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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1363, 11 December 1872, Page 2

The weather of the past two days, though anything bat pleasant, has been partially borne with, in consideration of the abundant water supply which it will afford to the mining community. Yesterday, the rain, though not heavy, continued nearly all day, and last night the river was rising fast. The smaller streams had risen more rapidly, and communication between Greymouth and Hokitika by coach was interrupted. According to telegrams said to hare been received from Reefton, there had not been the same rainfall in the interior. Messrs D. Maclean and Co. yesterday sold by auction, for the proprietor, Mr Booth, the Empire Hotel, Mawhera Quay, immediately conti&aous to Johnston's Melbourne Hotel. Messrs Hamilton and Nichol became the purchasers, and the price realfcsd was L4lO. Mr Skelton G. Eowley, late clerk to the Courts at Cobdsn, has assumed the duties of Receiver of Revenue, and Clerk to the Warden's and Resident Magistrate's Courts, at Ahaura. At Cobden, yesterday, Mr JEtevell, coroner, held an inquest regarding the death of Levi Adolphus Case, whose body had been found in Coal Creek at an early hour on Monday morning. From the evidence of Henry M'Kenzie it appeared that the deceased had nob been in his hut during the night previous to his being discovered, his bed being found undisturbed when his hut was visited, and when M'Kenzie went to look for the deceased in the direction of the place where the deceased kept his boat he found the body lying in Coal Creek, in water lOin or 15in deep. The deceased had been subject to frequent fits, and from the fact of a stick being found in his arms, ib appeared as if he had been seized with one of those fits when going from his garden to his hut with some wood. Dr Morice gave evidence as to the condition of the body and the health of the deceased previous to his death. He had no external marks of violence, accept a bruise under the lefb eye. He had been subject, during life, to frequent and sudden epileptic fits. The other evidence was that of Robert Algie, William J. Wallace, and George J. Fowlis. Their evidence all pointed to one conclusion, and the jury, returned a verdict of "Found drowned." Some few of Mr G. S. Sale's friends entertained him at dinner, last Saturday evening, at the Cafe de Paris, A veiy pleasant evening was enjoyed by those who assembled to manifest their regard for one who, though only a visitor now, has been so intimately connected with the affairs of Westland. A lad named Bonetti, in the employment of Mr Wm. Young, baker, at Grauville, met with a serious accident on Saturday. He was riding a restive horse at Half -Ounce, when the animal reared upon its hind legs, and falling backwards on the boy, severely injured his back and legs. On an examination, being made by Dr Phillips, of Ahaura, it was found that the injuries received by the lad, although serious, were not nearly as dangerous as was at first supposed from the nature of the accident. A sample of the absurd rumors that obtain currency among the Maoris is given by a correspondent of the TJutvies Advertise)', who has lately bean making a tour in the Ohinemuri district. In relating an interview he had with Hote to Waharoa, eldest son of William Thompson, he says :—" Hote said that the Kingites had been informed, and verily believed, that there were now 70 Chinamen troopers in our service at Ngaruawobio, galloping about with flashing swords, and with their pigtails hanging down their backs. How this story was invented I cannot imagine, but it is evidently in full currency at Tokaogamuty," We have to acknowledge receipt of the first number of the Irishman, a new weekly journal started in Melbourne. It is a highly creditable addition to the Victorian press, as it is well compiled, very ably edited, and better printed than most of its contemporaries. As its name indicates, the Irishman is started for the purpose of discussing Irish subjects, and spreading abroad news connected with Ireland ; but we are glad to notice that all articles on these subjects are treated with much liberality and fairness. In Ua opening address the editor aays :— "Hitherto, those who have undertaken to represent Irish interests in the press of this golony, have mixed them up with, and made them secondary to other interests, with which a large section of Irishmen have no possible concern. Against this we are determined to guard with the moat scrupulous care. The Irishman will be strictly a national journal devoted to the welfare and progress of Australia, and will neither be the ' drum-eccle-siastic' of a Sfcct, nor the mouthpiece of a party." Our telegrams recently mentioned that Plummerhad received twenty-five lashes in Duuedin gaol. With regard to this the Daily Times says :— The notorious Plummer has been • ' playing up" in gaol. A few days ago he refused to work, one excuse he made being that he could not work in irons j whereas there is considered to be no reason

why, as he is in good health, he should not be able to work in irons as well as the numerous prisoners who have to do so in almosb every gaol. His real object, so far as it can be judged, appears to be to try and get the irons taken off, so as to give him a better chanceijto make another escape, as he was Htely planning to get away, but his plot was detected. Another excuse of his was that he had a. quarrel with some of the men of the gang with which he was sent out. In the Auckland gaol he was the cause of endless troubles, and the books of that establishment hive pages full of his convictions for breaches of discipline there. It has been found from experience had of him in Auckland and Dunedin that he Bbirks work with a view to getting solitaiy confinement, for which he lias a preference. On her first trip from the Tararua while in Hokitika roadstead on Sunday, the Waipara brought away one of the stokers of the Melbourne steamer, who had his nose bitten quite through in an affray, the lower part of the organ hanging only by a small bit of skin. The injured man was taken to Dr Garland, and having had the injury attended to, returned to the Tararua on the seconl trip of theWaipara. The particulars of the affray have not transpired, but ifc is supposed that great provocation must have been given by the assailed, as Captain Rouse, of the Tararua, did not put the assailant in irons, though he said he had " a good mind " to do so. The matter will be investigated at Nelson. As showing what can be done by the careful and skilful treatment of a substance from which there is generally a difficulty in extracting gold, namely, arsenical pyrites or mundic, it may be mentioned that from 3cwt 3qv of it collected off the tables of the Waipori ...Quartz Company's battery, 18oz B£dwt of gold were obtained by Mr Dermer, the manager of the Government battery. This is at the rate of about 98oz to the ton. A sample of the same stuff treated by Dr Hector yielded at the rate of 70oz to the ton j and another quantity, dealt -with by Mr Dermer, at the rate of 78oz to the ton. From 21b 3oz of tailings from the Shag Valley reef, and that had been finally disposed of, Mr Dermer got about 6gr of gold.