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Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 443, 31 January 1857, Page 5

The Zingari brings us our usual files of the Northern papers to the dates of her departure from each port respectively. She brings us also a mutilated file from Melbourne. The English and Foreign intelligence contained in this paper we have already reprinted. We have to correct a slight error, however, in.our narrative of how the news par Simlah came to us. The Marchioness, it appears, left Melbourne immediately after the, arrival of the Simlah, and arrived in Nelson just before the departure of the Zingari from that port. There was no mail on board ..the- Marchioness, but the outline of the news given may be relied upon as substantially correct. To-day we make a selection of the most important local items to be found in the journals received. AUCKLAND. Our latest papers are of the 10th inst. The most interesting news received therein concerns the Steam Postal Communication with Australia, a lengthened correspondence on which; subject will be found elsewhere in our columns; Auckland now possesses a third newspaper, the "Examiner,"; a weekly organ, apparently, of those who oppose governments. The Provincial Council was still sitting; the state of the electoral roll and other matters connected with elections were occupying the attention of that body. A ; scheme of education was also being considered by the Council but had not been brought to perfection. .Immigration from North America.— The Gertrude which has, for some time back, been expected from Cape Breton, arrived in harbour on Monday about 3 p.m. As 230 emigrants were reported ;—when the signal for a brig was made Ho one imagined that so large a number of passengers would be found packed away in a vessel of such, circumscribed dimensions, and in such utter disregard of the Passenger Act, which we had presumed to have been in full force in every part of her Majesty's dominions; but so it is; and the Gertrude, after a most protracted passage of six months, without a medical officer on board, has reached her destination with the loss only of an elderly married woman, named Buchanan, who died of dropsy on the Bth of November, and a child of two years old, named Kenneth McLeod, who died of dysentery on the 15th of the same month. There were three births on the passage, all boys.; The Gertrude, under the command of Mr. George Rose, is a smart looking brig of 217 tons, built at Charlotte Town, Prince Edward's Island, and is now on her first oyage. She sailed from Cape Breton on the ioth June, with 192 passengers, men, women, and children, all told. Throughout, she en(ountered a succession of very light and

baffling weather,, arriving at Simons' Bay, Cape of Good Hope, as we already reported, on the 10th September. At Simons' Town, the passengers were landed and refreshed and occupied the Military Barracks during the month that the brig was employed in refilling her water, &c From Simons' Bay, she sailed again on the 11th October; on the Ist of November passed in sight of the island of St. Paul; and on the 29th November sighted Kings Island in Bass Straits. Prom the Straits to the New Zealand coast she had a prevalence of light : easterly and north-easterly weather, the first I land she observed being Kaipara Heads, which she made on the 16th instant. The light and baffling easterly and north-easterly winds still ■ prevailed, and it was not till Saturday last that ! she was able to fetch the Three Kings. On J Sunday, at daylight, off the North Cape, she j caught a smart north-westerly breeze with which she made a good ran, heaving-to till day break of Monday, between the Poor Knights and the Hen and Chickens. During the last three Weeks, several cases of scurvy occurred, otherwise the general health of this large com- , pany of upwards of 200 souls, crew included, is stated to have been good. Taken as a whole, the Gertrude's passengers are a very respectable body, and we have no doubt, will be found to be a valuable acquisition td the colony, to reach which they have encountered so many privations. They have come far to cast their lot amongst us, but they have a cheering example in the successful energy of those who preceded them, and we hope their energies will be not less successfully bestowed. We are happy to learn that the Provincial Government has taken steps to provide them with accommodation on shore, until they can make their own future arrangements. This is as it should be; we know of no greater want than I an Immigration Barrack for the temporary reception of such large bodies of desirable colonists.?— New Zealander, Dec. 21. Harvest.—Favoured with a return of our usual fine weather at this period of the year, our settlers are beginning to realise upon their labours, and are now employing all available means to get in the Hay Crop. Throughout the district the scythe is in active use,and mowers find no lack of'work: The weather has of late.been highly favourable for the forwarding of all kinds of crops, but especially of grass, thereby affording abundance of feed for cattle; and with acontinnanceof the present magnificent weather, there will be stacked for winter use, an amount of hay far-exceeding that of former seasons.—New Zealander, Dec. 17. Export of. Timber.—At the time when the want of an export, and the best mode of supplying th'at^want, is the subject of general consideration, it gives us pleasure to notice the impetus which is being givjn by Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane to our export of sawn timber. One of the partners of that firm is about to form an establishment in Melbourne for the'sale of New Zealand timber, and is in full hopes, by the aid of new machinery now being fitted, to be able to compete with American importers. In our last we noticed a large shipment of timber, by the Gyp'sey, for Batavia; and we now observe with pleasure that they have also commenced loading the Vixen for Amoy and China with the same staple article, the proceeds of which to go towards the purchase of a return cargo of Eastern produce. We are persuaded that we onby want a few similar instances of individual enterprise to 'see the Province attain that position which nature evidently designed it for.— S.Cross. Destructive Fire on the North Shore. -—On Christmas Eve, we regret to state, the house and property of William Nicholson, an industrious settler on the North Sh< re, were totally destroyed by fire. What rendes s the loss of the unfortunate man the more to be deplored is the fact that his wife has been for m my years insane, and that he has a family of five young children, who require all his attentio i and so prevent him from doing as much for himself as he otherwise would do. His neighbours have practically shown their sympathy for him according to their means, and have commenced a subscription for his relicf —to which the Governor, the Superintendent, Colonel Wynyaid, the members of the General Government, and several other inhabitants have already contributed—the sum at present reached being about £20. Messrs. P. Callan, P. Heath, and P. Melvin, have taken upon themselves the task of collecting subscriptions, and purv^ ■n-^«'n

upon more of the inhabitants of the City in the course of this day, when we trust that those who have the means will aid in the good work. Should any of our readers who may not be at home when the collectors call, or.who may not be waited upon, feel disposed to contribute, we shall be happy to receive their suhsciption and forward it to the proper quarter.— New Zealander.