ST. BATHANS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 22, 2 July 1869, Page 3

ST. BATHA NS.

(To the Editor of the Moron? Ida Chronicle.)

,22nd June, 1869. Sir, —"When there happens to be a dearth news the weather is always a convenient topic ; so, although having a few words to say on something else, I will, with your permission, begin with the weather.

Well, in this locality, the season has been all that we could desire for mining operations until Friday night last, when a fall of snow took place, covering the ground in the vicinity of the diggings to a depth of several inches, but on Mount St. Bathans and adjoining heights the depth of snow must be some feet —I won't say how many, Mr Editor, as I am not curious enough to go and try. The snow was followed "by a sharp frost, which continues to gain in intensity to the present time, and might have done considerable injury already, but, happily, our head-races, tail-races, and channels are in fine trim, and so far seem to be not at all sensible of the change in the weather. To' say that our storm channel is a splendid success is a fact which will bear repeating, and must be very gratifying to all who aided in its construction. But for it, sluicing operations would have to be almost totally suspended. •.. -. In your last issue appeared a letter from some unknown correspondent here, anent channels and mining affairs generally in this quarter. I will not encroach on his ground further than to say I feel great pleasure in endorsing every word of that letter. The Agency of the Bank of New Zealand in this township has ceased to exist. It was closed on Thursday last. A great ni&ny persons here regret it very much4—not so much because the Bank of ISFew Zealand should no longer have an interest in the place, but because the agent, Mr Bedborough, should be leaving. He came amongst us under most unfavorable circumstances —unfavorable to himself socially, and unfavorable to the agency in the way of business. It is therefore highly creditable, and must be highly satisfactory to Mr Bedborough, to feel that, in spite of the unfavorable circumstances to which I have referred, he, during his residence among us, gained so much on the confidence and affection of the miners as to cause them, as it were by common consent, to come to him with every alternate washing of their gold during the last few months, which practice they were resolved to follow as long as he should remain and they should have gold to sell. I am glad to learn that they mean to give substantial proof of their regard for Mr 8., by presenting him with a valuable gold watch and chain, in which meritorious act none shall join more heartily than myself. June. —A gentle northerly wind sprung up hereon Eriday night, and still continues. It has swept the frost of the previous eight days clean away, and people speak of the weather which we now enjoy as being like the March weather of the old country, but much milder. Our miners, therefore, are in the best of good humour, seeing that their tail-races are shining and going like clock-work.

But the great event of the week lias been a severe shock of earthquake, which was felt hereon ]?riday morning, about 11.30 a.in. It visibly shook the buildings, and in the stores and hotels knocked bottles and glasses violently against each other..,- Persons here are not agreed as to it's direction—some maintain it was from north to south, and vice versa. Others assert th<at its motion was from east to west, aim with the latter I concur. I happened to be standing indoors when it took place, and the sensation I experienced then was as if soine powerful machinery had suddenly set to work beneath me, and had passed, first one roller and then a second, directly under my feet; the first sensibly elevating the ground, and

then suddenly allowing it to subside, as I thought, lower than it had a right to, until arrested and held in position, as it were, by the arrival of the second or number two roller. So many earthquakes have occurred of late, I at once knew this was one of them. But I also had an unpleasant notion that an unfathomable crater was about opening its terrific fiery jaws, and dropping me without ceremony just where I stood. You may talk about people being "nailed to the spot" from fear; but, Mr Editor, my fear was of a more lively kind. I can tell you, sir, I left there in less than no time.

I asked a friend of mine, some hours after, to join me in a drink. His reply was somewhat characteristic: "No, thank you ; no more drink for me. I was stanning on the middle of that there street when that there earthquake happened. I don't know how I felt, 'zactly; but I felt my knees bend backwards and forwards, and my head a bit queer, and so I thought I was going to have a fit, which, thank Grod, I never had yet. So I made up my mind to have no more drink. I often heard of earthquakes, but never b'lieved in 'em. I only thought it was an invention of the book-makers, in order to sell both their books and their readers at the same time. But since that there shakin' I got, I think there's a 'and at the bellows I never b'lieved in afore. So I have made up my mind that if I'm taken short in that way, I won't be drunk." Here, Mr. Editor, was a philosopher who set me thinking with—l don't know whom —that "there are sermons in stones, and good in every, thing." ImpresEe 1 with which belief I will bid you good night, and remain Most verdantly yours, Shameocb:.