AUCKLAND. [From the Southern Cross, July 31.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 230, 13 October 1847, Page 3

AUCKLAND. [From the Southern Cross, July 31.]

Military Hospital. — This tine building will be finished, we believe, in about three weeks. It is built of scoria from Mount Eden. A great portion of »he quoins and arch stones were dressed oy the natives, and the window-sills and door-steps were their first attempt at chiselling stone. This building contains three wards, each 44 feet louij by 23 feet wide; also an Eye ward, Medicine Store, Surgery, Serjeant's room, and Nurse's room, with a Kitchen and good Cellarage. The whole of the timber is of our excellent kauri, and the carpenter work, which was performed by Mr. Finlay, is highly creditable to him as a contractor. The masonry reflects great credit on the artificers of the 58th and 65th Regiments — and last, though not least, on the Officers of the Engineers' Department, who designed and superintended the erection thereof. — We bear that the cost of the erection will be under £1,300, a sum we think exceedingly small for such a building, evincing great economy and good management in the financal department. It only wants a good verandah to render it complete.

[From the New Zealander, August 14.] Tn addition to the well-known mineral productions of the Barrier and Kawau mines.-, we have in successful and profitable operation, a large, rope-walk, in Mechanics' Bay, consuming our flax ; a tanning and currying yard in High-street ; breweries, in one of which vine- } gar is also made, at Mount Kden, St. George's Bay, and in the town ; and lately a soap-boil-ing and candle-making establishment, belonging to Mr. John Alexander Smith, has commenced operations. In the course of a few weeks, we shall no longer be quite dependant on our sister colony for these two articles of daily and universal consumption. From the nature of our climate, we can make better candles than can be made in New South Wales ; and we doubt not that before long, Auckland made candles will, from their superior quality and make, command an export as well as a home trade. Would it not be well for some of our practical men to turn their attention to the manufacture of paper from flax?