THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 635, 12 February 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1870.

On many occasions great inconvenience has been experienced by those whose business compels them to attend Court, owing to the frequent and protraoted absence of Mr Eevell. We do not see why Mr Revell, when he meditates these excursions, should not make arrangements M'ith the Resident Magistrate at Cobdeu to supply his place, because it could be done at such slight personal inconvem'enee, and we doubt not would be wilj lingly complied with. Although we have Justices of the Peace who willingly act upon emergencies, yet we very often find that they cannot attend punctually to time, and often not at all. Yesterday it was knowa thvt both Messrs Lowe and Whitefoord were at Cobden, and surely the services of one of 1 them could have been secured. In such a timilar contingency it would be as well that i this suggestion were borne in mind. I What may happen to a man who wishes to do a kind actio.i was exemplified yestarclay, in. the Cobden Police Court, when the action of Palmer v. Connor was tried. It seems that Palmer was coming down from Maori Gully, and wh'en near to Brunnarton found a coat lying on the side of the road, and as he saw what he supposed to be a packer on horseback a little way before him, he thought that individual had dropped it. Acting upon this suggestion, he, although burdened with his swag, took it up to carry it to Cobden, where he had no doubt he could hand it to the loser. While going along he spoke to some persons who were working on the roac 1 , ank aaked if it belonged to them, but they refused ownership or knowledge. After leaving them he had not proceeded far before he heard the patter of feet behind him, and on turning round he saw defendant, who planted a blow straight between the eyes, felling him, and then asked him " what be wanted with his coat." Following upon this, he jumped upon him, kicked him, and otherwise abused him. It seems that the defendant, Connor, employed by the Governvernment, was a short distance off the road when Palmer passed and did not see him, and on hearing how his coat disappeared, took upon himself to administer the aggravated assault. Palmer's face presented a frightful appearance, being literally smashed and livid, The Magistrate, however, did not see it in the same light as Mr Connor, and fined him £3 and costs. The wet drizzling weather which set in on the previous day continued throughout yesterday, unfortunately for the foresters' fete, which on that Account had to be postponed sine die. We hope, however, that the postponement will not have the effect of lessening the anticijjatiou of enjoyment when it does take place. There was no meeting of the Borough Council held last night, as it was found that a quorum of members could not be secured. The most important matter that was to be brought forward was the adjourned consideration of Mr Gisbome's telegram respecting the auriferous lands with the town boundaries. The other matters were of minor moment. Through the strength of the freshet yesterday the punt broke away from its fastenings during its pns3age across the river. The reason was that the guy rope parted from the main wire rope, and as this was the only thing that attached the two together the punt was in a moment careering at full speed down the river. Luckily, Mr Millar had tbe sail up, and toe aid afforded by this and several watermen (who at once hastened to his assistance with their boats- ) the punt was taken into the shallow water on tht Cobden side and afterwards up to her usual landing place near the wharf. Messrs Donaldson, Andrews, andSharland, writes the South Australian Advertiser, have received from New South Wales samples of a remarkably useful fibre, obtained from a plant indigenous to the country, aud popularly known as the gigantic lily, which is found in great abundance in the neighborhood of Newcastle. The fibre is of a reddish color, 3ft or 4ft and upwards in length, and of great strength. It is considered equal to hair for stuffing, and makes first-class rope The A.S.N. Company use nothing else for hawsers. As the supply would hi unlimiter 1 , a very good trade in this valuable product should be established. As many of our readers are deeply interested in the success or failure of the crops on the Canterbury side, we publish the following extract from a letter, written" by a gentleman who a few days ago passed over | the Canterbury Plains : — " I made particular ) enquiries as I came on the plains as to the state of the crops. I could see for myself that the oats and wheat looked magnificent, and I wis astonished to see so ninny large fields of standing crops, full ripe, almost ronsting iv the sun ;"and, in other cases, from 20 to 100 acres of oats lyiug on the ground cut, but unbound. The explanation was that labor was not to be had for love or money. At one of the stages I met a. farmer who had come over that morning some miles to see if j there were any hands in the Holutika coach 1 who wanted a job. One was on board, who had bo:n gctiing a lift on the road fora the ! coachuian out vi pity,, and he was offered work, but immcliately a Hibernian countryman, who had been offered a job before we I arrived, slid up a:id gave him a few words of advice. Then began a haggling as, to wages and rations, siu-li as I never heard before — ' What would he give ?' ' Ten shillings an jifiefor sonic, and l'Js for others, to bia.d

only, and rations.' 'And what might the rations be ?' After a number of articles had been mentioned, sufficient to satisfy any mm, especkilly one who was 'down on his luck,' and to my knowlodge had tisted nothing but his old black cutty tbat day, says he — 'And there'll be mutton, and tea, and sugar, and bread, and potatoes, and tobacco ! How on earth did he forget the boer, but ho did, and as if everthing he had mentioned, and had been promised, was not sufficient for any farm servant, he shook his head very wisely, and was about to enter the coach, when the farmer said ' Look here, Fill give you the best wages going in the neighborhood, and raore if you'll stop.' ' Fhure an' a man could not spake fairer,' says he, aud out came his swag. The secret was, that the farmer had 20 acres of oats cut down ; his binder had gone mad with his wages and D.T.s; the morning was wet, and he rau the risk of losing his crop. About mid-day a cooey was heard from a field, and as we pulled up, two binders jumped over the hedgp and into the coach, but not to remain long, for out they got religiously at every 'pub,' and shouted for all hands in the bar with a gusto that recalled oldun tunes. After the last 'pub' on the road had been passed, the one next me, in a spirit of liberality (perhaps the effects of about 20 old toms and pepperment) offered me a chew, which, when I refused, he suggested that • a man must be in a state of poverty before he gave up his chew,' and added— 'See here, mate, I've only got old moleskin trowsers on, but talk about gold digging — three mates and I took a job to bind 240 acres of oats at ten bob an acre and found ; we've only been a week at it now, and we've cleared thirty notes ; my share is in the old trowsers, my boy.' And so th«y were off to town to knock it down, and return to the binding on Monday. Those two incidents will show the extreme scarcity of labor, and that although the crops of this jear in Canterbury are among the finest and most abundant that have ever grown, yet the farmers might be losers after all, should either high winds or wet weather set in. The Art Union of Canterbury opened on Tuesday last at Christchurch, and promise s to be a success. An accideut by which a miner named Patrick M'lnnerny lost his life, occurred on the 26th ult. in Lynch and Welsh's sluicing claim at Moke Creek, near Queenstown. It appears that deceased was working with Lynch in the claim on the afternoon of the day named. About three o'clock Lynch had occasion to leave on business, and before doing so he advised M'lnnerny not to go under the face of the claim, as it did not look very safe. In a couple of hours Lynch returned, but could not see deceased, -whose tools were lying about. He also noticed that a quantity of eaith had fallen during his absence. He immediately gave the alarm to the miners in the next claim, and, with their assistance, removed the earth which had fallen, underneath which he found M 'Innerny. The latter was quite dead, having apparently been struck on the back by the f ailing earth. A few months ago when it was rumored that the miners in the Brunner Coal Mine had come across a rook that broke tLe course of the seam, and seriously threatened its future existence, a hope was expressed that the flaw would not be a serious or permanent one. We are, therefore, glad to announce that on Thursday forenoon the workmen in charge of sinking the shaft came to the base of the obstruction at a depth of 42ft from the level of the drive, and found, as was anticipated, a splendid sample of coal. We, however, are not in a position to state whether this is a continuation of the old seam, or that a new one has been found, nor will we be able to do so until it is more fully developed. We have seen the sample sent down, and it is in all respects similar to what has been previously taken from the mine. We may as well add that Mr Lowe's prognostications as to finding it at this depth have been fully realised, and it was under his directions that the shaft was sunk. When the news of the safe arrival of the Matoaka became known in Christchurch great joy was manifested. In Lyttelton. tho vessels in the harbor, the principal merchants' offices, and many of the Btores displayed bunting. A similar display was made at Kaiapoi, several well-known and respected residents in that town having gone home by the Matoaka The Lyttelton Times of the sth inst. says : - We have been shown several specimens of gold-bearing quartz brought from Kelly's Ridge, Taipo. They were taken from Jenkins' -lease, which lies next to the prospectors' ground. Gold, both fine and coarse, is clearly visible in the stone. We understand that the holders of the lease intend to get up a company in Canterbury for working the ground. A child named Jones, 18 months old, residing on the sandhill* south of the Waimakariri, near Kaiapoi, was burned to death on Tuesday last. - Wireniu Kingi (William King), nob >rious from the part he took in bringing about the Waitara Avar, is now rendering every assistance in his power to the Cape Egmont Flax Company. With regard to the state of mining matters at the Blue Spur, Otago, the local correspon- i dent nf the Tuapeka Times reports as fol- '' lows :— Mining of late has been at a dead -lock, ' owing to the late rains which we experienced at the commencement of the new year. An extensive land-slip took place at the head of Gabriel's Gully, carrying away three of the water-races. The Waipori Water Com. pany had to employ from ten to twenty men for about a fortnight to repair the damage done to their race. The Hibernian Water Company could do little or nothing until the Waipori Water Company had completed their race— the slip being so extensive, some thousands of tons of earth and rock had to be removed. This company sow it to be a uselesß attempt with the pick and shovel, so the Hibernian Company engaged all the water that was available to bear upon the slip, averaging from 800 to 1000 inches, for seven or eight days, sluicing with great magnitude and velocity down ioto the bed< of the gully. The Nelson Company are in the same fix with 1 heir race. Ibis company are fluuiing with

boxes across the slip, which is expected to take them until the middle part o2 this week to complete — then all the water-races will bein working order. The North of Ireland party fired an excellent blast the other day, the charge consisting of 1 ton 12cwtof powder. The cement brought down by this blast was something extraordinary. Four blasts will be going off in the course of a few days in tbe following claims, viz., one in Morrison and Co's, two in the Otago Company's, and one in tho Blue Spur Sluicing Company's, Mills and Co. are washing up, and are expected to make an entrance in the stone paving in the latter part of the week. A call of Id per scrip has been made in the United Kingdom Gold Mining Company, Thames. St. Patrick's anniversary is to be celebrated at the Thames on a scale of unusu. 1 magnificence. Amongst the list of bankrupts in the Dune lin papers, we notice the firm of Hay Bros. a.id Wright, drapers, Octagon. At the Eesident Magistrate's Court, Dunedin, on the 3rd inst., Dr J. Currie was called upon to answer a charge of assaulting a young girl, about 14 years of age, named Whitworth. The accused did not appear, and a warrant was ordered to be issued for his apprehension. Later- in the day, he was brought up, and sentenced to two months imprisonment with hard labor. The contractors for completing the running ground of the race-course have now completed their work, and the whole has been sown with grass seed and rolled over. Although it has not been formally accepted by the stewards we are informed that the course has been made one unequalled on the West Coast, and fitted to grace a much larger and more important community. The work of cutting down and clearing away the centre bush has also been commenced, and should the present favorable weather continue, a few days will show a wide gap in its denseness. It is tabulated should good weather favor them, all will be felled in a week, and the work of burning and clearing completed in another. The swampy ground that was likely to prove such a serious drawback has been made good, and presents one of the best pieces of ground on the whole course. This has been accomplished by cutting deep drains on the inside, where the lowest lay of the running ground is, and as the holes have been filled up with soil,and the knolls cut away, the prognosticated piece of bad ground has been, as we have already said, made a most excellent part of the course. The cutting of the terrace has also been completed, and the gradient is a very easy one, one foot in 40ft. As soon as the 1 aner bush is cleared away, and the course is in order, it will well repay a visit of any one interested in the forthcoming meeting. The Southern Cross of the sth inst. says that there are any amount of claims being sold up by orders from the Warden. The promising mines that a few months ago were worth twenty thousand pounds with a paid up capital of fifteen thousand pounds ; where are they now? One claim, with a high sounding name, was sold for thirteen shillings. Poor shareholders, who bought in at twenty-five shillings a scrip, how long will it be before you are again troubled with gold fever ? But never mind, you will have many many brothers in misfortune. The Sydney correspondent of the Argus, writing of the San Francisco mail route, says :— " The United States consul is acting in concert with the California, Oregon, and Mexican Steamship Company, whose vessels at present run from San Francisco to Honolulu, under contiact with the United States Government. It is their interest to promote the new line, which will be simply an extension of their present operations. Their influence will be used to secure the proposed Americau subsidy ;l of Llo,ooo a year. Only an American company could get a subsidy from the United States Government, and the principal difficulty in the way will be the fact that vessels sailing under the English flag will be used for part of the service." The dredge which is to commence work on tbe Shotover, just above the sandhills, will, says the Lakes correspondent of the Dunstan Times, be ready for work in a few days, and is only awaiting the iron davit to guide the spoon, which i 3 being manufactured by Mr Aldridge, of Clyde. From some experienced dredgers from the Manuherikia, I learn that* there will be no difficulty whatever in dredging the Shotover. They are all confident of success, and calculate that, before many .weeks are past, they will raise from the watery depths below some of the gold which lies hid. in the beaches of this remarkable river. The' amount of gold concealed there must be something extraordinary, and as you ride along the silent and almost deserted banks overlooking the stream, the long line of crates filled with stones for turning the current off from the beaches or little bays, are unmistakeable evidences of the immense labor that must have been expended by the miners in former years. These crates will be the chief obstacle to be overcome by the dredger. They are so firmly wedged into one another that they have successfully defied the whole force of the river for the last six years to dislodge them. There has just been establishel in CoJlius street, Melbourne, near the Athenasum Club, a branch of a remarkable firm— i.e., that of R. G. Dun and Co., of the United States, Canada, the .United Kingdom, and now of " Australia- -Mr John Geo. Barnes being the head of the Melbourne office. TLh firm was first established in 1841, and has thrice changed its name, although its operations have been continuous . It proposes to supply to its subscribers confidential and complete information respecting the firms, with whom they are dealing. Thus, in the United States, R. G. Dun and Co. have printed a large volume, in which occurs some half-million names of traders against whom are r set hieroglyphics! marks by which the initiated can discern the condition and prospects of the person or persons concerned. This book is lent to the 'subscriber for six months, and then replaced by another, bringing the information tip to date. In other oases — say, for instance, in England, where the transactions

of R. G. Pun and Co. are not bo numerous as in the States— subscribers are furnished with written reports of the "antecedents, character, capacity, capital, and credit" of their customers. As may be supposed, the relations between the informants and their customers are under the seal of the strictest confidence. The subscriber has to sign certain specific terms in this respect ; the inforI mation given him is contained in. a Brjibmaloeked book, which has to be returned after a certain interval ; and onerous conditions are laid down, which appear to reduce the chance of the information getting into wrong hands to a minimum. In fact, Brahma locks are encountered at every stage of the company's dealings. Mr Barnes has signed testimonials testifying to the value and integrity of the operations of his principals from some of the leading merchants in London and elsewhere in England ; and in the United States, some of the leading commercial journals have expressed a favorable opinion of such transactions, which may have at first sight, and to Euglish eyes, a questionable shape. The Melbourne office will not be at work till March next. Tbe special correspondent of the Auckland Herald, referring to the meeting between Mr Firth and Te Kooti, says :— " When the two parties got close, the leading Maori took off his hat, and said, 'I am Te Kooti.' He offered to shake hands, but Mr Firth refused (?) Mr Firth dismounted, and a conversation took place, the two parties standing opposite each other. Te Kooti wore Bedford covil breeches and boots, grey shirt, and a loose waistcoat. He had also a gold chain, but no arms. Hi? hat was a lowcrowned black felt. He is described as about sft 9in in height, broad shouldered and muscular, with high cheek bones and determined cast of countenance. He has a black beard, black hair, and close . black moustache. During the korero Te Kooti's wife sat at his feet. She is described as a singularly handsome Maori wife —in complexion, light as a half-caste. She was well dressed, and wore a quantity of jewelry. Shortly after the speaking .commenced, Te Kpoti was joined by about forty other armed men. They were all picked men, and though their clothes were not good, their arms were in splendid condition, and consisted of breach-loaders and rifles. They formed a half circle, and maintained respectful silence during the talk. Te Kooti decHned to surrender, and said he would offer no terms to the Government. He would not go to Auckland even on tbe promise that his life should be spared ; but if the Government would promise to let him alone he would never fight again, but would settle down and cultivate. He was tired of slayLig, and wished to be let alone. Mr Firth said be was looked upon as a murderer, to which he replied — that the work he had done was not considered murder by the Maori. As to the killing women and children, that had been done by the Pakeha. When he landed from the Chatham Islands he desired to live peaceably and to cultivate, but Biggs had followed him about, and he was obliged to turn and fight. As to Mr. Firih and his people they would be quite safe, as he (Te Kooti) respected the dying words of Thompson." - We learn from the Southland News that several months ago a small quantity of tho " steel sand" which is to be found on the beach at Stewart's Island was collected and sent to Melbourne by a gentleman resident at the Bluff, with instructions to his agents to have portions of it smelted and otherwise tested for gold. The reports furnished by the persons to whom the work was intrusted state, " The sand contains the rate of two pennyweights and twelve grains of gold and silver, alloyed together, to the troy ton of 24,000 ounces" — aproportion insufficient to render it <>f value as an auriferous mineral. Assayed for iron, it was found to contain 81 per cent, of very fine quality. A small bar of steel obtained therefrom accompanied the report, with the remark that it "had not been hardened, but was, notwithstanding, remarkably compact and heavy." The Me 7bourne assay ers also expressed their belief that the steel would pay for extraction on a 1 large scale. " A i&'cA accident happened at the dam of the Victoria Quartz MiuiDg Company, Gordon, on Sunday. It seems," says the Bal- ) laratStar, " that Mr Peacock, a butcher in the locality, had a horse that had 'slipped' its shoulder. A servant, who had been in Air Peacock's employ for three months, thought that swimming the horse would do it good, and he accordingly proposed to take it into the Victoria Company's dam. Peacock spoke of danger, and tried to dissuade the man, whose name was Wm. Cumberland, but be stated that he had often done the same in Gee^ong. Peacock objected no further, and Cumberland took the horse to the dam and made the animal swim about for some minutes. When he was turning the horse's head to the shore the animal seemed to rear, and Cumberland slipped off and sank. He rose and endeavoured to catch hold of the animal's inane, but was unable to do so, and, after struggling, he sank again, Peacock could not swim, but he called to the braceman of the Victoria Company's claim, and then threw some long driving reins to the drowning man, who tried to catch hold of them, but was unable to do so. ,i After the unfortunate man had risen to the surface three times, he sank to rise no more alive. The body was recovered in about an hour by a Mr Garlish, who, being a good diver, brought it out of, as he states, from 14ft to 15ft of water. Dr Clendinning held an inquest on Monday when a verdict was returned :in accordance with the above facts." , In an article on "the course of the Colony," the (Maryborough Advertiser asks : — " Why should we continue to make any distinction between the habitual drunkard and the lunatic ? Why put the latter under restraint and suffer the former to go free ? They are equally dangerous to society, and should be equally sequestrated from it. For its own protection, society should step, in and weed out its drunkards. Let ush»ve separate asylums for their reception and detention, and let us insist upon, their being

made self-supportingi The drunkard sho be debarred . from the use of fermented liquors, and he should be compelled to earn enough to defray the cost of his own maintenance. The funds necessary for the erection of these drunkards' asylums might be obtained by the imposition of a special tax upon imported beers, spirits, and"wines, and upon the brewers, distillers, and publicans of the Colony. Such a tax would be equitable in principle; and. need not.be oppressive in operation. Of one thing we are very certain, that by eliminating the drunkards from society, and shutting them up in asylums or industrial homes, we should very soon witness a gratifying falling off in the crime committed, in the number of coroners' inquests held, in the applications for admission to our hospitals and benevolent asylums, and in the cost of maintaining our penal establishments and policed " A writer in the Times (Shortland) advocates the establishment of a school of science by the Auckland Government. He proposes that at least five lecturers in the following branches should be supported— viz., 1, Practical mathematics, ircl.uding navigation. 2. Mechanical philosophy. 3. Chemistry (practical). 4. Geology, mineralogy, and metallurgy, including assaying. 5. Colonial agriculture. The Brisbane Courier of the 18fch ult. publishes details of the several crushings from tbe Gympie Quartz Itee's. since that gold field was first opened. The statement s'oows that 11,996 tons of quartz yielded 76 : 5900z gold, or an average of 6oz 3dwt 4gr per ton, the highest average yet obtained on any Australian gold field. The same journal furnishes the results of the late crushings not included in the return, 1180oz from 230 tons, and 1003oz from 260 tons. About 100 persons assembled yesterday morning at 9 o'clock, says the Argus of the 25th instant, at Kirk's Bazaar, to witness the feat of Mr Samuel Waldock's chesnut gelding Canary jumping a bar sft 10in high, which he had been backed to do at Ll2O to L6O. The horse was brought out shortly after 9 o'clock, and taken over the bar sft high four times, it was then raised to the fall height on one side, and the little horse cleared it beautifully. The bar was then raised to the full height, and Mr Goyder, who acted as stakeholder and judge on the occasion, having proved the height by measurement, the horse was brought round for the final trial. In turning the corner, bis foot slipped on the wet stones, and he came up the ride in a shifty and rather uncertain manner, but on nearing the bar he drew himself together, and went over in splendid style, just touching it with his hind fetlocks. Canary is rather a weedy .little horse, standing about 15 hands 1 inch high, he has on several occasions figured with credit to himself among the best cross-country horses in the colony. ■ On .this occasion he carried 7st 31b, being ridden by W. Enderson, a jockey in Mr Waldock's stable. The horse was loudly cheered on winning the' wager, all those present expressing themselves highly delighted with the way the bet was won. Bets were offered that he would clear 6ft, but no one seemed inclined to accept. A small charge was made for admission, but more with the view of keeping the crowd out than anything else, most of those present being admitted free. Tne starting of Messrs Webb Brothers' Calcining Works, at tbe Thames, is thus noticed by the Shortland Times:—" Messrs Webb Brothers have erected a large calcr'ning works at the beach on Tookey's Flat, which commenced work yesterday morning. The works comprise two furnaces for first calcining the tailings coutaining the pyrites. The furnaces are 8 feet wide by 14 in length each, and are built of solid brick, well banded with iron. The tailings are at present let into the furnaces as, they come from the batteries, but, it is intended as soon as some new concentrators are in their places to first pass the tailings through them, and only calciue the pyrites. After the tailings are roasted in the furnaces, they are put through Wheeler's pans and treated in the usual manner. The pans are worked by a very compact little engine, which will also drive two of Brown and Stansfield's concentrators as soon as they are fixed in their places. Besides the capital embarked in the works, there is at present over a thousand tons of tailings on the premises, which will keep tho furnaces engaged for fully six months. These tailings have bten purchased by the proprietors at prices varying from 10s to 35s per ton, which is a sufficient evidence that they have every confidence in the payable nature of the speculations." According to an American contemporary, two hundred negrqes are now being educated at Rome for the priesthood, their ultimate destination being the Southern, States d America. The New Zealand Herald gives the following .from, its correspondent at Ohinemnri We learn by late Auckland papers thit large numbers of miners are proceeding to the Upper Thames, believing that the district \ will shortly be open to mining enterprise. The Herald says :— " Ohinemuri, Jan. 27, A meeting of native chiefs took place to-day, There were present — Te Hira, Keihana, Tukukino, Wi Koko, Wi ,Kotero (from East Coast), and about sixty other Maoris, principally chiefs, Mr Puckey, Mr O'Keeffe, Mr Louis Dihare, and Mr E. Tole. Te Moananui, in a speech, charged Te Hira with encouraging Te Kooti, which charge Te flira denied, and distinctly cleared himself from having in any way connected himself with the rebel. Te Moananui also said that he had lately taken the view of the Europeans about opening the land, and invited all the rest to come over to him. He said that since Taraia's wife went to Tukukino, he had for spite given his consent for the land to be opened. The korero broke up about one O'clock, owing to Moananui being unwell. Shortly afterwards a small party, including Mr Puckey, collected in Te Hira's whare. While there, Wi Koko begged Mr Puckey to take the Europeans away. He said the miners were crowding the hills, and declared that if they were.not removed he (Wi Koko) would be forced to make them go away, Mr

Puckey, in reply, told the Wi Koko to leave the miners alone, that it was not so easy to remove them. He said that there were 22,000 miners on the Thames, and it would not do for him to make, any undue interference amongst them, remarking that he (Mr Puckey) had been threatened two or three times to be thrown into the river, and advised Wi Koko to remain very quiet.- The course he advised Te Hira and the rest to pursue was to allow the miners peaceably to prospect the country and satisfy themselves as to the richness of the country. Wi Koko, in an excited manner, denounced the conduct of the Europeans, and again declared that he would at once take steps to prevent the miners from prospecting. During the whole " time Te Hira never spoke, except to clear himself from Moananui's charge. It is thought that the matter has taken a favorable turn; the opposing chiefs were more courteous, and there was less recrhxinations and more business done than on former meetings. It is considered by those who are **i the way of knowing a good deal that the whole country will shortly be thrown open. ! The Cardrona correspondent of the Crowiwell Argus says that John Chinaman has been teaching one of our storekeepers how to make gold. „Mr Robert Patterson bought • between four and five ounces of, to all appearance, nice, shotty goldirom a ChinamaD, last week. Mr Patterson has had great experience in bujing gold, and suspected at the time that the gold was not all right, : as i weighed light for the quantity, but still he paid John the full price. He kept the parcel separate, examined it the following day, and found it to contain a large quantity of base metal. The imitation is extremely good—- ' very few could detect the fraud by the eye.