NEW CALEDONIA.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1526, 18 November 1873, Page 19

NEW CALEDONIA.

The schooner Clio arrived in Auckland from New Caledonia, a few days ago. She brings a few late items of news. Trade is said to be very slack. The timber market is glutted in consequence of the French Government- having for a time suspended their public works owing to over expenditure for the past year. Things in the north end of the island, at the mines, are still very promising. Numbers of English miners arrived during the Clio's stay. On the morning of Saturday, the 11th October, a French barque, 130 days out from Bordeaux, laden with a valuable cargo of wine, &c, &c, went on shore outside the main reef close to Matopass, and almost immediately sank into deep water, the crew having only time to get into their boats and save themselves ; they saved nothing from the vessel, so suddenly did she disappear. She had been becalmed all the night before, and was set upon the reef by the strong current running at the time. In consequence of this sad catastrophe, wines rose to a much higher price in Noumea, as well also as the price of numerous other articles. Three French men-of-war were lying at Noumea while the Clio was there. Two of them had brought shipments of Communist exiles. About Ist October, a number of miners arrived from Sydney in the Eginont,brought outby a company formed to work the gold mines in the island. They report very highly of the value of the quartz.