Colonial.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 472, 13 May 1857, Page 11

Colonial.

, WELLINGTON. By the Pho»be we have Wellington papers to ' the 6th May; from Wanganui a paper ©f the 18th and one pf the same date fiom Taranaki,

The following paragraphs are from the j ' Independent:'— ' ' The barque 'Monsoon, Captain\Turnbull» sailed yesterday afternoon for.London, with a full cargo of colonial produce, the estimated value of which is about £17,200; principally consisting of wool,- flax, hides, &c. She has also taken sixty-six and ahalf ounces of gold, being the first shipment of the kind from, Wellington, the produce of the Aorere Gold Fields, A fine sample ,of gold "was shipped by Messrs. Stuai t, Kinross & Co., consisting of 26 ounces, (amongst >which was the largest nugget yet found at> these diggings), just as she was getting under weigh. The following are the shippers' names £and the quantity 'shipped. John Varjiham '5£ ounces •Johnston &,Co.' 30 «• W. B. Rhodes & Co. 5 « Stuart^ Kinross & Co. 26 -" * ' L Total 66\ " „ , —May 2. The Ann Wilson. —Since our last a notice has been "issued 'by the Provincial Secretary, offering a reward of £300 for the apprehension of Captain Rutherford; and we learn by the steamer and other vessels, the Resident Magistrate has sent warrants to the various provinces. The vessel sailed last night for Callao, to load with a cargo ' Jpf Guano. It is however to know that representations have been , made by Mr. St. Hill to tlie General Go- I vernment with a view to the recovery of '< the penalties -by means of the enforcement of the bond given in England.—lbid, . The ship Heroes of Alma arrived in this port on Sunday morning last, after a passage of 109 days, having left Plymouth ori the 13th January. She has brought 38 cabin' and' intermediate passengers, and a fuli cargo, of general merchandise. Her English dates are not so late as have prey ously come to hand, and nothing remarkable occurred during the voyage: She is a very fine looking ship, and her rigging is set up with patent galvanised wire. A portion of her passengers and cargo are for Canterbury.—May 6. The Wellington papers contain later news from Nelson and Auckland. 1 THE AOREKE DIGGINGS. Since our last severalvessels have arrived from the Massacre Bay Diggings, a n d in' them Mr.1 Stuart -(Stuart, Kimoss'& Co.), Mr. John Martin,' and .Mis James Wallace, who have been to visit the fields with a view to business, besides those who went to try their fortune in the character of diggers. The Pride of the Isles and Augusta have been obliged toproceed to Nelson for a market, being^unable to dispose of their cargoes at' Aorere.j^Provisions' of all kinds were exceedingly reasonable, and picks'and shovels were selling for less than they can be purchased! at Wellington. liightbgnd's Gulley had been worked out, and the We]. lingtonians were mostly keeping together in Appoo's Gully, where, though getting but little, they were doing better on the whole than those who had arrived from Nelson. The weather had been fine, with but littl,e rain and occasional violent winds. The slight rains that had fallen, had, howeyer, so swelled the streams as almost entirely to stop digging operations, The Nelsonites were returning home, and the Wellingtonians are making ready to follow their example and get back to Wellington as quickly as they can. We haye seen several letters from experienced persons who went from here as pioneers, and their letters sre full of such sentences as —" take my advice, and don't think of coining here "—" on no account leave Wellington"—"nothing'can be done until the spri.ig " &c, &c. There can be no doubt that some of those who I have retmn'd l:a'"^ been frightened at the

mud and discomfiture attendant upon a digger's occupation, 'and have at once turned tail, but we do not meet with a single person however accustomed he may have' been to California or Australia, who does not advise the waiting at any rate'until the spring. ' One writes that he and his party had' just finished passing 90 buckets through' jthe ' long torn and had obtained half an ounce as ' the result, and that without better induce--' ment offered, all his friends should give1 up the idea of following him. This view'is the general one—nothing seems possible during the winter, whatever may be done afterwards. ExTRA-OKDIttAfcY VEGETABLES.—New Zealand is noted for the large growth of many of its vegetable products, some of which have -been immortalized in Blue books and in more modest octavoes. The Radishes "big as Mangold Wurzel" with, accounts of which a House of Commons Committee was once edified, has lately been, equalled by some good and sound turnips grown by Mr. Poole in the Hutt, as large as American buckets', and wejwere shown yesterday a potato grown by Mr. McHardie," of the same valley, that weighed 6 lbs., and another from a field of Mr. Farmer's, that weighed fnlly 0 lbs., the whole crop being ' 1 large, and quite flowery when,cooked. We perceive the deluging rains to-which Ne»v South Wales has been subject this summer i have been very destructive to v£get&bles. AUCKLAND. The Timbeb Tbade,—ln the midst1 of general dulness, it is gratifying to see a continued activity in this branch of our export trade. By recent opportunities, as would I be seen from our shipping list, large ship, ments of sawn timber have been made by our enterprising townsmen, Messrs. Henderson and Maefarlane. Within the last' few days, 46,500 feet have'left our shores, by the Viscount Sandon, and 33,000 feet by the Gertrude, while, yesterday, the same firm completed the loading of the Ellen for Otago.—' Southern Cross,' April 10. The Potaioe -Tbade.—The resumption of the export potatoe trade is another cheering feature in the transactions of the day. By the Viscount Sandon, a trial of 10 tons was made for the Chinese market; by the Gertude for Melbourne, 56 tons were shipped, (40 of which by the owners, Messrs. Henderson and Maefarlane) ; and by the Emily Allison, cleared out yesterday, it will be seen that no less than 80 tons have gone to the same market. OTAGO. . By the Emerald Isle we have" papers ,from Dunedin to the Bth instant. Fatai> Accident. —A fatal accident occuned at the Taieri ~Fe\ry, on Thursday la*t. by wh eh a person of the name of Charles Armstrong lost his life. Fiom the itiibi m.ition which has reached ns, it appears that the unfortunate man was standing in a canoe, and was rocking it in a jocose s«inuer ft om side to side, when it upset, and precipitated him into the water. He sank and rose oiice. Notwithstanding the efforts made by some persons who pui off in a boat from the Hope, no assistance could be rendered in time, and the deceased bank in the presence of many spectators nto rise no more. The body, has not'yet been lecovered.—' Witness.'