Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 538, 30 December 1857, Page 4

Local Intelligence.

In the hurry which is inseparable from our proceeding? in holiday time, we last week omitted to mention the very interesting fact of an ordination having been held by the Lord Bishop of the Diocese, on Sunday the 20th inst., w '?en Messrs. Henry Harper,Croasdiile Bowen.i and Francis. Knowles were admitted to holyorders. A sermon was preached on the occasion by the' Rev. H. Jacobs ; and an unusually large congregation, including many persons from remote districts, was assembled to wit'ne&s the impressive ceremony. .Weliave in pur poWeshion some statistics of Akama and Banks' Peninsula, which were pre-i pared for our general summary of the 16th in-

stant, but came to hand too late. We cannnf do better than give, them publicity, regretting that they cannot acconnpiiny those of the re mainder of the province already published | In point of public: works' Akaroa has sou. thing to show for thtj past half year., A new court house and gaol are nearly finished, and th« Custom house buildings are contracted for and will be commenced forthwith. The old 'M. gazine' which has stood from" the #time" of th * first settlement of Akaroa by the 'French com pany, and which has hitherto-'inefficiently served instead of public offices, is about to be sold by the Government. • ■ < . ' Akaroa has made itself famous for its' flour Mr. Haylock s mill has turned out some of th« finest samples that ever were made into breid Akaroa flour at a sale in Wellington a sl.ovfc time ago, fetched, a figure rery, considerably above average market price. Mr. Haylock i, putting up a large building on the beach of Akaroa for storing wheat and flour, which will facilitate the trade. -

The export of sawn timber and split stuff forms an important and increasing item in tha Peninsula. From Akaroa about 690,000 feet of sawn timber have been sent during the w year, an amount which is about equalled by Ihl rest of the district. There are twoslaKw mills, one m Le Bon's Bay, working satisfactorily; and one m Barry's Bay, Akaroa Harbour just established. The machinery of the latter' has been tried, and fully answers the expectations of the proprietors. A serious accident which happened to one of the working hand* has alone prevented a quantity of timber beini already turned out and shipped to Christchurch Four coasting vessels, principally engaged in the timber trade, are owned by residents* and are constantly employed as regular traders. • ihere are at present about eighteen dairy stations in the Akaroa District, producing G n an average, about four tons of cheese each peV an num. This cheese enjoys the highest reputation. r -

A^ native shore whaling station at Ikoraki has been working steadily and successfully dnring the past season, and has produced about 35 tuns of oil, and a ton of whalebone Sales of rural land on the Peninsula have been proportionably large,with those in the rest of the province. Akaroa town land, sold by auction in sections of one-eighth of an acre, at an upset price of £48 has realised from £80 to £110 per acre.

The great drawback which exists to the advancement of the Peninsula is the want of quick and regular communication with the other parts of the settlement. Traversible roads are required to communicate between the various settlements m the district, and main outlets Irom the peninsula to the plains. The bridlepath commenced three years ago from Port Cooper is unfinished, and a new line is commenced by Barry's Bay, leading to the Southern shore of the Peninsula and the Bllesmere district. Both of these lines should be completed to render communication easy. The retail prices current in Akaroa may bo quoted at present, for mutton, beef, and pork, 6d. to 7d. ; bacon, Is. 3d.; cheese, Is.; fresh and salt butter, Is.1 6d, per ft.; potatoes, 6s. per cwt.; sawn timber, 17s. to 18s., palings, 14s per 100; Shingles, 15s. per 1000; delivered at high water mark. .