Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 444, 4 February 1857, Page 10

Local Intelligence.

By the Simla.—We publish to-day the news brought by the Simla to Melbourne, from England, the 12th November. The 'Nelson Examiner' extracts from the Melbourne ' Argus/ and the Wellington papers from the ' Herald.' We take from all sources the items of interest at as great length as possible. We are told that the bvigantine Marchioness, which vessel brought the news to Nelson and Welling, ton, had started from Melbourne when the Simla was signalled. Captain Kreeft put back for the mails, but was refused them by the Postmaster, whose instructions were to forward them to Sydney ; he waited, however, for the news, and brought on the i.ext morning's Melbourne papers, by which we have received the particulars. Under our present postal arrangements, the thanks of ihe piess are doubly due to Captain Kreeft for his consideration. He has thus been instrumental in bringing to New Zealand news from England only 67 days old. Death of an old Maori.— We are informed of the death of an old Maori on Saturday last, at Kaiapci. Being a Christ'fan, jmcl belqnging to to the Church of

England, the funeral service was performed by the Rev. J. Raven, and a very large ■number of- natives and others' attended the ceremony. He was believed to be lQ2years old, and may be remembered by visitors to Kaiapoi as having a quantity of snow white hair, and especially as being reduced by the infirmities of old age to crawl about only on hands and knees. He leaves behind him sons about 60 years of age, and large families of grand-children. He must have; taken a part in many native wars of which we have no record, and, if his ase be'correct, perhaps was cognizant- of^ Captain Cook's arrival. He was an experienced warrior, we are told, when Rauperaha, and the northern natives invaded and conquered this territory.

Robbery at Akakoa.—On Saturday, the 24th instant, a sailor belongingI'to,-the French Whaler, the Napoleon the Third, now lying in this harbour, entered the house of one of the French inhabitants of this place, M. Rosselot, during the absence of its inmates, and plundered it of sundry articles of wearing apparel, a small sum of money &c. The robbery was almost immediately discovered, and the thief committed, to the local prison. It is expected that he will be allowed to rejoin his ship; but will be taken before a Magistrate and tried for the crime on his arrival in France.

The Oliver Lang.—This splendid ship anchored in our harbour on Saturday afternoon last. She has called at Wellington and Nelson to discharge cargo, and has already received a small quantity of Wool and other produce for her homeward voyage at the latter port. After a stay in this port of about three weeks,she is to return to Wellington, to be there by the Ist of March, and to complete her loading in that port; and is finally to sail for Liverpool, we are informed, ou the 10th of that month. There appears to be every prospect of her taking from this place a reas-onable quantity of wool, the facilities offered by the enterprising company which own this line of ships, and by their officers ai;d agents, forming a very great inducement to shippers. The first portion of her cargo was received on Monday morning, consisting of 112 bales brought alongside by the Zingari from Timaru, the growth of Messrs. Campion, Studholme, Innes, ai d others, in that portion of the province. About 250 bales remain at Timaru, and 100 bales more in the neighbourhood, chiefly belonging to Messrs. Rhodes, and that, also, we understand, will form a part of the Oliver Lany's cargo; the Mary Thomson, Canterbury, and Emu being on their way to bring it up. Regarding the arrivals of wool,'generally, from the River Heathcote we calculate on about 250 bales" in the next'fortnight, about 40 being now in store at the Quay, and 75 at the Ferry; about half the remainder'has been shipped to port during- the week, and the other half will be brought, down the country within the time specified. From Kaiapoi, perhaps 150 bales could be brought down to port within a fortnight, but there must be a considerable quantity still to follow from that quarter. In Lyttelton, not many more than 250 bales have been in store during the past week, but the qnantit)' is continually changing ; a large portion of this went on board the Oliver Lang yesterday. The amount despatched to Sydney of this season's clip is about 350 bales, and to this may I>e added 2QO bales despatched to Wellington from Motunau and Stonyhurst. In return1 for this we are likely to receive somewhat over 400 bales from the north of the Hurunui, the produce of runs, strictly speaking, in the Province of Nelson. We are unable to say what the gross amount of the wool grown in this district of New Zealand may prove to be this season, other? wise than as such a result may be guessed at by comparison with former years.

As figures so arrived at may mislead Wp prefer to leave the amount to be staled from returns at the close of the season Suffic it that the amountis likely to show a proner proportion of increase, and to be equal t the highest anticipations of former years The highly encouraging reports of the prices at home ought to stimulate both growers and merchants to use every ex »r tion to bring the wool of this country i nt " the market in the very best condition W must say we should like to see Canterbury again loading a ship of her own, rather thin that our produce should be reported 'in Liverpool that of Wellington as it wII be by the Oliver Lang. ° '* " wIU Accident -We hear that Mr. Osborne chief officer of the Oliver Lang, on Mondiv last, accidentally fell from the poop railing of the ship down into the hold below Th° fall is one of great height, sufficient^ \ n ll caused the loss of life, but Mr. Osborne having his fall broken by some of the car^o' will not suffer, we believe, more i,m? ' than will confine him to his cabin L ' week or two.