OTAGO.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 671, 13 April 1859, Page 4

OTAGO.

(Prom our own Correspondent.'') Dunedin, April 6.

: "'Since ,ilie date of my last communication (per "Queen), we have been unusually busy with the •■slnDp'mar i» our harbour, as the number of arrivals Tvi!! testify. I mentioned t.hat't.he "Equator had arrived from Wellington with a large quantity of goods for this place, much dissatisfaction existing among the con4iign.ee* at her long stay in Wellington. The Cosmopolite from Hobart Town arrived at the Heads on the 24th, and was towed up by the Geelong, which vessel, froni her power, seems well adapted for thi3 purpose, She brings us a large quantity of timber, shingles; fencing, &c., 260 sheep and 30 horse*, having wet with little loss. Several pas•sengers also yrrivnd by her. The Malay arrived from Melbourne on the 28th, with 350 sheep, some fmv p:wtkasjes of cargo and several passengers; she l'-ft for yonrport on the Ist of April. The Ocean ' Queen arrived from* Sydney on the 29th with a large general cargo, and eight or nine passengers; slip carno tip to TDuncdin on the 29fch, and has discharged. The Anmn, from Sydney, arrived on the *.KUh ult. with 2,550 aheap and' 26 horses, having, --aftfir a tedious passage, only lost eight or nine »hi jep and fix horses, which latter were on .deck. 'This is a fine vessel, and has made two most huc'Cessful trips, having on her first lost only live sheep cut of 2/150, but from the room on hoard and the great care taken, no one need be hurprised at the wrnall amount of deaths. It is not unlikely that -sbftJTinv make another trip or two.

The long lor/ked-for Lord Ashley arrived at the Heads after dark on (lie 30th, at'B p.m., and at Port f'hnlmws t!ie following morning at 8 o'clock, but. without the iCnglish mails-; what msiil she did bring c;un« up here sit about 11 o'clock, her outw.ir.l mail clo.sed at 3 u\ ).h-;s afternoon, ;:nd she ■■siU'.-d c.v, iv -tinl, following monmu*. This may be ■';vH. j(] nifh-r -sliHip practice, us it is t\. matter of :i»nposMbi'i!y lor oiv." murchiints to answer their -corre-'pondeiuM' in this' short Unu\ It is however to !•(■ hopivj (h,it when the P. and 0. Company's boats cortnnciu'e running lie:ween Melbourne and Hiicz thi'ir puncluiilit-.y will enable our line of st<?a•rnfrs t<» ;;ive hs more 1 ime.

T.'ie GionceHtor is loading fp.Kt with wool, and w ill H.'ifin f:mi.

Th.re urc now in all .4169 tons of shipping in T/'H't. inclusive of -evi'i-ything hut coasters and li :htor..

I an sorry to My flint wevevid lots of sheep Irtt.'lrnwpcctcl here liave.betih infected .with wab ;jnd Jim' like'y Jo cause some troiililc, there Iming ■come doubt exprpsso'l.sis to. the powi'r.^ rftl.c Sheep Ordinance in preventing the landing. ■ The anniversary of our (settlement happened on tho 23rd of last mo-ntli, but beyond keeping a general holiday there was but little obse'rva'nee of the occasion. Not having been present at tho rite:-, I cau gire you no accoutiJ of th?vn, and the

papers do not mention anything respecting that festival: in fact, horse racing docs not seem to suit our community. From tho police reports howovor thero certainly appear to have been races, as .1 find one or two tine* inflicted for, assaults and olhur jovial misdemeanours. A concert was held in the evening which was well attended, and went oil' exceedingly well, excepting a certain hoed and toe oecompaniment, in which a part of the audience seemed to take great delight. The Otago Hoiticultural Society hold its first show on the same day, which was visited by between 400 and 500 persons, and for a commencement was a credit to its originators and contributors, as there was a goodly show of ilowers, fruits, and "vegetables, for which small prizes are to be distributed. I have not heard of anything talcing place at Port Chalmers on that day, and therefore I suppose beyond a display of bunting from the shipping all was as usual.

The 32(1 ucnf inn Board held its half yearly meeting on the 18th ult., when the reports of the several district committees were received, and the proposed alterations in the ordinance came under dismission; the Board then almost unanimously, (that is by a majority of 12 to 2) resolved that the Ordinance lie'left pretty much as it is at present, and only desired to have plenty of funds. very pretty little dispute seems raging between our Dunediu Education Committee and the General Board, relative to the holidays given to the children, each claiming the right of determining when and how often tho holidays shall be. Whoever may have this power, the school is in the habit of not opening and shutting according to the committee's instructions, the Hector -obeying the General Board.

On a survey of the mouth of the Taieri River, by Mr. Thomson, the Civil Engineer, and Captain Thomson of the Geelong, it has been decided that that vessel cannot enter there, which is much to be regretted. However, a small -steamer is expected here'soon for the harbour, and in all probability one will soon be found able to enter the Taieri, fronvwhich,place a-.groat deal of produce comes into our port.

At a sale of town lands on the 24th nlto., 44 quarter-acre sections realised £632j and one even went as high as £50 10s. At a sale of cattle on the 16th inst., at Moeraki, by Messrs. W. C. Young & Co., cows without calves fetched from £10 to £25 10s. the latter having been offered for a pure bred Hereford.

The Pirate sailed from Port Chalmers for Melbourne on Thursday morning the 24th, with a full cargo varaed at £8000, besides a large number of passengers; this looks well for steam direct to Melbourne, versus steam coastwise. The flour mill at Kaikorai, built by a Company, was sold by auction by Messrs. J. Macandrew and Co., and realised £2580, at which price Mr. Eunciman became the purchaser. Before-long we shall have another mill erected near Dunedin, as almost all the machinery has been imported, and the building will be-shortly commenced.

■I am sorry to have to 'record 'that during the night of the 4th or early oh the morning of the sth, a barque, the Eevival of Limerick, went ashore on the sea beach between Tairoa Head and Heyward Point, and there remains; some hope there may be of getting her off, but much will depend on the winds, as she must have gone ashore at almost high water and spring tides. No passengers nor cargo from the Bluff Harbour, where she had landed stock. Further particulars I cannot at present forward as the •information already received is very meagre, and I believe almost entirely derived from the Customs Boat, which was out to her yesterday or to-day. April 7th. To-day there is a report in town that the Captain -of the Eevival is .xip here for assistance, but the mail closing I can gain no further information in time to forward by the White Swan. This is the first instance of anything of the kind at. our port, and the occurrence is much to be regretted; but where the blame lies, if any, remains to be seen. There is much reason to be thankful that there were not any passengers, tis had -it been an emigrant ship, there is no doubt, from the distance our town is from the Heads, and from our being, I may say, almost entirely unprovided with the meaus of sav-' ing life- in case of shipwreck, there can be little doubt that some lives must have been lost. No doubt the authorities will do what can be done, and it is to be hoped the vessel herself will be got off.