Colonial News.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 386, 16 July 1856, Page 7

Colonial News.

OTAGO.

We have by the "■ Gratitude," Otago papers to the sth instant. There is no news of importance contained therein, the few items we extract from the Witness being interesting as showing the progress and de'velopement of there sources of the Province.

The " Gil Bias" cleared out for Melbourne on the 17th instant, with a cargo of wool, wheat, oats, and potatoes, valued at £ 1116.. Notwithstanding the depressed state of the Australian markets, which of course reduces the declared value of the exports, there appears every prospect of

the exports prom the Province being considerable during the year. The fact of the " Gil Bias " coming so near to Dunedin. gives her an advantage over other crafts, aud is a very material saving to the producers iv the expense of boating. The advantage to the owner of th c" Gil Bias," from that ves.sel being under contract to the Provincial Government, is equally apparent; she having obtained a full cargo, which will yield her a good freight; when the other vessels iv port will probably have to leave in ballast, or wacte much time in wailing for cargo. We point attention to this fact, because of the absurd argument used by the owner of the "Zingari" for refusing to include Otago in her circuit. Certainty of arrival and departure are sure to foster and secure a trade. It was absurd for the owner of the " Zingari" to expect either freight or passengers, when the arrival of the steamer was always uncertain and erratic.— Witness, June 2 ].

We have to notice the departure of the " Thomas and Henry, " for Melbourne, with a full cargo. This smart little craft which hails from our port takes away with her 25,533 lbs. of woo!, valued at £1,280; 3,800 bushels of wheat, £ 1.523 ; 70 tons of potatoes, £350 ; 800 bushels of oats, £200 ; making a total in value of £3,353; which, added to the exports by late opportunities, gives an export, within the last fortnight, of produce grown in the Province, of the value of about £s.ooo.— lbid. July 5.

Oil op Olives.—We have lately noticed the production of olive oil in New South Wales, by Wity of experiment. Mr. David Shepherd's essay on the subject has been published in the Sydney papers, and informs us that (i the cost of preparing and planting an acre of land with olive trees will be about thrity-five pounds. The future cultivation will costnot more than from three to four pounds ayear; l>ut by the economy of labor on a small farm, this expence may, o*f course, be greatly lessened. The cost of gather= ing the fruit aud preparing the oil we have as yet (from want of expeiienee in the matter) no means of knowing. In Italy and Greece, where „ the olive is largely cultivated, a few trees are considered sufficient for the support of a family,A full grown olive tree will produce yearly sufficient fruit to make from twenty to thirty gallons of oil, and in one instance, a single tree has yielded as much as sixty gallons, but, of course, to produce such a crop this tree imtstjiave beeiir*niost favorably situated as regards climate and soil. An acre of land will contain thirty trees, ' and if on the average each tree produces twenty gallons of oil (in the Old World the average is greater), we shall have from this one acre six hundred gallons : which, at the moderate rate of 10s. pei'-rnllon [the present price in the Sydney market being 15s.], will be worth £'300." — iMunvcshm Examiner. New &hoal in Torres Straits.—Captain Browne, of the schooner Sydney, reports ■-' the followinir shoal:—With the centre of LowIsland bearingS. S. E., distant about six uiiies, sounded on a coral bank, of 7 and 8 fathoms. The ship at the time goin«r fast, could not get but two casts of the lead. It appears to be a continuation of the Diana shoal; therefore vessels goin^1 between Low Island and Uaycock should keep within sight of the beach of Low Island, as I could just discern the breakers from the deck on the beach of Low Tsland, while £ettin<j the casts of the lead.— Adelaide Times, April the 2Sth.

A Prince in America. —This is pre-emin-ently the age of political vicissitudes. A few years ago there was an obese loafer at Bordentown, N.J. who used to drink with fellows about town, and borrow two shillings at a time from tte gentlemen of the place, while his wife kept a most respectable school, and his aristocratic __ looking daughter was the cynosure of all eyes at* church. Now this same free and easy idler, whose scores at Bordeutown shops were unpaid a few months ago, and probably are still, has got up a mimic court in the shadow of the Tuileries, and is followed by a retinue of Italian exiles; he and they believing that, ore long, the sceptre of Naples will he in his grasp, as King Mdrat the Second.—Correspondence of the "Boston (U.S.) Transcript."

Macaulay Burnt in Effigy.—The Highlanders of Glenuiore, in Invernesshire, feeling aggrieved and indignant at the slanderous charges brought by Mr. Macaulay against their predecessors, in his last volume of the History of England, assembled together, and headed by a piper playing the " Rogue's March," proceeded to the Black Bock, near Glenuiore house, and there burnt in effigy tne distinguished historian. The assembled crowd gave three shouts of execration as the effigy was consuming. Macaulay, when in the Highlands, resided for a considerable time in Glenmore house. Sib Edmund Lyoxs.—The Common Council of London has resolved to present the freedom of the city, in a gold box of the value of one hundred " guineas, to Sir Edmund Lyons, in testimony of its admiration of his distinguished services. Thk Crimea. —A despatch from Trieste, of March 5. says: —"General Vivian is preparing a grand reconnaissance from Kertch in the directionof Arabia, where the Russians have been concentrating a large force." Accounts from the Camp to the 21st February state that port Paul had been destroyed effectually; Fort Quarantine is mined. The English propose an expedition,* the point of disembarkation probably will be Trebizond.