Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 507, 12 September 1857, Page 5

Local Intelligence.

The unexpected arrival of the little cutter Auckland, on Wednesday morning, has put us in possession of our English mail of June. The Auckland appears to have heen chartered in Wellington for the special purpose; hut whether by the Government or by the agents of the Melbourne packets, with the desire of carrying out to the best of their power the interrupted arrangements, we know not. By whatever agency the service has been done our sincere thanks have been earned; and we take for granted that both gratitude and the money value of the service will be paid by our Government. It is by mutual obligations such as this that the, provinces will be held together politically and commercially. It will be a difficult matter to settle by any satisfactorily arrangement the means of forwarding English mails speedily and regularly to all the provinces. Canterbury and Otago Avould have served themselves before now, had the_ general system adopted admitted of it. As |'t is, we have been most fortunate hitherto. %3ut Otago suffers severely from a want of regular communication. We find in the Otago papers just received that they were a short time ago m expectation of receiving three or four months' mails together, all overdue. A schooner has been sent up here expressly to fetch the mail. The one wanted has been forwarded, but the schooner is just in time to carry down another. The Solent has brought from Auckland twenty-four beautiful Merino sheep, 17 yearling ewes and 7 rams, consigned to Messrs. Miles, Kington, and Co. They are from the flock of Mr. Rich, of Mount Eden, near Auckland, well known in New Zealand, as a careful breeder of sheep. Those in question c are. chiefly the produce of the celebrated ram Shakespeare,'and are splendid specimens both as regards symmetry and fleece. We have been favoured with a sight of some samples of their wool and must say that it far surpasses in quality all the wools which we have been in the habit of considering a? commanding the highest prices from New Zealand. Mr. Rich's flock, from which these have been selected, are entirely New Zealandbred, ands peak highly for this country as a sheeppovving colon}'. Offshoots from the flock have been sent to other parts of New Zealand and have always been most highly prized. We an-

ticipate that this importation will be most in improving the breed on our pastures. Mr. Rich has come down himself with the sheep and reports the loss of one upon the voyage. . J By late arrivals fromJOtago we learn thafthe Bishop Jof Christchurch arrived safely in Dunedin on Saturday, the 15th ult, and preached twice the following day. The affairs of the Church in that province are reported to be tolerably flourishing. On Thursday evening the theatre in this town reopened for a second season under the direction of Mrs. W. H. Foley. The pieces selected for the occasion were the Sentinel and the Dead Shot; and both were very creditably presented, though we cannot say that they were the most successful performances that we have witnessed on these boards, for the audience grows more critical night after night. We missed in Mr. Foley's absence his bustle and knowledge of business; and though Mrs. Foley ■was as successful as ever and a host in herself, we cannot but regret that she was left almost unaided to supply the deficiencies which must occur with an amateur company. Some of the gentlemen want additional study to feel quite confident of success in their art and of applause from the audience. The house was full, in spite of a drizzling rain which had been falling all day and continued during the evening. Mr. Foley has left the theatre under Mrs Foley's management, and goes to the neighbouring colonies to engage and bring down a corps dramatique and a circus troupe, by whose aid he will be enabled to give entertainments in both forms to the inhabitants of Christchurch and the plains as well as in Lyttelton. The public appreciates his labours, and will, we are sure, back him in carrying out his extended enterprise. "We have not noticed the great spread of photography in our province oflate. Two, whom we may call native artists, are practising with great success in Christchurch and Lyttelton; and Mr. Crombie, a visitor, is equally patronised by the public. This gentleman's gallery of New Zealand portraits is well worthy a visit from those who have an interest in the worthies at present living and moving in our colony. Mr. Crombie has announced his early departure from our province. From Akaroa we learn that David George, the deserter from the Milo (mentioned last week), has been committing further outrages. On the sth inst. he was discovered plundering Mr. Lucas's homestead. He attacked and broke away from the man who guarded him, after doing him serious injury, taking with him a double-barrelled gun. Mr. Lucas, the constable, and others, pursued him beyond Little River, but returned from the chase unsuccessful. This is mild bushranging. The Customs authorities have issued an announcement, by order of the General Government, that the duty on hops will in future be levied by measurement, not by weight. The weather during the past week has relapsed somewhat from its previous spring-like state. A gale of wind from the N.E. has blown constantly for nearly ten days, unaccompanied, till Thursday, by rain. We>re now, however, gratified by heavy showers, due at this time of the year, and especially desirable now, owing to the continued dry weather. The wind continues from the same quarter.