit Court commenced at Hokitika on Monday morning. The Court sat until after six o'clock, and disposed of four cases, in two of which the Crown succeeded in obtaining convictions ; in the other two, the juries acquitted the accused. Edwin Lomond was found guilty of utteriug a forged cheque, and Bridget Kelly was found guilty of stealing Ll3 from Sarah Maria Hiseoeks. Both prisoners were remanded for sentence until 10 o'clock this morning. John Martani, charged with an indecent assault at Greymouth, and Jane Lloyd, charged with stealing L 6 10s from a miner who slept in her house at Greymouth, On Tuesday, the Stafford Town case,, in which Christopher M'Donough, Thomas I Drew, and William Glashen, were charged with riot and malicious destruction of property, occupied the Court over four hours, and the jury took three hours.to arrive at a conclusion, ultimately acquitting Glashen altogether, and finding Drew andM'Donnough guilty of the lesser offence of malicious destruction of property. They were remanded for sentence until Tuesday, Drew having stated his wish to call witnesses to character. In the afternoon William Thomson was tried upon two indictments, for forgery, and for obtaining money under false pretences, and was convicted upon both. Sentence was deferred until the other cases are disposed of.