DUNEDIN.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 624, 18 January 1870, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

' (fbom our own correspondent.) ' Jan. 3. The deep shaft at Wetherstones is a failure. After all the money and labor expended on the work nothing has been found to warrant its further continuance. The bed rock was reached, and tunnels run right and left in search of the anticipated gutter, but fruitlessly ; so the whole scheme has been definitely abandoned, and the plant and material on the ground polid by auction for a mere trifle. The hopes of the miners and others in the neighborhood of Wetherstones had long been centred on this flat, in the belief that a deep lead would be found to exist, and many speculations have been made on the matter ; but now these are all ruthlessly knocked on the head by the stern necessity of facts. In other pait3 of the gold fields deep sinking and tunnelling are carried on with very great success, the returns from some of the claims among the ranges in the Dunstan district being very handsome, The quartz reefs up there are going ahead too, and watt jr races and the requisite machinery for the proper working " of the claims are in progress. The usual Christmas washings up have taken place, and the last Escort shows up pretty well, though not quite so large as was expected, the amount being only 93650z. We are now fairly in the midst of the holiday season, and as far as they have gone enjoyment has been general. On Christmas Day, of course folks were very quiet. The excursion boats took large numbers of people to the Heads, Port Chalmers, and other places of interest down the harbor, where, the weather being beautiful, they spent the day very ftgreeably. On Monday (Boxing Day), the Oddfellows had their annual fete at Vauxhall, and despite their having to cross the bay in a nor'-easter, the gardens were crowded, the fete being quite a success. A novelfeature in this fete was a distribution of miscellaneous articles, toys, &C-, each visitor being entitled to a

ticket, giving a chance in the drawing. The fun being derived from the outre and inappropriate nature of the articles so given. In the suburbs and in most of the country districts, fetes and picnics have been the rule, all of them well aided by the magnificent weather prevailing. The weather, however, broke on Wednesday morning early, and a close thick Scotch mist settled down, concluding with heavy rain as the day wore on. Thursday was a little better, but on Friday morning it came down a regular soaker, and the hopes of a line holiday began to look decidedly blue. However, about noon it began to clear up, and by three o'clock the sun was shining, and all was rosy again. This morning looks bright and clear, and everything argues well for the success of the Caledonian Gathering. The New Year was brought in very quietly, quite a contrast to the noisy demonstrations of former yean. Some guns atid crackers were fired and bells rung, and the streets were busy for a short time, and then all was silent. The Artillery Company had their Annual Ball last night, in the Post Office Hall, pretty well attended, about 80 couples being present. Jan. 9. The grand gathering of the Caledonian Society on the north recreation ground came off as usual on New Year's Day. Of all the fetes which took place here during the year, this is undoubtedly the one of the people. Everybody who can at all manage to attend makes it a point to do so, and it is not so much for the sake of seeing the sports, though of course that is the ostensible cause, of seeing every one's friends, and wisl.ing them the compliments of the season, and also, oi course, the inevitable drink, that makes this tha a most popular affair of the season. This year the day was very fine, bright sunshine with a light easterly breeze blowing, and just enough of cloud to temper the heat. The sports started about noon, but it was not till towards two o'clock that much of a crowd began to appear on the ground. About four o'clock there was about GOOO people present, and the enclosure presented a most animated appearance. Crowds of ladies, dressed in the latest fashion, grouped with masses of children, promenading to and fro, or sitting here and there on the grass ; crowds of lads playing football at the back of the course; crowds of men looking at the game going on in the ring ; the merry-go-round, and other things in the c >rner ; the galaxy of beauty in the grand stand, and the earnestness of the competition iv the various sports — all made up a picture which is to be seen nowhere else in New Zealand.The sports were of the usual character,interest mostly being centered in the running and walking matches, notably the latter, which is perhaps the match of the meeting. For this five started, but the race properly lay between three— M'Gregor, Cadis, and Thomson, who came in in the order I have given, Novelties in the shape of a egg and ladle iase, in which the competitors have to carry an egg in a shallow ladle all the way round, and a bicycle velocipede race, which was a very slow though rather amusing affair, also came off on the occasion. The whole sports went off very well. The second day's gathering was arranged for Monday, but of course after the deluge of rain the day before, this was impossible, so the sports are to come off to-day, which I hope will keep fine. Town is rather quiet and busine3sdull.